John 16:12–15 (NRSV)
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
What Does Jesus Mean When He Says, “You Cannot Bear Them Now”?
This line stops me every time.
Jesus is talking to His disciples—His closest friends, those who’ve walked with Him, witnessed miracles, and heard truths that others couldn’t even imagine. And yet, He says there’s more He wants to share… but they aren’t ready.
Why?
- Maybe they needed more time. Their spiritual maturity wasn’t yet deep enough. More life, more trials, more waiting would shape them into the kind of people who could handle deeper truth.
- Maybe the grief was too heavy. They were already disturbed by His talk of leaving. More revelation might have overwhelmed them.
- Or maybe it’s a gentle reminder: “This isn’t the end of the conversation.” The Spirit is coming to carry it forward.
Honestly, I think it’s all three. And it speaks volumes about the nature of our God.
A Patient Teacher
God doesn’t dump everything on us at once. He doesn’t bulldoze us with truth we’re not ready for. He waits. He walks with us. He carries the weight until we’re strong enough to hold it.
That’s love. Real, patient, divine love.
“Love is patient, love is kind… it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
The God we worship doesn’t just demand truth—He delivers it in timing that matches our hearts.
The Trinity at Work: Father, Son, and Spirit in Unity
What strikes me most in this passage is how clearly Jesus draws the line between Himself, the Father, and the Spirit—but not to separate them. Instead, He’s showing the unity. The Spirit of truth binding them.
- Jesus only says what He hears from the Father.
- The Spirit will only speak what He hears from Jesus.
- And all that Jesus has is the Father’s.
There’s no contradiction. No division of message or mission. The Spirit doesn’t arrive with new branding or a rebranded religion. He comes in perfect alignment with the love and truth already revealed in Christ.
This would have comforted the disciples. Jesus was going—but the relationship, the voice, and the mission would continue through the Spirit.
When Leadership Changes but the Mission Doesn’t
Think about how disorienting this must have been for them. They’d just come to believe that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah—and now He’s telling them He’s leaving?
It must have felt like the mission was being abandoned.
But instead, the mission was being expanded. And the work of the Kingdom would now be carried on through them. Ordinary people, filled with the Spirit of truth, continuing the work of Christ.
That’s what the Spirit of truth does: He keeps the mission alive. In them. In us.
One Will. One Purpose. One Goal.
Jesus makes a promise in this passage:
The Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Which means…
- The Way of Jesus? That’s the way of the Father – Love.
- The Truth of Jesus? That’s the Spirit’s message.
- The Life of Jesus? That’s the life we’re called to through the Spirit today.
No matter how you encounter God—through Scripture, through prayer, through a moment of compassion that moves your soul—you are brushing up against the same God who walked the earth in Jesus, who speaks through the Spirit, and who rules with wisdom as Father.
One will. One voice. One purpose.
Love.
