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In considering John 16
● notice Jesus’ statement of purpose for his preceding words: “to keep you from falling away” (1), suggesting that “falling away” is a real possibility,
● register the double use of “hour” (2, 4) and “coming” (2) and “comes” (4), both showing Jesus’ knowledge and control of upcoming events,
● understand Jesus’ tag team explanation of the coming of the “Helper” (7)- I go; He comes- complete with a double “if” (7) and an “I will send” (7),
● think about the work of the Helper: “to convict the world” (8),
● ponder the named ways the convicting occurs, as well as the reasons the convicting occurs (9-11), especially the middle one about righteousness (I invite someone to tell me what they think about that one),
● notice Jesus’ continued control of the unfolding of his story- “you cannot bear them now” (12) [emphasis added],
● understand the work of the “Spirit of truth”(13): “He will guide you into all the truth” (13),
● marvel at the smooth connecting from Father to Son to Spirit (13-15), using “mine” (14, 15, 15) to show that what Jesus has is from the Father and what the Spirit has is from Jesus in order that the Spirit may “declare it” (15),
● notice the persistent reference to time, to management of time, and to perceptions of time: “a little while” (16, 16, 17, 17, 18, 19, 19), “the hour” (21, 25, 32), and “in that day” (23, 26),
● see that the threefold repetition of “in my name” (23, 24, 26) suggests Jesus’ authority and a new stage of the revelation of his authority,
● marvel that Jesus’ purpose in declaring wondrous things is so that his disciples might “have peace” (33), and
● ponder the amazing possibility that in the midst of the world’s “tribulation” (33) God’s people “take heart” (33) because Jesus’ already-already accomplished (the perfect tense), though not yet having happened, overcoming of the world (33) makes such full hearts possible.
Thank you,

Randy Tumlinson