John 16:17, commentary and pictures

In the upper room after Judas left, Jesus told the eleven faithful disciples alone that in a little while they would lose sight of Him and then see Him again because He was going to the Father, and they questioned among themselves what He meant. His words were simple, yet they were too deep for even them to grasp because they clashed with their hopes and they could not accept that He would be betrayed and put to death, so they did not fully understand until after the resurrection took place. They were His farewell words spoken with divine love and tenderest sympathy as He faced separation from them, and with the dark warning He mingled bright hope of His going to the Father and the coming of the Comforter, with the burden of comfort, Let not your heart be troubled. He spoke beforehand because He knew every phase of conflict and trial they would face, so that when the dark, troubled future came they would remember He had told them and would not be offended, fail, or be discouraged. The disciples repeated these sayings again and again to stay their sinking hearts, and when the Holy Spirit came to open their blinded eyes the truths of that night spread through their testimony to comfort the oppressed and desponding through all ages.

Context and Meaning

These words were spoken in the upper chamber at the last supper after Judas withdrew, to the eleven faithful disciples alone, because the sacred truths being unfolded were too deep for the multitude to understand. Jesus opened those sacred truths to them there, telling of His approaching separation and return. The sayings of John 15, 16 and 17 were repeated again and again by the disciples to stay their sinking hearts in disappointment and trial, and only after the resurrection were they fully understood and appreciated. The truths spoken that night then spread through the testimony of the disciples over all lands and live through all ages to comfort the desponding and to give peace and hope to thousands who believe.

They belong to Jesus' farewell words as He prepared to be separated from the disciples, recorded in John 13:31-38 and John 14 through 17, whose burden is the comfort, Let not your heart be troubled. He looked upon them with divine love and tenderest sympathy as He was about to speak of His approaching separation from them. Before speaking of that separation He pointed them to the great object of His mission which He kept ever before Him, His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name, and to this He first directed their thoughts. That instruction equipped them for their future work, which would fail if done without divine power.

The verse records the confusion of the disciples among themselves over His words about in a little while losing sight of Him, seeing Him again after a little while, and His going to the Father. He was telling of His approaching separation and return in words too deep for the multitude and even for the twelve to fully grasp until after the resurrection. His words were simple, yet too deep for even the twelve to fully grasp, because they conflicted with their hopes and they could not accept that their beloved Teacher would be betrayed and put to death. They did not fully understand them until after the resurrection took place.

Instruction and Application

This questioning belongs to the instruction Christ gave His disciples just before He left them, to prepare them for future difficulties and to make them acquainted with His purposes and plans. He knew every phase of experience and conflict they would meet, and He spoke beforehand to equip them for their future work, which would fail if attempted without divine power.

It stands within His plain instruction about the difficulties, hatred, afflictions and conflicts they would meet in the world, in a dark and troubled future of trial and great temptation to lose faith. He told them beforehand so that when the time came they would remember He had told them, would not be offended, would not fail nor be discouraged, and would keep a Christlike temper without fretting and impatience toward worldly men.

With that dark warning He mingled bright and hopeful lines about the future, including His going to the Father and the coming of the Comforter. The saying belongs to words of encouragement and hope, and to words of comfort, counsel and prayer that stay sinking hearts in disappointment and trial. Through them every provision is made by faith working by love for changeless consolation, hope and courage.

It stands within John 6 and John 13 through 17, and especially within John 14 through 17 and John 15 and 16, which plainly express God's will for His people and show what God desires to do for the human race. Those chapters contain rich promises and the divine antidote for the sin of the whole world, and they carry on the great process by which believers are made one with Christ in this present life to be one with Him throughout all eternity.

The teaching calls for true education by receiving it, for study of the Word, for committing its deeply important lessons to memory, and for a deeper work of grace and growth in Christian graces. Obedience to it would make the human race different and would present a new world bearing the impress of heaven. Lived out in practical life it cures dissension and seeking the highest place, produces unity and love with one another and with Christ, and gives strength to stand the test in the shaking time.

The sayings of John 15, 16 and 17 were repeated again and again by the disciples to stay their sinking hearts. Only after the resurrection were they fully understood and appreciated, when the Holy Spirit came as on the day of Pentecost to open the teaching to blinded eyes and cause the scales to fall. The truths spoken that night then spread through the testimony of the disciples over all lands, and they live through all ages to comfort the oppressed, sorrowful, afflicted and desponding and to give peace and hope to thousands who believe.