John 16 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: John 16:1-11: More on Jesus leaving

A. Find Out:

1. Why was Jesus telling them these things? v.1,4a
   • All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. … I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.
2. What will happen, why, & what will men think they are doing? v.2,3
   • They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
3. What was he telling them and what did they feel? v.5,6
   • but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, “Where are you going?” 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.
4. Why was it good for him to go? v.7
   • But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
5. What will the Spirit do? v.8
   • When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
6. How will that be worked out? v.9-11
   • about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

B. Think:

1. What, in a sense, is the bad news in this passage?
2. Yet what is good news in it?
3. How does that carry on from what we said previously?

C. Comment:

Jesus confirms yet again that they can expect opposition after he goes, opposition even to death, but he tells them he has warned them about it so when it happens they won’t be surprised or put off.

He also confirms that he is going to leave them but says that they should see it as a good thing, for unless he goes the Spirit can’t come. When the Spirit comes he will show the world their guilt. That will come in three ways. First, He will show them their guilt because of their sin of unbelief over Jesus. He will show up unbelief. Second, He will reveal Jesus’ righteousness when he is raised from the dead and shown to be the Son of God, and that will again show up man’s guilt of rejecting the Son of God. Finally, He will reveal the works of the enemy, contrasted by the works of Jesus, and the enemy will stand exposed for what he is.

Observe the two areas of activity that Jesus speaks about. First, the activity of the world as it opposes godly men and women; yes that is negative in many ways. But note also the activity of the Holy Spirit as He comes and continues the work of God, basing it on Jesus, using him as the means of revealing the sin of unbelief, the righteousness of God, and the evil of the enemy. That is very positive activity!

D. Application:

1. The world will continue to oppose Jesus – in us.
2. God will continue His work of conviction – through us!

Passage: John 16:12-18: More on the work of the Spirit

A. Find Out:

1. What did Jesus say he had to say? v.12
   • ‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.
2. So how would he provide for that? v.13a
   • But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
3. On what basis will He speak? v.13b
   • He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
4. On what basis will he speak Jesus’ words? v.14,15
   • He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’
5. What did Jesus say would happen to him? v.16
   • Jesus went on to say, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.’
6. What was the disciples’ reaction to all this? v.17,18
   • At this, some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean by saying, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,” and “Because I am going to the Father”?’ 18 They kept asking, ‘What does he mean by “a little while”? We don’t understand what he is saying.’

B. Think:

1. How is the unity of the Trinity shown here?
2. How does that provide or the disciples?
3. Why, do you think, the disciples found it hard to understand?

C. Comment:

Having said all that, he has said so far, Jesus continues by saying, well I have so much more I would like to say to you, but you aren’t ready to hear it yet, but don’t worry, when the Holy Spirit comes He will carry on speaking my words. They are Jesus’ words because all Jesus’ words come from the Father, and so because the Spirit’s words come from the Father also, it will be just like it is Jesus continuing to speak. The Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Jesus (as he is referred to elsewhere) simply continues the work of Jesus which, in this context, is to teach his followers. Thus today Jesus continues to speak to us by means of His Spirit within us.

Then, yet again, Jesus makes reference to his imminent departure and again the disciples appear confused and unable to understand what he is saying. Time and again Jesus had told them what was going to take place (see Mt 16:21, 17:22,23, 20:18,19, 26:2, Jn 13:33, 14:2,28, 16;5) and again and again they had great trouble taking it in (see Mt 16:22, Jn 13:36, 14:5), although on at least one occasion they did seem to understand (see Mt 17:23b). Perhaps it just seemed so impossible that they thought it would happen some other way from that which he appeared to be describing.

D. Application:

1. The Holy Spirit continues to teach us today.
2. Jesus’ words sometimes DO seem so difficult to comprehend.

Passage: John 16:19-24: And more

A. Find Out:

1. What was Jesus picking up on? v.19
   • Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, ‘Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me”?
2. What did he say they would do? v.20
   • Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
3. To what did he compare it? v.21
   • A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.
4. So what did he say would happen? v.22
   •  So with you: now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
5. What would then happen? v.23
   •  In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
6. So what does he encourage them to do, with what result? v.24 
   •  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

B. Think:

1. How would there be both grief and joy?
2. How would the disciples’ feelings differ from the world?
3. How would they change their “talking”?

C. Comment:

Jesus directly addresses their confusion but again not using detailed, specific language, but instead indirect language. He tells them what is going to happen by warning them what they would feel. There will come a time when they will grieve (after his death) while the world rejoiced (having got rid of him), but that would be followed by a time of rejoicing (after his resurrection).

It’s a bit like a woman in labour, he says, when she goes through a time of anguish but that is followed by a time of rejoicing. The anguish is necessary to reach the rejoicing, and so it will be in what is coming.    

When it is all passed, they won’t ask Jesus anything (because he won’t be there) but instead they will ask the Father directly, and coming as Jesus’ emissaries they will ask in his name, and therefore the Father will give them what they ask in this capacity and in this way. The result? Great joy! Joy is to be a part of our experience, but it is not some haphazard intangible thing, it comes as we obey him, flow with him and are fruitful (15:11), know him (16:22), receive from him (16:24) and live in understanding of his purposes (17:13). 

D. Application:

1. The grief of the Cross was necessary to enable the rejoicing of the     resurrection to come. So it is in our lives.
2. Knowing him, being fruitful, receiving from him and understanding his purposes for us, brings great joy. May it be yours.

Passage: John 16:25-33: Even more of the future

A. Find Out:

1. How had Jesus been speaking and how would he speak? v.25
   • ‘Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.
2. Who would they ask in the future and why? v.26,27
   •  In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
3. What did Jesus then say of himself? v.28
   •  I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.’
4. How did that seem to the disciples? v.29,30
   • Then Jesus’ disciples said, ‘Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.’
5. How did Jesus respond and what did he warn them? v.31,32
   • ‘Do you now believe?’ Jesus replied. 32 ‘A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
6. How may they have peace? v.33
   •  ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’

B. Think:

1. Why had the disciples been confused before?
2. Why do they appear to understand now?
3. How does Jesus infer that that won’t help them soon?

C. Comment:

Again and again, Jesus had been speaking about what was going to be happening shortly but for a number of reasons the disciples didn’t seem to be able to understand it. One of the reasons was that Jesus had kept using figurative language, the meaning of which seemed to evade them. A possible other reason might have been that their minds simply rebelled at the thought of Jesus leaving them and being crucified. However now he speaks more directly.

First, he says there will be coming a time when he will speak directly about the Father (possibly after the resurrection, certainly after Pentecost). At that time, they will ask (not him asking for them), and they will ask the Father directly in Jesus’ name, because they will know the Father loves them and will have confidence, on that basis, to ask (which all indicates it is more likely to be after Pentecost that he is referring to).

Then he says directly that he came from heaven and will return to heaven. Somehow the disciples now appear to understand, although how much they actually understood is questionable. This seems to make them think it will be all right, but Jesus warns them it isn’t and before it is all finished they will be scattered.

D. Application:

1. The Christian faith doesn’t require that we have full understanding of     everything, simply that our hearts are right with Jesus.
2. Some understanding IS necessary, but it doesn’t stop us failing!