I Am Going
TRANSLATION
(12) “I still have many things to tell you, more than you can bear right now. (13) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority. He will speak only what he hears and will declare to you the things that are still to come. (14) He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and will declare it to you. (15) All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
(16) “In a little while you will no longer see me, and then, after a little while, you will see me.” (17) At this some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘In a little while you will no longer see me, and then, after a little while, you will see me?’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father?’ (18) They kept on 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 about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about my saying, ‘In a little while you will no longer see me, and then, after a little while, you will see me?’ (20) Truly I tell you that you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. (21) When a woman gives birth, she experiences pain and anguish because her time is come. But when her baby is born, she no longer remembers the anguish for the joy that a child has come into the world. (22) So you will experience sorrow now, but I will see you again, and then your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
OBSERVATIONS
The disciples’ capacity to absorb all that Jesus wanted to share with them had reached its maximum limit. He first told them that the Holy Spirit would soon enable them to understand what they couldn’t grasp at the moment. And then he did his best to explain his words, especially the phrase “in a little while,” which perplexed them. Both paragraphs in this segment are distinguished by key repetitions. In the first, “truth” is found twice in one verse (vs. 13). “Speak” is also found twice (vs. 13) and its synonym, “declare,” occurred three times, twice with the phrase, “take what is mine” (vss. 13, 14, & 15). In the second paragraph, “a little while” and “see me/see me no longer” are found repeatedly (vss. 16-19 & 22). Also “sorrow(ful)” and its synonyms, “weep,” “lament,” and “anguish,” were contrasted with several uses of “joy” and “rejoice” (vss. 20-22).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus promised his disciples that the “Spirit of truth” would guide them into “all truth” once he had departed. (12-15)
II. Jesus explained that, in his absence, they would be sorrowful but promised that they would soon be rejoicing because they would soon see him again. (16-22)
IDEA STATEMENT
While we wish that Jesus had remained with us, we rejoice in the Holy Spirit’s enablement while we await his return.
APPLICATION
The image of a woman enduring the pains of childbirth served as a fitting metaphor for what both Jesus and his disciples would experience during the days of his suffering and death on the cross. The anguish and sorrow of those three days was almost impossible to capture in words. However, the joy the disciples experienced when they were reunited with the risen Lord was far greater than the pain they had to endure.
The significance of those momentous events took time to sink into the disciples’ hearts and minds. What they came to understand regarding Jesus’ earthly ministry and then his death, resurrection, and ascension would gradually be revealed to them by the Holy Spirit who had been given to them on the Day of Pentecost. The great theological truths regarding his incarnation, the nature of Christ’s person, how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, and the role the church was to play would be revealed to them through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Eventually, these inspired teachings would be collected and conveyed to the rest of the church through the gospels and epistles that would become the canon of the New Testament. The promise which Jesus gave those who were with him in the Upper Room regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that “he will guide you into all truth,” assures us that we lack nothing of what we need to become his loyal followers.