But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Alone with the eleven after Judas had left, on the night before His betrayal and death, Jesus told them He was about to be separated from them to go to the Father who sent Him. By these things He meant His betrayal, scourging, death and departure, and the afflictions, scattering and hatred from the world that would come upon them after He was gone. Because He spoke so plainly of what lay ahead, sorrow filled their hearts and they sank under perplexity and disappointment, unable to understand words contrary to their hopes until after the resurrection. He did not think of His own terrible ordeal but poured out comfort, counsel and prayer to steady their sinking hearts, showing that His going away was for their good to make way for the Comforter to come and guide them into truth.
Words That Brought Sorrow
Jesus spoke these words alone with the eleven in the upper chamber after Judas had left, just before His betrayal, trial and crucifixion, when He was about to tell them of His approaching separation. By “these things” He meant His departure to go to the Father who sent Him, His approaching separation, betrayal, scourging, denial, scattering, and being delivered up to death. By “these things” He also meant beforehand the difficulties, manifold afflictions and trials they would meet from the world after He left, to prepare and strengthen them and acquaint them with His purposes and plans. Through His three years of ministry His public proclamation had been restrained because open teaching in the hostile atmosphere of the synagogues would have cost Him His life, and He would not even travel openly lest He be recognized and tracked down to lose His liberty or life. Though He was the Majesty of heaven and King of glory He met constant opposition, ridicule and pain.
Because He said these things about what was to come and what lay ahead, sorrow filled the disciples’ hearts. With that sorrow they were perplexed and sinking under disappointment and trial at His approaching separation. His words were so simple even children may understand them, yet being contrary to their wishes and desires they could not comprehend them and did not fully understand them until after the resurrection. They had not appreciated the privilege of having Him with them, and realized what He meant to them only when His presence and blessing were removed. His teaching that He is the bread of life had also offended some disciples, who found His words hard to hear; He explained that His words are spirit and life.
Comfort For Coming Trials
Before telling of that separation He first turned their minds to the great purpose of His mission and to His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name. He spoke knowing the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself and every phase of experience and conflict they would meet, knowing how severely their faith and courage would be tried and the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers. Grieved that they must pass through them and looking on them with pitying love as a little flock soon left without a shepherd, He thought not of Himself but poured forth the truths of chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen as words of comfort, counsel, prayer, consolation, encouragement and hope. They were given to stay their sinking hearts, to draw their minds from perplexity to peace and hope, and to strengthen them to endure without failing.
He spoke plainly beforehand of a dark, troubled future and a time of trial with great temptation to lose faith and be offended, so that when the time came they would remember He had told them. He had not told them these things in the beginning because He was with them, and He mingled the dark foretelling with the bright, hopeful part of the future. He carefully gave them beforehand the words they would need to use after He was taken away, to prepare and strengthen them for the trials and difficulties ahead and to acquaint them with His purposes and plans. Those teachings gave them evidence of His love to remember in their work and counsel.
His departure to the Father was nevertheless for their good and did not mean they would be left helpless. It would make way for the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to come, and His presence had strengthened and comforted them. The Comforter would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment and would guide the disciples into truth.
His words of comfort and counsel were repeated to steady them through disappointment and trial, repeated again and again in their trial and later remembered. Yet their meaning was opened only after the resurrection and when the Holy Spirit came as at Pentecost to open now-blinded eyes and cause scales to fall from them. Spread through the disciples' testimony, those same truths comfort the desponding and give peace and hope to believers through all ages.
The chapter belongs among Christ's teachings plainly expressing God's will for His people. The Gospel of John presents Christ as the source of life: believers receive eternal life through Him, may die yet have His life in them, will be raised at the last day, and are made one with Him in this life and throughout eternity. The discourse in John 14-17 and 15-17 shows what God desires to do for the human race and every provision the Father has made for it, giving Christians instruction on receiving Christ's grace and living by the conditions He lays down. Its words impart courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and bring strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last. Appreciated and obeyed it would make the race wholly different, presenting a new world bearing the impress of heaven.
