[Jesus continued], "I have told you these things so that you men would not fall away [i.e., from the faith].

And they will do these things because they have not known [either] the Father or me.

But I have told you these things so that, when the time comes [for people to do such things], you will remember that I had warned you. I did not tell you them at the beginning [of my ministry] because I was with you [i.e., to protect you from persecution].

Yet I am telling you the truth: It will be helpful to you for me to go away. For unless I go, the Helper [i.e., the Holy Spirit] will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.

[The world will be proven guilty] of sin for not believing in me.

[It will be shown] what is right because I am going [back] to the Father and you will not see me anymore.

However, when the Holy Spirit of truth comes, He will lead you [apostles] into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own authority, but will speak [only] what He hears [from the Father]. And He will tell you about the things that are to come.

After a little while [longer] you will not see me anymore. Then a little while [later] you will see me again."

Then some of Jesus' disciples said to one another, "What is this He is telling us: 'After a little while [longer] you will not see me. Then, a little while [later] you will see me again,' and 'Because I am going [back] to the Father'?" [See verse 10].

So, they [again] said, "What does He mean by saying, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."

Jesus sensed that the disciples wanted to ask Him a question, so He said to them, "Are you discussing among yourselves my saying 'After a little while [longer] you will not see me. Then, a little while [later] you will see me again'?

A woman has pain when giving birth because her time has come. But when the child is born, she does not remember the intense suffering because she is so happy over the child being born into the world.

At that time [i.e., after my resurrection], you will not be asking me [for] anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, if you will ask the Father for anything [then], in my name [i.e., by my authority], He will give it to you.

Up until now you have not asked for anything in my name. [So now] ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be complete.

"I have spoken these things to you in figurative language. [However], the time will come when I will not speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

At that time you will ask Him [i.e., for things in prayer], in my name; I do not say that I will ask the Father for you,

[Then] Jesus' disciples said [to Him], "Look, you are speaking plainly now, and not in figurative language.

Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Look, the time is coming --- yes, it is already here --- when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and will leave me [all] alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Just as you gave Him authority over all mankind, He will give never ending life to all those people [Note: The Greek word here is neuter gender, "all those things"] you have given Him.

I am praying for them [i.e., the apostles]; I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you gave me, who belong to you.

And [now] I am coming to you, for I will not be in the world any longer, yet these men are [still] in the world. Holy Father, protect them by [the power of] your name which you have given me. May these men be one, as we are.

I protected them while I was with them by [the power of] your name which you gave me. [See verse 11]. I guarded them so that not one of them was lost except the "son of destruction" [i.e., Judas]. [This was] so that the Scripture would be fulfilled [Psa. 41:9 ?].

I have given them your word, and the world hated them because they do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world.

I am not praying that you should take them out of the world, but that you should protect them from the evil one [i.e., the devil].

They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

"I am not praying for these [apostles] only, but also for [all of] those who believe in me through their message.

Righteous Father, the world does not know you but I know you, and these men know that you sent me.

After Jesus had said these things He went out with His disciples across the Kidron valley. [Note: This was a "wadi," or dry creek bed which carried a torrent of water during the rainy season. It ran parallel with the east wall of Jerusalem, between the city and the Mount of Olives]. There was an [olive] orchard there and Jesus and His disciples went into it.

Now when Jesus had said to them, "I am [He]," they [all] moved backward and fell to the ground. [Note: This appears to have been done by some miraculous power].

[He said this] so the words He had spoken [previously] would be fulfilled [See 17:12], "I did not lose any of those men you [i.e., God] gave me."

Then Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its sheath. Should I not drink the cup [i.e., of suffering] the Father has given me?"

They led Him to Annas first [Note: This man was a former head priest. See Luke 3:2], for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was head priest that year.

Simon Peter followed along with another disciple. [Note: Some think this refers to the apostle John himself, but there is no strong evidence in favor of that conclusion]. Now that disciple was [well-] known to the head priest, so was able to enter his courtyard with Jesus

So, the slave-girl gatekeeper asked Peter, "Are you not one of this man's disciples, too?" "[No], I am not," Peter replied.

Meanwhile, the head priest asked Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. [Note: This was probably Annas, the former "head priest" who later sent Jesus to the current head priest, Caiaphas. See verse 24].

Now Simon Peter had been standing and warming himself [by the outdoor charcoal fire]. So, someone asked him, "Are you not one of His disciples, too?" Peter denied it, saying, "[No], I am not."

One of the head priest's slaves, who was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the orchard with him?"

Then, early in the morning they led Jesus from Caiaphas to [governor Pilate's] headquarters. But the Jewish authorities would not enter it, because [if they had] they would have become ceremonially unclean, and could not eat the Passover meal. [Note: This was because they regarded a Gentile house as defiling].

