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1"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.
2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming
when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to
God. 3They will do such things because they have not known the Father
or me. 4I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will
remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because
I was with you.
John 16:1-4
Explanation: Jesus Refers Directly to the Jewish Persecution
of His Disciples (16:1-4)
The general description of conflict (15:18-27) is now spelled out
more specifically, beginning with the topic of persecution. Jesus
warns that expulsion from the synagogue and even death awaits the
disciples (16:2; cf. Mt 10:17, 21 par. Mk 13:9, 12 par. Lk 21:12,
16). Such martyrdom began with Stephen (Acts 7:54-60) and continued
on a local basis (Acts 12:1-2; 14:5, 19; 18:12; 22:4; 26:10; 2 Cor
11:23-25; Rev 2:13; Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 20.200; Justin
Martyr Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 95.4, 133.6; Martyrdom of Polycarp
13.1). The expulsion from the synagogue also occurred on a local
basis and then more widely late in the first century (see comment
on 9:22).
Jesus' opponents are about to put him to death for the sake of what
they believe to be God's truth and honor. The same fate awaits his
followers, since the one who kills his disciples will think he is
offering a service to God (v. 2). The word service (latreia) refers
to religious service. A later Jewish text says, "if a man sheds
the blood of the wicked it is as though he had offered a sacrifice"
(Midrash Rabbah on Num 21:3; cf. b. Sanhedrin 9:6). Such a view
is quite understandable among those who believe they have received
the revelation of the truth, which includes most, if not all, the
major religions. Such killing is against the teaching of Jesus and
the New Testament, but this has not stopped such activity in the
name of Christ.
The opponents' zeal is itself commendable (cf. Rom 10:2), but because
it is directed against Jesus and his followers, it simply bears
further witness to their alienation from God. That is, Jesus and
John agree with their Jewish opponents that God has revealed himself--there
is revealed truth to live and die for, truth that distinguishes
those who are of God and those who are against him. But they disagree
about the locus of this truth. Jesus says they are doing these things
because they have not known the Father or me (v. 3; cf. 15:21, 23).
So the knowledge of the Father and the Son, which is the very source
of the disciples' joy and peace, is also the cause of their troubles
in the world.
Jesus tells them about these troubles ahead of time so they will
not go astray (v. 1; cf. 13:19). This verb (skandalizo) does not
refer to making a mistake but to something preventing one's progress,
in this case a falling away (Stahlin 1971:345). Earlier, when the
disciples had grumbled over a hard saying, Jesus used this same
word when he said, "Does this offend you?" (6:61). The
teaching did offend them, and "many of his disciples turned
back and no longer followed him" (6:66). Such a falling away
is what Jesus wants to prevent by warning them of persecution. When
the hard times come they should stick with him, just as these eleven
did when the hard sayings hit them (6:67-68). These are the ones
who have received Jesus' words, and they are to remember these words
(16:4) so they do not fall away.
Disciples today also need to receive deeply the teachings of Christ
and his apostles in order to be ready for times of persecution or
temptation. Jesus here provides an example of pastoral care. It
is part of the pastor's duty to ensure that God's people receive
such preparation so they will continue on the pilgrim way and not
fall away or otherwise get blocked along the way.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
5"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me,
'Where are you going?' 6Because I have said these things, you are
filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good
that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come
to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he
will convict the world of guilt[1] in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;
10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father,
where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because
the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.
13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into
all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what
he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring
glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the
Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
John 16:5-15
Explanation: Jesus Explains the Twofold Work of the Paraclete
in More Detail (16:4-15)
Jesus now comes to his final teaching about the Paraclete. Jesus'
departure, the talk of which has caused the disciples so much distress,
is necessary in order that the Paraclete might come (vv. 4b-7).
When the Paraclete does come he will continue the work of revelation
begun in Jesus, both his judgment of the world (vv. 8-11) and the
revelation of God to the disciples (vv. 12-15).
Jesus has been speaking of his departure, the persecution the disciples
will soon meet and the coming of the Paraclete. These topics were
not part of his teaching from the beginning because he was still
with them (v. 4). His revelation has unfolded as was appropriate
at the various stages of his ministry. Now that he is about to depart
to the Father he is preparing them for what comes next, both the
blessing and the danger.
He upbraids them for not asking where he is going (v. 5). This is
puzzling because Peter had already done exactly that (13:36) and
Thomas also had expressed ignorance of where Jesus was going (14:5).
