I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
Parallel translations
- WEB I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
- BSB I came from the Father and entered the world. In turn, I will leave the world and go to the Father.”
- NKJV I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
- NASB I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
- NLT Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus summarizes His mission: He came from the Father into the world and now returns to the Father. This encapsulates the gospel of His incarnation and exaltation.
Overview
In one clear sentence Jesus traces the arc of His saving work: from the Father, into the world, and back to the Father. This affirms His divine origin, His true incarnation, and His coming exaltation through death, resurrection, and ascension. It is the plain speech the disciples longed for, and a concise statement of who Jesus is and why He came.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- John 13:1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
- John 13:3Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
- John 8:14Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
- John 16:5But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
- John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
- John 14:28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
- John 17:11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
- John 16:16A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
- Acts 1:9–11And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
- John 17:13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
- Luke 9:51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
- Luke 24:51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 16:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.