John Chapter 14

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 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 authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever 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.

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 'You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here."

Explanation for verses 14:1; 14:2-3; 14:6; 14:7; 14:15-31; 14:17; 14:18-19; 14:26; 14:27; 14:30 from The MacArthur Study Bible, pages 1571-1572.


"14:1 Instead of the disciples lending support to Jesus in the hours before his cross, he had to support them spiritually as well as emotionally; This reveals his heart of serving love (cf Matt. 20:26-28). troubled. Faith in him can stop the heart from being agitated. See not on John 12:27."

"14:2-3 I go to prepare. His departure would be for their advantage since he was going away to prepare a heavenly home for them and will return to take them so that they may be with him. This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns. The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with his saints to establish his kingdom (Rev. 19:11-15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of his return in glory and power to destroy the wicked (cf. Matt 13:36-43, 47-50). Rather, this describes his coming to gather his own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in 1 Cor. 15:51-54 and 1 Thes. 4:13-18. After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7-10), be rewarded (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10). and later return to earth with Christ when he comes again to set up his kingdom (Rev. 19:11-20:6)."

14:6 This is the sixth "I am" statement of Jesus in John (see 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 15:1, 5). In response to Thomas's query (14:4), Jesus declared that he is the way to God because he is the truth of God (1:14) and the life of God (1:4; 3:15; 11:25). In this verse, the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only approach to the Father is emphatic. Only one way, not many ways exist to God, i.e., Jesus Christ (10:7-9; cf. Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 13:24; Acts 4:12)."

"14:7-11 From now on you do know him. They know God because they had come to know Christ in his ministry and soon in his death and resurrection. To know him is to know God. This constant emphasis on Jesus as God incarnate is unmistakably clear in this Gospel (v. 11; 1:1-3, 14, 17, 18; 5:10-23, 26; 8:58; 9:35; 10:30, 38; 12:41; 17:1-5, 20:28)."

"14:15-31 In these verses, Jesus promises believers comfort from five supernatural blessings that the world does not enjoy: 1) a supernatural Helper (vv. 15-17); 2) a supernatural life (vv. 18-19); 3) a supernatural union (vv. 20-25), 4) a supernatural teacher (v. 26); and 5) a supernatural peace (vv. 27-31). The key to al of this is v. 15, which relates that these supernatural promises are for those who love Jesus Christ, whose love is evidenced by obedience."

"14:17 Spirit of truth. He is the Spirit of truth in that he is the source of truth and communicates the truth to his own (v. 26; 16:12-15). Apart from him, people cannot know God's truth (1Cor. 2:12-16; 1 John 2:20, 27). dwells with you and will be in you. This indicates some distinction between the ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers before and after Pentecost. While clearly the Holy Spirit has been with all who have ever believed thoroughout redemptive history as the source of truth, faith, and life, Jesus is saying something new is coming in his ministry. John 7:37-39 indicates this unique ministry would be like "rivers of living water" Acts 19:1-7 introduces some Old Covenant believers who had not received the Holy Spirit in this unique fullness and intimacy. (Cf. Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 12:11-13."

"14:18-19 I will come to you. . .you will see me. First, he was referring to his resurrection, after which they would see him (20:19-29). There is no record that any unbelievers saw him after he rose (see 1 Cor. 15:1-9). In another sense, this has reference to the mystery of the Trinity. Through the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus would be back with his children (John 16:16; cf. Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:9; 1 John 4:13)."

"14:26 will teach you all things. The Holy Spirit energized the hearts and minds of the apostles in their ministry, helping them to produce the NT Scripture. The disciples had failed to understand many things about Jesus and what he taught; but because of this supernatural work, they came to an inerrant and accurate understanding of the Lord and his work, and recorded it in the Gospels and the rest of the NT Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. :20-21). See note on John 16:7."

14:27 Peace I leave . . . Not as the world gives. The word "peace" reflects the Hebrew "Shalom," which became a greeting to his disciples after the resurrection (20:19-26). At the individual level this peace, unknown to the unsaved, secures composure in difficult trouble (cf. 14:1), dissolves fear (Phil 4:7), and rules in the hearts of God's people to maintain harmony (Col. 3:15). The greatest reality of this peace will be in the messianic kingdom (Num. 6:26; Ps. 29:11; Isa. 9:6-7; 52:7; 54:13; 57:19; Ezek. 37:26; Hag. 2:9; cf. Acts 10:36; Rom. 1:7; 5:1; 14:7)."

14:30 the ruler of this world. Judas was only a tool of the "prince" who rules the system of darkness--Satan (6:70; 13:21, 27). no claim on me. The Hebrew idiom means that Satan had nothing on Jesus, could make no claim on him, nor charge him with any sin. Therefore, Satan could not hold him in death. Christ would triumph and destroy Satan (Heb. 2:14). His death was no sign that Satan won, but that God's will was being done. (John 14:31)."

Let's pray: Dear Lord Jesus, Please give Your believers Your Peace and please show the unbelievers how they could have Your Peace if they want it. Thank You Lord. I say these things in Jesus' name. Amen.