John 14

Jesus’ Farewell Discourse

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places; but if not, I would have told you, because I am going away to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

4 And you know the way where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How are we able to know the way?"

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

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

8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

9 Jesus said to him, "Am I with you so long a time and you have not known me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, 'Show us the Father?'

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 from myself, but the Father residing in me does his works.

11 Believe me that I [am] in the Father and the Father [is] in me; but if not, believe because of the works themselves.

12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in me, the works that I am doing he will do also, and he will do greater [works] than these because I am going to the Father.

13 And {whatever} you ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do [it].

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, in order that he may be with you {forever}--

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see him or know [him]. You know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.

18 "I will not leave you [as] orphans; I am coming to you.

19 Yet a little [time] and the world will see me no longer, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.

20 On that day you will know that I [am] in my Father, and you [are] in me, and I [am] in you.

21 The one who has my commandments and keeps them--that one is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him."

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, why is it that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and {will take up residence with him}.

24 The one who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me.

25 These [things] I have spoken to you [while] residing with you.

26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name--that one will teach you all [things], and will remind you of everything that I said to you.

27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you--not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let [them] be afraid.

28 You have heard that I said to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I [am].

29 And now I have told you before [it] happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

30 I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has {no power} {over} me.

31 But so that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father has commanded me, thus I am doing. Get up, let us go from here!

John 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

Christ comforts his disciples. (1-11) He further comforts his disciples. (12-17) He still further comforts his disciples. (18-31)

Verses 1-11 Here are three words, upon any of which stress may be laid. Upon the word troubled. Be not cast down and disquieted. The word heart. Let your heart be kept with full trust in God. The word your. However others are overwhelmed with the sorrows of this present time, be not you so. Christ's disciples, more than others, should keep their minds quiet, when everything else is unquiet. Here is the remedy against this trouble of mind, "Believe." By believing in Christ as the Mediator between God and man, we gain comfort. The happiness of heaven is spoken of as in a father's house. There are many mansions, for there are many sons to be brought to glory. Mansions are lasting dwellings. Christ will be the Finisher of that of which he is the Author or Beginner; if he have prepared the place for us, he will prepare us for it. Christ is the sinner's Way to the Father and to heaven, in his person as God manifest in the flesh, in his atoning sacrifice, and as our Advocate. He is the Truth, as fulfilling all the prophecies of a Saviour; believing which, sinners come by him the Way. He is the Life, by whose life-giving Spirit the dead in sin are quickened. Nor can any man draw nigh God as a Father, who is not quickened by Him as the Life, and taught by Him as the Truth, to come by Him as the Way. By Christ, as the Way, our prayers go to God, and his blessings come to us; this is the Way that leads to rest, the good old Way. He is the Resurrection and the Life. All that saw Christ by faith, saw the Father in Him. In the light of Christ's doctrine, they saw God as the Father of lights; and in Christ's miracles, they saw God as the God of power. The holiness of God shone in the spotless purity of Christ's life. We are to believe the revelation of God to man in Christ; for the works of the Redeemer show forth his own glory, and God in him.

Verses 12-17 Whatever we ask in Christ's name, that shall be for our good, and suitable to our state, he shall give it to us. To ask in Christ's name, is to plead his merit and intercession, and to depend upon that plea. The gift of the Spirit is a fruit of Christ's mediation, bought by his merit, and received by his intercession. The word used here, signifies an advocate, counsellor, monitor, and comforter. He would abide with the disciples to the end of time; his gifts and graces would encourage their hearts. The expressions used here and elsewhere, plainly denote a person, and the office itself includes all the Divine perfections. The gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed upon the disciples of Christ, and not on the world. This is the favour God bears to his chosen. As the source of holiness and happiness, the Holy Spirit will abide with every believer for ever.

Verses 18-24 Christ promises that he would continue his care of his disciples. I will not leave you orphans, or fatherless, for though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort, I will come to you. I will come speedily to you at my resurrection. I will come daily to you in my Spirit; in the tokens of his love, and visits of his grace. I will come certainly at the end of time. Those only that see Christ with an eye of faith, shall see him for ever: the world sees him no more till his second coming; but his disciples have communion with him in his absence. These mysteries will be fully known in heaven. It is a further act of grace, that they should know it, and have the comfort of it. Having Christ's commands, we must keep them. And having them in our heads, we must keep them in our hearts and lives. The surest evidence of our love to Christ is, obedience to the laws of Christ. There are spiritual tokens of Christ and his love given to all believers. Where sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience. Love will be a commanding, constraining principle; and where love is, duty follows from a principle of gratitude. God will not only love obedient believers, but he will take pleasure in loving them, will rest in love to them. He will be with them as his home. These privileges are confined to those whose faith worketh by love, and whose love to Jesus leads them to keep his commandments. Such are partakers of the Holy Spirit's new-creating grace.

Verses 25-27 Would we know these things for our good, we must pray for, and depend on the teaching of the Holy Ghost; thus the words of Jesus will be brought to our remembrance, and many difficulties be cleared up which are not plain to others. To all the saints, the Spirit of grace is given to be a remembrancer, and to him, by faith and prayer, we should commit the keeping of what we hear and know. Peace is put for all good, and Christ has left us all that is really and truly good, all the promised good; peace of mind from our justification before God. This Christ calls his peace, for he is himself our Peace. The peace of God widely differs from that of Pharisees or hypocrites, as is shown by its humbling and holy effects.

Verses 28-31 Christ raises the expectations of his disciples to something beyond what they thought was their greatest happiness. His time was now short, he therefore spake largely to them. When we come to be sick, and to die, we may not be capable of talking much to those about us; such good counsel as we have to give, let us give while in health. Observe the prospect Christ had of an approaching conflict, not only with men, but with the powers of darkness. Satan has something in us to perplex us with, for we have all sinned; but when he would disturb Christ, he found nothing sinful to help him. The best evidence of our love to the Father is, our doing as he has commanded us. Let us rejoice in the Saviour's victories over Satan the prince of this world. Let us copy the example of his love and obedience.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or simply "Believe"; the verb form can be either indicative (e.g., KJV, NAB, NLT) or imperative (e.g., NIV, NRSV, ESV)
• [b]. Like the previous verb "believe" this form could also be either indicative or imperative, though most English versions regard it as imperative
• [c]. A large number of manuscripts, many of them later, lack "because"
• [d]. Some manuscripts have "If you have known me, you will know"
• [e]. Some manuscripts have "And from now on"
• [f]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [g]. Literally "anything which"
• [h]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [i]. Literally "for the age"
• [j]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [k]. Some manuscripts have "and why"
• [l]. Literally "will make abode with him"
• [m]. *Here "[while]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("residing") which is understood as temporal
• [n]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [o]. Literally "nothing"
• [p]. Literally "in"