John 16

New Testament for Everyone

The spirit and the world

16 “I’ve said these things to you,” Jesus went on, “to stop you from being tripped up. ² They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will suppose that they are thereby offering worship to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known the father, or me. ⁴ But I have been talking to you about these things so that, when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.

“I didn’t say these things to you from the start, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I’m going to the one who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ But because I’ve said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ However, it’s the truth that I’m telling you: it’s better for you that I should go away. If I don’t go away, you see, the helper won’t come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you.

⁸ “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong on three counts: sin, justice and judgment. ⁹ In relation to sin—because they don’t believe in me. ¹⁰ In relation to justice—because I’m going to the father, and you won’t see me anymore. ¹¹ In relation to judgment—because the ruler of this world is judged.”

Your hearts will rejoice

¹² “There are many things I still have to say to you,” Jesus continued, “but you’re not yet strong enough to take them. ¹³ When the spirit of truth comes, though, he will guide you in all the truth. He won’t speak on his own account, you see, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will announce to you what’s to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take what belongs to me and will announce it to you. ¹⁵ Everything that the father has is mine. That’s why I said that he would take what is mine and announce it to you.

¹⁶ “Not long from now, you won’t see me anymore. Then again, not long after that, you will see me!”

¹⁷ “What’s he talking about?” some of his disciples asked each other. “What’s this business about ‘not long from now, you won’t see me, and again not long after that you will see me’? And what’s this about ‘going to the father’?”

¹⁸ They kept on saying it.

“What is this ‘not long’?”

“What’s it all about?”

“We don’t know what he means!”

¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him.

“You’re discussing with each other what I meant, aren’t you?” he said. “You want to know what I meant by saying, ‘Not long from now, you won’t see me; and then again, not long after that, you will see me.’ That’s it, isn’t it? ²⁰ Well, I’m going to tell you the solemn truth.

“You will weep and wail, but the world will celebrate. You will be overcome with sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy. ²¹ When a woman is giving birth she is in anguish, because her moment has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² In the same way, you have sorrow now. But I shall see you again, and your hearts will celebrate, and nobody will take your joy away from you.”

Ask, and you will receive

²³ “On that day,” Jesus went on, “you won’t ask me for anything. I’m telling you the solemn truth: whatever you ask the father in my name, he will give you. ²⁴ Up to now, you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full!

²⁵ “I’ve been saying all this to you in picture-language. The time is coming when I won’t speak in pictures anymore. Instead, I’ll tell you about the father quite plainly. ²⁶ On that day you will ask in my name. I won’t say I will ask the father on your behalf, ²⁷ because the father himself loves you! That’s because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the father, and I’ve come into the world. Now I’m leaving the world, and going back to the father.”

²⁹ “Ah!” said his disciples. “Now you’re speaking plainly! You’re not talking in pictures. ³⁰ Now we know that you know all things, and you don’t need to have anybody ask you anything. This makes us trust that you came from God.”

³¹ “So you do now believe, do you?” replied Jesus. ³² “Look here: the time is coming (in fact, it’s now arrived!) when you will be scattered, each of you to his own place. You will leave me alone—though I’m not alone, because the father is with me. ³³ I’ve said these things to you so that you can have peace in me. You’ll have trouble in the world. But cheer up! I have defeated the world!”