16 After a little time you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me.
Then Jesus said, I will be with you a little longer and then I go to him who sent me.
So you have sorrow now: but I will see you again, and your hearts will be glad, and no one will take away your joy.
So some of the disciples said one to another, What is this he is saying, After a little time, you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me? and, I am going to the Father? So they said again and again, What is this he is saying, A little time? His words are not clear to us. Jesus saw that they had a desire to put the question to him, so he said to them, Is this what you are questioning one with another, why I said, After a little time, you will see me no longer; and then again, after a little time, you will see me?
And now I come to you; and these things I say in the world so that they may have my joy complete in them.
Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame, because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his place at the right hand of God's seat of power.
And he was seen by Cephas; then by the twelve; Then by more than five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, but some are sleeping; Then he was seen by James; then by all the Apostles. And last of all, as by one whose birth was out of the right time, he was seen by me. For I am the least of the Apostles, having no right to be named an Apostle, because of my cruel attacks on the church of God.
On the third day God gave him back to life, and let him be seen, Not by all the people, but by witnesses marked out before by God, even by us, who took food and drink with him after he came back from the dead.
And to whom he gave clear and certain signs that he was living, after his death; for he was seen by them for forty days, and gave them teaching about the kingdom of God:
After these things Jesus let himself be seen again by the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and it came about in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas named Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were all together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, And we will come with you. They went out and got into the boat; but that night they took no fish. Now very early in the morning Jesus was there by the edge of the sea (though the disciples were not conscious that it was Jesus). So Jesus said to them, Children, have you taken any fish? They made answer, No. And he said to them, Let down the net on the right side of the boat and you will get some. So they put it in the water and now they were not able to get it up again because of the great number of fish. So the disciple who was dear to Jesus said to Peter, It is the Lord! Hearing that it was the Lord, Peter put his coat round him (because he was not clothed) and went into the sea. And the other disciples came in the little boat (they were not far from land, only about two hundred cubits off) pulling the net full of fish. When they got to land, they saw a fire of coals there, with fish cooking on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, Get some of the fish which you have now taken. So Peter went to the boat and came back pulling the net to land, full of great fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and though there was such a number the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, Come and take some food. And all the disciples were in fear of putting the question, Who are you? being conscious that it was the Lord. Then Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish in the same way. Now this was the third time that Jesus let himself be seen by the disciples after he had come back from the dead. Then when they had taken food, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, is your love for me greater than the love of these others? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you are certain of my love for you. He said to him, Then give my lambs food. Again, a second time, he said to him, Simon, son of John, have you any love for me? Yes, Lord, he said, you are certain of my love for you. Then take care of my sheep, said Jesus. He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, am I dear to you? Now Peter was troubled in his heart because he put the question a third time, Am I dear to you? And he said to him, Lord, you have knowledge of all things; you see that you are dear to me. Jesus said to him, Then give my sheep food. Truly I say to you, When you were young, you made yourself ready and went wherever you had a desire to go: but when you are old, you will put out your hands and another will make you ready, and you will be taken where you have no desire to go. Now this he said, pointing out the sort of death by which he would give God glory. And after saying this, he said to him, Come after me. Then Peter, turning round, saw the disciple who was dear to Jesus coming after them--the disciple who was resting on his breast at the last meal, and said, Lord, who is it who will be false to you? Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, What about this man? Jesus said to him, If it is my desire for him to be here till I come back, what is that to you? come yourself after me. So this saying went about among the brothers that this disciple would not undergo death: Jesus, however, did not say that he would not undergo death, but, If it is my desire for him to be here till I come back, what is that to you?
At evening on that day, the first day of the week, when, for fear of the Jews, the doors were shut where the disciples were, Jesus came among them and said to them, May peace be with you! And when he had said this, he let them see his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them again, May peace be with you! As the Father sent me, even so I now send you. And when he had said this, breathing on them, he said to them, Let the Holy Spirit come on you: Any to whom you give forgiveness, will be made free from their sins; and any from whom you keep back forgiveness, will still be in their sins. Now Thomas, one of the twelve, named Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, If I do not see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and if I do not put my hand into his side, I will never have belief. And after eight days, his disciples were again in the house and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were shut, Jesus came, and taking his place in the middle of them, he said, May peace be with you! Then he said to Thomas, Put out your finger, and see my hands; and put your hand here into my side: and be no longer in doubt but have belief. And Thomas said in answer, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Because you have seen me you have belief: a blessing will be on those who have belief though they have not seen me!
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had said these words to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.
I came out from the Father and have come into the world: again, I go away from the world and go to the Father.
Of righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no more;
I will not let you be without a friend: I am coming to you. A little time longer, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me; and you will be living because I am living. At that time it will be clear to you that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you. He who has my laws and keeps them, he it is who has love for me: and he who has love for me will be loved by my Father, and I will have love for him and will let myself be seen clearly by him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, How is it that you will let yourself be seen clearly by us and not by the world? Jesus said to him in answer, If anyone has love for me, he will keep my words: and he will be dear to my Father; and we will come to him and make our living-place with him. He who has no love for me does not keep my words; and the word which you are hearing is not my word but the Father's who sent me.
My dear children, I am only to be with you a little longer. Then you will be looking for me: and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you, Where I am going you may not come.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on John 16
Commentary on John 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
Among other glorious things God hath spoken of himself this is one, I wound, and I heal, Deu. 32:39. Christ's discourse in this chapter, which continues and concludes his farewell sermon to his disciples, does so.
Jhn 16:1-6
Christ dealt faithfully with his disciples when he sent them forth on his errands, for he told them the worst of it, that they might sit down and count the cost. He had told them in the chapter before to expect the world's hatred; now here in these verses,
Jhn 16:7-15
As it was usual with the Old Testament prophets to comfort the church in its calamities with the promise of the Messiah (Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:2; Zec. 3:8); so, the Messiah being come, the promise of the Spirit was the great cordial, and is still.
Three things we have here concerning the Comforter's coming:-
Jhn 16:16-22
Our Lord Jesus, for the comfort of his sorrowful disciples, here promises that he would visit them again.
Jhn 16:23-27
An answer to their askings is here promised, for their further comfort. Now there are two ways of asking: asking by way of enquiry, which is the asking of the ignorant; and asking by way of request, which is the asking of the indigent. Christ here speaks of both.
Now for this he gives a reason (v. 25), which plainly refers to this promise, that they should not need to ask questions: "These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs, in such a way as you have thought not so plain and intelligible as you could have wished, but the time cometh when I shall show you plainly, as plainly as you can desire, of the Father, so that you shall not need to ask questions.'
Jhn 16:28-33
Two things Christ here comforts his disciples with:-
These words, and needest not that any man should ask thee, may bespeak either,