John 16 - NKJV MacArthur Study Bible

16:1 These things. This is what He had just said in 15:18–25. stumble. The connotation of this word has the idea of setting a trap. The hatred of the world was such that it would seek to trap and destroy the disciples in an effort to prevent their witness to Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. Jesus did not want them to be caught unaware (v. 4).

16:1–15 Jesus continued the thoughts of 15:18–25 regarding the world’s hatred of His disciples and its opposition to the testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding Him as Messiah and Son of God. In this section, He specified in greater detail how the Spirit confronts the world, i.e., not only does He testify about Jesus but He convicts men of sin. Through conviction of sin and testimony of the gospel, the Spirit turns the hostile hearts of men away from rebellion against God into belief regarding Jesus as Savior and Lord. This section may be divided into 4 parts: 1) the killing of the disciples by the world (vv. 1–4); 2) the comforting of the disciples by the Lord (vv. 5–7); 3) the conviction of men by the Holy Spirit (vv. 8–12); and 4) the guidance of the believer into all truth by the Holy Spirit (vv. 13–15).

16:2 he offers God service. Paul, before he was saved, personified this attitude as he persecuted the church thinking that he was doing service for God (Acts 22:4, 5; 26:9–11; Gal. 1:13–17; Phil. 3:6; 1 Tim. 1:12–17). After Paul’s conversion, the persecutor became the persecuted because of the hatred of the world (2 Cor. 11:22–27; cf. Stephen in Acts 7:54—8:3).

16:4 I was with you. He didn’t need to warn them because He was there to protect them.

16:5 none of you asks. Earlier they had done so (13:36; 14:5), but they were then so absorbed in their own sorrow and confusion as to lose interest in where He was going. They were apparently consumed with what would happen to them (v. 6).

16:7 the Helper will not come. Again, the promise of the Holy Spirit being sent is given to comfort the disciples. See note on 15:26, 27. The first emphasis was on His life-giving power (7:37–39). The next featured His indwelling presence (14:16, 17). The next marked His teaching ministry (14:26). His ministry of empowering for witness is marked in 15:26.

16:8 when He has come. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was approximately 40 or more days away at this point (see Acts 2:1–13). convict. This word has two meanings: 1) the judicial act of conviction with a view toward sentencing (i.e., a courtroom term—conviction of sin) or 2) the act of convincing. Here the second idea is best, since the purpose of the Holy Spirit is not condemnation but conviction of the need for the Savior. The Son does the judgment, with the Father (5:22, 27, 30). In v. 14, it is said that He will reveal the glories of Christ to His people. He will also inspire the writing of the NT, guiding the apostles to write it (v. 13), and He will reveal “things to come,” through the NT prophecies (v. 13).

16:9 sin. The singular indicates that a specific sin is in view; i.e., that of not believing in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. This is the only sin, ultimately, that damns people to hell (see note on 8:24). Though all men are depraved, cursed by their violation of God’s law and sinful by nature, what ultimately damns them to hell is their unwillingness to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior (cf. 8:24).

16:10 righteousness. The Holy Spirit’s purpose here is to shatter the pretensions of self-righteousness (hypocrisy), exposing the darkness of the heart (3:19–21; 7:7; 15:22, 24). While Jesus was on the earth, He performed this task especially toward the shallowness and emptiness of Judaism that had degenerated into legalistic modes without life-giving reality (e.g., 2:13–22; 5:10–16; 7:24; Is. 64:5, 6). With Jesus gone to the Father, the Holy Spirit continues His convicting role.

16:11 judgment. The judgment here in context is that of the world under Satan’s control. Its judgments are blind, faulty, and evil as evidenced in their verdict on Christ. The world can’t make righteous judgments (7:24), but the Spirit of Christ does (8:16). All Satan’s adjudications are lies (8:44–47), so the Spirit convicts men of their false judgment of Christ. Satan, the ruler of the world (14:30; Eph. 2:1–3) who, as the god of this world, has perverted the world’s judgment and turned people from believing in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (2 Cor. 4:4), was defeated at the cross. While Christ’s death looked like Satan’s greatest victory, it actually was Satan’s destruction (cf. Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14, 15; Rev. 20:10). The Spirit will lead sinners to true judgment.

