What is the meaning of John 16:25? I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech • Jesus acknowledges that much of His teaching up to this point has been conveyed through parables, images, and symbolic language (Luke 8:10; Matthew 13:34–35). • These “figures of speech” both reveal and conceal truth—offering light to disciples while veiling meaning from hardened hearts (Mark 4:11–12). • For the Twelve, the symbols built anticipation: every parable about seeds, nets, vines, and shepherds pointed to the kingdom and to Jesus Himself (John 10:6; 15:1–5). • The statement reassures them that His earlier metaphors were intentional steps in their growth, not evasions. An hour is coming • “Hour” in John consistently signals a divinely appointed moment in Jesus’ redemptive timeline (John 2:4; 12:23; 17:1). • Here it looks ahead to the resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). • The phrase underscores God’s sovereign schedule: everything unfolds exactly when the Father decrees (Galatians 4:4). when I will no longer speak to you this way • After the cross and resurrection, the disciples’ spiritual eyesight will sharpen (Luke 24:45). • The Spirit will guide them “into all truth,” making veiled sayings clear (John 16:13). • This shift from indirect to direct communication highlights progress from shadow to substance—mirroring the move from Old Covenant types to New Covenant reality (Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17). • It assures believers that God’s revelation is progressive yet trustworthy; what was once hinted will soon be unveiled. but will tell you plainly about the Father • Post-resurrection appearances (John 20:19–23) and forty days of kingdom teaching (Acts 1:3) fulfill this promise in seed form. • The Spirit’s outpouring enables the apostles to proclaim the Father’s plan openly, beginning in Jerusalem and reaching “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8; 2:14–36). • “Plainly” means without obscure imagery—clear gospel truth: the Father loves, sends, and saves through the Son (John 3:16–17; 14:6–9). • For today’s believer, Scripture itself is the plain speech of Jesus through the Spirit, revealing the Father’s heart (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 3:1). summary Jesus reminds His disciples that His earlier symbolic teaching was purposeful, yet a decisive hour is coming—anchored in His death, resurrection, and the Spirit’s arrival—when veiled words will give way to direct revelation of the Father. Trusting this promise, we read the Bible confident that every figure finds its fulfillment in Christ, and that through the Spirit, the Father now speaks to us plainly. |
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