CLAIM: Jesus says, “None of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’” (Jn. 16:5) However, in John 13:36, Peter explicitly asked this (“Lord, where are you going?”). Did Jesus err in his statement here?

RESPONSE: Peter’s question in chapter 13 was given in the context of Jesus’ abandonment and betrayal by Peter and the disciples. In fact, at this very dinner, Judas abandoned Christ (Jn. 13:30), and Jesus predicted Peter’s betrayal at this same time (Jn. 13:38). Therefore, we can assume that when Peter asked this question, he wasn’t really concerned for Christ. He was more concerned that Christ was abandoning them (“Where I am going, you cannot come”). Thus Peter was asking for his own benefit—not because he cared about Christ. This must be why Christ swept aside his question as selfish.

In 16:5, Christ is in effect saying, “None of you has asked where I am going because you really care about me! Didn’t it dawn on you to ask what is going to happen to me?” The focus of the disciples was the sorrow of their heart (16:6)—not the sorrow or anguish of Christ. This was certainly the motive behind Peter’s question in 13:36.