4 But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I go unto him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
6 But because I have spoken these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.
8 And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more;
11 of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, `these' shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare `it' unto you.
15 All things whatsoever the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he taketh of mine, and shall declare `it' unto you.
16 A little while, and ye behold me no more; and again a little while, and ye shall see me.
17 `Some' of his disciples therefore said one to another, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.
19 Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world.
22 And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you.
23 And in that day ye shall ask me no question. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.
25 These things have I spoken unto you in dark sayings: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father.
26 In that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you;
27 for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
28 I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father.
29 His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying.
30 Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth 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,