16:13 all truth. This verse, like 14:26, points to the supernatural revelation of all truth by which God has revealed Himself in Christ (vv. 14, 15), particularly. This is the subject of the inspired NT writings. See note on v. 7.

16:14 He will glorify Me. This is really the same as v. 13, in that all NT truth revealed by God centers in Christ (Heb. 1:1, 2). Christ was the theme of the OT, as the NT claims (1:45; 5:37; Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 10:43; 18:28; Rom. 1:1, 2; 1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 1:10, 11; Rev. 19:10).

16:16–19 Jesus was referring to His ascension (“you will not see Me”) and the coming of the Holy Spirit (“you will see Me”), emphatically claiming that the Spirit and He are one (Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:19; 1 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 19:10). Christ dwells in believers through the Holy Spirit—in that sense they see Him. See notes on 14:16–18.

16:20 sorrow will be turned into joy. The very event that made the hateful realm of mankind (“world”) rejoice and cause grief to Jesus’ disciples, will be the same event that will lead to the world’s sorrow and the believer’s joy. The disciples would soon realize the marvelous nature of God’s gift of salvation and the Spirit through what He accomplished, and the blessing of answered prayer (v. 24). Acts records the coming of the Holy Spirit and the power and joy (Acts 2:4–47; 13:52) of the early church.

16:22 I will see you. After the resurrection, Jesus did see His disciples (20:19–29; 21:1–23; cf. 1 Cor. 15:1–8). Beyond that brief time of personal fellowship (Acts 1:1–3), He would be with them permanently in His Spirit (see notes on vv. 16–19; 14:16–19).

16:23 in that day. This is a reference to Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:1–13) and sorrow turned to joy. This is a reference also to the “last days” which were inaugurated after His resurrection and the Spirit’s coming (Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; James 5:3; 2 Pet. 3:3; 1 John 2:18). you will ask Me nothing. After His departure and sending of the Spirit, believers will no longer ask Him since He is not present. Instead, they will ask the Father in His name (see notes on vv. 26–28; 14:13, 14).

16:24 joy may be full. In this case, the believer’s joy will be related to answered prayer and a full supply of heavenly blessing for everything consistent with the purpose of the Lord in one’s life. See note on 15:11.

16:25 in figurative language. The word means “veiled, pointed statement” that is pregnant with meaning, i.e., something that is obscure. What seemed hard to understand for the disciples during the life of Jesus would become clear after His death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit (see vv. 13, 14; 14:26; 15:26, 27). They would actually understand the ministry of Christ better than they had while they were with Him, as the Spirit inspired them to write the gospels and epistles and ministered in and through them.

16:26–28 I do not say. Christ was clarifying what He meant by praying in His name. He did not mean asking Him to ask the Father, as if the Father was indifferent to believers, but not to His Son. On the contrary, the Father loves Christ’s own. In fact, the Father sent the Son to redeem them and then return. Asking in Jesus’ name means simply asking on the basis of His merit, His righteousness, and for whatever would honor and glorify Him so as to build His kingdom.

16:33 in Me you may have peace. See note on 14:27. tribulation. This word often refers to eschatological woes (Mark 13:9; Rom. 2:9) and to persecution of believers because of their testimony for Christ (cf. 15:18—16:4; Acts 11:19; Eph. 3:13). overcome. The fundamental ground for endurance in persecution is the victory of Jesus over the world (12:31; 1 Cor. 15:57). Through His impending death, He rendered the world’s opposition null and void. While the world continues to attack His people, such attacks fall harmlessly, for Christ’s victory has already accomplished a smashing defeat of the whole evil rebellious system. See notes on Rom. 8:35–39.