John 16:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When He said, "A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me," the disciples naturally did not understand this. But now it is not so.

Now they have learned that they will be friends of the Father, and this especially encouraged them. Therefore they say: "Now we know that You know all things" (v. 30).

Do you see how His answer corresponded to their thoughts? "And You have no need that anyone should question You" (v. 30). That is, before You heard, You knew what was troubling us and calmed us by saying: "The Father loves you, because you have loved Me" (v. 27).

Only now, after so many and such great words, the disciples say, "Now we know." Do you see how imperfect they still were?

Since hearing that He had come forth from God and was going again to God consoled them in various ways, He often speaks of this.

Therefore, having received benefit from hearing this and being encouraged, what do they themselves say? “His disciples said to Him: Behold, now You are speaking plainly and using no figure of speech.”

They marvel at the proof as most evident and are struck by the clarity of His speech, for He speaks to them without any concealment.

Therefore they rejoice, having received a proof free from every difficulty. They say that this speech has nothing incomprehensible in it, but that the words on this very matter are so clear that there seems to be not the slightest trace of parable.

How could they say, "Behold, now You speak plainly and speak no parable"? Had the hour truly come, that hour in which, as He promised, He would no longer speak in parables?

No, of course that hour had not yet come, as is clear from what follows. They speak this way because, although the Lord continues to converse with them in parables, they are so far from understanding them that they do not even understand the fact that they do not understand His words.

They were still infants, unable to discern spiritually what they heard.

On verses 29-30. The state of Christ's disciples, when before His Passion He spoke to them about great matters as to children, is revealed throughout the whole Gospel by many testimonies.

After all this, the faith of the disciples was somewhat strengthened. They recognized the mighty power of the words of their Teacher. It seemed to them that they now understood Him more correctly.

Yet this was only the result of the vivid impression made on them by the Lord's words. It was not a clear awareness of their truth or a true understanding of them.

Nevertheless, deceiving themselves, they said to Jesus: "Now You speak plainly and speak no parable." These very words were already an evident result of misunderstanding. "Now we believe that You came from God."

The disciples were struck that Jesus Christ had just spoken about a question they had not voiced to Him, and which they had quietly put only to one another, cf. Jn 16:17-19.

At the same time, they find His speech an answer to their inner questions. This greatly stirs their faith in Him, and with fervor they confess that He came forth from God.

But in response to this fervent confession, the Lord foretells a difficult trial of their faith, when they will leave Him and scatter in different directions.

"I have spoken to you in parables, but the time is coming when I shall tell you plainly of the Father. Until now I have prayed to the Father for you. But then you yourselves will ask in My name, and you will receive. For the Father loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from God. Yes, I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."

Whether the Apostles understood that Jesus Christ, when He spoke of His departure from them and of seeing them again soon afterward, meant His death and His appearance to them after His Resurrection, is unknown. It is more likely that they did not understand.

This powerful ray of the light of truth had a striking effect on the disciples. Everything seemed clear to them. The doubts and perplexities that occupied them seemed resolved.

They imagined that they were now in full light and no longer needed greater illumination. It seemed to them that the time of which the Lord had just spoken as still future had already come for them.

That was the time when He would no longer speak to them in parables, but would speak plainly of divine mysteries (v. 25). Therefore they say: "Behold, now You speak plainly and speak no parable."

The Lord had answered them plainly (v. 28) concerning the question that occupied them, though they had not put it to Him (vv. 17-19). They were so struck by this that they thought another promised time had already come.

The Lord had just spoken of it as future, the time when they would ask Him nothing (v. 23). Therefore they say: "Now we see that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You."

The Apostles believed in Christ as the Son of God. Only the necessity of death on the Cross, incomprehensible to them in the presence of divine power, troubled them and shook their faith.

Now Christ answered the secret thoughts of the Apostles and thereby revealed His divine omniscience. He also spoke to them decisively and clearly of His divine dignity.

Then the light of faith again burned brightly in their hearts, which were filled with love for Him, and they cried out: "We believe that You came forth from God" (vv. 29-30).

The disciples of the Lord Jesus confess before Him that, first, they see nothing dark or enigmatic in His words. Second, they are convinced of His omniscience, especially by the recent experience.

Before they questioned the Lord, He Himself revealed and explained their perplexity to them. Is it not clear that He knows all things? After this experience, they also believe that He came from God, that He is the Messiah, the Messenger of God.

The Lord Himself confirmed this confession of the disciples as sincere, when He said of them that they truly understood that He had been sent by the heavenly Father (Jn 17:18).

Concerning the words of the disciples, Chrysostom observes that, although they say, "Now we know," their very words make it clear that they still did not understand much.

"Do you now believe?" the Lord says to them, revealing the double error in their speech. The Lord points out the imperfection of their faith. He also shows that true faith is in their hearts, long since kindled by miracles and by divine words of grace proceeding from His lips.

That they truly loved the Lord and believed in Him is witnessed by the Lord Himself above in verse 27. Yet the words they now speak in verses 29-30 were empty and human words.