Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Luke Acts
John 16
Concise Complete
Persecution foretold. (1-6) The promise of the Holy
Spirit, and his office. (7-15) Christ's departure and return. (16-22)
Encouragement to prayer. (23-27) Christ's discoveries of himself. (28-33)
Verses 1-6 Our Lord
Jesus, by giving his disciples notice of trouble, designed that the terror might
not be a surprise to them. It is possible for those who are real enemies to
God's service, to pretend zeal for it. This does not lessen the sin of the
persecutors; villanies will never be changed by putting the name of God to them.
As Jesus in his sufferings, so his followers in theirs, should look to the
fulfilling of Scripture. He did not tell them sooner, because he was with them
to teach, guide, and comfort them; they needed not then this promise of the Holy
Spirit's presence. It will silence us to ask, Whence troubles come? It will
satisfy us to ask, Whither go they? for we know they work for good. It is the
common fault and folly of melancholy Christians to look only on the dark side of
the cloud, and to turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. That which
filled the disciples' hearts with sorrow, was too great affection for this
present life. Nothing more hinders our joy in God, than the love of the world,
and the sorrow of the world which comes from it.
Verses 7-15
Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit
was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily
presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where,
in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his
name. See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince.
Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it effectually, and none but he.
It is the method the Holy Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to comfort.
The Spirit shall convince the world, of sin; not merely tell them of it. The
Spirit convinces of the fact of sin; of the fault of sin; of the folly of sin;
of the filth of sin, that by it we are become hateful to God; of the fountain of
sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end thereof
is death. The Holy Spirit proves that all the world is guilty before God. He
convinces the world of righteousness; that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ the
righteous. Also, of Christ's righteousness, imparted to us for justification and
salvation. He will show them where it is to be had, and how they may be accepted
as righteous in God's sight. Christ's ascension proves the ransom was accepted,
and the righteousness finished, through which believers were to be justified. Of
judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. All will be well, when his
power is broken, who made all the mischief. As Satan is subdued by Christ, this
gives us confidence, for no other power can stand before him. And of the day of
judgment. The coming of the Spirit would be of unspeakable advantage to the
disciples. The Holy Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go
with us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is more than
barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but the
relish, and savour, and power of it in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and
keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and
graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of the apostles,
under the influence of the Spirit, all the tongues, and miracles, were to
glorify Christ. It behoves every one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a
good work in his heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we
never shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when brought to know
ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of the Redeemer. We should have
fuller views of the Redeemer, and more lively affections to him, if we more
prayed for, and depended on the Holy Spirit.
Verses 16-22 It is
good to consider how near our seasons of grace are to an end, that we may be
quickened to improve them. But the sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned
into joy; as those of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit
would be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither sufferings in life
nor in death, would ever deprive them of their joy. Believers have joy or
sorrow, according to their sight of Christ, and the tokens of his presence.
Sorrow is coming on the ungodly, which nothing can lessen; the believer is an
heir to joy which no one can take away. Where now is the joy of the murderers of
our Lord, and the sorrow of his friends?
Verses 23-27
Asking of the Father shows a sense of spiritual wants, and a desire of spiritual
blessings, with conviction that they are to be had from God only. Asking in
Christ's name, is acknowledging our unworthiness to receive any favours from
God, and shows full dependence upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness. Our
Lord had hitherto spoken in short and weighty sentences, or in parables, the
import of which the disciples did not fully understand, but after his
resurrection he intended plainly to teach them such things as related to the
Father and the way to him, through his intercession. And the frequency with
which our Lord enforces offering up petitions in his name, shows that the great
end of the mediation of Christ is to impress us with a deep sense of our
sinfulness, and of the merit and power of his death, whereby we have access to
God. And let us ever remember, that to address the Father in the name of Christ,
or to address the Son as God dwelling in human nature, and reconciling the world
to himself, are the same, as the Father and Son are one.
Verses 28-33 Here
is a plain declaration of Christ's coming from the Father, and his return to
him. The Redeemer, in his entrance, was God manifest in the flesh, and in his
departure was received up into glory. By this saying the disciples improved in
knowledge. Also in faith; "Now are we sure." Alas! they knew not their own
weakness. The Divine nature did not desert the human nature, but supported it,
and put comfort and value into Christ's sufferings. And while we have God's
favourable presence, we are happy, and ought to be easy, though all the world
forsake us. Peace in Christ is the only true peace, in him alone believers have
it. Through him we have peace with God, and so in him we have peace in our own
minds. We ought to be encouraged, because Christ has overcome the world before
us. But while we think we stand, let us take heed lest we fall. We know not how
we should act if brought into temptation; let us watch and pray without ceasing,
that we may not be left to ourselves.
Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Luke Acts
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
