Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus calls his disciples "little children" not just out of affection, but to highlight their present spiritual immaturity and need for him, a stark contrast to the "Jews" to whom he previously issued a similar pronouncement. He's gently preparing them for his departure by acknowledging they cannot yet follow him to where he is going, as they still have crucial work to do on earth.
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Judas has just left the upper room after Jesus identified him as the betrayer, marking the beginning of the end for Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus declares that this moment ushers in His glorification and God's glory through Him. He then lovingly addresses His remaining disciples, preparing them for His imminent departure, explaining they cannot follow Him to where He is going, at least not yet.
Jesus is about to leave his disciples, and his words carry an incredible weight of tenderness. How does he prepare them for this separation?
Jesus addresses his disciples as 'little children' (τεκνία). This isn't just a term of endearment; it speaks volumes about his deep, parental affection for them.
A Father's Heart
He is preparing them for a future they cannot yet grasp, a future where they will miss him intensely but will ultimately be strengthened.
Jesus tells his disciples they will seek him and won't be able to come where he is going. What does this profound statement reveal about their immediate future and his heavenly destiny?
Ask a follow-up
Jesus clearly states, 'You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’' This is a pivotal moment of honest communication about his departure.
A Temporary Separation
Just as Jesus is about to leave, he gives his disciples a command that defines their identity. What makes this commandment 'new' and so crucial?
Following the announcement of his departure, Jesus introduces a central tenet for his followers: 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.'
The Heart of the New Covenant
Understand the original words
teknia · Greek Noun
A term of endearment used by Jesus to address His disciples, emphasizing their dependence on Him, His protective care, and the relational intimacy of the covenant family of God.
Jesus speaks these tender words on the very eve of his betrayal and execution. The disciples are about to face immense grief and scattering, and Jesus is preparing them for his physical absence by reminding them of his impending departure and their inability to follow him immediately.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Final Week in Jerusalem
Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, teaches in the temple, and institutes the Last Supper with his disciples. This is the immediate setting for Jesus' final teachings and predictions of his departure.
c. 30-33 AD
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Shortly before the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot makes a pact with the chief priests to betray Jesus, setting in motion the events leading to Jesus' arrest.
c. 30-33 AD
The Last Supper
Jesus shares a final meal with his disciples, during which he washes their feet, predicts Peter's denial, and institutes the Lord's Supper.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Following the Last Supper, Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, wrestling with his impending suffering and death.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Arrest and Trial
Jesus is betrayed by Judas, arrested by the temple guard, and undergoes a series of trials before the Jewish authorities and Pontius Pilate.
c. 30-33 AD
The Crucifixion and Burial
Jesus is crucified at Golgotha and subsequently buried in a tomb, marking the culmination of his earthly ministry.
c. 30-33 AD
The Resurrection of Jesus
On the third day, Jesus is raised from the dead, appearing to his disciples and confirming his victory over death.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' words to the Jews, highlighting the repeated theme of his departure and the disciples' inability to follow him immediately, emphasizing a consistent message of His going where they could not yet come.
John 16:5This verse shows the disciples' present sorrow and confusion about Jesus' departure, directly correlating with the grief and seeking Jesus predicts in John 13:33.
Acts 1:6-7The disciples' question about restoring the kingdom shows their earthly focus and their need for Jesus' heavenly perspective, illustrating why they couldn't follow Him immediately in John 13:33.
Philippians 2:5-8This passage reveals Jesus' profound self-emptying and obedience unto death, providing the ultimate example of the love He commands in the following verses (John 13:34-35) and the reason for His impending, separate journey.
calvinJohn 13:30-35: "He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night."
- When, therefore, he had received the sop, he went immediately out; and it was night. 31. When, therefore, he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will immediately glorify him. 33. Little children, but a little while am I yet with you. You shall seek me, and as I said to the Jews,…
henryJohn 13:31-35: "Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him."
13:31-35 Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought, yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled state. Satisfaction was thereby made for the wrong done to God by the sin of man. We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we shall follow h…
Jesus calls his disciples "little children" not just out of affection, but to highlight their present spiritual immaturity and need for him, a stark contrast to the "Jews" to whom he previously issued a similar pronouncement. He's gently preparing them for his departure by acknowledging they cannot yet follow him to where he is going, as they still have crucial work to do on earth.
Judas has just left the upper room after Jesus identified him as the betrayer, marking the beginning of the end for Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus declares that this moment ushers in His glorification and God's glory through Him. He then lovingly addresses His remaining disciples, preparing them for His imminent departure, explaining they cannot follow Him to where He is going, at least not yet.
Judas has just left the upper room after Jesus identified him as the betrayer, marking the beginning of the end for Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus declares that this moment ushers in His glorification and God's glory through Him. He then lovingly addresses His remaining disciples, preparing them for His imminent departure, explaining they cannot follow Him to where He is going, at least not yet.
"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’" — Jesus calls his disciples "little children" not just out of affection, but to highlight their present spiritual immaturity and need for him, a stark contrast to the "Jews" to whom he previously issue…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026