“But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
My Notes
What Does John 16:4 Mean?
Jesus tells the disciples He's been warning them about persecution so that when it arrives, they'll remember He predicted it. "That when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you." The purpose of the warning isn't to prevent the suffering. It's to anchor them during it.
The second phrase is tender: "these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you." While Jesus was physically present, the disciples didn't need to know about the coming persecution. His presence was their buffer. But now He's leaving. And what His presence provided, His words must now replace.
"When the time shall come" (hotan elthē hē hōra — when the hour comes) echoes "this is your hour" (Luke 22:53). The hour of persecution is coming. Jesus can't prevent it. But He can prepare them by giving them something to remember when it arrives.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has Jesus told you (through Scripture) that you'll need to remember when the hard time arrives?
- 2.How does the purpose of Jesus' warnings (not prevention, but preparation) change how you receive difficult biblical truths?
- 3.Where in your life has Jesus' physical absence been replaced by His words — and are those words enough?
- 4.When suffering comes, do you remember what Jesus said, or does the pain erase what you knew?
Devotional
"I told you so that when it happens, you'll remember I told you." That's why Jesus warns. Not to prevent the suffering. To anchor you inside it.
Jesus doesn't promise His disciples a persecution-free life. He promises them something better: preparation. When the hour comes — and it will — you won't be blindsided. You'll remember. He told you. The suffering isn't random. It's predicted. And a predicted suffering is an anchored suffering.
The second half breaks your heart: "I didn't tell you this at the beginning, because I was with you." While Jesus was physically present, they didn't need the warning. His presence was enough. He absorbed the threats. He managed the Pharisees. He was the buffer between His disciples and the world's hostility.
But now He's going. And what His body provided — protection, presence, comfort — His words must now carry. The physical Jesus is leaving. The remembered words of Jesus stay.
This is why Scripture matters. Not as religious homework. As survival equipment. The words Jesus spoke are designed to be remembered at the moment when you need them most. When the hour arrives. When the persecution hits. When the world does exactly what Jesus said it would do.
He told you. So that when it happens, you won't panic. You'll remember. And remembering will hold you together when nothing else can.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But these things have I told you,.... Christ enlarged on this disagreeable subject, and was the more particular in…
These things - These things which are about to happen, Joh 16:1-2. He had foretold them that they would take place. Ye…
At the beginning - I would not trouble you by speaking of these things pointedly at first, when I chose you to be my…
Christ dealt faithfully with his disciples when he sent them forth on his errands, for he told them the worst of it,…
But Making a fresh start; But, to return(to Joh 16:16).
have I told See on Joh 16:16.
when the time Rather, when their…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture