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John Chapter Fourteen

 

I. Content of the Chapter

 

The Great Departure and Coming of the Son of God the Savior

  A. His Great Departure:

1. The purpose of His departure ---- prepare a place (v.1-3).

2. The way of His departure ---- ¡§I AM¡¨ (v.4-6).

3. Where He left for ---- ¡§the Father¡¨ (v.7-11).

4. The result of His departure ---- He left His believers to do things greater than He will do (v.12-15).

  B. His Mysterious Coming:

1. Through which He will come ---- another Helper (v.15-20).

2. To whom He will come ---- he who loves the Lord and keeps the Lord¡¦s word (v.21-24).

  C. His Departure was His Coming:

1. The Lord told His disciples His departure while being present with them. And His disciples will understand it in the future (v.25-26).

2. The disciples will have peace and joy after the Lord¡¦s departure (v.27-28).

3. When what the Lord had told the disciples before came to pass they might believe (v.29).

4. The ruler of this world is coming and it is time to go (v.30-31).

 

II. Verse by Verse commentary

 

John. 14:1 ¡§"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God believe also in Me.¡¨

   YLT: ¡§`Let not your heart be troubled believe in God also in me believe;¡¨

Meaning of Words: ¡§troubled¡¨: agitated;

   Literal Meaning: ¡§Let not your heart be troubled¡¨ ¡§you¡¨ refers to the Lord¡¦s disciples. Their heart was troubled for two reasons: (1) the Lord would depart from them (see 13:33). (2) They felt worried about their forthcoming state.

    ¡§You believe in God believe also in Me.¡¨ ---- ¡§Believe in¡¨ such believing is subjectively not objectively. Here the Lord mentioned ¡§God¡¨ and ¡§Him¡¨ together suggesting that He (Christ) is God who is omnipresent and never restricted by time and space.

Enlightenment in the Word:

    1) ¡§Let not your heart be troubled¡¨ in fact the most troubled one was the Lord Himself. However He comforted His disciples with good words. How considerable the Lord to others was!

    2) In the other three Books of Gospels they all recorded the prayer of the Lord in Gethsemane (see Matt 26:37-38; Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). Only in this book the Lord even spared his efforts to comfort His disciples because of His distinct status of ¡§the Son of God¡¨ in this book from that in other three books. Though the Lord has infirmity in His humanity how surpassing He is in His divinity. 

     3) This verse shows us a way of being delivered out of ¡§trouble¡¨ ---- to believe in God and Christ. Only being hid in God and Christ will prevent one from being attacked by the sadness. Faith that dissipates our grief is our health.

     4) When you are disturbed by some grief if you lift up your believing eyes you will see the brilliant and glorious rainbow in the clouds of sadness.

     5) ¡§You believe in God believe also in Me.¡¨ ---- It indicates that if a man believes God he must believe the Lord. To believe Christ is to believe God. In other words he who does not believe Christ does not believe God (see 1John2:28; 5:10).

 

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.¡¨

   YLT: ¡§in the house of my Father are many mansions; and if not I would have told you; I go on to prepare a place for you;¡¨

Meaning of Words: ¡§mansion¡¨: residence abode;

   Literal Meaning: ¡§In My Father's house are many mansions¡¨ ¡§My Father's house¡¨ refers to the dwelling (temple) of God. God not only dwells in the heaven and dwell in Christ as well (see v.10-11; 8:16 29; 10:38). God took the physical body of Christ as His residence however the spiritual body of Christ had been established through His death and resurrection (see 2:19-21). At present the church as a whole is the house of God and the habitation of God in Spirit (see Eph 2:21-22). However the physical body of every individual Christian is also the house of God as well as the habitation of God in Spirit (see 1Cor 3:16-17; 6:19). Therefore there are ¡§many mansions¡¨ in My Father's house.

¡§I go to prepare a place for you.¡¨ ---- The departure of the Lord Jesus meant that He left His disciples through His corporeal death. ¡§Prepare¡¨ indicated that there was an interval of a period of time. Actually the Lord Jesus rose up three days after His death. ¡§Place¡¨ refers to the church produced by His death and resurrection.