Lived out in practical life, that instruction cures dissension and seeking the highest place, produces unity with one another and with Christ and love that stands as an impregnable wall against Satan's assaults and deceptions. It qualifies believers as strong co-workers with Christ and heals souls sick with self-exaltation. It enables them to stand the test of the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
Alone with the eleven after Judas had left, on the night before His betrayal and death, Jesus told them He was about to be separated from them to go to the Father who sent Him. By these things He meant His betrayal, scourging, death and departure, and the afflictions, scattering and hatred from the world that would come upon them after He was gone. Because He spoke so plainly of what lay ahead, sorrow filled their hearts and they sank under perplexity and disappointment, unable to understand words contrary to their hopes until after the resurrection. He did not think of His own terrible ordeal but poured out comfort, counsel and prayer to steady their sinking hearts, showing that His going away was for their good to make way for the Comforter to come and guide them into truth.
Words That Brought Sorrow
Jesus spoke these words alone with the eleven in the upper chamber after Judas had left, just before His betrayal, trial and crucifixion, when He was about to tell them of His approaching separation. By “these things” He meant His departure to go to the Father who sent Him, His approaching separation, betrayal, scourging, denial, scattering, and being delivered up to death. By “these things” He also meant beforehand the difficulties, manifold afflictions and trials they would meet from the world after He left, to prepare and strengthen them and acquaint them with His purposes and plans. Through His three years of ministry His public proclamation had been restrained because open teaching in the hostile atmosphere of the synagogues would have cost Him His life, and He would not even travel openly lest He be recognized and tracked down to lose His liberty or life. Though He was the Majesty of heaven and King of glory He met constant opposition, ridicule and pain.
Because He said these things about what was to come and what lay ahead, sorrow filled the disciples’ hearts. With that sorrow they were perplexed and sinking under disappointment and trial at His approaching separation. His words were so simple even children may understand them, yet being contrary to their wishes and desires they could not comprehend them and did not fully understand them until after the resurrection. They had not appreciated the privilege of having Him with them, and realized what He meant to them only when His presence and blessing were removed. His teaching that He is the bread of life had also offended some disciples, who found His words hard to hear; He explained that His words are spirit and life.
Comfort For Coming Trials
Before telling of that separation He first turned their minds to the great purpose of His mission and to His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name.
He spoke knowing the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself and every phase of experience and conflict they would meet, knowing how severely their faith and courage would be tried and the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers. Grieved that they must pass through them and looking on them with pitying love as a little flock soon left without a shepherd, He thought not of Himself but poured forth the truths of chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen as words of comfort, counsel, prayer, consolation, encouragement and hope. They were given to stay their sinking hearts, to draw their minds from perplexity to peace and hope, and to strengthen them to endure without failing.
He spoke plainly beforehand of a dark, troubled future and a time of trial with great temptation to lose faith and be offended, so that when the time came they would remember He had told them. He had not told them these things in the beginning because He was with them, and He mingled the dark foretelling with the bright, hopeful part of the future. He carefully gave them beforehand the words they would need to use after He was taken away, to prepare and strengthen them for the trials and difficulties ahead and to acquaint them with His purposes and plans. Those teachings gave them evidence of His love to remember in their work and counsel.
His departure to the Father was nevertheless for their good and did not mean they would be left helpless. It would make way for the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to come, and His presence had strengthened and comforted them. The Comforter would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment and would guide the disciples into truth.
His words of comfort and counsel were repeated to steady them through disappointment and trial, repeated again and again in their trial and later remembered. Yet their meaning was opened only after the resurrection and when the Holy Spirit came as at Pentecost to open now-blinded eyes and cause scales to fall from them. Spread through the disciples' testimony, those same truths comfort the desponding and give peace and hope to believers through all ages.
The chapter belongs among Christ's teachings plainly expressing God's will for His people. The Gospel of John presents Christ as the source of life: believers receive eternal life through Him, may die yet have His life in them, will be raised at the last day, and are made one with Him in this life and throughout eternity. The discourse in John 14-17 and 15-17 shows what God desires to do for the human race and every provision the Father has made for it, giving Christians instruction on receiving Christ's grace and living by the conditions He lays down. Its words impart courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and bring strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last. Appreciated and obeyed it would make the race wholly different, presenting a new world bearing the impress of heaven.
Lived out in practical life, that instruction cures dissension and seeking the highest place, produces unity with one another and with Christ and love that stands as an impregnable wall against Satan's assaults and deceptions. It qualifies believers as strong co-workers with Christ and heals souls sick with self-exaltation. It enables them to stand the test of the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken.