Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Clarke
After having answered St. Peter’s question, he addresses himself again to his disciples, and tells them not to be afflicted at his leaving them, nor to lose courage because of what he said concerning Peter’s denying him; that if they reposed their confidence in God, he would protect them; and that, howsoever they might see him treated, they should believe in him more firmly, as his sufferings, death, and resurrection should be to them the most positive proof of his being the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
The disciples began to lose all hope of a secular kingdom, and were discouraged in consequence: Christ promises them a spiritual and heavenly inheritance, and thus lifts up their drooping hearts.
Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
The many mansions implies that there is room for everyone and so there is no need to get bogged down with arguing who is the greatest.
Each one who comprises the Bride of Christ will have their own place. Think of that Jesus is building a house for each and everyone of his bride. He will be taking careful attention to each one of us and if we are faithful unto death we will live in a house built specifically for us by Jesus. We should sit and think about his love for his bride and the depth of what this means.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
This verse shows that Jesus will be gone for a while. He is not just building 12 houses, but 144 thousand of them for his Bride class.
This verse also shows that it is not until those mansions are complete that Jesus will return to take his bride with him. That harmonizes with other scriptures about the resurrection in the last days and when he returns with the voice of the archangel that the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
1Th 4:14-18 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then wewhich are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
But they didn’t know, because they were too busy thinking of their position in the Kingdom to really pay attention or comprehend what Jesus was saying. They should have known but the natural man cannot comprehend things of the spirit—so it was necessary for the holy Spirit to bring those things to remembrance. This did not occur till Pentecost.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Clarke
I am the Way – That leads to the Father: – the Truth that teaches the knowledge of God, and directs in the way: – the Life that animates all those who seek and serve him, and which is to be enjoyed eternally at the end of the way.
Christ is the Way:
1. By his doctrine, Joh_6:68.
2. By his example, 1Pe_2:21.
3. By his sacrifice, Heb_9:8, Heb_9:9.
4. By his Spirit, Joh_16:13.
He is the Truth:
1. In opposition to all false religions.
2. To the Mosaic law, which was only the shadow, not the truth or substance, of the good things which were to come. And
3. In respect to all the promises of God, 2Co_1:20.
He is the Life, both in grace and glory; the life that not only saves from death, but destroys it.
No man cometh unto the Father – By any other doctrine, by any other merit, or by any other intercession than mine.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Jesus is the express image of the Father (Heb. 1:3). Jesus spoke and acted as directed by God the Father. Since they spent the last three and a half years living and following and doing everything Jesus did—they should understand how God thinks and acts and what He expects from them.
This lesson also applies to us. If we study God’s Word like we are supposed to then we should not only know Jesus, but the Father. Let us not be carnal or fleshly minded, but full of the Spirit.
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Everything Jesus did, he gave glory to God or prayed to God for something to be done and it was done. Jesus told Peter that his understanding that Jesus was the Messiah and the son of God was given to him by God alone. That understanding which Jesus’ church is built on should have helped them to see God in all that Jesus did and said. Jesus came to do the will of God, not his own will.
The phrase “I am in the father” is the same thought as the Christian abiding in the vine, in Jesus.
Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
1Jn_2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1Jn_2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Jesus had direct access to God and now that Jesus has paid the ransom for Father Adam and has delivered that payment to the Father, he has opened up a “new and living way”. A way in which we now through Jesus have direct access to God. A promise that God will hear and answer our prayers.
That is pretty powerful.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Many like to get hung up on faith versus works, but without obedience to Jesus’ commandments neither will have value to him.
We have the scripture when they tell Jesus about all the wonderful works they have. He doesn’t condemn them for having works, but condemns them because they were not obedient.
We also see that the demons believed and know who Jesus is—but their faith or belief is void because of disobedience to God.
