John 16:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."

NIV: Jesus went on to say, "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

NASB: A little while, and you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.'

CSB: "A little while and you will no longer see me; again a little while and you will see me."

NLT: In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.'

KJV: A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

NKJV: “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”

This is part of Jesus' final instructions to His closest disciples, on the night of His arrest (John 13:1–5; 18:1–3). Jesus has predicted His absence several times (John 14:3–4; 16:5). This is consistent with His earlier explanations that the Messiah was sent, in part, as a sacrifice (Mark 8:31). However, the disciples don't fully understand (John 16:17–18). Much of that confusion is because they don't have the benefit of hindsight—they have not yet witnessed everything that is about to happen (John 2:22). It's also because they don't yet have the influence of the Holy Spirit, who will help them grasp these things (John 16:13).

This remark is another which stumps the disciples. Since Christ has spoken very recently about leaving, that aspect is less obscure. What seems to confuse these men most is the idea that after some time, they will again see Christ. Most likely, Jesus is referring to the time between His resurrection (John 20:19) and His ascension (Acts 1:6–9). During that 40-day period (Acts 1:3), He will once again be visible and present with the disciples on earth.

John 16:16–24 once again reminds the disciples that Christ must suffer and die for the sins of the world (Mark 8:31). The days ahead will be especially dark and frightening for those who so closely followed Jesus. Yet the outcome will be powerful and world changing. Jesus explains this using the analogy of childbirth. The process of giving birth is painful—but the reward is immeasurably valuable. Afterwards, joy over the new birth far outweighs memories of the painful birth process.

Throughout His teaching in the Last Supper (John 13:1–5), Jesus has often brought up the fact that He's giving His followers advance warnings (John 13:19; 14:25). His intent is to provide encouragement—persecution as a result of their faith is inevitable. In keeping with that reassurance, Jesus again promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. He explains that after a time of deep sorrow, His followers will experience great joy and clarity. This concludes with a beloved promise that Christ has "overcome the world."

This completes the teaching portion of Jesus' words during the Last Supper, begun in chapter 13. Christ echoes many of the themes of His earthly ministry. His focus is especially on encouragement: reminding the disciples that the hard times they will experience will end in victory. While they don't clearly understand, the Holy Spirit will lead them in the right direction. This ends with Christ's beloved declaration that He has "overcome the world." That introduces the record of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in chapter 17, immediately before His arrest early in chapter 18.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.