This could be a seam in the garment of the Gospel (see comment on
14:31; Brown 1970:710). If this is not a seam, then there must be
some distinction between Peter's question and what Jesus is referring
to here. Perhaps Peter's earlier question was not really a serious
one, since he was immediately distracted from it and did not follow
up on it (Morris 1971:695-96). Or perhaps the clue is in the present
tense--none of them asks him. They had asked earlier, but now they
are grieving instead of asking (v. 6; Barrett 1978:485). Perhaps
Jesus is saying that they lack trust, that they are grieving when
they should be taking into account where he is going (Calvin 1959:115).
Whatever the solution, the main point as it now stands is the disciples'
focus on themselves rather than on Jesus. Earlier Jesus had said
it is a blessing for him to return to the Father (14:28). Now he
adds that it is also for their good that he is going away, for then
he will send the Paraclete (v. 7). The Spirit is already present
(see comment on 16:25), but Jesus cannot send the Spirit in his
role as Paraclete until he himself has returned to the Father. Why
is this? Earlier John had explained that the Spirit was not yet
given because Jesus "had not yet been glorified" (7:39).
Jesus' glorification is his death, resurrection and ascension to
the Father, and these provide both the climax of his revelation
and a testimony to the truth of his life and teaching. The role
of the Spirit is to interpret and bear witness to Jesus and his
revelation of the Father (vv. 12-15). So until Jesus has completed
his revelation, the Spirit is not able to do his job, for he does
not have the full revelation to work with.
Thus it is better for the disciples that Jesus go, because this
will be the completion of his own work on their behalf (and on behalf
of the whole world) and because he will then send the Paraclete,
who will lead them into all that Jesus has revealed. But more is
involved since this work of the Paraclete is not simply intellectual.
The Paraclete is the Spirit of God, and union with God is accomplished
by being born of the Spirit (3:5). Thus, the Spirit will deepen
their knowledge of the Father through the Son in the sense of both
understanding and relationship. Through the Spirit the disciples
will share in the very life of God that they have seen in Jesus.
Their intimacy with Jesus himself will be far deeper than before.
This union with God is accomplished by Jesus' glorification, and
thus the glorification must take place before the sending of the
Paraclete.
The coming of the Paraclete is not some automatic, impersonal response.
He is personally sent by Jesus, and he is sent not to the world
but to the disciples (v. 7; 14:17). Before explaining further what
the Paraclete will do for the disciples, Jesus describes the effect
that the Paraclete's presence among and within the disciples will
have on the world (vv. 8-11). When the Paraclete comes to the disciples
he will convict the world (v. 8). In the New Testament this word
(elencho) means "to show someone his sin and to summon him
to repentance" (Büchsel 1964:474). The emphasis can be
on either exposing (cf. 3:20) or condemning and convicting (cf.
8:46). As we will see, the exposure of the the truth about the world
is clearly in view in our present passage. Whether Jesus is also
saying that the world will be convicted by this revelation is not
clear, though certainly some within the world will be convicted
since the disciples' witness will be received by at least some (17:20).
There are three parts to the exposure of the world's errors (v.
8).
First, the world is wrong about sin because it does
not believe in Jesus (v. 9). Here, as throughout this section (15:18--16:15),
the Jewish opponents are understood as representing the world. The
opponents had condemned Jesus as a sinner, which is both explicitly
stated (9:16, 24) and implicit in all their accusations. But they
are really the ones who are guilty before God, because the work
of God is to believe in the one whom he sent (6:29) and rejecting
Jesus is the most basic sin (1:11; 3:19; 5:45-47; 8:24; 15:22).
Second, the world is wrong about righteousness because Jesus is
going to the Father (v. 10). The word righteousness (dikaiosyne)
probably includes its sense of "justice." His opponents
did not judge with right judgment (7:24), and this is seen especially
in their condemnation of Jesus for his claim to be God's Son (19:7).
Jesus' return to the Father will expose their justice as unjust.
Jesus adds, "And you will no longer see me" (paraphrased
in the NIV), which reinforces it is to the disciples advantage that
Jesus go to the Father (v. 7).
Third, the world is wrong about judgment because the prince of this
world now stands condemned (v. 11). The opponents had condemned
Jesus, but the Paraclete will reveal that it was the evil one who
was judged and condemned at Jesus' glorification. This judgment
in turn condemns the world itself (12:31), since they have the devil
for a father (8:44).
