Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe.
Parallel Translations
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Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe.
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For the father is greater then I. And now have I shewed you before it come that when it is come to passe ye might beleve.
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And nowe haue I spoken vnto you, before it come, that when it is come to passe, ye might beleeue.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to John 14:29 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- John 13:19 From now on, I tell you before it happens, that when it happens, you may believe that I am he.
- John 16:4-31 But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged. “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you. A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.” Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?” They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.” Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, and using no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
- Matthew 24:24-25 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. “Behold, I have told you beforehand.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 29. And I have told you now. It was…
29. And I have told you now. It was proper that the disciples should be frequently admonished on this point; for it was a secret far exceeding all human capacity. He testifies that he foretells what shall happen, that, when it has happened, they may believe; for it was a useful confirmation of their faith when they brought to recollection the predictions of Christ, and saw accomplished before their eyes what they had formerly heard from his mouth. Yet it appears to be a sort of concession, as if Christ had said, “Because you are not yet capable of comprehending so deep a mystery, I bear with you till the event has happened, which will serve as an interpreter to explain this doctrine.” Although for a time he seemed to speak to the deaf, yet it afterwards appeared that his words were not scattered in vain, or, as we may say, in the air, but that it was a seed thrown into the earth. Now, as Christ speaks here about his word and the accomplishment of events, so his death, and resurrection, and ascension to heaven, are combined with doctrine, that they may produce faith in us.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 29 And now I have told you before it…
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Ver. 29. And now I have told you before] Which none beside God himself could do, but by divine revelation. The knowledge of future contingents is of God only, and of such as to whom he is pleased to communicate it; as he did to the prophets, who when they foretold things only as in their causes, they might happen or not, as Isa 38:1; Jon 3:4; 1Ki 21:20; but when they foretold things ut futura in seipsis, then they occured infallibly. The devil also may come acquainted with such things, and be able to foretell them, if God reveal them to him, as he did Ahab’s death; and as Trithemius the abbot and Cusanus the cardinal foretold a change of religion to happen in the year 1517, which was the year wherein Luther began to stickle for Christ against the pope. {a}
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{a} Cusanus obiit, A. D. 1464. Trithem. scripsit an. 1508. Genius vero qui Trithemio haec dictavit, albus an ater fuerit, ego non facile dixerim. Bucholcer.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Evils that surprise us are always the most heavy,…
Evils that surprise us are always the most heavy, and load our spirits. Saith our Saviour, Before these things come to pass, I have given you notice of them, that, when you see them come to pass, you might not be overwhelmed with sorrow and trouble, to the hinderance of your faith in me; but understanding that I have told you the truth before the thing come to pass, you may be assured that I am not mere man, but truly God; and receive and embrace me, and rest upon me as your Saviour.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain The time of our Saviour’s death now nearer and…
The time of our Saviour’s death now nearer and nearer approaching, he prepares the expectation of his disciples for it, because evils that surprize us suddenly, do sink our spirits sadly: whereas what we fear, for that we prepare.
Accordingly our Lord arms his disciples against all disquietude, and overwhelming sorrow for his departure from them: I have told you before, that when it comes to pass, ye might believe; that is, be assured that I am not mere man, but truly and really God, and depend upon me for life and salvation.
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Observe, 2. How our Saviour points out the cause of his suffering; namely, Satan and his instruments; The prince of this world cometh; that is, by Judas, the soldiers, and the high priests: But he hath nothing in me: that is, "He will find no sin or corruption in men to side with his temptation, or no guilt upon me to give him any advantage against me, for I shall die as a perfectly innocent person." Christ, in suffering for our sins, did not only conflict with the wrath of God, but with the rage of men and devils; yet all the power and policy, all the malice and cruelty, of Satan, cannot prevail against Christ, any farther than he voluntarily yields and submits himself unto it. The prince of this world cometh, but hath nothing in me.
Observe, 3. That it was Christ’s love and obedience to his Father that carried him forth so cheerfully to the work of sufferings, supported him under it, and carried him through it: That the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. True love to God will draw all men to obedience in the hardest service and sufferings: the grand motive of commands, and a regard to his glory.
Lord, let thy love and obedience to thy Father, in all thy sufferings, be the subject of our admiration, and the matter of our imitation also. As the Father gives us commandment, so let us always do.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And now I have told you before it came…
And now I have told you before it came to pass,.... This is a strong proof of his true and proper deity, for none but the omniscient God can tell of things before they come to pass; this is peculiar to him, and distinguishes him from the gods of the Gentiles; see Isa 41:22;
that when it is come to pass, ye might believe: that is, that when he was removed from them, and gone to his Father, they might then believe that he was truly God, the Son of God, the promised Messiah; and that he was then in glory, and at the right hand of God.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain I have told you - Of my going and…
I have told you - Of my going and return.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 29. I have told you before it come…
Verse 29. I have told you before it come to pass] Lest my death should be a stumbling-block to you, I have spoken of it beforehand, and showed you the necessity of it, that when it happens ye may believe, that as I could predict it so clearly, and so circumstantially, so all the good which I have promised shall be the result may be confidently expected by you; and that your sorrow, if not entirely removed, may at least be much mitigated.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Before it come to pass - Before my death,…
Before it come to pass - Before my death, resurrection, and ascension.