The church is neither the physical building nor the religious organization but a sort of spiritual organism which is not composed of the flesh and blood. The death of the Lord Jesus is to deliver us out of the corruption of sins yet His resurrection makes us become partakers of His divine nature and life (see 2 Pet 1:4).

The church is on one hand ¡§the house of God¡¨ (see 1 Tim 3:15) and God dwells therein. On the other it is the gather of the household of God (see Eph 2:19) where believers live and walk. In other words the church is the place where God abides with believers together. Therefore the Lord¡¦s death and resurrection is the necessary process of preparing a place for us.

   Controversial Clarification: ¡§In My Father's house are many mansions¡¨ according to the traditional interpretation of the Christianity they held that it indicated that there were sufficient places for believers to dwell in the heavens of God the Father. Although we could not say it was absolutely wrong it still might carry other meanings according to what the Lord Jesus spoke here:

1.    In this chapter the Lord¡¦s ¡§departure¡¨ was for the purpose of His ¡§coming¡¨. He had mentioned that ¡§I will come again (v.3)¡¨ ¡§I will come to you (v.8)¡¨ ¡§at that day (v.20)¡¨ ¡§We will come to him and make Our home with him (v.23)¡¨ ¡§I am going away and coming back to you¡¨ (v.28) and etc. All the above refer to His coming to His believers in the state of the indwelling spirit after His death and resurrection not the second coming in the last day.

2.    The Lord Jesus in this chapter promised the believers that for the sake of His ¡§going¡¨ and ¡§coming¡¨ afterwards they could enjoyed many spiritual advantages on the earth when they still lived rather than after their death.

3.    The Lord said: ¡§you in Me and I in you (v.20)¡¨. It means the Lord abides with us together which can be practically experienced when we still live on the earth.

4.    The Lord also said: ¡§We (God and Christ) will come to him and make Our home with him (v.23).¡¨ The word ¡§home¡¨ was the same word as ¡§mansion¡¨ in this verse which proved that the places that the Lord has prepared by His death and resurrection had been fulfilled from the earth.

Therefore we may interpret the meanings of ¡§many mansions¡¨ according to the view of the whole chapter. 

Enlightenment in the Word:

    1) Just like Christ today is in the heaven and also on the earth. The places that He has prepared for us are both in the heaven and on the earth. Such place is none other than the church.

    2) The church is the ¡§house of the Father¡¨ so it is heavenly. Everything in the church should originate from the heaven and be unto the heaven.

    3) Every true believer is the ¡§house¡¨ of the divine Trinity.

    4) The word ¡§mansion¡¨ in the original embraces a meaning of ¡§step by step¡¨. The more one¡¦s spiritual life has increased the more the spiritual blessings he will enjoy.

 

John. 14:3 ¡§And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also.¡¨

   YLT: ¡§and if I go on and prepare for you a place again do I come and will receive you unto myself that where I am ye also may be;¡¨

Meaning of Words: ¡§receive¡¨: associate with oneself take;

   Literal Meaning: ¡§if I go and prepare a place for you¡¨ ¡§if¡¨ can be interpreted as ¡§since¡¨ or ¡§mean¡¨ not ¡§suppose¡¨.

¡§I will come again.¡¨ ---- ¡§Come again¡¨ does not mean the second coming of the Lord (see 1The 4:16-17) but His coming in the spirit after His death and resurrection (see v.18-19; 20:19-22).

¡§If I go¡KI will come again¡¨ it proved that the Lord¡¦s ¡§departure¡¨ was for the purpose of His ¡§coming¡¨. Jesus had to ¡§go¡¨ in His flesh so that Christ could ¡§come¡¨ in spirit. The Lord went for the purpose of fulfilling the salvation. Christ ¡§came¡¨ to give His life. 

