August 8, 2007

Chapter 16, verses 16-24- in this portion of scripture, our attention is turned away from formal doctrine toward practical difficulty; that is, the difficulty that the disciples have with Jesus’ remarks.  This section points out the sensitivity that Jesus had toward the thinking of His followers.

  “a little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me…”--it is likely that Jesus is referring to the absence due to His arrest & suffering followed by His post- resurrection appearances.  Others view the words “you will see Me” to refer to either the coming of the Holy Spirit or the 2^nd Advent of Christ. 

  From 14:19, we see that the first “a little while” is the time-frame of a few hours of that very evening before He is to be arrested.  The disciples will not “see” Him following the arrest, except for John, the beloved disciple (19:26-27).    Then, the second “little while” are the days of His entombment, after which they see Him—note the post-resurrection appearances at the end of each gospel.

Under such a reading, the remark “because I go to the Father” speaks of

His post-resurrection ascension to heaven- Luke 24:51.

  John, the writer then notes their confusion and discussion in vs.17-18.  So, Jesus gently asks them about their questions.   In vs. 20, Jesus gives emotional

content to this coming experience---“you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice”.  The rejoicing apparently is done by the Pharisees and others who hate Him, but is not explicitly stated in John’s gospel.  It is understood from passages like Matt. 27:41-43; Mk.15:29; Lk.23:35.  The weeping may be seen in such passages as Luke 23:27-29.   But Jesus adds  

that such weeping “will be turned into joy”.  He then uses an well-known

illustration from childbirth—how that the joy over the baby exceeds the sorrow

of the labor.  By affirming the reality of their sorrow, He allows them to better cope with His absence.

  In vs.22, Jesus applies the illustration: “you now [when I am arrested and killed] have sorrow; but I will see you again [after His resurrection] and your heart will rejoice”.  He adds the joy will be permanent.  Any and all sadness will be exceeded by the final joy of His resurrection.

  Then in vs.23-24, Jesus moves them beyond the joy of His resurrection to the

reality of His Ascension to the right hand of the Father.  “in that day, you will ask me nothing”- may mean “you will ask me no questions” or “you will ask nothing to be given to you by Me”.  Jesus directs them to “ask the Father in my name and He will give it”.  There are two transitions  to be noted in this portion of instruction by Jesus—first, the transition from looking to Jesus to looking to the Holy Spirit (16:13-15) and second, the transition of “asking the Father in my name”- (15:7-8).

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  Jesus instructs them to “ask …receive…joy may be full”.  He attempts to develop motivation in them to seek their needs from the Father thru the name of the Son.  In summary, He used their confusion (vs.17-18) to explain necessary changes that will occur and how ultimately they will benefit from such changes.

  Chapter 16, verses 25-27- “I have spoken to you in figurative language”- the Greek word for “figurative” is paroimiais (para=beside and oimos=a way; a word or message alongside, an allegory) .   The KJV has “proverb” and the NIV has figurative as does the NKJV.  Jesus is noting the plain and straightforward way in which He will speak after “a little while”;  likely this is His teaching after His resurrection (Acts 1:2).

   “in that day” would refer to the entire church era that believers will call upon the Father in the name of Jesus.  “I do not say…I shall pray…for you”- while on His earthly mission, Jesus prayed for His disciples (Lk.22:32), but  such prayer is not necessary as before.  Due to their love for Christ, “the Father Himself loves” them.  In Chap.17, Jesus will mention His prayer for His disciples (church) several times- 17:9, 11, 15.  The point He is making in 16:27 is that there is a new relationship that is based on His achievement on the cross—this is explained in detail in the Pauline epistles.  While on earth, Jesus’ intercessory prayer held the disciples up before the Father, but after His Ascension, the Father loves them (as being in the church).