John 16
The Message
16 1-4 “I’ve told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them.
The Friend Will Come
4-7 “I didn’t tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead, the longer I’ve talked, the sadder you’ve become. So let me say it again, this truth: It’s better for you that I leave. If I don’t leave, the Friend won’t come. But if I go, I’ll send him to you.
8-11 “When he comes, he’ll expose the error of the godless world’s view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He’ll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.
12-15 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’
16 “In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me.”
Joy Like a River Overflowing
17-18 That stirred up a hornet’s nest of questions among the disciples: “What’s he talking about: ‘In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me’? And, ‘Because I’m on my way to the Father’? What is this ‘day or so’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”
19-20 Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, “Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me’? Then fix this firmly in your minds: You’re going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You’ll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness.
21-23 “When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you’ll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You’ll no longer be so full of questions.
23-24 “This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!
25-28 “I’ve used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I’ll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I’ve revealed to you. I won’t continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won’t need to. Because you’ve gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father.”
29-30 His disciples said, “Finally! You’re giving it to us straight, in plain talk—no more figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything—it all comes together in you. You won’t have to put up with our questions anymore. We’re convinced you came from God.”
31-33 Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
John 16
New American Standard Bible
Jesus’ Warning
16 “(A)These things I have spoken to you so that you will not [a]be (B)led into sin. 2 They will [b](C)ban you from the synagogue, yet (D)an hour is coming for everyone (E)who kills you to think that he is offering a [c]service to God. 3 These things they will do (F)because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have spoken to you, (G)so that when their hour comes, you [d]may remember that I told you of them. However, I did not say these things to you (H)at the beginning, because I was with you.
The Holy Spirit Promised
5 “But now (I)I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘(J)Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, (K)grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the [e](L)Helper will not come to you; but if I go, (M)I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, (N)because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding (O)righteousness, because (P)I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 (Q)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, (R)the Spirit of truth, comes, He will (S)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 (T)glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 (U)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 “(V)A little while, and (W)you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and (X)you will see Me.” 17 So some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He is telling us, ‘(Y)A little while, and you are not going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because (Z)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 (AA)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 (AB)you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but (AC)your grief will be turned into joy! 21 (AD)Whenever a woman is in labor she has [f]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 [g]child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore (AE)you too have grief now; but (AF)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 (AG)on that day (AH)you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, (AI)if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 (AJ)Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your (AK)joy may be made full.
25 “These things I have spoken to you in (AL)figures of speech; (AM)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 (AN)On that day (AO)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 (AP)the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and (AQ)have believed that (AR)I came forth from the Father. 28 (AS)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and (AT)going to the Father.”
29 His disciples *said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and are not [h]using any (AU)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 (AV)believe that You (AW)came forth from God.” 31 Jesus replied to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, (AX)an hour is coming, and has already come, for (AY)you to be scattered, each to (AZ)his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet (BA)I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you so that (BB)in Me you may have peace. (BC)In the world you have tribulation, but (BD)take courage; (BE)I have overcome the world.”
Footnotes
- John 16:1 Or let yourselves be led; or fall away (in apostasy)
- John 16:2 Or excommunicate
- John 16:2 I.e., as an act of worship
- John 16:4 Or will remember them, that I told you
- John 16:7 Or Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor
- John 16:21 Lit grief
- John 16:21 Lit human being
- John 16:29 Lit saying
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
