Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.Jesus had often predicted his Passion, as recorded three times in Matthew; and here is another plain reference to the impending death and the rejoicing with which it would be hailed by his enemies. The apostles fully understood what Jesus meant here. read more
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world.The analogy here strongly resembles some of the parables found in the synoptics. Fittingly, Jesus the Seed of Woman here referred to himself as a woman in the pangs of childbirth, his apostles also being identified with him as sharing in his sufferings.Her hour is come ... strongly reminds the student of... read more
And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you.This is a plain reference to the resurrection and the rejoicing with which the apostles would hail the victory over death.Your joy no one taketh away from you ... is a prophecy of the unflagging enthusiasm with which the apostles would joyfully proclaim the good news of redemption for all men throughout their lives. They were hated, persecuted, scourged, and... read more
John 16:21-22. A woman when she is in travail— "The state of mind you will be in, when the events happen of which I am speaking, cannot be described better than by comparing it to the condition of a woman in travail. During her labour she has exquisite pain, because the birth approaches; but as soon as the is delivered, she forgets her anguish, being filled with joy that she has brought one of the human species and a child of her own into the world. Just so, you my disciples will be in the... read more
7. The clarification of the future 16:1-24Jesus proceeded to review things that He had just told His disciples, but He now gave them more information. Particularly the ministry of the Holy Spirit is the subject of this section of the discourse, though Jesus also clarified other matters about which He had spoken, namely: the new relations arising from His departure.Jesus’ method of teaching in the Upper Room Discourse was not to give a thorough explanation of one subject, then a thorough... read more
The reappearance of Jesus 16:16-24Jesus next turned the disciples’ attention from the Spirit’s future ministries to His own reappearance. read more
This announcement prompted the disciples to voice their confusion again (cf. John 13:36; John 14:5; John 14:8; John 14:22), though this time they kept quizzing (Gr. imperfect tense) one another rather than Jesus. They still did not understand what He meant by His departure (cf. John 16:12). Evidently they did grasp that Jesus had been talking about returning to His Father (John 14:28), but how could He do that and then reappear in a little while?Jesus’ references to "a little while" especially... read more
Again Jesus did not answer the disciples’ question directly because they would not have been able to understand Him if He had (John 16:12). What He did say was very important, however, as His introductory asseveration indicated.Jesus’ departure would mean great sorrow for His disciples but great joy for the world. This was the condition when Jesus died on the cross. Later the disciples’ sorrow would turn to joy. This was the result of Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:20). Some commentators viewed... read more
Jesus compared how the disciples would feel to the feelings of a pregnant woman at her delivery. This was an Old Testament illustration of how God’s people would feel when Messiah appeared (cf. Isaiah 21:3-5; Isaiah 26:16-21; Isaiah 66:7-14; Jeremiah 13:21; Micah 4:9-10). Jesus again used the word "hour" (Gr. hora, John 2:4; et al.) to focus the critical time of both painful experiences: His death and the woman’s delivery. What issues from the painful experience is so wonderful, in both cases,... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - John 16:19
And Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me?Of great significance is the revelation here that Jesus knew exactly what was in the minds and conversations of the apostles, whether or not they were physically in his presence. His repeating their exact words, not having heard them, was a marvelous demonstration of his... read more