NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 62
J ohn 1 6 : 1 5
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page 1838
15All
that belongs to the Father is mine. x That is why I said the Spirit will receive from
me what he will make known to you.”
Jesus Teaches about Using His Name in Prayer (218 )
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little w
hile y you will see me no more, and then after a
little while you will see me.” z
17 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,’ a
and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” b 18They kept asking, “What does he mean by
‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him a
bout this, so he said to them, “Are you asking
one another what I m
eant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and
then after a little while you will see me’? 20Very truly I tell you, you will weep and m
ourn c
while the w
orld rejoices. You will g
rieve, but your g
rief will turn to joy. d 21A woman giv
ing birth to a child has paine 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. 22So with you:
Now is your time of grief, f but I will see you again g and you will rejoice, and no one will
take away your joy. 23In 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. h 24Until now you have not
asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. i
25“Though I have been speaking figuratively, j a time is coming k when I will no longer
use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26In that day you
will ask in my name. l I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the
Father himself loves you because you have loved me m and have believed that I came
from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world
and going back to the Father.” n
29 Then J
esus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of
speech. o 30Now 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.”
31“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32“A time is coming p and in fact has come when
you will be scattered, q each to your own home. You will l eave me all alone. Yet I am not
alone, for my Father is with me. r
33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have p
eace. s In this world you
will have trouble. t But take heart! I have overcome u the world.”
Jesus Prays for Himself (219 )
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven v and prayed:
17
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. w
you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all
those you have given him. x 3Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. y 4I have brought you glory z on
2For
16:16 Jesus was referring to his death, now only a few hours away, and
his resurrection three days later.
16:20 What a contrast between the disciples and the world! The world
rejoiced as the disciples wept, but the disciples would see Jesus again—in
three days—and rejoice. The world’s values are often the opposite of
God’s values. This can cause us to feel like misfits. But even if life seems
difficult now, one day we will rejoice. Keep your eye on the future and
on God’s promises!
16:23-27 Jesus is talking about a new way to relate to God. Previously,
only priests could stand in the presence of God in the Most Holy Place.
After Jesus’ resurrection, any believer could experience the presence of
God anywhere. A new day has dawned, and now all believers are priests,
talking with God personally and directly (see Hebrews 10:19-23). We approach God not because of our own merit but because Jesus, our great
High Priest, has made us acceptable to God.
16:30 The disciples believed Jesus’ words because they were convinced
that he knew everything. But their belief was only a first step toward the
great faith they would receive when the Holy Spirit came to live in them.
16:31-33 As Christians, we should expect continuing tension with an
unbelieving world that is out of sync with Jesus’ values and often bitterly
16:15
xJn 17:10
16:16
7:33
14:1824
yJn
zJn
16:17
16
5
aver
bver
16:20
cLk 23:27
dJn 20:20
16:21
eIsa 26:17; 1Th 5:3
16:22
fver 6
gver 16
16:23
7:7; Jn 15:16
hMt
16:24
iJn 3:29; 15:11
16:25
13:34; Jn 10:6
2
jMt
kver
16:26
lver 23,24
16:27
14:21,23
mJn
16:28
nJn 13:3
16:29
over 25
16:32
pver 2,25
qMt 26:31
rJn 8:16,29
16:33
14:27
15:18-21
uRo 8:37; 1Jn 4:4
sJn
tJn
17:1
11:41
12:23; 13:31,32
vJn
wJn
17:2
6,9,24; Da 7:14;
Jn 6:37,39
xver
17:3
yver 8,18,21,23, 25;
Jn 3:17
17:4
zJn 13:31
hostile to him, his gospel, and his people. Some will face only astonishment or ridicule for what they believe. Others will face imprisonment
and even martyrdom. But whatever we face, we can depend upon our
relationship with Jesus to produce peace and comfort because we are
in sync with him.
16:32 The disciples scattered after Jesus was arrested (see Mark 14:50).
Jesus accepted their statement of faith even though he knew their weakness. He knew they would have to grow into people whose words and lives
matched even to the point of death. He takes us through the same process.
How well are you living out what you say you believe about Jesus?
16:33 Jesus summed up all he had told them this night, tying together
themes from 14:27-29; 16:1-4; and 16:9-11. With these words he told his
disciples to take courage. Despite the inevitable struggles they would face,
they would not be alone. Jesus does not abandon us to our struggles
either. If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we
can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times.
17:1-26 This entire chapter is Jesus’ prayer. From it, we learn that the
world is a tremendous battleground where the forces under Satan’s power
and those under God’s authority are at war. Satan and his forces are motivated by bitter hatred for Jesus Christ and his forces. Jesus prayed for his