¡§Receive you to Myself¡¨ it does not mean receiving us to the heaven. If so we should go there after death. ¡§Myself¡¨ refers to Christ Himself like what the Lord had said later: ¡§you in me¡¨ (v.20).

¡§Where I am there you may be also.¡¨ ---- Coming to the believers in spirit the Lord receives all of them in Him (see v.20) and He is in God the Father (v.10-11). Therefore believers in Him have been brought in God the Father (see v.23).

Enlightenment in the Word:

    1) The church is in: (1) Christ (see 6:56); (2) God the Father (see 1 The 1:1).

    2) ¡§Where I am there you may be also.¡¨ ---- Where there is the presence of the Lord there is the heaven. As long as there is the presence of the Lord believers shall enjoy ¡§the spiritual reality on the earth just like in the heaven¡¨.

    3) ¡§Where I am there you may be also.¡¨ ---- Christ has really seated Himself at his right hand in the heavenly after His death and resurrection so we can sit down together in the heavenly in Him (see Eph 2:6). Christ on one hand lives on the earth as well as a man of the heaven on the other.

    4) If we believers really seat ourselves in the heavenly with the Lord we should have the heavenly insight life and utterance and shall never be under the power of any earthly things.

    5) The greatest consolation of man is abiding with his beloved. The greatest of a believer is abiding with the Lord who loves us.

 

John. 14:4 ¡§And where I go you know and the way you know."¡¨

   YLT: ¡§and whither I go away ye have known and the way ye have known.'¡¨

   Literal Meaning: ¡§where I go you know¡¨ for the Lord had ever told them that He would return to God the Father (see 7:33; 13:3).

    ¡§The way you know¡¨ ¡§way¡¨: method. At that moment the disciples might have known that they have none other way to go to God the Father than that they should believe in the Lord Jesus (see 3:36).

Enlightenment in the Word: as regards a certain spiritual matter we shall know it from the outward objective knowledge to the inward subjective one which can be counted the true knowledge. Otherwise we will know Him only in vagueness like Thomas (see v.5).

 

John. 14:5 ¡§Thomas said to Him "Lord we do not know where You are going and how can we know the way?"¡¨

   YLT: ¡§Thomas saith to him `Sir we have not known whither thou goest away and how are we able to know the way?'¡¨

Literal Meaning: Thomas an ingrained skeptic (see v.25) was bound by the material attitudes so he could not follow the revelation of the Lord Jesus.

Enlightenment in the Word: our natural concept may often prevent us from knowing the spiritual things of God.

 

John. 14:6 ¡§Jesus said to him "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.¡¨

   YLT: ¡§Jesus saith to him `I am the way and the truth and the life no one doth come unto the Father if not through me;¡¨

        Literal Meaning: ¡§I am the way the truth and the life¡¨. ---- The three definite articles (¡§the¡¨) indicate that the way the truth and the life refer to something in particular. ¡§The way¡¨ refers to the way to God (see 1:51). ¡§The truth¡¨ shows that one can know God through truth (see v.18). ¡§The life¡¨ refers to the divine right of enjoying God (see v.12).

Since the Fall in the Garden of Eden men had been completely isolated from God. There would be possibility for man to draw near God again only if these three problems as below had been resolved: (1) there should be a right way for man. (2) Man should know the truth. (3) Man should have the life of God. There are many ways on the earth but none of them led to God for man. There may be much truth on the earth which however can not help man to know God. There are various kinds of life none of which is the life of God. Therefore no one can draw near God.

Verily the Lord Jesus Himself is the way. His physical body was broken on the cross dedicating for us a new and living way which enabling us to draw near God (see Heb 10:20). Verily He is the truth and the truth of God has been declared through Him (see 1:18). Moreover verily He is life and we have obtained the life through Him (see 20:31). Therefore once we have believed Jesus is the Son of God and received Him as our savior the three problems of drawing near God ---- the way the truth and the life ---- have been resolved for us overall and thus we can come to God and cry ¡§Abba Father¡¨.

