John

I share all this with you to keep you from stumbling.

They will expel you from the synagogues. Moreover, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God;

they will do this because they do not know the Father or me.

I have told you all these things now so that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you earlier because I was with you,

but now I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, Where are you going?

The Work of the Spirit

Instead, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.

Believe me, it is better for you that I go away because as long as I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes, he will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and he will vindicate the paths of righteousness and judgment:

about sin, because they do not believe in me;

about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will no longer see me;

about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth. For he will not speak of his own authority but will speak on what he hears, and he will declare to you the things which are to come.

He will take what is mine and make it known to you; in doing this, he will glorify me.

All that the Father has is mine; for this reason, I said he will take what is mine and make it known to you.

Joy After Sorrow

“A little while and you will no longer see me; then after a little while, you will see me again.

Some of the disciples wondered:

“What does he mean by, ‘A little while and you will not see me; and then a little while and you will see me’? And why did he say, ‘I am going to the Father’?”

And they said to one another:

“What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t know what he means.”

Jesus knew that they wanted to question him; so he said to them:

“You are puzzled because I told you that ‘in a little while you will see me no more, and then a little while later you will see me.’

Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.

A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time has come. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of her great joy: a child has been born into the world.

You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice; and no one will take your joy away from you.

When that day comes, you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

So far, you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

I have taught you all these things indirectly, but the time is coming when I will no longer teach in figures; instead, I will speak plainly about the Father.

When that day comes, you will ask in my name, and I won’t need to ask the Father for you,

because the Father himself loves you, since you have loved me and believe that I came from God.

I came from the Father and entered into the world; again, I am now leaving the world and going back to the Father.

The disciples said to him:

“Now you are speaking plainly and not in veiled language!

Now we see that you know all things and don’t need anyone to question you. Because of this, we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus answered them:

“Do you believe now?

The hour is coming—in fact, it has come—when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not truly alone, because the Father is with me.

I have told you this, so that in me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”