What does John 14:19 mean?
ESV: Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
NIV: Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
NASB: After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live.
CSB: In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too.
NLT: Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.
KJV: Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
NKJV: “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
Verse Commentary:
"The world," in these contexts, means the unbelieving and fallen human condition. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come (John 14:16), but noted that unbelievers would neither see nor know Him (John 14:17). Here again He notes that this is the end of His earthly presence, in a form visible even to those who do not believe (John 12:44–46). The disciples, on the other hand, will see Jesus again, and soon (John 16:16; 20:19).
Scripture often ties the life of a believer to the life of Christ—we live because He lives (1 Corinthians 15:21). Those who have faith in Christ are said to have passed from death to life (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14), exclusively because of the death and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 5:21; 6:8; John 14:6). This promise from Christ is the ultimate answer to our struggles (Romans 8:18, 28). Christians have the guarantee of redemption and restoration at the end of our earthly lives (Hebrews 11:14–16).
Christ's resurrection is the proof that those who put their faith in Him will also see victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:19–20).
Verse Context:
John 14:15–31 contains a prediction about the Holy Spirit. Jesus refers to this as the Spirit of Truth, and promises that the Spirit will arrive to help the disciples carry on after Jesus is ascended to heaven. Throughout this section, a person's love for Christ, their obedience to His teachings, and the indwelling of the Spirit are intertwined. As in prior statements, Jesus is focused on comfort and encouragement. He will continue to highlight the need to maintain faith, based on all He has said and done so far. Later, after advance warnings about what Christians will face, Jesus will return to describing the work and purpose of the Holy Spirit under the new covenant.
Chapter Summary:
Christ reassures His followers that faith in Him is faith in God. To know Christ is to know ''the way, and the truth, and the life'' (John 14:6). The words, actions, and miracles of Jesus should give Christians confidence to trust that He will make good on His promises. Among those are His guarantee that He is preparing to come for us, so we can be where He is. Jesus also predicts the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is only available to believers, and this Helper acts to guide, teach, and remind us. Both for the disciples, and for future Christians, these words are meant to be comforting during hard times. Since Christ knew, in advance, what would happen, we can be even more confident to trust Him.
Chapter Context:
After completing His public ministry in Jerusalem (John 12:36–38), Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:3–5), predicted His betrayal (John 13:21), and foreseen Peter's denial (John 13:37–38). Chapter 14 begins a series of remarks meant to encourage the disciples, in the face of dire warnings. Among these are reminders that Jesus is planning to bring them to be where He is, assurance that He is ''the way,'' and the first explicit promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 will continue this address, beginning with Jesus' claim to be ''the true vine.''
Book Summary:
The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.
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