¡§No one comes to the Father except through Me.¡¨ ---- ¡§Come to the Father¡¨ having been the way the truth and the life of us the Lord has purposed to take us to return to the Father not the heaven.

Enlightenment in the Word:

    1) There are many religions in the world almost all of which believe there is god. However it does not equal to having true contact with the living and true God. The greatest difference between Christianity and other religions is that Christianity has Christ who is the way so that they can enter the fellowship with the true God. However other religions have no way. Therefore no matter how they worship it is still of vanity.

    2) One can come to God and draw near Him through only Christ neither any doctrine nor any method nor any work.

    3) The way is employed to walk in. If a man knows only where the way goes but never walks in it personally he will never arrive at the destination. If a man has not received Christ he can never draw near God. 

    4) When we believe and receive Jesus Christ as our savior we begin to walk in the spiritual way. He will present us perfect in the heavenly Father.

    5) Only Christ is the truth all the other logics concerning god is wrong. Any truth without Christ is not truth.

    6) Christ is the truth. He not only teaches the truth and He is the truth of Himself. What He is and has done and has spoken are all truth. If a man wants to know more about the truth he should know more about Christ and experience Him.

    7) Christ is the reality (another meaning of ¡§truth¡¨ in the original) of all divine things. Only through experiencing Christ one can experience all the divine things.

    8) Christ is life. The growth of our spiritual life is none other than that ¡§He must increase but I must decrease (see v.3:30).¡¨

    9) Without the way men do not know how to walk. Without the truth men do not know what he should believe. Without the life men cannot live.

    10) Believers are walking in the way of Christ ---- believing this truth and receiving this life.

  11) ¡§No one comes to the Father except through Me.¡¨ ---- And salvation is in none other for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

 

John. 14:7 ¡§"If you had known Me you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." ¡¨

YLT: ¡§if ye had known me my Father also ye would have known and from this time ye have known Him and have seen Him.'¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§If you had known Me you would have known My Father also.¡¨ ---- Christ the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father has declared the Father (see v.1:18). Therefore as long as one has known Christ he will know the Father.

  ¡§And have seen Him¡¨ it does not mean one has seen the substance of God but the divine nature of God ---- holiness righteousness mercy love-kindness and etc (see Col 1:15; 2:9; Heb1:3).

 

John. 14:8 ¡§Philip said to Him "Lord show us the Father and it is sufficient for us." ¡¨

YLT: ¡§Philip saith to him `Sir shew to us the Father and it is enough for us;'¡¨

Meaning of Words: ¡§sufficient¡¨: content enough;

Literal Meaning: Philip was probably eager to see God with his corporeal eyes. Such idea however was false.

Enlightenment in the Word: believers will feel sufficient if they really have seen God in spirit.

 

John. 14:9 ¡§Jesus said to him "Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say "Show us the Father'?¡¨

YLT: ¡§Jesus saith to him `So long time am I with you and thou hast not known me Philip? he who hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how dost thou say Shew to us the Father?¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§He who has seen Me has seen the Father.¡¨ ---- It indicated that the disciples had surely seen the divine virtues in the Lord Jesus.

 

John. 14:10 ¡§Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. ¡¨

YLT: ¡§Believest thou not that I in the Father and the Father is in me? the sayings that I speak to you from myself I speak not and the Father who is abiding in me Himself doth the works;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§Do you not believe?¡¨ ---- Believing is significantly essential for a man to see the spiritual things.

  ¡§But the Father who dwells in Me does the works¡¨ it indicated that the Lord did not live by his outward life but God the Father who is in Him.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) Many believers like Philip usually enjoy the presence of the Lord but do not know the Lord Himself who are with us.

     2) The Lord¡¦s life on the earth and His words and deeds are the example of we Christians ---- we shall live by the guidance of the indwelling God in us.

 

John. 14:11 ¡§Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.¡¨

YLT: ¡§believe me that I in the Father and the Father in me; and if not because of the works themselves believe me.¡¨

Literal Meaning: the Lord in this verse means that the disciples have to believe He is in God and God in Him since they have seen His works for His words and deeds are out of God.

