What does John 16:25 mean?
Teachers, especially for the young, know that stories and songs often serve as better teaching tools than a simple lecture. Rather than digging into technical terms or abstractions, they're an easier way to connect a person to broad ideas. However, good teachers also know that those stories and songs need to be explained, in the right context, in order to be applied correctly (Mark 4:34).For the same reason, much of what Jesus has taught the disciples has come in the form of parables. He is preparing them for His impending death and resurrection (John 18:1–3; 19:18; 20:19)—part of that includes some last-minute teaching (John 16:4). However, the way Jesus has spoken over their long discipleship has also been a way of preparing them. Using parables also deflects those who aren't really interested in the truth, anyway (Matthew 13:13).
Another reason Christ taught using parables was His knowledge that some of those ideas would not be understood prior to His resurrection. After He is raised from the dead, many of these seemingly obscure stories will make sense (John 2:22; 6:60). At that time, when all these various predictions have been fulfilled, He will speak with these men in direct, plain language. Then, they will be ready to accept what He says without confusion, partly due to the influence of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12–13; 1 Corinthians 2:14–16).
This approach is echoed in a movie scene which is referenced often in American culture. In the film, a mentor promises to teach a bullied teen self-defense. But first, the boy is forced to perform menial tasks. Each chore involves repetitive, monotonous movements. Eventually, the boy is frustrated and demands to know when he'll begin learning. The mentor responds by dramatically demonstrating the purpose of his methods. He reveals that those chore-related movements were all components of self-defense techniques. The boy needed to absorb the movements, in general, before he was ready to fully understand and apply them, in combination. Jesus' parables were much less obscure, but still required time and perspective before they could be fully grasped.
