John 16 Verses 1-6

John 16:1 “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.” 

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.”  The Lord was referring to the things in the previous chapter regarding the fact that the disciples would be persecuted as He had been persecuted and that they would be hated as He had been hated.  The Lord told them before those things came to pass so that they would not be offended in him.   

“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”  The Lord further expounded to the disciples things that they could expect: i.e. that they would be put out of the synagogues, and killed by those who thought they were doing God service.   

“And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.”  Please note that these were people who were religious and claimed to believe in God.  Yet as the Lord plainly said, they did not know the Father or Him.   

“But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.”  No doubt this was a comfort and encouragement to the disciples when those things began to come to pass.  They could look back and say, The Lord told us this would happen. 

“And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.”  So long as the Lord was with the disciples, it was not necessary that they know these things.  But now the Lord will be leaving them and the Lord was informing them of these things that would come to pass. 

“But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?  But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.”  Sorrow had filled the hearts of the disciples when he told them that he was going away.  They had grown so much in their attachment and love for the Lord that they were sorrowful with the knowledge that he would be going away.

John 16 Verses 7-15 

John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” 

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”  So long as the Lord was in the world, He was the Comforter to the disciples.  However, when he departed he sent the Holy Spirit to be the Comforter to the disciples.  This was expedient that he go away.  First, it was expedient for Him to go to the cross and to be made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  Moreover, it was expedient, as His physical body limited his presence to the disciples as he would be only in one place at one time.  However, there is no such limitation with the Holy Spirit as He is everywhere present and no where absent.  Thus, as the disciples went forth preaching the gospel in different locations, the Holy Spirit was present with all of them even though they were often separated one from another.   

“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” The question arises to which world is the Lord referring?  Is it the world of the elect?  Or is it the world of the wicked?  The answer is the world of the elect.  The Holy Spirit is not reproving the world of the wicked here in this time world.  The convicting of the wicked of sin, righteousness, and judgment will come at the end of the world.   

“Of sin, because they believe not on me;” Truly, those of God’s elect do not believe in Christ before they are born of the Spirit of God.  Once one is born of the Spirit, then because the laws of God have been written in his heart and his heart has been sprinkled from an evil conscience, then his conscience bears witness of his sinfulness, his thoughts accusing them, and his heart condemns him.  It is only then that he is capable of hearing and believing the gospel. 

“Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;” The gospel message brought unto us by the gospel messenger under the leadership of the Holy Spirit tells us that Christ is the Righteous One and that he was born without sin and lived without sin.   

“Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”  We learn also, through the preaching of the gospel, that Christ bore our sins on the cross and those sins and that the wrath of God was executed upon the person of Jesus Christ for our sins and through his atoning blood we are justified before a just and Holy God.  In doing this, as we read in Heb. 2:14-15 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  In this work, Jesus destroyed him (the prince of this world) who had the power of death.  Satan can no longer lay any valid charges against God’s elect: Rom. 8:33-34 “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” 

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:”  The Holy Spirit was not only a guide into all truth to the apostles and prophets, but He is also, our guide into understanding of all truth today.   

“For he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.”  The gospel is not the gospel of the Holy Spirit, but it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit testifies to us of the person, work, and word of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ.  The gospel also testifies of that which the Lord has done, and what he is now doing, and what he will yet do. 

“All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.”  In this verse we see the complete unity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.