 

John. 14:12 ¡§"Most assuredly I say to you he who believes in Me the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father.¡¨

YLT: ¡§`Verily verily I say to you he who is believing in me the works that I do -- that one also shall do and greater than these he shall do because I go on to my Father;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§and greater works than these he will do¡¨ there are two meanings of the ¡§greater works¡¨: (1) greater range (see Matt 28:18-20); (2) greater effect (see Act 2:41).

 

John. 14:13 ¡§And whatever you ask in My name that I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.¡¨

YLT: ¡§and whatever ye may ask in my name I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§whatever you ask in My name¡¨ it means ¡§you are in My name¡¨ in Greek. The Lord¡¦s name is the Lord Himself so ¡§in the Lord¡¦s name¡¨ means ¡§in the Lord be jointed to the Lord and draw the right of the Lord.¡¨

  ¡§That the Father may be glorified in the Son¡¨ all the things accomplished by the Lord in His name have manifested the nature of God the Father so that men can see God the Father through us and thus God has been glorified.

  This verse has revealed three matters as below: (1) believers should be jointed to the Lord (in the Lord¡¦s name) so that their prayers will be efficacious. (2) Believers pray and the Lord works. (3) Prayers can be answered and are purposed to glorify God.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) This verse can be regarded as the explanation of verse 12. Believers in the New Testament will ¡§do greater things¡¨ than those the Lord will do which will be accomplished by prayers. Obviously what the believers have done is still done by the Lord (see 15:5).

     2) Prayer in the name of the Lord means that we are jointed to the Lord in what we have prayed. The Lord¡¦s need is ours and ours are His. Only such prayer is acceptable to the will of the Lord and is easy to be answered and fulfilled by the Lord.

     3) We should not pray by ourselves before God for the natural life of us is unacceptable before God. We should pray in the name of the Lord as well as in the Lord so that our prayers shall be granted. 

     4) If we want to supplicate in the Lord¡¦s name we should have intimate fellowship with Him. Otherwise we cannot understand the will of the Lord. The more we are intimate with the Lord the more we will know about His will.

 

John. 14:14 ¡§If you ask anything in My name I will do it.¡¨

YLT: ¡§if ye ask anything in my name I will do .¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§I will do it.¡¨ ---- ¡§I¡¨ refers to the Lord Jesus. Some Bible exegetes hold that this verse is a proof for believers in the New Testament that they can pray to the Lord Jesus directly.

 

John. 14:15 ¡§"If you love Me keep My commandments.¡¨

YLT: ¡§`If ye love me my commands keep ¡¨

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) That a man knows the commandment of the Lord can not prove that he loves the Lord. Only keeping the Lord¡¦s commandment shows that one loves the Lord truly.

     2) Love without obedience is dead. The more one loves the more he keeps the Lord¡¦s commandment.

     3) Yes if a man has been drawn near by the Lord he cannot help from not loving the Lord. Keeping the Lord¡¦s commandment for the one who loves the Lord is voluntary and easy. May we love the Lord more and keep more His commandments.

 

John. 14:16 ¡§And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever--¡¨

YLT: ¡§and I will ask the Father and another Comforter He will give to you that he may remain with you -- to the age;¡¨

Meaning of Words: ¡§Helper¡¨: beside caller friend Advocate comforter persuader counselor Legal Helper Intercessor and strengthener;

Literal Meaning: ¡§I will pray the Father¡¨ the word of ¡§pray¡¨ is interrogate in Greek which is not ¡§asking¡¨ like the subordinate to the superior (see v.13-14) but beseeching another one ¡§in an equal status¡¨.

  ¡§He will give you another Helper.¡¨ ---- ¡§Another¡¨ does not mean another category but another one of the same category. ¡§Helper¡¨ means ¡§a man is called to help another one¡¨ in Greek. This word in the juridical situation refers to the man who accompanies the parties to appear in court and takes care of all the affairs concerned the case. Such man¡¦s work is intercession vindication exhortation preservation and consolation.

