4 But I have spoken these things to you, that when their hour shall have come, ye may remember them, that I have said [them] unto you. But I did not say these things unto you from [the] beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I go to him that has sent me, and none of you demands of me, Where goest thou?
6 But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 But I say the truth to you, It is profitable for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you.
8 And having come, he will bring demonstration to the world, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe on me;
10 of righteousness, because I go away to [my] Father, and ye behold me no longer;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 But when *he* is come, the Spirit of truth, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak; and he will announce to you what is coming.
14 He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall announce [it] to you.
15 All things that the Father has are mine; on account of this I have said that he receives of mine and shall announce [it] to you.
16 A little while and ye do not behold me; and again a little while and ye shall see me, [because I go away to the Father].
17 [Some] of his disciples therefore said to one another, What is this he says to us, A little while and ye do not behold me; and again a little while and ye shall see me, and, Because I go away to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this which he says [of] the little while? We do not know [of] what he speaks.
19 Jesus knew therefore that they desired to demand of him, and said to them, Do ye inquire of this among yourselves that I said, A little while and ye do not behold me; and again a little while and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say to you, that ye shall weep and lament, ye, but the world shall rejoice; and ye will be grieved, but your grief shall be turned to joy.
21 A woman, when she gives birth to a child, has grief because her hour has come; but when the child is born, she no longer remembers the trouble, on account of the joy that a man has been born into the world.
22 And ye now therefore have grief; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one takes from you.
23 And in that day ye shall demand nothing of me: verily, verily, I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
24 Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25 These things I have spoken to you in allegories; the hour is coming that I will no longer speak to you in allegories, but will declare to you openly concerning the Father.
26 In that day ye shall ask in my name; and I say not to you that I will demand of the Father for you,
27 for the Father himself has affection for you, because ye have had affection for me, and have believed that I came out from God.
28 I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father.
29 His disciples say to him, Lo, now thou speakest openly and utterest no allegory.
30 Now we know that thou knowest all things, and hast not need that any one should demand of thee. By this we believe that thou art come from God.
31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
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,