Following the experience of the last supper and the
prediction of Peter’s betrayal, Jesus brought comfort to His disciples with His
words regarding the reality of heaven and the certainty of His return. His
command, “Do not let your hearts be
troubled,” suggests that the disciples were deeply perplexed and frightened
in light of His previous discourse concerning His departure. Carson comments
that Christ’s words certainly evidence the fact that the disciples were “under
substantial emotional pressure” and “were on the brink of catastrophic failure”
[487]. Indeed,
the word translated “troubled” means
to be agitated or put in a state of great confusion. In the midst of such inner turmoil, however, the disciples were
enjoined by Christ to “Trust in God”
and to “trust also in me.” That is, their faith should rest in the one who
is God in the flesh—the same one they had been personally called to follow.
Further comfort is provided to the disciples with
the promise that “In my Father’s house,”
or heaven, the place where Christ was going, there are “many rooms.” The departure of Jesus from the earth following His
crucifixion and resurrection would afford Him with the opportunity to return to
the Father’s side where He would “prepare
a place” for them. Here, then,
the Lord promises His men that He will certainly see them again in heaven. His
going away, therefore, would not usher in a time permanent separation from His
beloved disciples but only a temporary period of waiting in hopeful
anticipation of the final consummation. The interesting use of the word “rooms” indicates a place of permanent
residence, much like a beautifully furnished apartment or other comparable
dwelling for each person. In such a location there would be no crowding, for
there are “many rooms” inside the
one house. Kostenberger suggests that this image of ample rooms may have also
“conjured up notions of luxurious Greco-Roman villas, replete with numerous
terraces and buildings and situated among shady gardens with an abundance of
trees and flowing water” [137].
Here Jesus connects the reality of His departure from the earth—“And if I go and prepare a place for you”—with the certainty of His glorious return—“I will come back and take you to be with me” (v. 3). The second guarantee, the promise of His return to earth, naturally depends upon the fact of His departure to His Father’s right hand. Simply put, if He does not leave, He could not return to “take” them back to His Father’s house where they will eternally “be where I am.”
That the disciples do, in fact, “know the way and the place” where
Christ was going (v.4) means that in knowing Him as they do they have all the
information they need concerning His route and destination. To know Christ, then, is to know both the
pathway (childlike trust and faith) and the destination (eternal life with the
Father in heaven).
At this point, “Thomas” raised the obvious objection—“we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (v. 5). This question provided Jesus with the platform from which to make another explicit (and perhaps His most famous) declaration regarding His identity—“I am the way and the truth and the life.” This is another one of the seven “I am” sayings uttered by Jesus. Interestingly, each of the three words, way, truth, and life, are preceded by the definite article in the original language.
· Jesus is “the life” – He is also the sole source and giver of real spiritual life (as opposed to death and separation from the grace and mercy of God).
To summarize, we might say that since Jesus is the
author of truth and the giver of life, He is able to serve as the only avenue
of access to the Father and to the “many
rooms” in the Father’s house [Carson, 491].
Jesus
Teaches the Disciples About God the Father (14:7-11)
Having just explained that access to the Father
comes only through the Son, Jesus calls upon the disciples to consider the
magnitude of His claim to divinity. If
the disciples “really knew” Jesus
they would, therefore, have knowledge of the Farther as well. In other words,
since the disciples did, in fact, know and understand (to some degree at least)
the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and divine Son of God they also knew God
the Father—“From now on, you do know him
and have seen him.”
Verses 8-11
In response to Jesus’ statement, Phillip asked Jesus
to “show us the Father and that will be
enough for us.” This request
betrayed the fact that the disciples at that time did not fully appreciate all
that Jesus was claiming concerning His relationship with God. Jesus’ reply to
Phillip—“Anyone who has seen me has seen
the Father”—fully clarifies this relationship. That Christ reminds them in verse 9 that they had enjoyed His
presence “among” them for “such a long time” reveals that they
should have come to a deeper understanding of this truth. Yet, for the sake of the men whom He deeply
loved, Jesus provided them with additional evidence of His divine sonship.
Jesus
Speaks of Greater Works and the Holy Spirit (14:12-14)
Here the Lord provides yet another comforting
promise for those who believe or have “faith
in” Him. After Christ has returned
to the Father the disciples can be assured that they will do “even greater things” than those accomplished by Jesus during the course
of His earthly ministry. These greater works of which Christ spoke have been
the subject of wide debate and conjecture.
While the exact identity of such works is not stated explicitly, we may
be on safe ground to assume that these certainly include the preaching of the
Word of God, the establishment of the church, and the worldwide dissemination
of the gospel leading ultimately to the conversion of the Gentiles. Such “greater
things” could be accomplished only after Christ’s passion, bodily
resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Note also that
the greater works are not limited to the original Twelve, but will be
experienced by “anyone who has faith in
me.”
Yet, the question remains as to how and in what
sense will the works of the apostles and subsequent disciples be “greater” than those of Christ. D. A.
Carson provides one explanation:
The signs and works Jesus
performed during his ministry could not fully accomplish their true end until
after Jesus had risen from the dead and been exalted. Only at that point could they be seen for what they were. By
contrast, the works believers are given to do through the power of the
eschatological Spirit, after Jesus’ glorification, will be set in the framework
of Jesus’ death and triumph, and will therefore more immediately and truly
reveal the Son [496].
These verses reveal that the context or setting for
the performance of the “greater things”
is prayer. However, it is not simply prayer alone, but prayers that are
faithfully offered in the “name” of
Jesus. Here Jesus pointedly declares
that “whatever you ask” will be done
in order that “the Son may bring glory
to the Father.” Therefore, the ultimate aim of such praying is the
exaltation of the God who not only hears our prayers, but also answers them in
grace and power.
The prayers to which Christ is referring are not selfish,
but are in the interest of God’s Kingdom.
This is seen in the restriction “whatever
you ask in my name.” Prayer that is
offered to God in the name of Jesus does not “involve magical incantations but
rather expresses alignment of one’s desires and purposes with God” [Kostenberger,
139]. Furthermore,
they are prayed in faith and in full submission to God’s will accompanied by
the recognition that access to the Father comes only through Christ. As such, they will always be answered—“You may ask me for anything in my name and
I will do it” (v. 14).
One: The sure cure for a
troubled heart—Disciples are certainly not immune from inner turmoil,
perplexing questions, and even doubt regarding salvation and the things of
God. Yet, according to verses
1-4 there is an effective cure available for every child of God. What
is it?
Two: The exclusive and narrow
truth about salvation—A popular maxim declares that in the end, all
religions ultimately lead to God. Another way this is expressed is found in the
claim that God is not so narrow-minded and egotistical to demand that all
people must come to Him through Jesus. However, in light of verse
6 how do these popular beliefs measure up? Are Christ’s words to be interpreted in such a restrictive
fashion? To what other passages can you
appeal to defend your answer?
Three: The place and purpose of
evidence—In verse 11 Jesus calls upon Philip to believe in Him based upon
the “evidence of the miracles.” In presenting
and defending the faith, what evidence may we appeal to? What are some of the
inherent strengths and weaknesses of an evidential approach to evangelism?
Four: The privilege and power of
prayer—Based upon verses 13-14, what are some lessons
or truths about prayer that we must be mindful of? Why is prayer such a hard discipline to engage in? Why do we so frequently struggle with really
believing that God will hear and answer our prayers?