    ¡§Helper¡¨ has appeared five times in the New Testament in Greek ---- four of which refers to the Holy Spirit (see v.14:26; 15:26; 16:7) and another one is ¡§advocate (see 1John2:1)¡¨ which refers to the Lord Jesus. The Lord is our ¡§helper¡¨. When we are stumbled or commit sins He is our advocate helper and intercessor before the Father (see 1John 2:1¡FRom8:34; Heb7:25). The Holy Spirit is the other ¡§helper¡¨ of us and abides with us forever. When we are infirm discouraged ignorant and blind the Holy Spirit is our helper leader and intercessor (see Rom 8:26-27).

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) The Holy Spirit ---- the embodiment of Christ ---- substantiates Christ into the believers accompanies us serves us and takes care of all our need.

     2) The Holy Spirit looks after us in every possible way. Whatever we need it will grant us perfectly and abundantly.

     3) Now the Lord is the Spirit but where the Spirit of Lord liberty (2Cor 3:17).

 

John. 14:17 ¡§the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¡¨

YLT: ¡§the Spirit of truth whom the world is not able to receive because it doth not behold him nor know him and ye know him because he doth remain with you and shall be in you.¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§the Spirit of truth¡¨ there are several reasons why the spirit is the spirit of truth: (1) the Holy Spirit moves men to speak the words of God (see 2Pet 1:21). (2) The Holy Spirit never leads a man to the spirit of error (see 1John 4:6). (3) The Holy Spirit bears witness of Christ who is the truth (see v.6 15:26). (4) The Holy Spirit will lead men into the truth (see 16:13).

  ¡§Whom the world cannot receive¡¨ the world is of the flesh so the Holy Spirit cannot abide with them (see Gen6:3). Only the Holy Spirit will bring demonstration to the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment (see 16:8). Only the one who receives such working of the Holy Spirit can obtain the indwelling spirit.

  ¡§He will be in you¡¨ the works of the Spirit in the New Testament are distinct from that in the Old Testament. Today the Spirit dwells with us and never leaves. However in the Old Testament it only occasionally fell upon the men who were specially chosen for some divine ministries e.g. the prophet the priest the king the judge and etc.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) ¡§The Spirit of truth¡¨ the Holy Spirit is the ¡§reality¡¨ (another translation of the ¡§truth¡¨ in Greek) of Christ. The greatest work of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness of Christ ---- to substantiate Christ into the believers and make us know and experience Christ (see 1John5:6 20).

     2) ¡§For He dwells with you and will be in you.¡¨ ---- The Holy Spirit is the indwelling spirit (see Rom 8:9 11; 1Cor 6:19). He lives in the believers of the New Testament in order to be their life and provision of life (see Rom 8:2 6).

 

John. 14:18 ¡§I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.¡¨

YLT: ¡§`I will not leave you bereaved I come unto you;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§I will not leave you orphans¡¨ ¡§orphans¡¨ refer to children whose parents have been dead. They are quite alone and miserable and no one comforts them or helps them.

  ¡§I will come to you.¡¨ ---- This verse indicates Christ comes to His believers in the state of the Holy Spirit after His death and resurrection.

Controversial Clarification: ¡§I will come to you.¡¨ ---- Some Bible exegetes explain it as follows: (1) the Lord¡¦s revelation after His resurrection. (2) The second coming of the Lord. If so believers during the two thousand years after the times of the apostles had truly become ¡§orphans¡¨ who had been still waiting for the second coming of Christ earnestly.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) The Lord¡¦s promise has already been fulfilled today. He comes into us in spirit and dwells in our spirit and abides with us forever. Therefore we will never feel alone in any situation for the Lord dwells in us.

     2) The one who has not the Lord is a wretched and solitary orphan. He is oppressed by the devil and has no help.

