John 14

Jesus the Way to the Father

1-14 Jesus: Don’t be troubled; I am going to prepare a dwelling place for you. I’ll come to take you there; you know the way.

Thomas: We don’t even know where you’re going!

Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” If you know me, you’ll know the way and you’ll know my Father.

Philip: Lord, show us the Father.

Jesus: If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. I speak only the Father’s words. If you don’t believe that, at least believe my works – though those who believe in me will do even greater works, for I am going [back] to the Father. Just ask in my name, and I will do it for you.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

15-17 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I will ask the Father to send you another Advocate, the Holy Spirit of truth, though only you will know Him. This is Jesus’ way of introducing the Holy Spirit to his disciples – the person of the godhead we still don’t fully understand, because we can’t see him doing his work. He had alluded to the Spirit back in John 7:38, but, as 7:39 says, “…as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

18-24 I will not leave you as orphans. Though the world will no longer see me, you will, and you will know that “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” You will show you love me by keeping my commandments; you will be loved by the Father and by me, and I will reveal myself to you.

Judas (not Iscariot): How?

Jesus: When you keep my word, my Father and I will “make our home” with you. What a precious word picture Jesus has given us here!

25-31 The Holy Spirit will come to remind you of all that I have taught. I leave my peace with you. Do not be troubled nor afraid, but be happy that I am going back to my Father. I’m telling you this before it happens, so you will believe. Even though the ruler of the world has no power over me, I must do as the Father has commanded, so the world will know that I love the Father. Other translations translate this “the ruler of the world has nothing in me,” which might give a different meaning.

Coffman interprets it as Satan failing because instead of taking Jesus’ life, Jesus preempted him by laying down his life. Satan thought if he made the death shameful enough, Jesus wouldn’t go through with it, thereby ruining the whole scheme of redemption.

Gill says it means that Satan finds no fault in him – no reason to accuse him. He is to die, not because he deserves it nor because Satan has power over him, but because he chooses to die because he loves his Father.

Wesley: “No right, no claim, or power. There is no guilt in me, to give him power over me; no corruption to take part with his temptation.”

Another note: Just as Jesus teaches that we show our love through obedience, so he shows his love for the Father through obedience. (I don’t ever remember noticing this before.)