John 16 - ESV Study Bible

16:1 Jesus uses his words (now recorded in Scripture) as the means to keep believers from falling away.

16:2 Whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God implies a deep deception, ultimately inspired by Satan, who is a murderer and the father of lies (see 8:44). Not all “religions” are good, for some religions will teach their followers that they are doing good when in fact they are doing the horribly evil act of murdering true followers of the Son of God. The apostle Paul himself, prior to his conversion, thought he was serving God by persecuting Christians (see Acts 8:1–3 [where Paul is called Saul]; Gal. 1:13–14; 1 Tim. 1:13).

16:4 Believers may think opposition means that God opposes them, but Jesus emphasizes that persecution is to be expected (see also v. 1).

16:5 none of you asks me. But Peter did ask this exact question in 13:36 (cf. 14:5), so the present tense of “asks” probably has the sense, “none of you at the present time is asking me” (this was some time after 13:36; see the indication of change of location in 14:31).

16:7 it is to your advantage that I go away. This is because while Jesus was on earth he could be in only one place at a time, but the Holy Spirit would carry on Jesus’ ministry over the entire world at all times. In addition, in God’s sovereign plan for the unfolding of history, the Holy Spirit would not come in new covenant power and fullness until Jesus returned to heaven (see notes on 7:39; 14:16–17; 15:26). The Helper (see notes on 14:16–17; 14:26) refers back to the anticipation of the pouring out of the Spirit and the inauguration of the kingdom spoken of in OT prophetic literature (e.g., Isa. 11:1–10; 32:14–18; 42:1–4; 44:1–5; Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 11:17–20; 36:24–27; 37:1–14; Joel 2:28–32).

16:8 He will convict the world gives hope that many who are in “the world” (and currently opposed to Jesus) will not be part of “the world” forever but will repent of their sins and believe in Christ.

16:10 Because I go to the Father means that Jesus will no longer be in the world to teach about true righteousness, and so the Holy Spirit will come to carry on that function, through illumination (v. 13) and through the words of believers who bear witness to the gospel.

16:11 Because the ruler of this world (i.e., Satan; see notes on 12:31; 14:30) is judged could also be translated “has been judged”; the perfect-tense verb kekritai (Gk.) has the sense of “has been judged and continues in the state resulting from that judgment.”

16:13 On the Spirit of truth, see note on 14:16–17. The Spirit’s ministry of guiding Jesus’ followers into all the truth is a promise especially directed toward these 11 disciples, and it finds particular fulfillment in the subsequent work of these disciples in personally writing or overseeing the writing of the books of the NT (see note on 14:26). The promise, like the other things that Jesus says in these chapters, also has a broader application to all believers as the Holy Spirit leads and guides them (see Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18). The activity of the Holy Spirit in declaring the things that are to come suggests that he knows the future, something that is true of God alone; this gives evidence of the full deity of the Holy Spirit. The word declare (Gk. anangellō) occurs over 40 times in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah, where declaring things to come is said to be the exclusive domain of God (Isa. 48:14) and where God challenges anyone to declare the things that are to come (Isa. 42:9; 44:7; 46:10; Cf. 41:21–29, esp. vv. 22–23; 45:19).

16:16–19 A little while … again a little while (v. 16). The first reference is plainly to the brief period between the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus, and the second reference is to the resurrection appearances (the “little while” after which the disciples will see Jesus again). The phrase is repeated by both Jesus and the disciples (vv. 17–19), recalling four previous instances of “a little while” in John’s Gospel (cf. 7:33; 12:35; 13:33; 14:19).

16:23 In that day (that is, after Jesus’ resurrection) you will ask nothing of me probably means that Jesus’ disciples will not have to ask him questions about the meaning of his death and resurrection, because they will understand and because the Holy Spirit will be present to guide them “into all the truth” (v. 13).

16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. While Jesus was on earth the disciples had not prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus. But now he was saying that they should do so. Regarding the meaning of praying “in Jesus’ name,” see notes on 1:12–13; 14:13. Ask, and you will receive reminds believers that frequent answers to prayer will give Jesus’ followers great joy as they see God actively at work in the world in answer to their prayers.

16:25 The hour is coming refers to the time after Jesus’ resurrection when he would explain much more directly to them the meaning of all that he had done (see Luke 24:27; Acts 1:3).

16:28 Now I am leaving the world and going to the Father might have an initial reference to Jesus’ spirit returning to heaven when his body died and remained on the earth, prior to his resurrection (see Luke 23:43,46; John 19:30), but more likely refers to his ascension into heaven 40 days after his resurrection (Luke 24:50–51; Acts 1:3,9). The parallel truths that Jesus was going to leave the world and go to the Father but also that he promised to come and dwell with all who love him (see John 14:21,23) reflect Jesus’ humanity (which is in one place at one time) and his deity (which is everywhere present)—both of which are true of Jesus as one divine-human person.

16:32 Jesus’ prediction of a coming hour at which each of his followers will be scattered, each to his own home (cf. 19:27) probably alludes to Zech. 13:7 (quoted in Matt. 26:31 par.; cf. Matt. 26:56b). The shepherd will be deserted by his sheep.

16:33 On peace, see note on 14:27. In the midst of the suffering and hardship that was to come, Jesus’ disciples, and all following them, can have such “peace” in fellowship with Christ. Fittingly, Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (13:31–16:33) ends on a note of triumph (cf. 1 John 2:13–14; 4:4; 5:4–5).