Each of these terms--sin, righteousness (or "justice")
and judgment--were quite familiar to the Jewish opponents. But now
they are redefined around Jesus: "Sin is rejecting Jesus; justice
is what God has done for Jesus; judgment is what Jesus has accomplished
already by his death" (Michaels 1989:283). The conflict with
the Jewish opponents is therefore put in perspective. These opponents
represent the world itself, that which is in rebellion against God.
The conflict reflected in this rebellion is here seen in cosmic
terms, with the Son of God and the prince of this world as the leading
actors, each desiring the allegiance of the world. The main characteristics
of each actor in the drama are here revealed: the world consists
of all who fail to believe in Jesus, Jesus is known as the just
or righteous one (cf. 1 Jn 2:1), and the devil is judged. Thus the
Paraclete will reveal the verdict of the trial that has been in
session throughout the Gospel.
The Paraclete exposes these realities to the disciples and to the
world itself throu
gh the disciples (15:26-27). This witness will be through
oral and written proclamation, of which this Gospel is itself a
supreme example. But the primary witness will be in the quality
of life that the Paraclete produces within the community as the
new birth brings them into union with God. First (cf. v. 9), faith
in Jesus brings a new freedom from sin (8:32-36; 1 Jn 1:5--2:2;
3:4-10), though not sinlessness apart from the cleansing of Jesus'
blood (1 Jn 1:7-10). Second (cf. v. 10), they are able to live the
pattern of righteousness and justice that was present in Jesus because
they have his Spirit, which he sent to them after his return to
the Father. The world may not see Jesus, but the disciples continue
to be close to him (16:19). Third (cf. v. 11), the defeat of the
evil one by Jesus is now evident in the lives of his disciples,
who also overcome the evil one (1 Jn 2:13-14; 5:4).
More generally speaking, it is primarily the community's life together
that witnesses to Jesus and, by the same token, exposes and condemns
the world, in particular by their love (13:35) and unity (17:21).
Such love and unity reveal that they are sharing in God's own life,
and, consequently, their rejection and persecution show that the
opponents are acting against God. The very judgment that Jesus brought
into the world continues through his disciples and elicits the same
hatred (7:7).
Jesus has been speaking to them of matters that were not appropriate
to share earlier because the time was not right (vv. 4-5). Now he
says there are still more things he has to say to them, but they
are not yet ready to hear them (v. 12). Their grief makes it hard
enough for them to follow what Jesus is saying. But on a deeper
level, until the Spirit comes and they receive the new birth they
will not be able to understand Jesus or the things of his otherworldly
kingdom (3:3; 18:36; cf. 1 Cor 2:10-16). Jesus himself is passing
on to them all that he has received from the Father (15:15), but
they are not yet able to grasp it.
So the Paraclete will take over as their teacher and will enable
them to grasp the richness of the revelation of Jesus. Jesus said
earlier that the Paraclete will teach the disciples "all things"
by reminding them of "everything I have said to you" (14:26).
Now he develops this thought further when he says the Spirit of
truth . . . will guide you into all truth (v. 13). Such guidance
by God's Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament (Ps 24:5 LXX;
142:10 LXX; Is 43:14 LXX) and is also associated with God's Wisdom
(Wisdom of Solomon 9:11; 10:10, 17). But although the Spirit guides
(hodegeo), it is Jesus who is the way (hodos) itself, indeed, the
truth itself (14:6).
So the Spirit will focus on the Son and will not speak
on his own but will speak only what he hears (v. 13). The Son has
done exactly the same with respect to the Father (3:32-34; 7:16-18;
8:26-29, 40; 12:47-50; 14:10; 15:15). The Son has revealed the Father,
and now the Spirit will reveal the Father by revealing the Son.
When Jesus says all truth he does not appear to be referring to
truth in all areas of knowledge, though indeed all truth is God's
truth (see comment on 14:46). Rather, the Spirit is going to guide
them into all the truth in Jesus, for he is going to glorify Jesus
by taking from what is mine and making it known to you (v. 14).
The reference is to insight regarding the historical ministry of
Jesus (cf. 2:22; 12:16; 13:7; Brown 1970:714) and to a deeper understanding
of who Jesus is and of his revelation of the Father. For all that
belongs to the Father is mine (v. 15), and "everything that
I have learned from my Father I have made known to you" (15:15).
Jesus' knowledge of the Father is complete (cf. also 5:20; 17:10),
and he has held back nothing from his disciples.
