His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
In the upper room alone with His eleven faithful followers He spoke openly rather than in figures of speech, and they recognized the plainness and confessed their confidence that He knows all things and came from God. These words belong to His comfort, counsel and prayer in John 15-17, given just before His separation, betrayal and crucifixion to direct their thoughts to the great object of His mission and the glorifying of the Father's name. Although they thought His meaning was now plain, they did not fully understand it because it ran contrary to their hopes that He should suffer and die, and what remained mysterious became clear only after the resurrection when the Holy Spirit opened their eyes at Pentecost. He spoke these things not for Himself but for them, to draw them from perplexity and blindness, to make them acquainted with His purposes, and to strengthen their faith and courage for coming disappointment and trial. Knowing every conflict and affliction they and His church would face from the world, He mingled bright hope with the dark and made changeless consolation and strength available through faith, truths the disciples repeated to stay their hearts and which then spread to comfort the desponding through all ages.
Setting and Meaning
Jesus was left alone in the upper room with His eleven faithful followers after Judas withdrew. The peace of heaven returned and the oppressive shadow lifted. There He spoke sacred truths He had not spoken before the multitude who could not understand them. These belong to His words of comfort, counsel and prayer recorded in John 15, 16 and 17. They belong more broadly to the encouragement in John 14-16, given just before His separation from the disciples, betrayal and crucifixion.
In John 16:24-33 He was giving instruction that precedes His final prayer for His disciples in John 17. He first directed their thoughts to the great object of His mission and His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name. Their words mean they felt and recognized that He was then speaking plainly rather than in proverbs or figures of speech. This followed His promise to make the Father known to them. Their response expresses confidence that He knows all things and came from God.
Although they thought He now spoke plainly, even they did not fully understand or appreciate His teaching until after the resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Christ had revealed what they could bear while their understanding of His teaching about God was still incomplete. What had remained mysterious became clear when the Spirit was poured out. That coming opens blinded eyes and removes the scales, showing what God desires to do for the human race. His words are so simple that all, even children, may understand them, yet the disciples could not comprehend them because they were contrary to their wishes and desires that their beloved Teacher should be betrayed, scourged and delivered up to death.
Purpose and Application
These words were spoken for the disciples, not for Himself, though He knew the terrible ordeal of betrayal, scourging and death awaiting Him. They were given to draw them from perplexity and to stay their hearts in coming disappointment and trial. They were meant to keep them from blindness and ignorance, to make them acquainted with His purposes and plans, to remind them of His love, and to strengthen their faith and courage to endure without failing.
Knowing every phase of experience and every conflict they would face, He plainly set before them their future trials, manifold afflictions from the world, great temptation to lose faith, and the trials His church would face through unconverted believers. He mingled bright, hopeful lines with the dark and gave every provision through faith in Him. So true believers would have courage to stand fast in the most trying hour, would not fail nor be discouraged nor be offended, would remember His words when the time came, and would have changeless consolation, hope, courage, strength and assurance within reach as long as time lasts.
This instruction before separation prepared them for their future work, which would fail unless they worked in partnership with divine power. It remains of highest value for every soul consecrating life to the service of God. John 16 provides a lesson to be studied to obtain a knowledge of the Word and its converting power, giving sure evidence for what is presented to the people with divine authority. When its lesson is studied and the words Christ commands are willingly taken and given, His abiding presence to the end of the world is evidenced in conversions like the three thousand at Pentecost.
The chapter is a plain expression of God's will for His people, especially His prayer for unity offered just before His betrayal, given to cure dissension, self-exaltation and seeking the highest place. Lived out in practical life, that unity and love brings unity with one another and with Christ. It becomes an impregnable wall against Satan's assaults and attacks, and alone enables believers to stand the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, while dissension leaves the church weak and unprepared to withstand Satan's attacks. The teaching also shows what God desires to do for the human race, which blinded eyes come to see when the Holy Spirit removes the scales as at Pentecost.
The discourse in John 15, 16 and 17 is instruction to every church, to every printing establishment, to every sanitarium and every school, and to all who claim to be Christians. It is needed by all and is to be presented in every home as a message from God telling how to come into possession of the grace of Christ and to make its impression on the heart. It lays down conditions that must be complied with, with refusal leaving a person counted unworthy to have a place with His people when Christ comes in His glory, shown in inability to look upon His face.
After the resurrection the disciples repeated these words again and again to stay their sinking hearts and to strengthen one another in disappointment and trial. From their testimony those truths spread over all lands to live through all ages to comfort the desponding and to give peace and hope to believers.
