John 16:7 (KJV)

Passage

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Nearby Context

John 16:5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

John 16:6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nevertheless", "tell", "truth", "expedient", "away", "comforter", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nevertheless" and "tell", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "But because I have said these things..." into verse 8's "And when he is come he will...", so "nevertheless" and "tell" 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 "nevertheless" and "tell" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.