Bible Commentaries
John 14

Verse 1

1 Jesus and his apostles are still at the table where they have just concluded the passover supper. We might properly refer to this chapter as an "after-dinner" conversation between the Master and his beloved disciples. He had frequently told them that he would have to leave them, and they were naturally saddened by the announcement (chapter 16:6). In this speech Jesus wishes to give some words of consolation for their benefit. Troubled means "agitated," and Jesus bids them not have such a feeling, and the basis of the opposite state of mind was to be their belief in the relationship between the Father and the Son.

Verse 2

2 If a dear friend is about to leave us, it would be some consolation to know that his leaving was not to be a permanent separation, and also that he was going away to arrange a special and better place than the one we now occupy. And what is especially cheering is the promise that he will find a place where we and our departing friend can again be together, never to be separated. Such a consolation Jesus offered to his apostles. The Father's house means Heaven, the personal dwelling place of God and the holy angels, and the place where Jesus lived before coming to the earth. Mansions is from MONE, and Thayer defines it, "A staying, abiding, dwelling, abode: Joh 14:2." There is only one place called Heaven as the dwelling of God, and it was in existence before Jesus came to the earth. He therefore was not going away to build or create such an institution. But he was going to make arrangements for the residence of his apostles in that celestial city. If a man writes ahead to a hotel for reservations, he does not expect the managers to build some more rooms, but to reserve those already there for the use of the expected guests. That is what Jesus meant he was going to do when he said, I go to prepare a place for you. He was going to Heaven to make "reservations" for his apostles (as well as for all others who faithfully serve Him).

Verse 3

3 This verse sets forth the following truths. Jesus was going away from the world to his Father's house to prepare a place for his apostles. After making that preparation he was coming to get his apostles. The purpose for coming after his apostles was that they might be with Him in the place prepared for them in his Father's house. All of this allows but one conclusion, namely, the mansions promised in verse 2 are in Heaven and not on the earth.

Verse 4

4 This short verse has two important parts, namely, the place to which Jesus was going (to his Father's house in Heaven), and the way to reach that place with reference to those who would go there after Him. The apostles should have known all this from the abundance of teaching Jesus had given them through the past three years.

Verse 5

5 In spite of all the teaching Jesus had given them, they seemed to be rather confused. Hence Thomas said they did not even know where he was going, much less know the way to it. His memory certainly was dull, for Jesus had just told him he was going to his Father's house. As to the way in which they (and others) could follow him, Jesus had not spoken as definitely on that point, at least not so lately.

Verse 6

6 In answering the last question of Thomas, Jesus made his speech more general in its application. That is, he laid down the principle on which all must act who would reach that blest abode in the Father's house. I am the way was the answer, and he asserted that no man would be able to reach the Father except by the Son.

Verse 7

8 These were not new subjects, for Jesus had spoken to them many times along that same line. The human mind is sometimes very frail, especially when it is agitated. The shadow of sorrow over the near departure of their Lord, seemed to dull the thoughts of the apostles. This is directly indicated by what Jesus said in chapter 16:6. That is why Philip requested to see the Father, although Jesus had previously taught the principle that seeing Him was equivalent to seeing the Father.

Verse 9

9 Been so long time with you. Jesus selected his apostles in the early part of his public ministry (Mat 10:1-4), and hence Philip had enjoyed the advantage of that association all that time. It is significant that when Philip asked to be shown the Father, Jesus asked him if he did not know Him. Not that God and Christ are one in person, but they are one in purpose and spirit, and no man can treat or mistreat either one without doing the same thing to the other.

Verse 10

0 Since a father and his son are of kindred flesh, so the heavenly Father and his Son are thus closely related. In this sense they are in each other, though they are not the same person, even as an earthly father and son are not the same person. But if an earthly father and son were as united in character, purpose and spirit, as are God and Christ, than a man would need only to become acquainted with the son to learn the character of the father.

Verse 11

1 The strongest evidence of the divinity of Jesus was the work he was doing. He could not have accomplished his wonderful works without the aid of his Father. That is why he told the apostles they ought to believe him for the very works' sake.

Verse 12

2 The greater works the apostles were to perform were not what are commonly called miracles. Jesus had raised the dead, cast out devils and cured all manner of diseases. No greater miracles of that kind could be performed by anyone. The key to this statement of Jesus is in the words, because I go unto the Father. The absence of Jesus did not enable the apostles to do any miracle that was greater than the ones referred to above. But Jesus could not bring men and women into the church, because that institution was not in existence until He had gone unto the Father. After that, the apostles could and did bring people into the kingdom of Christ by the preaching of the Gospel. Those were the greater works that Jesus promised they would be able to do after he had gone to his Father.

Verse 13

4 To ask anything in the name of Jesus means to ask it by his authority. Jesus never asked anyone to do something that would have displeased his Father (Joh 8:29), therefore when he authorized his apostles to come for a favor or some assistance, the Father would see that it was granted.

Verse 15

5 This verse words the sentence in the form of a request or requirement. Verse 23 makes it more conclusive; places the keeping of the words of Jesus as proof that the apostles loved him.

Verse 16

6 This and the next verse contain a promise of the Holy Spirit to be sent to the apostles. This promise was made a number of times in the last hours that Jesus was with his apostles. It pertained to the same Spirit since there is but one (Ephe-sians 4:4), but its work through the apostles was so extensive, that Jesus referred to it in different forms of speech. I shall give the reader the several references on the subject which he may form into a chain if he wishes, as follows: Joh 14:16-17; Joh 14:26; Joh 15:26; Joh 16:7-15. I now resume my comments on the present paragraph. It was appropriate to call the Spirit a Comforter, because Jesus was about to leave his apostles and the Spirit would furnish them consolation in the absence of their Lord. For ever means "age-lasting," hence the Spirit was promised to abide with the apostles as long as they lived, as a personal guide. It was also to abide in connection with their work to the end of the Christian Age (Mat 28:20).

