Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 16:28-30

"I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father. His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying. Now know we that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." — John 16:28-30 (ASV)

I came forth from the Father and have come into the world: again, I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said to him, Look, now you speak plainly and speak no proverb.

Now we are sure that you know all things and do not need that any man should ask you: by this we believe that you came forth from God.

We do not see any reason why they should have been made so strong in faith just then. But we were not there to hear Christ's words. Many a message depends on the tone and manner of the speaker for its influence over the people who hear it.

When you read the story afterwards, without the earnest manner and the living tone of the speaker, you do not see why it had such a strange effect on his hearers. So we do not quite see here, by the calm reading of this narrative, why the disciples suddenly leaped into such confidence.