But the disciples cannot grasp much of this at this point, both
because the ultimate revelation has not yet occurred, namely the
crucifixion and resurrection and ascension, and because they have
not yet entered into the divine life, the eternal life, through
the new birth by the Spirit. But when the revelation is complete
and when they do receive the Paraclete, he will guide them into
all the truth that is in Jesus, which means all the truth of the
Father. As always in this Gospel, the Father is the ultimate source
and focus (v. 15). The Spirit will focus on the Son, who is focusing
on the Father. Jesus' staggering claim to have complete knowledge
of God is the foundation for the Christian claim that Jesus is the
unique and only way to the Father. But how are we mere mortals to
appropriate such knowledge of God? Jesus provides the way by sending
the Spirit of God. The "all" of Jesus' revelation is matched
by the "all" of the Paraclete's instruction, an instruction
that is not merely cerebral, but that involves a sharing of the
very life of God.
The passage's focus on Jesus helps us understand what Jesus means
when he says the Paraclete will tell you what is yet to come (v.
13). This is often taken as a promise that the Paraclete will give
the disciples predictions of the future, presumably at least what
will take place in and through the church. Such prediction is indeed
a divine activity (for example, Is 42:9; 44:7; 46:10; 48:14; see
comment on Jn 13:19), but it is probably not what is referred to
here since the idea of prediction does not fit this passage. The
expression what is yet to come is paralleled in the next two verses
by the phrase what is mine, suggesting the future events have to
do with Jesus. The reference would be to the glorification--the
crucifixion, resurrection and ascension--which still lies in the
future at this point. This complex of events forms the climax of
Jesus' revelation and thus will play a central role in the Paraclete's
instruction of the disciples; he will glorify Jesus (v. 14) in large
measure by declaring to them the truth revealed in Jesus' glorification.
So Jesus' promise is not of new revelation but of insight into the
one revelation found in him. Throughout the history of the church,
leaders within the church as well as groups on the fringes of Christianity
have appealed to this passage to justify new teachings. Any such
new teaching must, however, be true to the revelation received in
Jesus. The flower will continue to unfold, but it must be the same
flower--the genetic code must be the same. The Scriptures, including
the apostolic witness of the New Testament, has been the touchstone
for this continuity throughout the life of the church. Indeed, the
present passage speaks primarily of that apostolic witness, since
Jesus is promising this work of the Paraclete to those who have
been with him from the beginning (15:27), whom the Paraclete can
remind of what Jesus has done and said (14:26). The idea of further
revelation to others besides the eleven is not here addressed (cf.
Carson 1991:542).
16-33
16"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after
a little while you will see me."
The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy
17Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he
mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and
then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going
to the Father'?" 18They kept asking, "What does he mean
by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying."
19Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to
them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said,
'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little
while you will see me'? 20I tell you the truth, you will weep and
mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief
will turn to joy. 21A woman giving birth to a child has pain because
her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish
because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22So with
you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you
will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23In that day
you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father
will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have
not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and
your joy will be complete.
25"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming
when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you
plainly about my Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name.
I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No,
the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have
believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered
the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."
29Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly
and without figures of speech. 30Now we can see that you know all
things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions.
This makes us believe that you came from God."
31"You believe at last!"[2] Jesus answered. 32"But
a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each
to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone,
for my Father is with me.
33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have
peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world."
John 16:16-33
Explanation: Jesus Predicts Joy and Suffering (16:16-33)
The final part of the discourse directs the disciples' attention
to what they are about to experience as a result of Jesus' crucifixion
and resurrection. Soon their grief will be turned to joy (vv. 16-21)
as they see him again (v. 22) and enter into a new level of intimacy
in their relationship with the Son and the Father (vv. 23-28). The
disciples respond with an affirmation of faith (vv. 29-30), but
it is premature, for they have not yet encountered the greatest
revelation or the greatest suffering (vv. 31-32). Jesus does not
conclude on this down note, but instead he assures them of peace
because he has conquered the world (v. 33).
Jesus Promises That After a Little While the Disciples' Grief Will
Turn to Joy (16:16-21)
Earlier Jesus told the disciples he would be with them only a little
longer (13:33) and encouraged them not to mourn. Now he points to
the time in the future when their grief will be turned to joy. Earlier
Jesus' statements had triggered questions by the disciples (13:36--14:8).
