John 16:22-28-Initial Observations

John 16:22-28

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.  (John 16:22)

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  (John 16:23)

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  (John 16:24)

"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.  (John 16:25)

In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf;  (John 16:26)

for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  (John 16:27)

I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father."  (John 16:28)

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Initial Observations

Things Emphasized: 

• That we will ask the Father in Jesus' name.  (and that we will not necessarily ask Jesus himself...nor will He need to ask the Father for us)
• Jesus will tell the apostles plainly about the Father.
• The nature of Jesus' relationship with and to the Father.
• The difference between asking Jesus and asking the Father in Jesus' name.

Things Repeated:

• The apostles (and we) will ask the Father in Jesus' name.

Cause and Effect:

• When the apostles see Jesus again they will rejoice and no one will take that joy from them.
• On the day of Jesus' resurrection things will be made clear, joy and peace will be received, and our relationship with the Father will have been changed.
• Our ability to ask the Father directly is a direct effect of our loving and believing in His Son, Jesus Christ!
• When we ask in Jesus' name we will receive, so that our joy will be made full.  (John_16:24)  
• God loves us because we love His Son Jesus, and because we believe that Jesus came from the Father Himself.

Author:

• The Apostle John.

People:

• Jesus
• His disciples.

Place and time:

• Location of The Passover Feast
• The night before Jesus' crucifixion.
• Jesus' last real teachings and words to his disciples before His sacrifice and resurrection.

Audience:

• Jesus' apostles (and by proxy--US!)
• Jesus' final discourse to His apostles, of which these verses are a part, is mostly in the future tense.  He is educating his disciples, and us, as to what will happen after His sacrifice and resurrection.

The Gospel of John:

• Emphasizes the deity in Jesus.
• Knowing (Jesus) and Believing (in Jesus) are key terms in John's Gospel.  Always used as verbs.
• John wants us to understand the divine nature of Jesus and that Jesus is our Savior!
• Also tends emphasizes the fact the we need to make a choice about Jesus!  

(sources for observation were the ESV, the NASB and Ryken's Bible Handbook) 

In my next post I will begin to dive into the individual verses.