John Chapter 14

From The Open Bible Project

14:1 "Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.

• (1) He believes in God who believes in Christ, and there is no other way to strengthen and encourage our minds during the greatest distresses.

14:2 In my Father's house are many homes. If it weren't so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.

• (a) That is, if it were not as I am telling you, that is, unless there was room enough not only for me, but also for you in my Father’s house, I would not deceive you in this way with a vain hope, but I would have plainly told you so.
• (b) This whole speech is an allegory, by which the Lord comforts his own, declaring to them his departure into heaven; and he departs not to reign there alone, but to go before and prepare a place for them.

14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.

• (2) Christ did not go away from us with the intent of forsaking us, but rather that he might eventually take us up with him into heaven.
• (c) These words are to be understood as being said to the whole Church, and therefore the angels said to the disciples when they were astonished, "Why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This Jesus will so come as you saw him go up", (Acts 1:11). And in all places of the Scripture the full comfort of the Church is considered to be that day when God will be all in all, and is therefore called the day of redemption.

14:4 Where I go, you know, and you know the way."

• (3) Christ alone is the way to true and everlasting life, for it is he in whom the Father has revealed himself.

14:5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

• (d) This saying shows unto us the nature, the will, and office of Christ.

14:7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him."

• (e) It is plain by this verse that to know God and to see God is the same thing. Now whereas he said before that no man saw God at any time, it is to be understood in this way: without Christ, or were it not through Christ, no man could ever see God, nor ever saw God, at any time: for as Chrysostom says, the Son is a very concise and plain setting forth of the Father’s nature to us.

14:8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

14:9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, 'Show us the Father?'

14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.

• (4) The majesty of God shows itself most evidently both in Christ’s doctrine and in his deeds.

14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake.

14:12 Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.

• (5) Christ’s power is not only shown within his own person, but it is spread through the body of his entire Church.
• (f) That is, not only do them, but I can also give other men power to do greater.

14:13 Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14:14 If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.

14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

• (6) He loves Christ rightly who obeys his commandment: and because obedience to Christ is accompanied with an infinite type and amount of miseries, although he is absent in body, yet he comforts his own with the present power of the Holy Spirit, whom the world despises, because it does not know him.

14:16 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another [48] Counselor, [See John Footnotes 48] that he may be with you forever,--

14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world can't receive; for it doesn't see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.

• (g) The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth by reason of that which he does, because he inspires the truth into us, because he has the truth in himself.
• (h) Worldly men.

14:18 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

14:19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.

14:20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

• (i) The Son is in the Father in such a way that he is of one selfsame substance with the Father, but he is in his disciples in a different way, as an aider and helper of them.

14:21 One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him."

• (k) I will show myself to him, and be known by him, as if he saw me with his eyes: but this showing of himself is not bodily, but spiritual, yet so plain that no other showing could be more evident.

14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?"

• (7) We must not ask why the gospel is revealed to some rather than to others, but we must rather take heed that we embrace Christ who is offered unto us, and that we truly love him, that is to say, that we give ourselves wholly to obeying him.

14:23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.

14:24 He who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words. The word which you hear isn't mine, but the Father's who sent me.

14:25 I have said these things to you, while still living with you.

• (8) It is the duty and responsibility of the Holy Spirit to imprint in the minds of the elect, in their times and seasons, that which Christ once said.

14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

14:27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

• (9) All true comfort and peace comes to us by Christ alone.

14:28 You heard how I told you, 'I go away, and I come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said 'I am going to my Father;' for the Father is greater than I.

• (10) We should in no way be sorry for the departing of Christ from us according to the flesh, but rather we should rejoice in it, seeing that all the blessing of the body depends upon the glorifying of the head.
• (l) This is spoken in that Christ is mediator, for in this regard the Father is greater than he, in as much as the person to whom request is made is greater than he that makes the request.

14:29 Now I have told you before it happens so that, when it happens, you may believe.

14:30 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me.

• (11) Christ goes to death not unwillingly, but willingly, not that he is yielding to the devil, but rather that he is obeying his Father’s decree.
• (m) As one would say, "Satan will eventually set upon me with all the might he can, but he has no power over me, neither will he find any such thing in me as he thinks he will."

14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.