His teaching on the Paraclete also raises questions, but instead
of asking Jesus what he means, the disciples question one another
(vv. 17-18). They want to ask him (v. 19) but hold back. Perhaps
they despair of getting an answer that makes any sense. Throughout
the Gospel Jesus has spoken cryptically, as he is about to admit
(v. 25). And here in the farewell discourse he has piled on more
lessons that are beyond their understanding at this point, as he
is well aware (v. 12). The word used for asking (zeteo, v. 19) means
to seek. The disciples are seeking insight in the wrong place, for
they have no answers to offer one another.
He has been speaking of the Paraclete who will come to them, but
he has also spoken of his own coming to them (14:3, 18-19, 23, 28).
His focus on his going to the Father, combined with his statement
that in a little while you will see me no more, and then after a
little while you will see me (v. 16), confuses them, especially
the phrase a little while (mikron, v. 18). This Greek word is repeated
seven times in these four verses (vv. 16-19), giving it great emphasis.
This adds to the disciples' anxiety because they do not know what
he is talking about, but it is clear that whatever he is speaking
of is imminent. All they know is that something very big is about
to happen that involves Jesus' departure from them.
Jesus is referring to his death and resurrection. A number of interpreters
think the coming of the Spirit and Jesus' second coming are also
included in his meaning, but the context suggests Jesus is describing
the climactic events of his revelation, which will indeed literally
take place in a little while. Jesus has just said that the Paraclete
will tell the disciples "what is yet to come," which is
a reference to his crucifixion and resurrection (v. 13). Now the
explanation he offers (vv. 20-22) indicates that the resurrection
will be the point at which he sees them again, the time when he
inaugurates for the disciples a qualitatively new life and relationship
with God (vv. 23-26).
Jesus' explanation begins with the solemn I tell you the truth (v.
20), literally, "amen, amen" (see note 1:51). It is certain
that the disciples will weep and mourn (v. 20). The word mourn (threneo)
clearly refers to grief at a death (cf. threnos, "dirge").
Weeping need not refer to grief at a death, but in John it is only
used in such a context (11:31, 33; 20:11, 13, 15). Thus, Jesus is
referring to the grief they suffer at his death. The world thinks
it has conquered its enemy and rejoices. The disciples' grief will
only last a little while and then will be turned to joy.
The world and the disciples are utterly opposed, which
means one will be grieved and the other filled with joy.
These responses clarify which "coming" Jesus
is referring to. Both the joy of the world and the grief-turned-joy
of the disciples are more appropriate in response to Jesus' death
and resurrection than in response to the coming of the Spirit or
Jesus' second coming.
Before applying his point directly to the disciples Jesus uses an
image to interpret their grief and its cause (v. 21). The pain a
woman experiences at childbirth is predictable, brief (though it
may not feel that way at the time) and followed by joy. It is predictable
because it is following an established order. Jesus refers to the
time of birth and its pains as her "hour" coming upon
her (hora; NIV, time). Jesus has spoken throughout this Gospel of
his own hour, meaning his death and the resurrection and new life
that follows. So the theme of birth pangs and of new life entering
the world speaks powerfully of the significance of what is now taking
place in him and his disciples.
The disciples might have grasped something of this significance
because the image of childbirth is used in the Old Testament to
refer to God's actions. In particular it is used, with both its
pain and joy, to refer to God's decisive future act of salvation
(for example, Is 66:7-14; Brown 1970:731; Beasley-Murray 1987:285-86).
Isaiah 26:16-21 even includes reference to resurrection of the dead
and mentions the phrase "a little while," which itself
is often used in such eschatological material (for example, Is 10:25;
Jer 51:33; Beasley-Murray 1987:285-86). Such Old Testament material
is also echoed in Jesus' reference to the woman's anguish, since
that word (thlipsis) is often used of the tribulation that will
come when God acts decisively (for example, Dan 12:1; Zeph 1:14-15,
Brown 1987:285-86). So Jesus' imagery and language speak of God's
climactic act of salvation. He is providing an interpretive framework
in which the disciples can make sense out of what he and they are
about to experience (Jn 16:33). They are in the midst of the event
for which so many within Judaism were longing (cf. Lk 2:25, 38;
23:51; 24:21). The pain will be intense but limited. It will be
what J. R. R. Tolkien labeled a "eucatastrophe," "the
sudden joyous `turn'" in the midst of catastrophe, which is
at the heart of the Gospel story (1965:68-73).