In the upper room alone with His eleven faithful followers He spoke openly rather than in figures of speech, and they recognized the plainness and confessed their confidence that He knows all things and came from God. These words belong to His comfort, counsel and prayer in John 15-17, given just before His separation, betrayal and crucifixion to direct their thoughts to the great object of His mission and the glorifying of the Father's name. Although they thought His meaning was now plain, they did not fully understand it because it ran contrary to their hopes that He should suffer and die, and what remained mysterious became clear only after the resurrection when the Holy Spirit opened their eyes at Pentecost. He spoke these things not for Himself but for them, to draw them from perplexity and blindness, to make them acquainted with His purposes, and to strengthen their faith and courage for coming disappointment and trial. Knowing every conflict and affliction they and His church would face from the world, He mingled bright hope with the dark and made changeless consolation and strength available through faith, truths the disciples repeated to stay their hearts and which then spread to comfort the desponding through all ages.
Setting and Meaning
Jesus was left alone in the upper room with His eleven faithful followers after Judas withdrew. The peace of heaven returned and the oppressive shadow lifted. There He spoke sacred truths He had not spoken before the multitude who could not understand them. These belong to His words of comfort, counsel and prayer recorded in John 15, 16 and 17. They belong more broadly to the encouragement in John 14-16, given just before His separation from the disciples, betrayal and crucifixion.
In John 16:24-33 He was giving instruction that precedes His final prayer for His disciples in John 17. He first directed their thoughts to the great object of His mission and His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name. Their words mean they felt and recognized that He was then speaking plainly rather than in proverbs or figures of speech. This followed His promise to make the Father known to them. Their response expresses confidence that He knows all things and came from God.
Although they thought He now spoke plainly, even they did not fully understand or appreciate His teaching until after the resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Christ had revealed what they could bear while their understanding of His teaching about God was still incomplete. What had remained mysterious became clear when the Spirit was poured out. That coming opens blinded eyes and removes the scales, showing what God desires to do for the human race. His words are so simple that all, even children, may understand them, yet the disciples could not comprehend them because they were contrary to their wishes and desires that their beloved Teacher should be betrayed, scourged and delivered up to death.
Purpose and Application
These words were spoken for the disciples, not for Himself, though He knew the terrible ordeal of betrayal, scourging and death awaiting Him. They were given to draw them from perplexity and to stay their hearts in coming disappointment and trial. They were meant to keep them from blindness and ignorance, to make them acquainted with His purposes and plans, to remind them of His love, and to strengthen their faith and courage to endure without failing.
Knowing every phase of experience and every conflict they would face, He plainly set before them their future trials, manifold afflictions from the world, great temptation to lose faith, and the trials His church would face through unconverted believers. He mingled bright, hopeful lines with the dark and gave every provision through faith in Him. So true believers would have courage to stand fast in the most trying hour, would not fail nor be discouraged nor be offended, would remember His words when the time came, and would have changeless consolation, hope, courage, strength and assurance within reach as long as time lasts.
This instruction before separation prepared them for their future work, which would fail unless they worked in partnership with divine power. It remains of highest value for every soul consecrating life to the service of God. John 16 provides a lesson to be studied to obtain a knowledge of the Word and its converting power, giving sure evidence for what is presented to the people with divine authority. When its lesson is studied and the words Christ commands are willingly taken and given, His abiding presence to the end of the world is evidenced in conversions like the three thousand at Pentecost.
The chapter is a plain expression of God's will for His people, especially His prayer for unity offered just before His betrayal, given to cure dissension, self-exaltation and seeking the highest place. Lived out in practical life, that unity and love brings unity with one another and with Christ. It becomes an impregnable wall against Satan's assaults and attacks, and alone enables believers to stand the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, while dissension leaves the church weak and unprepared to withstand Satan's attacks. The teaching also shows what God desires to do for the human race, which blinded eyes come to see when the Holy Spirit removes the scales as at Pentecost.
The discourse in John 15, 16 and 17 is instruction to every church, to every printing establishment, to every sanitarium and every school, and to all who claim to be Christians. It is needed by all and is to be presented in every home as a message from God telling how to come into possession of the grace of Christ and to make its impression on the heart. It lays down conditions that must be complied with, with refusal leaving a person counted unworthy to have a place with His people when Christ comes in His glory, shown in inability to look upon His face.
After the resurrection the disciples repeated these words again and again to stay their sinking hearts and to strengthen one another in disappointment and trial. From their testimony those truths spread over all lands to live through all ages to comfort the desponding and to give peace and hope to believers.