The Holy Spirit Promised

“But now (A)I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘(B)Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, (C)grief has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the [a](D)Helper will not come to you; but if I go, (E)I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: regarding sin, (F)because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding (G)righteousness, because (H)I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 (I)and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. 13 But when He, (J)the Spirit of truth, comes, He will (K)guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will (L)glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 (M)All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold

16 (N)A little while, and (O)you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and (P)you will see Me.” 17 So some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He is telling us, (Q)A little while, and you are not going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because (R)I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 (S)Jesus knew that they wanted to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly I say to you that (T)you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but (U)your grief will be turned into joy! 21 (V)Whenever a woman is in labor she has [b]pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a [c]child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore (W)you too have grief now; but (X)I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you.

Prayer Promises

23 And (Y)on that day (Z)you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, (AA)if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 (AB)Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your (AC)joy may be made full.

25 “These things I have spoken to you in (AD)figures of speech; (AE)an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 (AF)On that day (AG)you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for (AH)the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and (AI)have believed that (AJ)I came forth from the Father. 28 (AK)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and (AL)going to the Father.”

29 His disciples *said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and are not [d]using any (AM)figure of speech. 30 Now we know that You know all things, and that You have no need for anyone to question You; this is why we (AN)believe that You (AO)came forth from God.” 31 Jesus replied to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, (AP)an hour is coming, and has already come, for (AQ)you to be scattered, each to (AR)his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet (AS)I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you so that (AT)in Me you may have peace. (AU)In the world you have tribulation, but (AV)take courage; (AW)I have overcome the world.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. John 16:7 Or Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor
  2. John 16:21 Lit grief
  3. John 16:21 Lit human being
  4. John 16:29 Lit saying

but now I am going to him who sent me.(A) None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’(B) Rather, you are filled with grief(C) because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate(D) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.(E) When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin,(F) because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,(G) because I am going to the Father,(H) where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world(I) now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.(J) 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,(K) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(L) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine.(M) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while(N) you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”(O)

17 At this, some 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,’(P) and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”(Q) 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus 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’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn(R) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.(S) 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain(T) 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. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief,(U) but I will see you again(V) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(W) 23 In that day(X) you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(Y) 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,(Z) and your joy will be complete.(AA)

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively,(AB) a time is coming(AC) when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name.(AD) I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me(AE) and have believed that I came from God.(AF) 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”(AG)

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.(AH) 30 Now 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(AI) that you came from God.”(AJ)

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming(AK) and in fact has come when you will be scattered,(AL) each to your own home. You will leave me all alone.(AM) Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.(AN)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.(AO) In this world you will have trouble.(AP) But take heart! I have overcome(AQ) the world.”

Read full chapter