Jesus introduced this teaching by explaining further why He was telling His disciples these things.
16:1 The phrase "These things I have spoken to you"(Gr. tauta lelaleka hymin) brackets this subsection of the discourse and highlights a reason for it (cf. 14:25; 16:25, 33; 17:1). Jesus did not want His disciples to stumble (Gr. skandalethron, be caught unaware) in their discipleship after His departure because the events that would follow took them completely by surprise (cf. Matt. 5:10-12). Even though they did not understand everything Jesus told them immediately, they would remember them and understand them more fully later (cf. 14:20, 25-26).
"The greatest danger the disciples will confront from the opposition of the world is not death but apostasy."500
16:2 Jesus announced that these disciples would experience excommunication from their Jewish synagogues (cf. 9:22, 34; Acts 18). The first strong opposition that the early Christians faced came from the Jews because most of them had been Jews (Acts 2:11, 14, 22).501Jesus also hinted that some of them would die as martyrs (cf. Acts 7:59; 9:1-4; 12:2). Church history indicates that all the Eleven did, though there is some division of opinion about the death of John. Moreover those who would kill the disciples would not do so believing themselves to be criminals for taking their lives but thinking that they were glorifying God by doing so (cf. 12:10; Acts 9:1-2; 22:5, 19; 26:9-11).
Jesus credited the Jews with good motives even though their actions were wrong (cf. Rom. 10:2). However, opposition that arises from religious conviction is often the most severe and brutal type. Ironically the Jews were opposing God by persecuting Jesus' disciples rather than serving Him (cf. Saul of Tarsus, Acts 9:1-2; 22:4-5; 26:9-11).
16:3 The opponents of the disciples would do these things because they had not come to know the Father or the Son. Theirs would be a sin of culpable ignorance.
16:4 "Their hour"(NASB) refers to the time when the disciples' persecutors would control their fate. Ironically their hour would appear to be the time of their greatest victory, but really it would be the time of their greatest defeat. Conversely Jesus' "hour,"His passion, would appear to be the time of this greatest defeat, but really it would be the time of His greatest victory.
The memory that Jesus had forewarned His disciples would enable them to realize that things were not out of control when they seemed to be. This remembrance would really strengthen their faith in Jesus rather than weakening it.
Jesus had not revealed the extent of opposition His disciples would face earlier because He was with them and He was the focus of unbelieving hostility. However now that He was preparing to depart from them they needed to be aware of what lay ahead for them.
