John 14
People's New Testament
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
14:1 Jesus Comforts His Disciples

SUMMARY OF JOHN 14:

Belief as a Solace of Troubled Hearts. The House of Many Mansions. Christ the Way. Christ the Manifestation of the Father. Asking in Christ's Name. How to Find the Father. The Test of Love. The Benediction of Peace.

Let not your heart be troubled. Just before him was Gethsemane, the denial, the mock trial, the scouring and the cross; but with these in full view, such are the wonders of his love that he does not think of himself. He does not ask comfort, but he gives it. His heart is full of the sorrow of his disciples over his departure.

Believe also in me. They had believed in him, but they were so confused over the prospect of his death and departure, they stumbled. He bids them to believe in him as they believed in God; to trust him even if they did not comprehend; to walk by faith rather than by sight through the darkness of that hour. To understand these words, the confusion, sorrow and despair of his disciples over his death must not be forgotten.

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.
14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions. By the Father's house is meant the heavenly abode. He is about to return there, from whence he had come.

I go to prepare a place for you. If the separation was to be an eternal one, he would have forewarned them. Rather, he goes before to prepare a home for them where they can all be together. The departure of Jesus was needful to open an entrance to them and use.

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.
14:3 I will come again, and receive you unto myself. The reference is not to Christ's return from the grave, but to a return from heaven, the second coming of the Lord, which is a part of the Christian faith. Compare 1Th 4:17 Php 1:23.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. This is said in reply to Thomas. Without him there would be no Way revealed; no divine and saving truth, no immortal life.

No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Not only can no one enter the Father's house without him, but no man can come to the Father on earth so as to enjoy his favor. There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved (Ac 4:12).

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. The great truth declared is that the way to study God and know him is to know Christ.

From henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. From the cross. On the next morning they would see Christ dying. From the sepulcher would burst forth upon their minds a new revelation of the character and mission of the Son.

Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
14:8 Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Philip fails to comprehend that the Father was to be seen in Christ, and when the Lord declares that henceforth they have seen the Father, he at once requests such a revelation.
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, Shew us the Father?
14:9 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Philip wanted a literal sight of God with the natural eyes, when God incarnate had been present with him for three years, manifesting the mind, the purity, the saving power, the fatherly tenderness, the unutterable love of the Father.
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.
14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? There was the completest union of the personalities of the Son and the Father. We may never on earth comprehend fully its nature, but we can understand it to be so complete that he was the manifestation of God in the flesh (Col 2:9).
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
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.
14:12 Greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Those who believe shall have power given to do works, in some respects greater; not greater miracles, but to effect greater moral and spiritual revolutions. At the time of his death, as far as we know, he had only about five hundred disciples (1Co 15:6), but he went to his Father and shed forth the things seen and heard on Pentecost (Ac 2:33), and the eleven apostles converted three thousand in a single day (Ac 2:41).
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14:13,14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. What man would dare to make such a promise? It will be noted, that in order to enjoy the fullness of these glorious promises we must, (1) Believe. They are limited thus in Joh 14:12. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (2) We must ask in his name, or, in dependence upon the merit and intercession of Christ. (3) As shown elsewhere, we must come with a spirit of complete submission to the Father's will, feeling that his will is best, and saying in our hearts, Thy will be done (Mt 6:10 Lu 11:2).
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
14:13,14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. What man would dare to make such a promise? It will be noted, that in order to enjoy the fullness of these glorious promises we must, (1) Believe. They are limited thus in Joh 14:12. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (2) We must ask in his name, or, in dependence upon the merit and intercession of Christ. (3) As shown elsewhere, we must come with a spirit of complete submission to the Father's will, feeling that his will is best, and saying in our hearts, Thy will be done (Mt 6:10 Lu 11:2).
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Keeping the commandments will be the result if we love him. The Revised Version gives the true idea: If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. Obedience is the fruit of love.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
14:16 I will pray the Father. Rather, request. The Greek word eratao is not the one used when we are bidden to pray; proseuchomai is. The creature prays; the Son requests.