The Jewish authorities answered Pilate, "If this man were not guilty of wrongdoing, we would not have turned him over to you."

So, Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your [own] law." [But] the Jews replied to him, "It is not permissible for us to put anyone to death."

[They said this] so that the words Jesus had spoken would be fulfilled, regarding the kind of death He would die. [Note: Jesus had predicted he would be "lifted up," indicating a Roman crucifixion. See 12:32-33].

Jesus answered him, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, then my servants [i.e., disciples] would fight to keep me from being turned over to the Jews. But now my kingdom does not belong here." [i.e., Jesus' kingdom was not based on physical, but spiritual principles].

Pilate replied to Him, "What is truth?" After saying this, Pilate again went outside to the Jews and said to them, "I do not find him guilty of any crime.

They shouted out again, "[No], not this man. [We want] Barabbas!" [Note: Ironically, Barabbas' name means "son of the father"]. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Now Pilate went outside again and said to the Jewish authorities, "Look, I am bringing him out here to you, so you can know that I do not find him guilty of any crime."

Then, when the leading priests and the [Temple] guards saw Him, they shouted out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate responded by saying, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, because I do not find him guilty of any crime."

and went back into the headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where did you come from?" But Jesus did not answer him.

Then Pilate said to Him, "Are you not going to speak to me? Do you not know that I have the authority to release you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered him, "You would not have any authority over me unless it were given to you from above [i.e., from God]. So, the person who turned me over to you is guilty of a worse sin."

noon] on the Day of Preparation for the Passover Festival. [Note: This would be the day before the Passover Festival]. And Pilate said to the Jews, "Look, [here is] your king!"

Now it was about six o'clock in the morning [Note: This was according to Roman time, but if Jewish time were meant, it would have been

Then they shouted out, "Take him away; take him away and crucify him!" Pilate replied to them, "Do you want me to crucify your king?" The leading priests answered, "We do not have any [other] king, except Caesar."

But the Jewish leading priests said to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but 'He said, I am the King of the Jews.'"

Pilate replied, "What I have written I have written." [i.e., "I am not going to change it."]

and said to one another, "Let us not tear it [i.e., because of its great value], but gamble to see who gets it." [This was] so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, which said [Psa. 22:18], "They divided my clothing between themselves, and they gambled for my clothing." So, this is what the soldiers did.

Now it was the Day of Preparation [Note: This was the day before the Passover Festival began, and fell on a Friday that year], and the Jews did not permit bodies to remain on a cross over the Sabbath day. (Besides, that Sabbath day was a special day [i.e., since it was both the Passover and the regular weekly Sabbath, as well]). So, they asked Pilate to have Jesus' and the criminals' legs broken [i.e., to speed up their deaths] and then have their bodies taken away.

But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled [Ex. 12:46], "Not a [single] bone of his will be broken."

Nicodemus, the man who first came to Jesus one night, also went with him [i.e., to claim Jesus' body]. He brought about a seventy-five pound mixture of myrrh and aloes [i.e., aromatic spices used for embalming].

So, they placed Jesus' body there, for it was the Day of Preparation and that was the closest grave site. [Note: Since this was the day before the Passover Festival, and the next day was also the regular weekly Sabbath, they had to bury the body before sundown to comply with Jewish restrictions against working on a Sabbath day].

So, she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved [i.e., probably the apostle John], and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have put Him."

He stooped down and looked inside [the cave-like tomb] and saw the linen cloths lying there [i.e., these were wrappings used to hold embalming spices against the body], but he did not go in.

Now the cloth that had been around Jesus' head was not lying with the [other] linen cloths, but was rolled up by itself.

But these disciples still did not understand the Scripture that [predicted] Jesus must rise again from the dead.

They said to Mary, "[My dear] woman, why are you crying?" She answered, "They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put Him."

After she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but did not know it was Him.

Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not ascended to the Father yet [Note: Apparently Jesus was discouraging Mary from embracing Him in worship as was done in Matt. 28:9, and thereby causing a delay of when the rest of the disciples would learn of His resurrection], but go to my brothers and tell them [I said] 'I am [about] to ascend to my Father and to your Father, and to my God and your God.'"

So, when it was evening on that day, [which was] the first day of the week [i.e., Sunday] and the doors [of someone's house], where the disciples were gathered, were closed [i.e., probably locked] for fear of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. [Note: Probably Jesus passed through the closed door miraculously]. He said to them, "May there be peace in your hearts."

Upon saying this, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said to them, "[Be willing to] receive the Holy Spirit." [Note: This "breathing" served as a pledge of the Holy Spirit which actually came on these apostles a few weeks later. See Acts 1:5-8; 2:4].