Jesus Describes the Reasons for the Joy That the Disciples Are About
to Experience (16:22-28)
While the grief is already beginning, the joy is coming, for I will
see you again (v. 22). Earlier Jesus had said that they would see
him (vv. 16, 19), and now he says it is also he who will see them.
Such a statement makes it clear that what they see will not be the
result of some sort of inner experience with no objective grounds
in Jesus himself, though it is not clear whether this is the intention
of Jesus' words. At the least it encourages the disciples that they
will once again be of interest and concern to him. This restored
relationship is the cause of their joy. Because the relationship
is secure so is the joy, even in the midst of the suffering that
Jesus says is awaiting them (15:18--16:4). There will be those who
want to take this joy from the disciples, but they will not be able
to do so.
Their joy is primarily rooted in their restored relationship with
Jesus, but there will be changes in that relationship. Something
of these changes will become clear in the postresurrection encounters,
but already Jesus refers to a change in their patterns of asking
(vv. 23-26). There are two different Greek words translated ask
in verse 23. One, erotao, can be used of asking for something but
often is used for asking questions. The other, aiteo, usually refers
to petitions. The NIV captures this distinction nicely, though the
distinction is easily missed if one is not paying attention: you
will no longer ask [erotao] me anything. I tell you the truth, my
Father will give you whatever you ask [aiteo] in my name. By adding
the words no longer (not found in the Greek) the NIV draws out the
connection that exists with the context. The disciples have been
asking Jesus a lot of questions in the farewell discourse, but they
have not been petitioning him. Because erotao can refer to petitions
it is possible that Jesus is only referring to this kind of question.
But the context of the disciples' questions, combined with the solemn
"amen, amen" that separates the two halves of the verse
and the "and" (kai) that connects verse 23 to verse 22
(omitted in the NIV), suggests there are two types of asking in
view.
Thus the first change of relationship that will be a source of joy
is reflected in their no longer needing to ask Jesus questions (v.
23). This does not mean the disciples will have no questions in
the future. We believers have plenty of them even now. But the things
the disciples have been asking about will become clear once they
see the Lord's death and resurrection and receive the help of the
Paraclete to sort it all out (cf. 1 Jn 2:20). That is, the disciples
will have an understanding of Jesus that gives them the heart of
the truth. They may come up with interesting questions, some of
which are inappropriate and thus not answered (21:21-22), but they
will have all they need to live the divine life now made available.
The second change of relationship will be their sharing in Jesus'
work as his friends (vv. 23-24). This is the reality behind Jesus'
reference to asking the Father in his name (cf. 14:13; 15:7, 15).
They have not asked in his name up to this point because they have
not dwelt in him and he has not dwelt in them. This will soon change,
and then they will share in the eternal life that Jesus has with
the Father, which includes being taken into the work of God in the
world. Such prayer is based on the love that is obedience (15:7-17;
1 Jn 3:22) and therefore is directed toward God's will being done
and not toward one's own will apart from God (1 Jn 5:14-15). This
work is the same as seen in Jesus and as described in regard to
the Paraclete, namely, the revelation of the love of God in word
and deed. This revelation will be manifest in each disciple's life
and especially in the quality of life of the community as a whole.
John later promotes such life in the community through sharing in
the life that has been revealed, which brings fullness of joy (1
Jn 1:1-4).
These two types of asking, then, speak of the new intimacy with
God that the disciples are about to experience. The communication
will go both directions. The disciples will be able to hear from
God with understanding, and they will be able to pray to God in
accord with his own purposes (cf. Michaels 1989:287). The key to
both types of communication is listening. Unless the disciple listens
he or she will neither receive the insight into Jesus and his revelation
nor be able to enter into God's purposes in prayer. Thus, at the
center of the disciples' intimacy with God is the humility depicted
throughout this Gospel. This humility is a docility and openness
toward God that receives life from God and all the outworkings of
that divine, eternal life.
Jesus then expounds on these aspects of the coming intimacy, returning
first to the theme of future insight and knowledge. He says he has
been speaking figuratively (v. 25). He is not referring merely to
the image of the woman in childbirth (v. 21), but to the general
cast of most of his teaching throughout the Gospel. His subject
has always been the Father. Even when he has spoken of himself it
has been as the Son who is revealing the Father.
Jesus has said that his opponents' inability to understand
him is due to their lack of faith and their alienation from God.
