John 16:7
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But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit 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.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
It is expedient for you that I go away-- My Saviour, can it ever be That I should gain by losing thee? KEBLE. Yes. for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you--(See on Joh 7:39; Joh 14:15).
Open source ↗As it was usual with the Old Testament prophets to comfort the church in its calamities with the promise of the Messiah (Isa 9:6; Mic 5:6; Zac 3:8); so, the Messiah being come, the promise of the Spirit was the great cordial, and is still. Three things we have here concerning the Comforter's coming: - I. That Christ's departure was absolutely necessary to the Comforter's coming, Joh 16:7. The disciples were so loth to believe this that Christ saw cause to assert it with a more than ordinary solemnity: I tell you the truth. We may be confident of the truth of everything that Christ told us; he has no design to impose upon us. Now, to make them easy, he here tells them, 1. In general, It was expedient for them that he should go away. This was strange doctrine, but if it was true it was comfortable enough, and showed them how absurd their sorrow was. It is expedient, not only for me, but for you also, that I go away; though they did not see it, and are loth to believe it, so it is. Note, (1.) Those things often seem grievous to us that are really expedient for us; and particularly our going away when we have finished our course. (2.) Our Lord Jesus is always for that which is most expedient for us, whether we think so or no. He deals not with us according to the folly of our own choice, but graciously over-rules it, and gives us the physic we are loth to take, because he knows it is good for us. 2. It was therefore expedient because it was in order to the sending of the Spirit. Now observe, (1.) That Christ's going was in order to the Comforter's coming. [1.] This is expressed negatively: If I go not away, the Comforter will not come. And why not? First, So it was settled in the divine counsels concerning this affair, and the measure must not be altered; shall the earth be…
Open source ↗16:7 the Advocate: The Spirit was a gift awaiting Jesus’ departure and glorification (7:37-39; 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:12-14).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.
You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.