John 16:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

NIV: But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

NASB: But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

CSB: Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don't go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.

NLT: But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.

KJV: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

NKJV: Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

This statement is difficult to understand, at first. It almost certainly would have been baffling to the disciples. The idea that Jesus is leaving (John 16:5) understandably makes these men both fearful and sad (John 16:7). The suggestion that Jesus leaving is somehow beneficial was probably absurd, in their minds. However, in order to complete His atonement for sin, it would be necessary for Jesus to leave (John 12:31–32).

The "advantage" of Jesus leaving is also tied to the specific role of the Holy Spirit. In prior verses, Jesus referred to the Helper—meaning the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17, 26; 15:26–27).

So long as Jesus is there, in person, the object of the disciples' faith would always be a tangible, external person. That's not necessarily bad. However, it means they would constantly depend on Him to direct them, or to answer their questions. Their own thoughts and conscience would perpetually be pushed aside, in favor of asking Jesus for His judgment. When He is not physically present, they would feel incomplete.

In short, Jesus' physical presence in some sense limits the depth of their reliance on God. It also limits how many people Jesus can influence at once. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, completely fulfills the prediction given in Jeremiah 31:31–34:

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

The Holy Spirit, the Helper, provides the ability for each Christian to have constant, personal, immediate, indwelling contact with God. Instead of relying on someone "outside" of themselves, believers in Christ can focus on the voice of God "inside" their hearts, as He dwells with them (John 14:17). That doesn't make Christians infallible or all-knowing (Colossians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 13:5). It does mean that we have the advantage of His influence, so far as we're willing to submit to it (1 Corinthians 2:14–16).

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 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.