But his own disciples have had a hard time keeping up also, as Jesus
has recognized (6:60-69; 16:12). Jesus has promised to them the
Paraclete, who will instruct them (14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15), but
now he says that he himself will also speak to them (16:25). Because
Jesus has been speaking of his resurrection, this plain speaking
could refer to his teaching after his resurrection and before his
ascension. But the references to prayer in his name (vv. 23-24,
26) extend beyond the resurrection period, so this further instruction
probably does so as well. But if the Son himself will continue to
teach the disciples, then it seems that, although the Son and the
Paraclete are distinct from one another, the presence of Jesus with
the disciples will be mediated by the Paraclete (see comment on
14:16, 23-28). Jesus' teaching will become clear to the disciples
because the revelation will be complete, with the cross and resurrection
giving the deepest insight into Jesus' identity and the significance
of his ministry. But even these climactic events would not be clear
without the new birth through the Spirit that enables them to share
(as much as is possible for human beings) in the very life of God
that Jesus shares (17:21-23). Thus, these verses speak of Jesus'
resurrection and the new life there begun.
Jesus returns to the theme of asking in his name (v. 26; cf. vv.
23-24), adding a very powerful point. Asking in his name is not
a matter of their asking him and then his asking the Father on their
behalf. He is indeed a paraclete before the Father (1 Jn 2:1) and
the one who intercedes (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). But such texts "deal
not with petitionary prayer but with the status of the Christian
before God, a status which rests entirely upon the eternal consequences
of the priestly work of Christ" (Barrett 1978:496). The very
fact that Jesus is our mediator means we have direct access in him
to the Father. So in him we can pray to the Father, and at the same
time Jesus himself prays for us. He prayed for Peter (Lk 22:32),
and we will hear in the next chapter his amazing prayer for the
apostles, and all disciples, spoken as if he were already in heaven.
The fact that we need a mediator could imply that the Father is
aloof or hateful toward us. But Jesus makes it clear that such is
not the case. Jesus need not pass on our requests to the Father,
"for" (gar, left out of the NIV) the Father himself loves
you (v. 27)--here we have the key revelation of the whole Gospel
in a bumper sticker. Everything Jesus has been about reveals this
Father and this love.
The reason the Father loves the disciples is because they have loved
Jesus and believed he came from God. This does not mean God's love
is dependent on our initiative or that it is not universal (see
comment on 14:21). "We love because he first loved us"
(1 Jn 4:19). This speaks instead of the fulfillment of that love
in those who love and believe in the Son. Both the love and the
belief are significant. The Son must be received as he is in truth,
as the one who has come from God. John must deal later, in his first
letter, with those who claim to know and love the Father and the
Son but who do not receive the Son as he truly is. Neither love
for a Christ of human invention nor a mere correct rational assessment
of Jesus are in view here. A right relationship includes both the
right understanding of who Jesus is and an attachment of love.
If the crucial revelation of the Father is his love, the key revelation
of the Son is his relation to the Father, summarized in the fact
that he has come from God (cf. 1 Jn 4:14, 16). Jesus unpacks this
core affirmation in a four-line chiasm (v. 28; cf. Brown 1970:725):
A I came from the Father
B and entered the world
B' now I am leaving the world
A' and going back to the Father
This chiasm connects the belief the disciples already have--that
Jesus came from the Father--to the point that has been causing them
grief--his return to the Father. The chiasm's focus is the Son's
relation to the Father and his mission to the world: his incarnation
and ascension are viewed in the first and last lines in relation
to the Father and in the middle lines in relation to the world (Brown
1970:725). This statement is "at once a summary of Johannine
Christology and the heart of this Gospel" (Beasley-Murray 1987:287).
Thus, in verses 27 and 28 we have the fundamental grounds for the
climactic salvation Jesus has been speaking about. At the heart
of this salvation is the Father's love, the relation between the
Father and the Son and the Son's entrance into the world. On the
human side the response that brings one into intimacy with God is
love and faith toward the Son as sent from God. The centrality of
this view of Jesus as the one sent from God has been evident throughout
the Gospel (especially 8:42-47) and is seen again in its repetition
by the disciples (16:30) and its affirmation by Jesus in his concluding
prayer (17:8).
