John 14:1-31
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
When I read chapter fourteen of the Gospel According to John, it is a holy and sacred reading for me...This chapter is a Special Chapter for me, as I read the words of Jesus...The chapter is in anticipation with His upcoming death...He speaks of Heaven...He talks about taking His Disciples back to heaven...It shows us Jesus is Divine...And as Jesus speaks, we can see He speaks of this world and about Another World...He is speaking not only about this world, but also of the Kingdom of God, the Next World where He will soon be going...And this does get confusing, at least for me, and I can see some confusion coming from His Disciples...And He talks about the Holy Spirit...
Jesus starts this chapter comforting His Disciples, and it is He who is about to get arrested and soon will die on the cross, after this discourse with His Disciples...He tells His Disciples that He is going to heaven and that He will come back for them...And then He makes one of the most prolific claims of His Ministry saying He is the Truth, the Life, and the Way, and that He is the Only Way to God...Jesus says it this way, “Do not let your hearts be troubled...You believe in God; believe also in Me...My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I AM going there to prepare a place for you?...And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I AM...You know the way to the place where I AM going.”...So Thomas who does not understand what He is trying to say, and says he doesn't know where Jesus is going and therefore he does not know the Way...So Jesus says, “I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life...No one comes to the Father except through Me...If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well...From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”...And Philip wants to see God...Then He adds talking to Philip that if you have seen Him, then you have seen God...He answers Philip this Way, “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?...Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father...How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?...Don’t you believe that I AM in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?...The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority...Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work...Believe Me when I say that I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves...Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I AM going to the Father...And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son...You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it."...
And these claims are hard to understand and as we read them we can see that even His closest students, His Disciples are having trouble understanding what He is saying, starting with Thomas asking or saying, we do not know where you are going...And I believe that difficulty His Disciples are having, is because if some man said these kind of things to me, I do not know if I would believe him or what I would be thinking, and they are hard to follow and hard to understand, if Jesus were only a man...And like Philip, he wants Jesus to show him God and he says that would be enough for the Disciples to see...And I would agree with Philip's statement, seeing God would really help their understanding better, and mine...And Jesus tells Philip that since He has been with him and the other Disciples for three years that they should believe His statements basically without seeing God, they have seen Him do many miracles...So Jesus says the words He has been saying to them have came from God, because He does not speak on His own authority...Rather, it is the Father, living in Him, who is doing His work and teachings -it is God's authority that Jesus has been teaching and speaking and God's Words...And Jesus adds believe Him when He says that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles that they have seen...Truly He has taught them, whoever believes in Jesus will do the works that He has been doing, and they will do even greater things than what He has done, because He will soon be going to the Father...And He will do whatever the Disciples ask in His name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son...
Then Jesus starts talking to them about a Holy Spirit...And I am not sure they understand this either...Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commands...And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth...The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him...But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you...I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you...Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see me...Because I live, you also will live...On that day you will realize that I AM in My Father, and you are in Me, and I AM in you...Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves me...The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”...Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, LORD, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”...Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey my teaching...My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them...Anyone who does not love Me will not obey my teaching...These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me...“All this I have spoken while still with you...But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you...Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you...I do not give to you as the world gives...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid...“You heard me say, ‘I AM going away and I AM coming back to you.’...If you loved Me, you would be glad that I AM going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I...I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe...I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming...He has no hold over Me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what My Father has commanded Me."...
Jesus talks of the Holy Spirit, and this Holy Spirit, this Advocate will help them understand things better...Their lives will be in a Way reborn when the Holy Spirit comes to them...The Spirit of Truth will be with them forever...And if they love Him they will keep His commands...And whoever has and keeps His commands are the ones who love Him...And Jesus tells Judas (not Judas Iscariot) anyone who loves Him will keep His commands...So when we obey Jesus we love Him and follow His commands...We see the connection between love and obedience...We see the importance of following Jesus' commands in this world and the next...
And in His Words they are laced with speaking of the belief in the resurrection and in His resurrection...When Jesus says He is going to His Fathers house, and will later return for His Disciples...He is talking about returning from Heaven, His Father's House...Jesus says, that He is soon going away and then will be coming back to them...He tells them He will not leave them as orphans...Before long the world will not see Him anymore...They will get to see Him again, after His resurrection...But because He lives, we may also live...And on that day the Disciples as well as us will realize that He is in the Father and with the Father, and God is with Him and in Him...And Jesus adds that He is going away from them then He will be coming back to them...He will die on the cross and then will be resurrected back to them...And He will teach them after His death for another forty days...
Jesus speaks of Him leaving and that if they loved Him then they should be glad that He is going to the Father...And as I have said in other writings, I wish He were here to help me through my many trials, but in a true unconditional love I would want Jesus to be in heaven and back with His Father...And this question comes up...Jesus says that the Father is greater than Him...If He and the the Father are One, then aren't they more or less equal?...Or does He mean that since He is on earth and in this world, God is Greater because He is in Heaven?...We know that the Father is living in Jesus and it is God helping His Son do His Work, God's Work...And we know that no one gets access to God except from Jesus...
Such Divine Comforting Words from a Man who is soon to die on the cross for me and all mankind for our sins, helping His Disciples understand better of the upcoming events in His life....Jesus' discourse throughout this chapter makes it one of my favorite chapters, if not my most favorite chapter in the entire Bible...