John 16:31 (DRB)

Passage

Jesus answered them: Do you now believe?

Nearby Context

John 16:29 His disciples say to him: Behold, now thou speakest plainly and speakest no proverb.

John 16:30 Now we know that thou knowest all things and thou needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

John 16:31 Jesus answered them: Do you now believe?

John 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, and it is now come, that you shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you shall have distress. But have confidence. I have overcome the world.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "answered", and "believe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "Now we know that thou knowest all..." into verse 32's "Behold the hour cometh and it is...", so "jesus" and "answered" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "jesus" and "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.