John 16:28 kjv
I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
John 16:28 nkjv
I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
John 16:28 niv
I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."
John 16:28 esv
I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father."
John 16:28 nlt
Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father."
John 16 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | Jesus' pre-existence |
| Jn 8:42 | Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here... | Divine origin confirmed |
| Jn 13:3 | Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God... | Summarizes Jesus' divine mission |
| Jn 17:5 | And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. | Request for pre-incarnate glory |
| Phil 2:6-7 | ...who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself... | Jesus' divine nature and condescension |
| Heb 1:3 | He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. | Divine nature and creative power |
| Jn 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory... | Incarnation of the Word |
| Gal 4:4 | But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law... | God's specific timing for sending Jesus |
| 1 Tim 1:15 | The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners... | Purpose of Jesus' coming into the world |
| Lk 19:10 | For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. | Jesus' mission on earth |
| Jn 14:3 | And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself... | Promise of return for believers |
| Jn 16:5 | But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks, ‘Where are you going?’ | Jesus explicitly stating His departure |
| Jn 17:11 | And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you... | Jesus' imminent departure from the world |
| Lk 24:51 | While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. | Jesus' physical ascension |
| Acts 1:9-11 | And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. | Witnessed ascension to heaven |
| Eph 4:8-10 | Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” | Jesus' ascent and its significance |
| Heb 9:24 | For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands... but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. | Jesus' heavenly intercession |
| Heb 4:14 | Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God... | Jesus as high priest in heaven |
| Rom 8:34 | Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. | Jesus at the Father's right hand, interceding |
| 1 Pet 3:22 | who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. | Jesus' supreme authority in heaven |
| Rev 5:11-12 | Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne... saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain...” | Jesus' exaltation and worthiness in heaven |
| Dan 7:13-14 | I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man... and to him was given dominion... | Prophecy of Son of Man receiving dominion |
| Is 7:14 | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. | Prophecy of His coming to earth |
| Ps 110:1 | The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” | Prophecy of Jesus' return to the Father's right hand |
John 16 verses
John 16 28 Meaning
John 16:28 provides a profound summary of Jesus' entire redemptive mission. It articulates His divine pre-existence and origin with God the Father, His voluntary incarnation into the human realm, His complete work on earth, and His intended return to the Father's glory after His resurrection. This verse encapsulates the core of Christology, presenting Jesus' journey from divine essence to earthly presence and back to heavenly exaltation, affirming His unique identity as the Son of God.
John 16 28 Context
John 16:28 is embedded within Jesus' extensive farewell discourse (chapters 13-17) to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion. This specific section (Jn 16:16-33) addresses the disciples' confusion and sorrow over His impending departure. Jesus explains that He will leave them, yet will return. He introduces the concept of the "Helper" (Holy Spirit) and hints at the coming resurrection. The disciples, struggling to grasp His spiritual teachings, confess their understanding in verse 29, believing He speaks plainly without parables. This verse acts as a clear, definitive statement that brings His complex discourse into a tangible, sequential narrative about His identity and journey, reaffirming His divine mission before the climactic events of His passion, death, and resurrection. Historically and culturally, this declaration countered both common Roman polytheistic beliefs, by affirming a unique divine sonship, and certain Jewish expectations of a Messiah who would reign militarily, by emphasizing His spiritual origin and ultimate return to heaven.
John 16 28 Word analysis
- I came (Ἐξῆλθον, Exēlthon): This Greek verb denotes a definite, completed action of "coming out" or "coming forth." It suggests deliberate initiation and carries the sense of proceeding from a source. In theological terms, it implies pre-existence and a volitional act of Jesus in taking on human form, rather than being simply born as a man. It indicates a mission, a conscious choice to embark on a journey.
- from the Father (ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός, ek tou Patros): The preposition ek signifies origin, implying the source or the starting point. It establishes Jesus' essential and eternal relationship with God the Father, pointing to His divine nature and shared essence. This underscores His identity not as merely a prophet or human teacher, but as one who proceeds directly from the divine being. It speaks to an eternal begetting, not a creation.