 

John. 14:19 ¡§"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more but you will see Me. Because I live you will live also. ¡¨

YLT: ¡§yet a little and the world doth no more behold me and ye behold me because I live and ye shall live;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§Because I live you will live also.¡¨ ---- Christ lives in believers and believers can live by Him (see Gal 2:20).

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) Our life comes from believing the Lord and being jointed to the Lord. We can not survive without the Lord.

     2) If we have truly seen the fact that Christ lives in us our Christian life will be transformed dramatically.

 

John. 14:20 ¡§At that day you will know that I am in My Father and you in Me and I in you.¡¨

YLT: ¡§in that day ye shall know that I in my Father and ye in me and I in you;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§at that day¡¨ it refers to the day when the Holy Spirit enters into the believers after the Lord¡¦s death and resurrection namely the day when ¡§I live you will live also (v.19).¡¨

  ¡§You will know that I am in My Father¡¨ it unveils that the relationship between the Father and the Son is of great mystery which shall be known by subjective experience rather than subjective knowledge.

  ¡§You in Me¡¨ all the blessings of believers originate from the state of being in Christ (see Eph1:3).

  ¡§And I in you¡¨ it means that Christ dwells in believers (see Col 1:24-27).

  Note that there are three ¡§in¡¨s in this verse. In the past ¡§the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son (see v.10-11)¡¨ but now we believers are also brought into this divine and mysterious relationship.

 

John. 14:21 ¡§He who has My commandments and keeps them it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." ¡¨

YLT: ¡§he who is having my commands and is keeping them that one it is who is loving me and he who is loving me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.'¡¨

Meaning of Words: ¡§manifest¡¨: appear declare reveal;

Literal Meaning: ¡§he who has My commandments and keeps them it is he who loves Me.¡¨ ---- Verse 15 tells us that love is the motivation of keeping the commandments. This verse reveals that keeping the commandments is the manifestation of love.

  ¡§And manifest Myself to him¡¨ it does not mean the revelation when the Lord comes again but the revelation in spirit. The Lord will manifest Himself to all those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) Whether a man loves the Lord can be measured by the fact that whether He keeps His commandment or not.

     2) We should not love the Lord in tongue but in deed and in truth. Loving the Lord is the root and keeping His commandment is the fruit. Only the one loves the Lord truly will keeps His commandments.

     3) Although we have known in truth that the Lord dwells in us we may have not been conscious of His presence in the real experience. Only when we love and obey Him will we enjoy His presence clearly. This is that the Lord will manifest Himself to the one who loves Him.

     4) The Lord¡¦s commandment for believers is to love one another (see 13:34). Obviously if the spiritual condition of the church is normal ---- there is the witness of loving one another ---- Christ will surely manifest Himself more to such church.

 

John. 14:22 ¡§Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him "Lord how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us and not to the world?" ¡¨

YLT: ¡§Judas saith to him (not the Iscariot) `Sir what hath come to pass that to us thou are about to manifest thyself and not to the world?'¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§Judas¡¨ most Bible exegetes believe that this Judas is the son of James (see Luke 6:16) who is also known as Thaddaeus (see Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18).

  ¡§Iscariot¡¨ at this moment the Judas who betrayed the Lord was not on the spot (see 13:30).

¡§Lord how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us and not to the world?¡¨ ---- His words indicated that he thought the Lord¡¦s revelation was: (1) a kind of naked-eye revelation which could not be revealed to only a small group of men. (2) All the Jews had the portion in the kingdom of the Messiah so even the Jewish who did not believe the Lord could also see this Messiah.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) If a man neither believes nor loves the lord the Lord cannot manifest Himself to him.

     2) Believers see the Lord through the word of God and faith. Today everyone through faith can enjoy the intimate fellowship with the Lord.

 

John. 14:23 ¡§Jesus answered and said to him "If anyone loves Me he will keep My word; and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our home with him.¡¨

YLT: ¡§Jesus answered and said to him `If any one may love me my word he will keep and my Father will love him and unto him we will come and abode with him we will make;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§make Our home with him¡¨ ¡§home¡¨ is the same word as ¡§mansion¡¨ (see v.2) which means dwelling in some place for a long time continually changelessly and with long patience.

