Jesus is preparing the disciples for the trials which are ahead of them. As Temple notes, “it is hard to believe that a cause is truly God’s when it seems to meet with no success, and all power is on the other side.” Have you ever felt that way?

“go astray” (NIV) = “offended” (KJV) = skandalizo (Greek) which means to trip over the trigger stick of a trap. Knox renders the last half of this verse as, “so that your faith may not be taken unawares.”There is an element of surprise here which is brought out in the Knox translation. Jesus does not want them to be taken by surprise when things don’t go as they would like or think. Those who are “fore-warned are fore-armed”. Praemoniti, praemuniti. (Arderne)  What do you think this means? How does (#13:19) compare to this verse?

John 13:19  “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.