John 14
Jesus’ Parting Words to His Disciples
14:1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me.
The disciples were distressed and discouraged. Jesus told them that He was going away, that He would die, that one of the twelve would betray Him, that Peter would disown Him three times, that Satan was working against all of them, and that all of them would fall away from Him. Jesus told them not to be troubled. They needed to believe that God the Father was in full control of all of these events. They needed to listen to Jesus and believe what He told them.
14:2 There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.
Jesus was going into heaven to build a house for His disciples.
14:3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.
Amillennialists teach that Jesus will return, meet the believers in heaven, and then return back to earth. Jesus disagrees with them. Jesus will return at the Rapture and bring all of His disciples into the house that He has built for them in heaven. At the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, the saints will return to rule with the Lord Jesus Christ.
14:4 And you know the way where I am going.”
Jesus showed the disciples the way to salvation.
14:5 Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
The disciples had all of the information, but they could not understand all of it until after the resurrection of Christ.
14:6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
There are many cults and isms who claim that they are the way to eternal life. The Mormons teach that no one goes to heaven without the consent of Joseph Smith. However, Jesus disagrees with them. Jesus made it clear that the only way of salvation is through Jesus Himself.
14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”
One cannot know God the Father unless one knows God the Son.
14:8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.”
God is invisible and cannot be seen. He appeared many times in the Old Testament as a theophany. He appeared to Abraham as a man, to Moses as a burning bush, and to Israel as the Shekinah Glory. Philip wanted to see a theophany of God.
14:9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
No theophany was necessary. When they saw Jesus, they saw the Father.
14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds.
The Father is in Jesus and Jesus perfectly reveals the Father.
14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves.
The miracles of the Messiah proved that the Father was in Jesus.
14:12 I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.
The disciples of Jesus would not repeat the miracles of Jesus, but they would reach more people with the gospel. The eleven disciples would perform miracles to authenticate their message. They would take the gospel all over the world.
14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
This is not a magical formula for charismatics and prosperity preachers to use in order to accumulate wealth from those who donate to them. Jesus will answer all prayers, but sometimes His answer is “no.” If the prayer is in the will of God, then the answer will be “yes”.
14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
The goal of answered prayers is to glorify God.
Teaching on the Holy Spirit
14:15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
The commandments are Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine comes from the entire counsel of the Word of God. No one can keep the commandments unless they know them. Those who do not study the entire counsel of the Word of God do not love Jesus because they cannot keep commandments that they do not know.
14:16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever – 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.
During the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit empowered certain people for a limited amount of time. After Jesus is resurrected from the dead, the Holy Spirit will indwell eternally inside of every believer. The Holy Spirit is like the wind. One cannot see the wind, but they can see and feel its effects.
14:18 “I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you.
The disciples were the children of Jesus. Jesus will not leave Hs disciples as orphans in the satanic world system. He will return and take them out of the satanic world system at the Rapture.
14:19 In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too.
After the death of Jesus on the cross, He will not appear to the world. However, He will appear to His disciples.
14:20 You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.
On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples will be baptized into the Holy Spirit. When this baptism takes place, the Holy Spirit will reveal to the disciples that they are a part of the body of Christ.
14:21 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”
Those who study and apply Bible doctrine are the ones who really love Christ. Beware of people who go around claiming that they love the Lord, but they are not interested in Bible study.
14:22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus had two disciples named “Judas.” He may have been the same man called Thaddeus. Judas wanted to know why Jesus revealed Himself just to the disciples and not to the whole world.
14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.
Jesus does not reveal Himself to those who do not obey His teaching. If a baby or carnal Christian does not study the Bible, then God will not reveal Himself to them. Those who love Christ will study the Bible and apply what it teaches. Those who study the Bible at the deepest level will receive more illumination from the Holy Spirit.
14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
The person who does not love Christ will not study the Bible. He will not be able to be obedient to Christ, because he does not know enough Bible doctrine to be obedient.
14:25 “I have spoken these things while staying with you.
These teachings were all taught to the disciples. However, they could not grasp all of these divine viewpoints. They had not yet experienced the atonement of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and the baptism into Christ. Until these three things were accomplished, the disciples were in the dark with limited knowledge.
14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.
When Jesus leaves the earth to sit at the right hand of the Father, He will not leave His disciples as orphans. He will send them a new teacher. The Holy Spirit will illuminate the disciples so that they can understand these spiritual teachings.
14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.
The Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom, meaning “peace with God.” No one can have peace with God unless He believes in Jesus, studies Bible doctrine, and applies Bible doctrine. Jesus was going to leave the disciples with the shalom of God. Therefore, the disciples did not need to be scared of the satanic world system. They did not need to fear death.
14:28 You heard me say to you, ‘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, because the Father is greater than I am.
If the disciples had been more mature in their Bible doctrine, then they would be happy that Jesus was going away. However, at this time of their spiritual development, the disciples were limited in their knowledge.
Arians and Jehovah Witnesses misuse this verse to teach that Jesus is a lesser god or a created angel. If this was so, then Jesus would not be the Creator, but He would be either a created being or a polytheistic god. The Father and Son are a unity who share the same purpose and essence (John 1:1–2; 10:30; 14:9; 20:28). Therefore, the Father is greater in office or glory than the Son was in His humiliation.
14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.
Jesus was going to resurrect Himself from the dead and then ascend into heaven. He was telling the disciples these things in advance, so that this knowledge would strengthen their faith.
14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me,
Jesus would be placed on trial illegally seven times during the early morning hours. He would be dead on the cross by the time of the afternoon sacrifice which was at 3 PM. The ruler of the world is Satan. Satan has no power over Jesus. Jesus will not allow Satan to put Him to death, but Jesus will allow Satan, to arrest Him, place Him on trial, beat Him, mock Him, blaspheme Him, humiliate Him, and hang Him on a cross. Jesus will die when He is ready to die.
14:31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up, let us go from here.”
Since Jesus loves the Father, He will follow the will of the Father and die on the cross for all of the sins of mankind. This type of brutal demonstration will show the world that Jesus loves the Father. Love is obedience to God’s word. One must know the Word of God to be obedient to it.