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John 14

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I Go to Prepare a Place for You 1–4

1
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ​
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. ​
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. ​
4
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life 5–8

5
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ​
6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ​
7
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

The Father Revealed in the Son 9–11

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

The Power of Works and Prayer 12–14

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. ​
13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ​
14
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit (The Comforter) 15–26

15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ​
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. ​
18
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ​
19
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
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. ​
22
Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? ​
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. ​
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.
25
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
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. ​

Peace and Obedience before Departure 27–31

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. ​
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. ​
29
And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. ​
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. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for John 14

Verse 1

Let not your heart be troubled — Tarasso, to stir up, as water is roiled. Jesus had himself been 'troubled in spirit' at the word of betrayal (13:21), and Peter had just been told of his denial (13:38). The same words close the promise of peace in v.27.

Verse 2

many mansions — Mone, a staying-place, from meno, to abide. It occurs only here and in v.23, where the Father and Son 'make our abode' with the believer. The 'Father's house' is where Christ is going; he goes 'to prepare a place' (topos) for the disciples.

Verse 3

I will come again, and receive you unto myself — 'Receive' is paralambano, to take alongside oneself, as a host takes in a guest. The purpose is presence: 'that where I am, there ye may be also'. Paul describes the same meeting: 'so shall we ever be with the Lord' (1 Thess 4:17).

Verse 5

we know not whither thou goest — Thomas answers Jesus' 'whither I go ye know' (v.4) with a denial. He is the disciple who said 'Let us also go, that we may die with him' (John 11:16), and who later confessed 'My Lord and my God' (John 20:28).

Verse 6

I am the way, the truth, and the life — Jesus answers Thomas's question about the 'way' (hodos) by naming himself. Life is his in himself: 'I am the resurrection, and the life' (John 11:25). 'No man cometh unto the Father, but by me' is echoed in Acts 4:12 and Eph 2:18.

Verse 9

he that hath seen me hath seen the Father — Philip asks to be shown the Father (v.8); Jesus answers that he has been shown already. The same truth is stated of the Son as 'the image of the invisible God' (Col 1:15) and 'the express image of his person' (Heb 1:3); compare 'he that seeth me seeth him that sent me' (John 12:45).

Verse 10

the Father that dwelleth in me — 'Dwelleth' is meno, to abide, the root of 'mansions' (v.2). The Son is 'in the Father, and the Father in me', so his words and 'works' are the Father's. The works are cited as proof in John 10:38, 'the Father is in me, and I in him'.

Verse 12

greater works than these shall he do — The ground is 'because I go unto my Father'. The works are done by those who believe, in his name (vv.13–14). Sick were laid in the streets that 'the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them' (Acts 5:15).

Verse 13

whatsoever ye shall ask in my name — 'Ask' is aiteo, repeated in v.14; 'name' (onoma) carries the person's authority and character. The purpose is stated: 'that the Father may be glorified in the Son'. The promise is renewed in John 16:23, 'Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.'

Verse 16

another Comforter — Allos parakletos, 'another' of the same kind as Jesus; parakletos is one called alongside to help. It is rendered 'advocate' of Christ in 1 John 2:1, and occurs elsewhere only in John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7. He comes 'that he may abide with you for ever'.

Verse 17

he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you — The Spirit is 'of truth' (aletheia), as Christ is 'the truth' (v.6). The world 'cannot receive' him; 'the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God' (1 Cor 2:14). The disciples know him: para 'with' them now, en 'in' them to come.

Verse 18

comfortless — Orphanos, 'orphan', bereaved of a parent; the only other place the KJV uses the word is James 1:27, 'the fatherless'. Jesus had called the disciples 'little children' (13:33). 'I will come to you' answers the going of v.2: he returns to them.

Verse 21

will manifest myself to him — Emphanizo, to make visible or plain; the same verb is used in Judas's question in v.22. Love is shown by keeping the commandments (v.15), and the one who loves is loved 'of my Father' and by the Son, as in John 15:10.

Verse 22

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot — The second Judas among the Twelve; Luke lists 'Judas the brother of James' beside 'Judas Iscariot' (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). He asks why the manifestation (v.21) is 'unto us, and not unto the world', echoing v.19, 'the world seeth me no more'.

Verse 23

we will come unto him, and make our abode with him — 'Abode' is mone, the 'mansions' of v.2. The Father and Son take up residence in the one who loves and keeps Christ's 'words'. The same promise appears in Rev 3:20: 'I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.'

Verse 26

bring all things to your remembrance — Hypomimnesko, to remind. The Spirit is sent by the Father 'in my name' and teaches 'all things'. Like Christ's own, the Spirit's teaching is the Father's (v.24); 'the anointing which ye have received… teacheth you of all things' (1 John 2:27).

Verse 27

Peace I leave with you — Eirene, peace; it is a bequest at parting, 'my peace I give', not as the world gives. 'Afraid' is deiliao, to be timid, found only here in the New Testament. Peace is held in Christ amid the world's tribulation (John 16:33).

Verse 28

my Father is greater than I — The reason for joy is that Jesus goes to the Father. 'Greater' (meizon) is spoken of the Son in the form of a servant, who 'humbled himself, and became obedient unto death' (Phil 2:8); the same Son says 'I and my Father are one' (John 10:30).

Verse 30

the prince of this world — Archon, ruler; the title also at 12:31, 'now shall the prince of this world be cast out'. Paul calls him 'the prince of the power of the air' (Eph 2:2). He 'hath nothing in me': no sin in Christ gives him a claim; compare 'Who did no sin' (1 Pet 2:22).

Verse 31

as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do — 'Gave me commandment' is entellomai, the verb kin to entole, the noun in John 10:18: he lays down his life 'of myself', yet 'This commandment have I received of my Father'. 'Arise, let us go hence' leads on to the garden across the brook Cedron (John 18:1).