NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 62
J ohn 1 6
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page 1836
will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you
for a while longer.
Jesus Teaches about the Holy Spirit (217)
5“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where
I am going. 6Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7But in fact, it is best for
you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate* won’t come. If I do go away, then I
will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of
God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9The world’s sin is that it refuses to
believe in me. 10Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me
no more. 11Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
12“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13When the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will
tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14He will bring me glory by
telling you whatever he receives from me. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine; this
is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Jesus Teaches about Using His Name in Prayer (218)
16“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see
me again.”
17Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a
little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’?
18And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”
19Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves
what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you
will see me again. 20I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to
happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly
turn to wonderful joy. 21It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her
child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the
world. 22So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no
one can rob you of that joy. 23At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell
you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you
use my name. 24You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive,
and you will have abundant joy.
25“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking
figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26Then you will ask in my name.
I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27for the Father himself loves you
16:7 Or Comforter, or Encourager, or Counselor. Greek reads Paraclete.
16:5 Although the disciples had asked Jesus about his death (13:36; 14:5),
they had never wondered about its meaning. They were mostly concerned
about themselves. If Jesus went away, what would become of them?
16:7 Unless Jesus did what he came to do, we would have no Good
News. If he did not die, he could not remove our sins; he could not rise
again and defeat death. If he did not go back to the Father, the Holy Spirit
would not come. Jesus’ presence on earth was limited to one place at
a time, but his leaving meant he could be present to the whole world
through the Holy Spirit.
16:8-11 To convict means “to convince,” “to expose the facts,” or “to
refute or c ross-examine.” Three important convicting tasks of the Holy
Spirit are (1) convincing people of their sinfulness to prepare them to seek
repentance and God’s mercy; (2) revealing the standard of God’s righteousness to anyone who believes, because Jesus is no longer physically
present on earth; and (3) demonstrating Jesus’ authority over Satan and
his ultimate judgment and defeat of all evil. This conviction can convince
us that what Jesus promises will come true and give us courage to live
out our faith in a fallen world.
16:9 According to Jesus, not believing in him is a sin.
16:10-11 Jesus’ death on the cross made a personal relationship with
God available to us. When we confess our sin, God declares us righteous
and delivers us from judgment for it.
16:13 The Holy Spirit guides us to see the truth about Jesus Christ—who
he is and what he came to do for us. The Spirit also helps us, through
16:5
John 7:33; 13:36
16:7
John 14:26; 15:26
16:9
John 15:22
16:10
Acts 3:14; 7:52
Rom 1:17
1 Pet 3:18
16:11
John 12:31
16:13
John 14:17, 26
16:15
John 17:10
16:16
John 14:18-24
16:20
Mark 16:10
Luke 23:27
John 20:20
16:21
Isa 13:8; 21:3;
26:17
Acts 13:33
Col 1:18
16:22
Isa 66:14
John 20:20
16:23
John 14:20; 16:26
16:24
John 15:11
16:25
Ps 78:2
John 10:6
16:27
John 8:42; 14:21;
17:8
patient practice, to discern right from wrong. (See Hebrews 5:14 and
1 John 2:20 for more on discernment.)
16:13 Jesus said the Holy Spirit would tell them “about the future”—the
nature of their mission, the opposition they would face, and the final
outcome of their efforts. They didn’t fully understand these promises
until the Holy Spirit came, after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then the
Holy Spirit revealed truths to them that they wrote down in the books
that now form the New Testament.
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.
