Among other glorious things God hath spoken of himself this is one, I wound, and I heal, Deut. 32:39. Christ’s discourse in this chapter, which continues and concludes his farewell sermon to his disciples, does so. I.

Christ dealt faithfully with his disciples when he sent them forth on his errands, for he told them the worst of it, that they might sit down and count the cost. He had told them in the chapter before to expect the world’s hatred; now here in these verses, I.

As it was usual with the Old Testament prophets to comfort the church in its calamities with the promise of the Messiah (Isa. 9:6 Mic. 5:6 Zech. 3:8); so, the Messiah being come, the promise of the Spirit was the great cordial, and is still.

Our Lord Jesus, for the comfort of his sorrowful disciples, here promises that he would visit them again. I. Observe the intimation he gave them of the comfort he designed them, John 16:16. Here he tells them, 1.

An answer to their askings is here promised, for their further comfort. Now there are two ways of asking: asking by way of enquiry, which is the asking of the ignorant; and asking by way of request, which is the asking of the indigent. Christ here speaks of both. I.

Two things Christ here comforts his disciples with:— I. With an assurance that, though he was leaving the world, he was returning to his Father, from whom he came forth John 16:28–32, where we have, 1.