- into the world (εἰς τὸν κόσμον, eis ton kosmon): The preposition eis signifies direction or destination, meaning "into" or "unto." The word kosmos refers to the created order, particularly humanity and the sphere of human existence often alienated from God due to sin. Jesus' entry into this world signifies His incarnation, His enfleshment, stepping from the eternal spiritual realm into time and material reality. It highlights His mission to save humanity in its fallen state.
- again, I am leaving (πάλιν ἀφίημι, palin aphiēmi): Palin means "again" or "once more," emphasizing a planned, successive movement balancing His coming. Aphiēmi means "to send away," "to leave," "to depart," or even "to let go." It speaks to a conscious, willed departure, not an unwilling or forced cessation of life. It implies sovereignty over His own destiny, not mere fate.
- the world (τὸν κόσμον, ton kosmon): Here, the kosmos again refers to the realm of human existence, from which Jesus now consciously separates Himself to return to His original divine state. His leaving signifies the completion of His redemptive work on earth.
- and I am going (πορεύομαι, poreuomai): This verb means "I am going" or "I am proceeding." Like exēlthon, it implies a purposeful, deliberate movement, a journey. It speaks to a destination and an ultimate end of His earthly mission.
- to the Father (πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, pros ton Patera): The preposition pros signifies direction "to" or "towards," implying personal relationship and communion. His return is to the very source from which He came, confirming His divine origin and glorification. It closes the theological circle, reaffirming His eternal communion with the Father and His return to that glorious state.
- "I came from the Father into the world": This phrase encapsulates the doctrine of the incarnation. Jesus’ existence originates directly from God the Father, preceding His appearance in the temporal, material world. It stresses His divine nature and mission as an emissary sent by the highest authority, God Himself, with a specific purpose for humanity.
- "again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father": This part describes Jesus’ post-resurrection ascension. It confirms the completion of His earthly mission and His sovereign, deliberate return to His divine status and eternal fellowship with the Father. The again (πάλιν) powerfully mirrors His coming (ἐξῆλθον), emphasizing the cyclical divine plan of redemptive history. This journey back signifies His triumph over sin and death, and His glorification.
John 16 28 Bonus section
This statement by Jesus also subtly functions as an answer to both Jewish and proto-Gnostic misconceptions. For some Jewish listeners, a Messiah born on earth might solely be a human deliverer. Jesus' assertion of coming "from the Father" clarifies His divine personhood beyond that. For early Gnostic ideas that emphasized spirit over matter and often viewed the physical world as evil, Jesus' voluntary entry "into the world" affirms the goodness and redemptive purpose of God engaging with material creation. His cyclical journey ("from the Father into the world" and "leaving the world to go to the Father") paints a picture of deliberate divine engagement with and redemption of the physical, rather than a disengagement from it. The emphasis on conscious movement ("I came," "I am leaving," "I am going") signifies active, personal will rather than passive existence or a mere divine emanation. This highlights the relational and personal aspect of the Trinity – Father and Son – in the work of salvation.
John 16 28 Commentary
John 16:28 provides the ultimate explanation for Jesus' identity and mission, framed in His own words. It succinctly describes His divine descent, incarnate life, and triumphant ascent, serving as a profound Christological summary within His final discourse to His disciples. The verse highlights His unique relationship with the Father as His origin, underscores the deliberate act of His incarnation "into the world" to accomplish salvation, and confidently states His willed "departure from the world" and "return to the Father." This declaration is pivotal, offering clarity to the bewildered disciples by demystifying the profound spiritual truths Jesus had been teaching. It establishes the trajectory of redemption from heaven to earth and back to heaven, ensuring believers of the divine authority and efficacy of His work. It teaches that Jesus' presence among humanity was temporary but divinely orchestrated, for the explicit purpose of bringing mankind back to God, a purpose culminated in His return to the Father's side.
Practical usage:
- This verse assures believers that Jesus possesses full divine authority, as He came from the Father and returned to the Father.
- It strengthens faith by outlining the intentional, sovereign plan of God for redemption through Jesus' complete journey.
- It comforts those facing loss or transition, reminding them that there is a purpose in every stage of divine action, including separation.