John 16:3 explains why some people will treat Jesus’ followers harshly: they do not truly know the Father or the Son. Jesus is preparing his disciples for opposition, and he names the root cause rather than just the symptoms. The words come from Jesus during the final evening with his disciples before his arrest, as recorded in the Gospel of John.
They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
John 16:3 (WEB)
What John 16:3 Means
The verse begins with “They will do these things,” pointing back to the persecution Jesus has just described in the previous verse, including being put out of the synagogues and even being killed. Jesus is not describing random cruelty. He is describing a pattern that has a source.
The phrase “because they have not known the Father, nor me” is the heart of the verse. To not know the Father means not to have a living relationship with the God who sent Jesus. Jesus links knowing himself and knowing the Father so closely that rejecting one means rejecting the other. The verse does not promise that followers will be spared suffering. It explains that opposition often flows from a misunderstanding of God, and it gives the disciples a reason to stay steady.
The Context of John 16:3
The Gospel of John is traditionally attributed to the apostle John, who was present with Jesus during his ministry. The book was written for a readership that included Jewish believers facing pressure from their communities, and that background explains why being removed from the synagogue carried such weight. Losing synagogue membership meant losing family, social standing and religious belonging all at once.
Verses 1 and 2 state Jesus’ purpose: he has spoken so that his disciples will not stumble. Verse 4 follows with a promise that he has told them these things so they can remember them when the time comes. Read this way, verse 3 is not a threat meant to frighten. It is a warning given in advance, so that when hostility arrives, the disciples will recognize it and not conclude that they have been abandoned by God.
Key Phrases in John 16:3
John 15:18
If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.
(WEB)
This verse comes just before the passage in chapter 16 and speaks of the world’s hatred toward Jesus’ followers. It shows that the opposition described in John 16:3 is part of a larger pattern that Jesus had already been preparing his disciples to expect.
John 16:33
I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
(WEB)
Near the end of the same discourse, Jesus offers peace alongside a frank acknowledgment of trouble. This verse completes the thought of John 16:3 by showing that the warning about opposition is paired with an assurance that Jesus has overcome the world.
A Short Prayer From John 16:3
Father, you know the people who misunderstand us and the pressures we feel because of our faith. Help us not to be surprised when opposition comes, and keep us from thinking that hardship means you have left us. Give us a deeper knowledge of you and of your Son, so that our lives reflect the truth we have received. Where others act out of ignorance, let us respond with steady love and clear witness. Remember those who are suffering for their faith today, and hold them close. We trust you with our relationships, our reputations and our future. Amen.