He shall give you another Comforter. The Holy Spirit; the Helper. The latter word more nearly expresses the idea of the Greek term parakletos than the word Comforter.

Abide with you for ever. The Lord had been with them over three years, but is about to depart. Henceforth he will abide with them, not in person, but by the Holy Spirit that he shall send. Through this agency he will be with his people always.

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.
14:17 The Spirit of truth. So called, because he leads into all truth, and speaks the truth. See Joh 17:19 1Co 2:4 1Th 1:5. He also bears witness of the truth. See Ac 2:4 5:32 Heb 2:4.

Whom the world cannot receive. Because he only dwells in a heart prepared for him by faith and obedience. God gives the Holy Spirit to them who obey him (Ac 5:32). See Joh 7:38.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
14:18,19 I will not leave you comfortless. They shall not be left desolate by his departure, because he will come again (Joh 14:3,28) to be with them always, in the Spirit. He will be a living Savior, and they will have his life.
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
14:18,19 I will not leave you comfortless. They shall not be left desolate by his departure, because he will come again (Joh 14:3,28) to be with them always, in the Spirit. He will be a living Savior, and they will have his life.
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
14:20 At that day ye shall know. That day began on Pentecost. There was no more doubting after the Holy Spirit was sent. That day still comes to every soul that wholly surrenders to the will of Christ (Joh 7:17).
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.
14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, etc. The conditions on which Christ will be present in each soul, seen, and enjoyed, are here given: (1) One must love Christ; (2) so love him that he will obey from the heart his commandments; (3) this loving, obedient soul will be loved of the Father; (4) Christ will love him; (5) both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to him; (6) this manifestation is by their coming and abiding in him through the Helper.
Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, etc. The conditions on which Christ will be present in each soul, seen, and enjoyed, are here given: (1) One must love Christ; (2) so love him that he will obey from the heart his commandments; (3) this loving, obedient soul will be loved of the Father; (4) Christ will love him; (5) both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to him; (6) this manifestation is by their coming and abiding in him through the Helper.
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.
14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, etc. The conditions on which Christ will be present in each soul, seen, and enjoyed, are here given: (1) One must love Christ; (2) so love him that he will obey from the heart his commandments; (3) this loving, obedient soul will be loved of the Father; (4) Christ will love him; (5) both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to him; (6) this manifestation is by their coming and abiding in him through the Helper.
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.
14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, etc. The conditions on which Christ will be present in each soul, seen, and enjoyed, are here given: (1) One must love Christ; (2) so love him that he will obey from the heart his commandments; (3) this loving, obedient soul will be loved of the Father; (4) Christ will love him; (5) both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to him; (6) this manifestation is by their coming and abiding in him through the Helper.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
14:21-23 He that hath my commandments, etc. The conditions on which Christ will be present in each soul, seen, and enjoyed, are here given: (1) One must love Christ; (2) so love him that he will obey from the heart his commandments; (3) this loving, obedient soul will be loved of the Father; (4) Christ will love him; (5) both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to him; (6) this manifestation is by their coming and abiding in him through the Helper.
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.
14:26 The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. More correctly, Holy Spirit.

He shall teach you all things. A special promise to the apostles, which fitted them to preach the Gospel authoritatively and leave behind them the records of the New Testament.

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.
14:27 Peace I leave with you. A parting benediction. That night he was to be seized and taken from them.
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.
14:28 If ye loved me, ye would rejoice. A gentle rebuke. Their desire that he should not go away was due, in part at least, to selfish motives.
And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
14:28 If ye loved me, ye would rejoice. A gentle rebuke. Their desire that he should not go away was due, in part at least, to selfish motives.
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
14:30 The prince of this world cometh. The worldly powers of which Satan is prince.
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.
14:31 That the world may know that I love the Father. His obedience in the hour of trial demonstrated that he so loved the Father that he sought not his own, but the Father's will.
The People's New Testament by B.W. Johnson [1891]

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