John 16:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

NIV: "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

NASB: These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

CSB: "I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

NLT: 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.

KJV: These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

NKJV: “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

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.

John 16:25–33 completes Christ's combination of encouragement and warning as He prepares the disciples for His impending arrest (John 18:1–3). This passage summarizes the general message of that discourse: that hardship and persecution will come, but believers should remain faithful, knowing this is all part of God's knowledge and His will. Rather than reacting in panic or doubt, followers of Christ should feel a sense of peace. This confidence is inspired by knowledge that nothing they experience catches God by surprise. The expression "take heart" implies courage: knowing Christ's victory overshadows all those troubles.

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.