Ye might believe - You might be confirmed or strengthened in faith by the evidence which I gave that I came from God - the power of foretelling future events.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 29. Ye might believe—Jesus here, as in Joh_13:19, utters…
29. Ye might believe—Jesus here, as in Joh_13:19, utters words which should hereafter ripen into fruit. In the future, as they should contemplate the past as a whole, they would see those correspondences between his prophecies and the fact as should establish the divinity of his teaching.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 29. ye might believe] Better, ye may believe. The…
29. ye might believe] Better, ye may believe. The brevity of the expression makes it ambiguous. It may mean either, ‘ye may believe that I am He’ (as in Joh_13:19), in which case ‘I have told you’ probably refers to the sending of the Paraclete; or, ‘ye may believe Me’ (as in Joh_14:11), in which case ‘I have told you’ probably refers to Christ’s going to the Father. The former seems better.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (29) And now I have told you before it…
(29) And now I have told you before it come to pass.—Comp. Joh_13:19. Here, again, He tells them the event before the accomplishment, that it may serve to strengthen their faith. Two interpretations of this verse are possible. (1) That He told them of the coming of the Advocate to teach all truth, and bring all things to their remembrance, in order that in the fulfilment of this they may, with increase of faith, believe in Him. (2) That He told them of His going to the Father, in order that when the hour of departure came they may believe that He had gone to the Father. Upon the whole, and especially considering the close parallel with Joh_13:19, the first seems the more probable meaning.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And now I have said it to you before…
And now I have said it to you before it come to pass I have told you of my departure and what is involved in itthat when it is come to pass, ye may believe. Christ often appeals to the effect which the fulfillment of his own predictions will produce in the minds of his disciples. (Joh_1:51 Joh_13:19) They will, when the series of events will unroll themselves, believe that he has gone to the Father, to do all he said he would do, to be all he said he was. This means undoubtedly more than a spiritual consolation whereby they may endure his separation by death from their society. It is the announcement beforehand of the Resurrection and Ascension, by which their faith in his exaltation would be fanned into burning flame and made a revelation of Divine love to the universe.
Vers. 29-31. The crisis at hand.
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Jesus is about to end his discourse in the chamber.
I HIS PREDICTION OF EVENTS IS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE DISCIPLES" FAITH. "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe.
1. The events foretold are his departure and all involved in it, as well as the mission of the Comforter.
2. What a wise provision he made to support the faith and patience of his followers! For his separation from them would be the greatest of trials.
II THE IMMINENCE OF THE CRISIS. "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
1. Satan was approaching in the persons of Judas and the chief priests, whose counsels he inspired. They were all instruments of the great enemy. There was likewise in our Lord"s mind a presentiment of his approaching agony in Gethsemane.
2. Yet Satan had nothing in Jesus that fell under his power. It is sin that gives Satan the power over man. Our Lord"s words imply
a. Christ"s perfect sinlessness,
b. and the absolute voluntariness of his death.
III THE PURPOSE OF HIS DEATH. "But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.
1. His obedience to death was an evidence of his love to the Father.
2. It was likewise an act of obedience to the Divine commandment. "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
Vers. 29-31. Anticipation.
Before giving the signal for removing, Jesus in spirit glances forward. What does he see in the immediate future?
I THE FUTURE SHALL VERIFY HIS WORDS, AND SO STRENGTHEN HIS DISCIPLES" FAITH. He had explicitly foretold his death, his resurrection and ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They did not disbelieve him, but they were slow to grasp the purport of his words. Fulfillment should render his predictions plain, and should confirm the feeble faith of those who through strong faith were to do their work as his witnesses to the world.
II THE FUTURE SHALL BRING ON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN JESUS AND THE POWER OF EVIL A CONFLICT WHICH MUST ISSUE IN VICTORY FOR CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE. The prince of this world had before now assailed the Prince of Light, but had departed for a season. But the hour of the power of darkness was at hand. An absorbing conflict was about to take place, in which the adversary of God and men should find nothing in him on which to lay hold, and in which Christ should certainly overcome.
III THE FUTURE SHALL UNFOLD TO THE WORLD CHRIST"S RELATION TO THE FATHER. It should be seen that what Jesus did and suffered was one long act of affectionate obedience to God. This deep significance of the facts which occurred at the close of the Redeemer"s ministry was hidden from the world; but the eyes of men should be opened to discern it. And for the benefit of all time it should be seen that love and obedience are mightier than sin, than Satan, than death. T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.