Christians need to be balanced. We start with Faith. Peter tells us to add to that faith. The next thing is virtue (that includes obedience but also a knowledge of what God thinks is right and wrong) and then there is a list of other fruits of the spirit ending in Agape love. Works are merely a fruit or outgrowth of faith, love and obedience. Which is why we can know who our brethren are by their fruits. Their fruits are not wrapped up in a napkin and buried in the earth, but hang out for everyone to see and appreciate.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
The word for “Comforter” means advocate—like a lawyer. During Jesus’ three and a half years, he represented the disciples to the Father. He prayed on their behalf and did all to educate and get them ready for what was about to happen. Now that Jesus is going to be gone for a while he promises to ask the Father to send another comforter.
This was another clue to the disciples that Jesus was leaving.
He prayed this prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly thereafter.
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The holy Spirit is only for the consecrated Christian. It is not for those who merely believe, but for those who wholly give their lives over to Jesus as their savior and are then running for the one hope of their calling—heaven.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
This comfortless is not the same word as the Comforter. Here Jesus is saying, “I will not leave you as orphans or in a state of bereavement. Jesus only left them for the three days while he was in the tomb, and then after that he would show up to encourage and strengthen them until it was time for the other Comforter to come. The holy Spirit of God. Each step of faith taken in the next month was to help the Apostles to increase their faith and to be able to stand for him.
We find that when they finally get the holy Spirit that Peter and John are so strong they speak without fear to the multitudes and when they are beaten and threatened by the priests—they ask them if they should obey the commands of men (them) or of God? They chose God and kept on preaching.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Again he tells them that he is going away, but leaves them with the promise that because of his faithfulness and completing the ransom sacrifice—they will have a resurrection at that day—the End Times. Mary confesses her hope to Jesus in the resurrection at the last days about her brother Lazarus—because that is what Jesus taught.
Joh_11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Again Jesus makes it plain that to be in his love you have to keep his commandments and love him.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
The disciples at this point were unable to understand spiritual things or to think beyond the here and now.
Clarke
Judas – The same as Thaddeus and Lebbeus, the brother of James, and author of what is called the epistle of Jude.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Apparently love is a very hard thing for us. Jesus has repeated this a few times to make it sink in.
I had studied a lot of the Reformers to try and understand how it was that they were able to endure what they did. Many were burned at the stake and some sang as they were burned. I had come to the conclusion it was a very strong faith, but now I see that it was love. The love that Jesus is here telling the Disciples then and the disciples today to get and keep.
It is love that will make a mother run into a burning building to save her child. It is love that will bring out the hero in all of us. That is the kind of love Jesus is talking about. The kind of love that pains us to be disobedient.
Peter had that love when he cut off Malchus’ ear—but then he let fear take over for a while.
It was love that enabled Paul and Silas to sing while in jail.
According to Peter its starts with Faith and ends in love, both Phileo and Agape.
“Lord increase my faith” and my love too!
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The Disciples then did not get it—because the holy Spirit had not yet come. While this message had an application to the current situation, it has more application to every other situation after that.
The holy Spirit will only comfort, teach and bring to remembrance those who are IN Jesus and IN God.
If we want the holy Spirit working in our lives then we need to be IN Jesus and IN God and that means we have to:
1) Have faith
2) Keep His Word and Commandments (which means we have to study to show ourselves approved)
3) Love Jesus and Love God will all our heart, soul and mind.
This takes work. This is not an easy road. Which is why he ends up by saying “Peace I leave with you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” That is not a light promise if we keep up our end of the bargain.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
The Disciples loved and trusted Jesus, but Jesus is telling them that God is way better than he is.
They should rejoice because of what he told them earlier that he is going to build them a place to live. That means they are that much closer in history to the fulfillment of the resurrection promises and to the promises of the New and Living Way.
Joh 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Joh 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Jesus gave them signs to look for so that their faith would increase. He told them what was going to happen. He actually told them about his crucifixion before they even came to Jerusalem. It was on the same occasion where he told Peter to “Get behind me Satan.” Peter and the others didn’t understand then or at this point, but would when the Spirit came at Pentecost.
Here Jesus talks about his love for the Father. Jesus also keeps the commandments of the Father because of that love. He is asking nothing different of his disciples. That we may be in him as he is in God and God and Jesus in us.