John 16:5 kjv
But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
John 16:5 nkjv
"But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'
John 16:5 niv
but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
John 16:5 esv
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
John 16:5 nlt
"But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
John 16 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short note) |
|---|---|---|
| John 7:33 | Jesus then said, "I will be with you for a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me." | Jesus' consistent teaching of His return to the Father. |
| John 8:21 | Then He said again to them, "I am going away, and you will seek Me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come." | Warnings about His departure. |
| John 13:36 | Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." | Peter's prior question about His physical departure. |
| John 14:2-3 | "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places... I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again..." | His return to the Father to prepare a place for them. |
| John 14:5 | Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?" | Thomas's prior inquiry about His destination. |
| John 14:28 | "You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the Father..." | Rejoicing over His return to the Father's glory. |
| John 16:7 | "But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." | His departure enables the Spirit's coming. |
| John 16:16 | "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." | Promise of His temporary absence and eventual return. |
| John 20:17 | Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’" | Post-resurrection confirmation of His ascension to the Father. |
| Acts 1:9-11 | And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. | The historical account of Jesus' ascension. |
| Hebrews 9:24 | For Christ did not enter a holy place made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. | Jesus' role as High Priest appearing before God. |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. | The Father's divine sending of the Son. |
| John 6:44 | No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. | Emphasizes the Father's initiative in the Son's mission. |
| John 8:42 | Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am now coming; for I have not come of My own initiative, but He sent Me." | Reiteration of divine commission. |
| 1 John 4:9-10 | By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. | God's love demonstrated by sending the Son. |
| Galatians 4:4 | But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law... | God's sovereign timing in sending His Son. |
| John 14:1 | "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." | Addressing the disciples' emotional distress. |
| John 16:6 | "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart." | Confirms the reason for their lack of deeper inquiry. |
| Luke 24:49 | "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." | The Spirit as the "promise of the Father" sent after His departure. |
| Colossians 3:1-2 | Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth. | Calls believers to focus on Christ's heavenly dwelling. |
| James 1:5 | But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. | Encouragement to ask for wisdom from God. |
John 16 verses
John 16 5 Meaning
In John 16:5, Jesus announces His imminent and deliberate departure, stating, "But now I am going to Him who sent Me." This declaration establishes the divine origin and destination of His journey: a purposeful return to God the Father. Following this, He makes a tender yet significant observation, "and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’" This reveals that despite their prior questions, the disciples' overwhelming sorrow and preoccupation with their impending loss prevent them from deeply inquiring into the ultimate spiritual purpose and beneficial implications of His return to the Father. This verse serves as a pivot, preparing the way for Jesus to explain how His departure is essential for sending the Holy Spirit, which is a greater gain for them.
John 16 5 Context
John 16:5 occurs during Jesus' extended farewell discourse to His disciples in the Upper Room, moments before His betrayal and arrest. This intimate teaching session (John chapters 13-17) aims to prepare His closest followers for His physical absence. Leading into this verse, Jesus has just forewarned them of coming persecutions and tribulations (John 16:1-4). The disciples, clinging to the hope of an earthly kingdom, are filled with anxiety and sorrow at the prospect of losing their Master. Jesus recognizes their immediate grief (acknowledged explicitly in v. 6) has consumed their focus, causing them to neglect inquiring about the ultimate, redemptive purpose and positive outcome of His return to God the Father. This setting is crucial for understanding why Jesus highlights their failure to ask the "where," not just as a location, but as an inquiry into the divine significance of His impending departure.
John 16 5 Word analysis
- But now (νῦν δέ, nyn de): This phrase marks a significant transition and emphasizes the present reality. It serves to contrast the dire predictions Jesus just made (persecution in vv. 1-4) with a crucial statement about His immediate personal destiny. This "now" isn't merely chronological but carries a sense of imminent importance and the decisive turn of events.
- I am going (ὑπάγω, hypago): The Greek verb here is in the present tense, signaling a definitive, purposeful, and imminent departure rather than an escape. Hypago implies a strategic movement toward a specific destination, one frequently used in John to denote Jesus' intentional progression toward His divine mission and ultimately His glorification. It emphasizes a deliberate act.
- to Him who sent Me (πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντά με, pros ton pempsanta me):
- to Him (πρὸς, pros): Denotes a close, personal relationship and a clear direction towards a person, not merely a place. It underscores intimacy and purpose in the return.
- who sent Me (τὸν πέμψαντά με, ton pempsanta me): This specific wording is highly significant throughout John's Gospel. It highlights the pre-existence of Jesus and His divine commission from God the Father. The aorist participle "sent" points to a definite, past act of divine commission, affirming Jesus' authority and His complete alignment with the Father's will in both coming to earth and now returning.
- and none of you (καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν, kai oudeis ex hymōn): A poignant observation from Jesus, reflecting the collective state of the disciples. It indicates that despite previous inquiries, their present distress is so profound that no one among them is currently prioritizing the deeper theological question of His divine return. It's an internal reality Jesus is pointing out.
- asks Me (ἐρωτᾷ με, erōta me): This refers to an act of direct questioning or seeking information. Jesus is not indicating a complete absence of all questions from them, but a lack of this particular, spiritually significant question at this critical moment. Their current focus is on what they lose, not what they, and the world, gain by His journey.
- ‘Where are You going?’ (Ποῦ ὑπάγεις;, Pou hypageis): This question, when posed earlier (e.g., by Peter in Jn 13:36 and Thomas in Jn 14:5), typically focused on His physical departure or the disciples' desire to follow. Here, in the context of "Him who sent Me," Jesus implies they should be asking about the spiritual and redemptive implications of His destination—His return to the Father's glory, His exaltation, and the subsequent sending of the Comforter—not merely His change of location. The focus shifts from geographical location to divine purpose.
John 16 5 Bonus section
It is crucial to differentiate between the disciples knowing Jesus was going away, and them asking about the divine purpose and benefit of His going. While Peter and Thomas had previously asked "Where are you going?" (Jn 13:36; 14:5), those inquiries were driven by concern for their own future or inability to follow Him immediately. Here, in John 16:5, Jesus is lamenting their failure in that specific moment, under the weight of grief (v. 6), to consider the ultimate, glorious destination—"to Him who sent Me"—and its implications for their future empowerment through the Holy Spirit. Jesus isn't faulting their memory, but their lack of spiritual insight into the full, advantageous scope of His impending return. This nuanced observation sets the stage for His further teaching about the Comforter, establishing His departure as a precursor to a deeper and more profound spiritual presence.
John 16 5 Commentary
John 16:5 reveals a tender and pivotal moment where Jesus shifts the focus from the disciples' impending sorrow to the divine necessity and ultimate benefit of His departure. He declares His determined return to the Father, a move rooted in divine plan, not circumstance. His observation that "none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'" isn't a harsh rebuke, but a poignant highlighting of their human-centered grief. This emotional preoccupation hinders their ability to inquire into the profound spiritual implications of His departure – namely, His glorification and the coming of the Holy Spirit. This verse subtly challenges the disciples, and by extension all believers, to look beyond immediate suffering and personal loss, encouraging a focus on God's greater redemptive plan and the benefits that flow from Christ's completed work and return to glory. It underscores the divine orchestration behind even difficult transitions in faith.