John 13 33

John 13:33 kjv

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

John 13:33 nkjv

Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you.

John 13:33 niv

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

John 13:33 esv

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.'

John 13:33 nlt

Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going.

John 13 verses

John 13 33 Meaning

John 13:33 records Jesus tenderly addressing His disciples as "little children" while foretelling His imminent departure from them. He states they will seek Him, yet initially, they cannot follow Him to His destination. This sets the stage for His teaching on His ascension to the Father and the subsequent coming of the Holy Spirit.

John 13 33 Context

John 13:33 is part of Jesus' Upper Room discourse (John chapters 13-17), following the Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet. Jesus has just identified His betrayer, Judas Iscariot, who has now left the group to fulfill his dark purpose. This moment marks a shift in Jesus' teaching from addressing the wider world or even His inner circle with parabolic statements, to deeply personal and profound instruction specifically for His eleven remaining, loyal disciples. They are in a vulnerable state, likely confused and disturbed by the recent events, the prophecy of betrayal, and Jesus' repeated allusions to His departure. His statement here initiates His crucial teaching about His impending physical absence and the spiritual presence that will replace it through the Holy Spirit. He is preparing them for a fundamental change in their relationship with Him, moving from a tangible, earthly fellowship to a spiritual one. The "as I said to the Jews" phrase explicitly recalls earlier confrontations where the unseeing and unbelieving religious leaders were unable to comprehend or follow His divine path, setting up a distinction that Jesus will immediately nuance for His disciples.

John 13 33 Word analysis

• Little children: From the Greek word Teknia (τεκνία), an affectionate and tender term used by Jesus and frequently by John in his epistles (e.g., 1 Jn 2:1, 12, 28). It signifies deep love, care, and an intimate paternal relationship. It underscores Jesus' role as a spiritual father and nurturer to His disciples, who are depicted as His spiritual offspring, dependent and needing guidance, especially in the face of His impending departure. This endearing term softens the otherwise weighty and sorrowful message.
• yet a little while: From the Greek Eti mikron (ἔτι μικρόν). This phrase conveys the immediacy and brevity of Jesus' remaining physical presence with His disciples before His glorification, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. It emphasizes the finite nature of their present direct fellowship and introduces an urgency to His final teachings.
• I am with you: Highlights His current physical presence, soon to be withdrawn. It reminds them of the intimate fellowship they had shared, which made His impending departure all the more poignant. This contrasts with His future spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit.
• You will seek me: Implies a future longing for His physical presence and perhaps a misunderstanding or difficulty in coping with His absence. This seeking will lead them not to a return of His earthly body, but to a deeper spiritual comprehension of His new mode of being present with them through the Spirit and through faith.
• and as I said to the Jews: This phrase connects Jesus' current declaration to previous statements made to unbelieving Jewish leaders and crowds (e.g., Jn 7:34, 8:21). It serves to draw a parallel, though with a critical difference as the discourse progresses, between the ultimate inability of unbelievers to access God's heavenly realm, and the disciples' temporary, contextual inability to follow Him at that moment on His unique path of glorification.
• ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’: From Greek Hopou ego hypago, hymeis ou dynasthe elthein.
  • Where I am going: Hypago (ὑπάγω) specifically implies Jesus' divine departure, typically referring to His ascension to the Father. It is not merely changing location but signifies His return to His heavenly origin and glory, a journey unique to Him.
  • you cannot come: Ou dynasthe elthein indicates an inability. For the unbelieving Jews (referencing earlier contexts), this was a permanent spiritual inability due to their rejection of Him, preventing access to salvation and God's presence. For the disciples, as seen in subsequent verses (e.g., Jn 14:3), this inability is temporary and pertains to His immediate path to crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, which they cannot physically accompany or immediately participate in the way He does. Later, through their own deaths (as hinted in Jn 21:18-19 for Peter), they would follow Him in sacrifice, and ultimately in eternal life.

Words-group analysis:

• "Little children, yet a little while I am with you.": This grouping encapsulates the tenderness and the brevity of Jesus' remaining physical presence. It combines affection with a poignant reminder of an imminent separation, preparing their hearts for the transition ahead.
• "You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.": This section highlights the future longing for Jesus' presence and links the disciples' current situation to previous pronouncements to His adversaries. The crucial distinction lies in the nature of their inability: for the Jews, it was an ultimate spiritual inability due to unbelief, barring them from God's presence. For the disciples, it's a temporary physical inability to join Him on His path of glorification, paving the way for a deeper spiritual presence and a future union. It serves as a transition from earthly accompaniment to a divine journey.

John 13 33 Bonus section

• John's Signature: The term Teknia (little children) is notably frequent in John's writings, particularly his epistles (1 Jn). This usage reinforces a consistent theme of familial, loving relationships between Jesus, His followers, and within the Christian community. It also emphasizes the dependency and spiritual immaturity that needs nurture.
• The Nuance of "Cannot Come": It's critical to understand the temporary nature of the disciples' inability to follow Jesus. While the unbelieving Jews' "cannot come" in previous chapters (Jn 7:34, 8:21) signifies a permanent spiritual separation due to their rejection of God's provision in Christ, the disciples' "cannot come" here relates to Jesus' unique path to the Cross and the Father. It foreshadows His glorification, an event they cannot physically accompany. However, Jesus assures them of His return (Jn 14:18) and a future ability to join Him (Jn 14:3, 21:18-19), but in His own divine timing and manner. This distinguishes between physical separation from temporary suffering and eternal separation due to unfaithfulness.

John 13 33 Commentary

John 13:33 opens a profound segment of Jesus' teaching, shifting His disciples' understanding from an earthly to a heavenly kingdom. His tender address, "Little children," underscores the deep affection and paternal care He has for them, preparing their hearts for the difficult truths to follow. The phrase "yet a little while" injects a sense of urgency and brevity regarding His remaining physical time. Jesus then confronts them with the reality of His departure, mirroring a statement previously made to His unbelieving opponents. While both groups cannot immediately follow Him to where He is going (His glorification and ascension to the Father), the nature of this "cannot come" is different. For the unbelievers, it was an eternal spiritual barrier; for the disciples, it is a temporary, physical limitation before their eventual spiritual joining of His path, even to martyrdom, and ultimately to eternal glory. This verse sets the stage for the revelation of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will enable their communion with Him in a new way, proving He will not leave them as orphans.