Verse 17

7 It was called the Spirit of truth because it was to guide the apostles into all truth (chapter 16:13). Whom the world cannot receive. None but the apostles were to receive the Holy Spirit in baptismal measure (except the special case of the household of Cornelius, which was temporary), and no one else was ever promised it in any measure until after he had come out of the world into the family of God (Gal 4:6; Act 5:32). Seeing him not. The world does not exercise its mental or spiritual eyes, by which only anyone could see the Holy Spirit.

Verse 18

8 The Greek word for comfortless is ORPHANOS, which is so much like our English word that a lexicon definition is unnecessary. In its application here it means that Jesus would not desert his apostles whom he considered his "little children" (chapter 13:33). I will come to you. This was to be fulfilled figuratively or spiritually by sending to them His representative, the Holy Spirit. It will be fulfilled personally when He comes to take them with him to the home he has gone to prepare (verse 3).

Verse 19

9 See is used in two senses, literal and figurative or spiritual. Jesus was to be slain the next day, and in a few weeks was to leave the earth. After that the world would lose sight of Him literally. But the apostles were to continue seeing him spiritually through the association made possibly by the Spirit. Because I live. This was to be fulfilled for Christ both bodily and spiritually. He was to come forth from the dead to die no more, and also was to live continuously in the church for which he died and in which all of his faithful disciples would live spiritually.

Verse 20

0 At that day ye shall know. The apostles had professed faith in the promises of Jesus, but when the power of the Spirit was bestowed upon them, they would have personal evidence of the divine truth of them all.

Verse 21

1 This is virtually explained at verse 15.

Verse 22

2 Not Iscariot is inserted to distinguish the two men of the name of Judas. This one was the same whose shorter form was Jude. Judas did not observe the difference between the material and the spiritual manner of being manifested, hence he asked Jesus the question reported in this verse.

Verse 23

3 Come . . . make our abode is explained in the first part of the verse. The spiritual association of God and Christ with the disciples, was to be based on the condition that they keep the words of Jesus.

Verse 24

4 As the love for Christ is proved by obedience to his sayings, so the failure to keep them requires an opposite conclusion. God and Christ are one in Spirit and purpose, hence to reject the words of Christ is the same as rejecting God.

Verse 25

5 As long as Jesus was with his apostles, he could keep them informed on the necessary subjects by personal conversation. But they were human and their memory would be uncertain, therefore they would need some kind of helper that could renew it after Jesus was personally gone. That called for another statement of the promise that Jesus had already made in verses 16, 17. The said statement will be seen in the next verse.

Verse 26

6 Comforter is from PARA-KLETOS, and Thayer defines it, "A helper, succorer, alder, assistant." He then explains his definition, "So of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to the deeper knowledge of gospel truth, and to give them the divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom." In view of the meaning of the Greek word, we can understand why the King James translators gave us "Comforter" in these passages. The apostles had been used to leaning on the counsel of Jesus for guidance, and to have that taken from them would give them a feeling of helplessness as well as loneliness. The Spirit would thus overcome this state of mind and really give them comfort. The inaccuracy of unaided human memory would have made the historical reports of the apostles rather uncertain. But with the guidance of the Spirit, they could relate the various conversations of Jesus with infallible accuracy.

Verse 27

7. The Greek word for peace is ETRENE, and its proper or general meaning is a state of mind that is satisfied. It does not mean that no trials or hardships were to be expected, for Jesus had frequently told his apostles that such experiences were to be their lot. Notwithstanding such conditions, the assurance that Jesus would care for them was to give them a peace of mind that the world could not give. Hence Jesus again bade them not to be troubled or agitated.

Verse 28

8 They should not rejoice over the fact of His absence, but because of what it would mean for him to be again with his Father. In other words, as a feeling of unselfishness, or "rejoicing with them that do rejoice" (Rom 12:15), they should be glad for his sake. Father is greater than I. Jesus and his Father were perfectly united in spirit and purpose, but there are many respects in which a parent is greater than his child, and Jesus recognized that truth.

Verse 29

9 I have told you. This is a general reference to the instances in which Jesus told his disciples of his departure from them. By telling them beforehand, they would be prepared for the shock. Also, when the sad affair came to pass, it would have the virtue of evidence based on fulfilled predictions.

Verse 30

0 This was the Lord's way of repeating what he had said before, namely, that his conversations with them would soon be ended. According to Luk 4:6; Joh 12:31; Joh 16:11; Eph 2:2, the prince of this world is Satan. Bath nothing in me. 1Jn 3:5 states that "in him [the Son of God] is no sin." There was nothing in the character of Jesus that was of interest to Satan, hence he determined to have Him removed from the world, and thus from the association with his apostles.

Verse 31

1 The wicked motive of Satan was to drive Jesus out of this world by a shameful and violent death. But the deed was to be turned into a demonstration of the love that Jesus had for the Father, in that he was willing to die to fulfill the will of his Father (Heb 10:7-9). Arise, let us go hence. This meant to arise from the table since the passover supper was over. But having given his apostles the consolation speech while still at the table, recorded in the preceding chapter, the Lord concluded to spend the few remaining hours he had left to be with them, by further instructions and admonitions. But while they left the table, there is no evidence that they left the room at once. That movement did not take place till chapter 18:1.