1 These things haue I spoken vnto you, that yee should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the Synagogues: yea, the time commeth, that whosoeuer killeth you, will thinke that hee doeth God seruice.
3 And these things will they doe vnto you, because they haue not knowen the Father, nor me.
4 But these things haue I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not vnto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I goe my way to him that sent mee, and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
6 But because I haue saide these things vnto you, sorow hath filled your heart.
7 Neuerthelesse; I tell you the trueth, it is expedient for you that I goe away: for if I goe not away, the Comforter will not come vnto you: but if I depart, I will send him vnto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reproue the world of sinne, and of righteousnesse, and of iudgement.
9 Of sinne, because they beleeue not on me.
10 Of righteousnesse, because I goe to my Father, and ye see me no more.
11 Of iudgement, because the prince of this world is iudged.
12 I haue yet many things to say vnto you, but ye cannot beare them now:
13 Howbeit, when hee the spirit of trueth is come, he wil guide you into all trueth: For he shall not speake of himselfe: but whatsoeuer he shall heare, that shall he speake, and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorifie me, for he shall receiue of mine, and shall shew it vnto you.
15 All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore said I that he shall take of mine, and shal shew it vnto you.
16 A litle while, and ye shall not see me: and againe a litle while, & ye shall see me: because I goe to the Father.
17 Then saide some of his disciples among themselues, What is this that he saith vnto vs, A litle while, and ye shal not see me: and againe, a litle while, and ye shall see me: and, because I goe to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A litle while? we cannot tell what he saith.
19 Now Iesus knew that they were desirous to aske him, & said vnto them, Doe ye enquire among your selues of that I saide, A litle while, and ye shall not see mee: and againe; A little while and ye shall see me?
20 Uerily, verily I say vnto you, that ye shall weepe and lament, but the world shall reioyce: And ye shall be sorrowfull, but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy.
21 A woman, when she is in trauaile, hath sorrow, because her houre is come: but assoone as she is deliuered of the child, she remembreth no more the anguish, for ioy that a man is borne into the world.
22 And ye now therefore haue sorrow: but I will see you againe, and your heart shall reioyce, and your ioy no man taketh from you.
23 And in that day ye shall aske me nothing: Uerily, verily I say vnto you, Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my Name, he will giue it you.
24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my Name: aske, and ye shall receiue, that your ioy may be full.
25 These things haue I spoken vnto you in prouerbs: the time commeth when I shall no more speake vnto you in prouerbes, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
26 At that day ye shall aske in my Name: and I say not vnto you that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himselfe loueth you, because ye haue loued me and haue beleeued that I came out from God.
28 I came foorth from the Father, and am come into the world: againe, I leaue the world, and goe to the Father.
29 His disciples said vnto him, Loe, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no prouerbe.
30 Now are we sure that thou knowest al things, and needest not that any man should aske thee: By this we beleeue that thou camest foorth from God.
31 Iesus answered them, Doe yee now beleeue?
32 Behold, the houre commeth, yea is now come, that ye shall be scattered, euery man to his owne, and shall leaue me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33 These things I haue spoken vnto you, that in me ye might haue peace, in the world ye shall haue tribulation: but be of good cheare, I haue ouercome the world.
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)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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.