Jesus Prepares the Disciples for Their Imminent
Desertion of Him (16:29-33)
Jesus has promised to speak plainly, and the disciples think he
has now done so (v. 29). The climactic affirmation in verses 27-28
is indeed quite clear. Jesus has just said that they believe that
he has come from God (v. 27), and they affirm that faith, basing
it on their knowledge (oidamen, "we know"; NIV, we can
see) that you know all things and that you do not even need to have
anyone ask you questions (v. 30). Their reference to questions may
seem backward. If someone knows something, then we would say he
or she does not need to ask questions. The idea here, however, is
that "the ability to anticipate questions and not to need to
be asked is a mark of the divine" (Brown 1970:725-26; cf. Mt
6:8; Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 6.230). As the one sent from
God, Jesus' knowledge is complete; thus one can trust him and not
fret over the questions one might have. His revelation has validated
his claim to be the one sent from God. Our knowledge of his identity
grounds our faith in him, both in the sense of belief about him
and trust in him.
Earlier, in the face of very cryptic teaching, Peter had made essentially
the same statement: "We believe and know that you are the Holy
One of God" (6:69). Despite this affirmation the disciples
have been full of questions until now, when they think they finally
get it. But they have not yet seen the cross, and therefore they
do not yet know the Father's heart of love revealed in the laying
down of the Son's life. So in fact their expression of knowledge
reveals their ignorance. How often even today, with the new birth
and the Spirit, we think we have something figured out, only to
have God reveal to us yet further riches about himself and the life
he shares with us.
So Jesus, in his love for them, must give them a reality check.
His statement You believe at last! (v. 31) could actually be a question,
"Now you believe?" But Jesus is not doubting their faith.
Instead he is telling them they have not yet taken the final exam
for this course, so their celebrations are premature. Their faith
will be tested and deepened enormously in the next few days. Everyone
of them, without exception, will be scattered (v. 32; cf. Zech 13:7).
John himself will return to Jesus and be at the cross, but he, like
Peter, will not remain close enough to Jesus to be in harm's way
(see comments on 18:12-14; cf. Carson 1991:549). They will all be
scattered until they are gathered again beyond the cross by the
resurrected one, after the "little while."
They will all abandon Jesus, but the Father will still be with him
(v. 32). How does this correspond to Jesus' cry of abandonment on
the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
(Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34)? When Jesus took our sin upon himself on the
cross, he who had always known complete intimacy with the Father
experienced, for the first time, the gulf that separates God from
sin, light from darkness. But something deeper was also at work.
This abandonment and its experience do not mean Jesus lacked faith
in God. In fact, the cry of abandonment is a quote from the beginning
of Psalm 22, "and the whole meaning of the Psalm is that God
does not desert His suffering servants" (Hoskyns 1940b:582).
His cry expresses both the reality of what he was undergoing and
his faith in its outcome. If Abraham could offer up Isaac in the
hope of resurrection (Gen 22; Heb 11:17-19), how much more could
Jesus have confidence in God, whom he knew far better than Abraham
did, and in the power of God's life, which he understood far better
than Abraham did. Rather than contradicting the Synoptic accounts,
Jesus' statement in verse 32 helps us interpret them correctly (cf.
Hoskyns 1940b:582).
While Jesus must warn the disciples that the suffering is far from
over, he does not end on that note. Now, as he has throughout the
farewell discourse, Jesus warns them ahead of time so they will
be prepared. He has told them not to let their hearts be troubled
(14:1) but to receive his peace (14:27). This peace, as he now emphasizes
(v. 33), is found in him, not in the world. The world will give
them trouble, that is, the opposition that comes from those who
are in rebellion against God (thlipsis; cf. v. 21). But they can
take heart because he has overcome the world; he has met it in battle
and conquered it (nenikeka). The theme of conflict has been present
throughout the Gospel, since the beginning of the prologue (1:5),
but this is the only place this word occurs. The peace and salvation
spoken of throughout the Gospel all depend on his having conquered.
His conquest, in turn, enables the disciples themselves to conquer
the evil one, as John stresses in his first letter (1 Jn 2:13-14;
4:4; 5:4-5; cf. Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7). Thus, this
is indeed a fitting line for the conclusion of Jesus' teaching.
Until death itself becomes a revelation of God the disciples can
be troubled in the world, the place of death. Their joy cannot be
stable and secure until they see him again (v. 16, 19) and he sees
them (v. 22). Then will they reap the benefits of his conquest by
becoming one with him as he pours out the Spirit. They will not
ask him, but rather they will be one with him, asking the Father
in his name. So their joy will be full--the joy of union with God
in Christ by the Spirit. They will know God's glory and will manifest
his glory as they, in union with the living Christ by the Spirit,
bear fruit as Jesus did, asking for what Jesus did. Their focus
and source will be God, and thus they will have peace no matter
what the world may throw at them.
