The Time Shall Come

John 16:1-7 These things have I spoken unto you, that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you ask me, Whither goes thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 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. 

‘These things have I spoken unto you …’ The 38th New Testament prophecy in John fulfilled and is being fulfilled. ‘Offended’ the Greek word skandalizo which means to stumble, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.

‘Put you out of the synagogues’ that is to excommunicate you (John 9:22; 12:42) that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service.

Because they have not known the Father, nor Jesus: their ignorance of God and Christ is the foundation of all religious persecution and intolerance (John 15:21).

Jesus did not tell the disciples these things when He chose them, lest they should have been discouraged; but it was at this time necessary to tell them so they could be on guard when He left them.

‘Whither goes thou?’ This was asked twice before (John 13:36; 14:5), but now their hearts were too full of sorrow to ask again.

It was expedient for the disciples that Jesus went away: for if He did not go away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] could not come unto them; but when Jesus departed, He did send Him unto them.

It was ‘expedient’ for them that He should go – the Greek word sumphero meaning profitable. It was necessary for Jesus to die and go away or the Spirit cannot come to save men and anoint them to propagate the gospel.

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Divine Trinity (1Jn. 5:7; Matt. 28:19; 2Cor. 13:14). He has been sent by both the Father and the Son (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:33).