What is the meaning of John 16:28? I came from the Father Jesus begins by declaring, “I came from the Father” (John 16:28). • He is not claiming a mere prophetic calling; He is asserting His eternal, divine origin. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2). • Before Bethlehem, He shared glory “before the world existed” (John 17:5). Paul echoes this when he speaks of Christ “existing in the form of God” before voluntarily taking on human likeness (Philippians 2:6-7). • Because He comes “from” the Father, Jesus carries the Father’s authority and reveals the Father’s heart (John 14:9-10). and entered the world Having identified His heavenly origin, Jesus highlights the incarnation: He “entered the world.” • John describes this momentous step: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). • The timing was precise—“When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman” so that we might be adopted (Galatians 4:4-5). • His entrance had purpose: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). • By taking on our humanity, He could “share in their humanity” and “destroy the one who holds the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14). In turn, I will leave the world Jesus now points forward. The cross, resurrection, and ascension are in view. • “Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father” (John 13:1). • He told the disciples, “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself,” speaking of the kind of death He was going to die (John 12:32-33). • Yet leaving is not abandonment; He promises, “You heard Me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you’” (John 14:28). • His departure secures our salvation: “Christ also suffered once for sins… that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). and go to the Father The destination is the same place from which He came—full circle. • After the resurrection, He ascends: “He was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). • Now exalted “at the right hand of God,” He pours out the promised Spirit (Acts 2:33) and “always lives to intercede for us” (Hebrews 7:25). • His presence there guarantees ours: “I am going to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:2-3). • Because He is with the Father, nothing can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:34-39). summary John 16:28 sweeps from eternity past to eternity future: the Son’s divine origin, His incarnate mission, His redemptive departure through the cross, and His triumphant return to the Father. Each phrase anchors our confidence—Jesus is God come near, Savior crucified and risen, Advocate ascended, and the unbreakable bridge between the Father and all who believe. |
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