John 13:19 kjv
Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
John 13:19 nkjv
Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
John 13:19 niv
"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.
John 13:19 esv
I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
John 13:19 nlt
I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I AM the Messiah.
John 13 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 3:14 | God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM."... | God's self-revelation, 'I AM'. |
| Deut 32:39 | 'See now that I, I am he; besides me there is no other god.' | God affirms His singular identity. |
| Isa 41:4 | 'I am the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He.' | God's eternal sovereignty, 'I am He'. |
| Isa 43:10 | 'You are my witnesses,' declares the LORD, '...that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He.' | Israel to witness God's unique identity. |
| Isa 45:18 | 'I am the LORD, and there is no other.' | Yahweh's exclusive deity. |
| Isa 46:4 | 'I am he who will sustain you.' | God's faithfulness to His people. |
| John 6:20 | He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." | Jesus calming fear with His presence. |
| John 8:24 | "Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins." | Belief in Jesus' divine identity is vital. |
| John 8:28 | "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he." | Crucifixion reveals Jesus' identity. |
| John 8:58 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." | Jesus' pre-existence and deity. |
| John 14:1 | "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." | Call to faith despite uncertainty. |
| John 14:29 | "I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe." | Parallel statement of prophetic purpose. |
| John 16:1 | "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away." | Jesus preparing disciples for trials. |
| John 16:4 | "I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told them to you." | Prophecy for future remembrance/faith. |
| Matt 24:25 | "See, I have told you beforehand." | Jesus' foreknowledge and warning. |
| Mark 13:23 | "But be on your guard; I have told you all things beforehand." | Warning based on prior revelation. |
| Luke 24:25 | "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" | Disbelief despite prophetic witness. |
| Luke 24:44 | "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me...must be fulfilled." | Scripture's fulfillment in Christ. |
| Psa 41:9 | "Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me." | Prophecy of betrayal, fulfilled by Judas. |
| 1 Cor 15:3-4 | "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." | Death and resurrection, prophesied and fulfilled. |
| 2 Pet 1:19 | "And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention." | Prophetic word's reliability confirmed. |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world." | Importance of verifying spiritual claims. |
John 13 verses
John 13 19 Meaning
John 13:19 conveys Jesus' deliberate revelation of future events to His disciples. He informs them of His impending betrayal and suffering before it occurs, with the express purpose that when these events transpire, they would comprehend His divine identity and unwavering authority, thereby strengthening their faith in Him as the Messiah and God. This prophetic declaration serves as a crucial foundation for their belief amidst the impending crisis.
John 13 19 Context
John 13:19 occurs during the Last Supper, a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry. It immediately follows Jesus washing His disciples' feet, an act demonstrating servant leadership, and precedes His explicit announcement that one of them will betray Him. The atmosphere shifts from intimacy to solemnity and foreboding. Jesus is preparing His inner circle for His imminent departure, the profound upheaval of His crucifixion, and the confusion that will inevitably follow. In this charged environment, Jesus' statement of foreknowledge serves to validate His identity and secure their faith, preventing disillusionment when the shocking events unfold. It establishes His sovereignty even over the darkest elements of human sin.
John 13 19 Word analysis
- "Now I am telling you this before it takes place" (Νῦν λέγω ὑμῖν πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι - Nyn legō hymin pro tou genesthai):
- Now (Νῦν - Nyn): Emphasizes the immediacy and intentionality of Jesus' statement in that precise moment, signaling a vital disclosure. It marks a shift from general teaching to specific, imminent prophecy.
- I am telling (λέγω - legō): Highlights Jesus as the speaker with authority. It is an act of deliberate communication, not just a casual remark.
- before it takes place (πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι - pro tou genesthai): Crucial for the verse's purpose. This phrase signifies prophecy—the divine capacity to know and declare future events. It distinguishes Jesus' knowledge as supernatural, transcending human foresight.
- "so that when it does take place" (ἵνα ὅταν γένηται - hina hotan genētai):
- so that (ἵνα - hina): Introduces the clear, ultimate purpose or outcome of Jesus' foretelling. It is a teleological particle, showing divine intent. The prediction is not an end in itself but a means to an end.
- when it does take place (ὅταν γένηται - hotan genētai): Points to the definite certainty of the event's occurrence. It indicates the appointed time and fulfillment of the prophecy.
- "you may believe that I am he." (πιστεύσητε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι - pisteusēte hoti egō eimi):
- you may believe (πιστεύσητε - pisteusēte): The core objective. Faith is central to John's Gospel. Here, belief is to be sustained and deepened by fulfilled prophecy, turning potential doubt into conviction. It refers to both initial faith and perseverance in belief.
- that I am he (ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι - hoti egō eimi): This is the most profound and significant part.
Egō eimi(literally "I am") is a divine self-identification in the Greek Old Testament (LXX), echoing God's revelation to Moses in Exod 3:14 ("I AM WHO I AM") and especially in Isaiah (e.g., Isa 43:10). Jesus' use ofego eimiasserts His divine nature, His pre-existence, and His co-equality with the Father. It's a clear claim to be Yahweh, the God of Israel. When the disciples witness the predicted events, their belief will confirm that Jesus is indeed God incarnate, sovereign over all circumstances, including betrayal and death.
John 13 19 Bonus section
The concept of ego eimi in John is a sophisticated theological declaration by Jesus that often goes beyond simple affirmation. It carries the weight of Yahweh's own covenant name and identity. In passages where Jesus states "I am" in John (e.g., John 8:58, 18:5-6), those who understood its theological implications reacted with hostility (stone-throwing) or fell backward in awe (Gethsemane), demonstrating their grasp of His divine claim. John 13:19 functions as a pedagogical ego eimi—one given to help the disciples understand after the events unfold. The disciples were meant to grow in their understanding that the man they followed was indeed the eternal God, sovereign over life and death, even over those who opposed Him, like Judas. This preparation was crucial for their resilience and witness after Jesus' resurrection and ascension. It is a testimony to Christ's control, not His vulnerability.
John 13 19 Commentary
John 13:19 serves as a profound statement of Christ's divine nature and strategic foresight. Jesus, aware of the traumatic events about to unfold—His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion—reveals them beforehand to His disciples. This act is not for mere prediction or to demonstrate prescience, but fundamentally to anchor their faith. By prophesying the future, particularly His betrayal by one of their own and His impending death, Jesus preempts the natural human response of confusion and disillusionment that such dark events would cause. His intention is that when these disturbing prophecies materialize, His disciples will recall His words and understand that these events did not catch Him by surprise or undermine His authority. Instead, they confirm His supreme identity—"I am He." This phrase, ego eimi, powerfully links Jesus to the self-revelation of God (Yahweh) in the Old Testament, declaring Him to be divine. Thus, the fulfilling of seemingly devastating prophecies becomes, for the discerning, irrefutable proof of Jesus' deity and sovereignty, bolstering their faith amidst the most challenging circumstances.
For practical usage, this verse teaches that God's foreknowledge and declaration of events, even the difficult ones, serve to strengthen our faith. When we face trials, confusion, or apparent setbacks, remembering Christ's sovereign control over all things, including human evil, should confirm His unchanging identity and character. This enables enduring faith rather than despair.