Whosever sins you forgive, they will be forgiven [by God]. And whosever sins you do not forgive, they will not be forgiven [by God]." [Note: Actual forgiveness would result only when people responded, by faith, to the Gospel message. See Acts 2:37-38].

But one of the twelve apostles, named Thomas, [and also] called "The Twin," was not with them when Jesus came.

So, the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he replied to them, "I will not believe [it] unless I see the scars of the nails in His hands, and put my finger on the nail scars, and put my hand in His side."

Eight days later [i.e., the following Sunday], Jesus' disciples were inside [the house] again, [but this time] Thomas was with them. The doors were [still] closed when Jesus [suddenly] stood among them [See note on verse 19] and said, "May there be peace in your hearts."

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed [that I am alive] because you have seen me? Those who have not seen me and yet believe are [even more] blessed."

Jesus performed many other [miraculous] signs in front of His disciples which are not recorded in this book [i.e., in the Gospel of John].

After these things happened Jesus showed Himself to His disciples again at Lake Tiberias. [Note: This was another name for Lake Galilee]. Here is the way He did it.

Simon Peter said to [the rest of] them, "I am going fishing." The others replied to him, "We will go with you, too." [So], they went out and got into their boat but did not catch anything that night.

Now as the day was dawning Jesus was [seen] standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. [Note: Probably because it was not light enough yet].

So, Jesus said to them, "Young fellows, you have not [caught] any fish yet, have you?" They answered Him, "No, [we have not]."

Then He said to them, "Throw your net over the right side of the boat and you will catch some [fish]. So, they threw [the net out] but they were not able to pull it in because of so many fish.

But the other disciples came [to shore] in their little boat, dragging their net full of fish (for they were only about a hundred yards from land).

Then Simon Peter boarded [the boat] and dragged the net full of large fish to shore. And even though there were one hundred fifty-three [fish], the net did not tear from such a large number.

So, after they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me more than these [other disciples do]?" Peter answered Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." [Note: Since two different Greek words for "love" are used in this conversation, some scholars see a distinction in their meaning. See Butler, Vol. II, pp. 453-457 for a discussion of these views]. Jesus replied to him, "[Then] feed my lambs."

Truly, truly, I tell you [Peter], when you were young you used to fasten your belt around you [i.e., to get ready] and travel wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you [away] to where you do not want to go."

Now Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death Peter would experience in honoring God. [Note: Some see the "stretching out your hands," verse 18, as a reference to crucifixion]. And after saying this, Jesus said to him, "Be my follower."

So, a rumor began circulating among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him he would not die, but [He said], "If I want him to remain [alive] until I return, what [business] is that of yours?"

And Jesus did many other things; if every one of them were written down, I do not think the world would hold [all] the books that would be written.

[One day, as He was] gathered with these apostles, He urged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there until they received what the Father had promised them. (Jesus had previously discussed this with them). [See Luke 24:49].

Jesus replied, "You are not permitted to know the [specific] time or date [when this will happen]. For the Father has appointed it [to happen] when He determines [the right time].

Upon arriving at the house where they were staying, they went upstairs. [Those present were]: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, the son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealous [one] and Judas, the son of James. [Note: Judas Iscariot, the twelfth apostle, had already committed suicide].

And when the day of Pentecost came [Note: This was a Jewish festival held fifty days following the Passover Festival. Lev. 23:15-21], they [i.e., the twelve apostles] were all gathered together in one place [i.e., their second story living quarters, 1:13 ?].

Being so amazed and astounded [at something so unusual happening], they exclaimed, "Look! are not all these men who are speaking from [the country of] Galilee?

For these men [i.e., the twelve apostles] are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only nine o'clock in the morning. [Note: The use of Jewish time calculations are employed in this verse].

[In that day] the sun will become dark and the moon will [appear] as blood. [This will all happen] before the great and wonderful day when the Lord comes. [Note: Some view these last two verses as a reference to events occurring at the end of time. See Matt. 24:29-30].

But God raised Him up, having released Him from the sharp pains [He experienced when dying], because it was not possible that He could be held in death's grip.

because you [i.e., God] will not allow my soul [i.e., this is a reference to Jesus] to remain in Hades [i.e., the unseen place of the departed spirits], neither will you allow [the body of] your Holy One to decay.

Brothers, I would like to speak very plainly about the patriarch David [Note: A patriarch was the ruling father of the family]. He died and was buried and his grave can be seen today.

David, foreseeing this, spoke of Christ being raised from the dead. [He said Jesus' spirit] would not be left in the unseen place of departed spirits, nor would His body decay.

Now David is not the one who ascended into heaven for he [spoke of Jesus when he] said [Psa. 110:1], 'The Lord [i.e., God] said to my [i.e., David's] Lord [i.e., Jesus], sit at my right side