<p>16:4 <em>But these things have I spoken to you, so that when the time comes, you may remember what I told you. And these things I did not say to you from the beginning, because I was with you</em>- The &quot;things&quot; presumably concern the persecution which they were to experience, and the supportive presence of the Comforter as their defence. The Lord did not begin His teaching of the twelve by telling them of their likely sufferings; and His personal presence with them involved their 'keeping', both spiritually and in terms of physical safety (17:12; 18:9). Now He was departing, He would still be with them, in that the presence of the Comforter, His spirit in their hearts, would be as real as if He were personally with them. &quot;The time / hour comes&quot; is used in John normally concerning the hour of the Lord's cross. But now the Lord uses the term about the time of<em> their</em> sufferings, extending the idea that His Spirit<em>, </em>experience and destiny is to be theirs; or as the synoptics record it, they would pick up His cross, sharing in His sufferings.<em>&nbsp; </em></p>