John Fourteen

by Dr. Henry M. Morris

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:2 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.

my Father's house. The Father's “house” is where we shall dwell forever (Psalm 23:6). It is also “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19) and corresponds to the “holy city” (Revelation 21:2) which will be placed on the new earth as our eternal home. Its dimensions are given (see note on Revelation 21:16), and it is amply large to provide many “mansions.” This word is used only one other time, in John 14:23, referring to the “abode” where the Father and the Son will also dwell with the believer.

a place. Thus heaven is a “place,” not merely a state of mind, or some sort of fifth dimension. It is a physical place in God's eternal cosmos.

John 14:3 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.

I will come again. Although Christ had discussed His second coming on several previous occasions, this was the first time He had applied it personally to His disciples. He Himself would come to receive them!

there ye may be also. Then we shall “ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

John 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I am the way. This is the sixth of Jesus' great “I am” assertions and, no less than the others, is a clear claim of deity.

the life. He did not come to show us the way, teach us the truth and give us the life, though He does all of this. He is the Way to God, the Truth of God, and the Life in God.

unto the Father. The exclusiveness of this claim is a stumblingblock to those who are supposedly searching for truth, or who desire a different kind of life some other way. It is probably the main reason why Christians are persecuted by others. Nevertheless, one cannot be a Christian and believe otherwise, for “there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christians are not being unloving when they try to win others to Christ, for they know that those others are eternally lost without Him.

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

John 14:9 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, Show us the Father?

John 14:10 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.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

John 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.

greater works than these. The works of the believer are not greater in quality (i.e., miracles) but in quantity, for we are to go into all the world with His saving gospel.

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

in my name. The phrase “in Jesus' name” is not just a formula with which to conclude our prayers, although that is certainly appropriate. It carries the sense of “as my agent,” thus seeking to do His will. Thus, John says later: “If we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us” and only then do “we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (xTerm 5:14-15). It is significant that Jesus followed this amazing promise with the admonition to “keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

another Comforter. The “Comforter” (Greek parakletos, meaning “called alongside”) is, of course, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune Godhead. Although He is mentioned in many ways in the Old Testament (first of all, as the Energizer of the physical creation, Genesis 1:2), and also in the earlier chapters of the four gospels, this is the first explicit promise that He would be coming to be with the believer, taking the place of the Son, who would be returning to the Father. Having taken a human body, the Son cannot be omnipresent, but the Spirit is omnipresent, and thus Christ can continue to be with each believer through His Holy Spirit.

John 14:17 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.

Spirit of truth. The “Spirit of Truth” inspired the Holy Scriptures (1 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 1:21); therefore they are altogether true and righteous (Psalm 19:9).

in you. The Holy Spirit frequently guided and energized the people of God in ancient times, but, with the death and resurrection of Christ, the way was open for Him to indwell every believer permanently (1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9).

John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

because I live. The future resurrection of the body of each believer is thus assured by Christ's own bodily resurrection from the dead.

John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

John 14:21 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.

John 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

John 14:23 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.

keep my words. The measure of our love for Christ is whether we keep (i.e., guard and obey) His Word and keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21-24; see also xTerm 2:5, 17; 4:17-20).

our abode. “Abode” is the same word as “mansion” in John 14:2, and these are the only two occurrences of the word in the New Testament. Even though each redeemed one will have his own “mansion” in the New Jerusalem, the indwelling presence of the triune God (even now a reality through the Holy Spirit) will continue dwelling in the same “abode” with us throughout eternity (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

John 14:24 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.

John 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

John 14:26 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.

remembrance. John wrote his gospel, and the detailed discourses of Jesus recorded therein, approximately fifty years after the events occurred, yet he was able to recall and reproduce them all by the supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The same would have been true for the other New Testament writers. We can be confident, therefore, in view of this promise, as well as the many assurances of inspiration of the Old Testament (e.g., 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21) that our entire Bible is altogether true and trustworthy.

John 14:27 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.

John 14:28 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.

John 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

John 14:31 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.