  This verse mentions the progressing steps: (1) love the Lord Jesus; (2) Keep the word of the Lord; (3) enjoy the great love of God; (4) enjoy the life that the divine Trinity abides with him.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) ¡§If anyone loves Me he will keep My word.¡¨ ---- Keeping the Lord¡¦s word is not only the proof that a man loves the Lord but also the natural result of loving the Lord.

     2) He who loves the Lord must keep ¡§all¡¨ the word of the Lord rather than only a part of the Lord¡¦s word.

     3) Love is the way of more surpassing excellence (see 1Cor 12:31; 13:13). Love is the greatest power which can remove the barrier between God and men and protect men from stepping over the fences of the Lord¡¦s word.

     4) The divine Trinity is ¡§in¡¨ those who believe them (see v.16-17) but abides with those who love Him. ¡§Be in them¡¨ may sometimes be unconscious but ¡§abiding with them¡¨ may sometimes be conscious. Therefore to love the Lord runs further than believing the Lord.

 

John. 14:24 ¡§He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.¡¨

YLT: ¡§he who is not loving me my words doth not keep; and the word that ye hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.¡¨

Literal Meaning: In the previous verse that ¡§if anyone loves Me he will keep My word¡¨ is positive but ¡§he who does not love Me does not keep My words¡¨ is negative.

 

John. 14:25 ¡§"These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.¡¨

YLT: ¡§`These things I have spoken to you remaining with you ¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§These things I have spoken to you¡¨ ¡§these things¡¨ equal to the ¡§all things¡¨ in verse 26 including all the doctrines the Lord had spoken when He still abode with the disciples.

 

John. 14:26 ¡§But the Helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ¡¨

YLT: ¡§and the Comforter the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and remind you of all things that I said to you.¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name¡¨ ¡§name¡¨ is the reality of a man. ¡§The Lord¡¦s name¡¨ is the reality of Christ. Since the Holy Spirit is called by the Lord¡¦s name it is the substantiating of Christ.

  ¡§He will teach you all things¡¨ ¡§all things¡¨: all things which relate to life and godliness (see 2Pet 1:3).

¡§And bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you¡¨ the Holy Spirit not only helps man to remember the true words of the Son of God but also presents what the Lord Jesus has said to His disciples again in a living way.

Some Bible exegetes believe that the work of the Holy Spirit ---- to lead believers to know the New Testament ---- can be divided into three great works: (1) the Epistles ---- ¡§He will teach you all things¡¨. (2) The Four Gospels ---- ¡§and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you¡¨. (3) The Book of Revelation ---- ¡§He shall guide you into all the truth (see 16:13)¡¨.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) The Holy Spirit leads men to know and ask the name of the Lord (see 1Cor 12:3) thus making men to gain Christ (see 1Cor 1:2).

     2) If we want to know the Lord¡¦s words ---- the Scriptures we should have the teaching of the Holy Spirit which helps us to know more about the Scriptures. May we never leave the guidance of the Holy Spirit or even give a strained interpretation to the Scriptures and never receive the guidance of any spirit which does not conform to the Scriptures.

 

John. 14:27 ¡§Peace I leave with you My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid. ¡¨

YLT: ¡§`Peace I leave to you; my peace I give to you not according as the world doth give do I give to you; let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§My peace I give to you¡¨ ¡§My peace¡¨ refers to ¡§the peace of Christ¡¨ (see Col 3:15) which is characterized by the features as follows: (1) since a man has received the salvation of the Lord he has obtained a kind of peace in the state of mind. (2) It is the inner peace which never rests with the outer environment. (3) It is a peaceful situation between men and God as well as men and men.

  ¡§Not as the world gives do I give to you¡¨ peace of the world changes according to the environment which is not enduring.

  ¡§Neither let it be afraid¡¨ ¡§be afraid¡¨ it is a kind of dreadful mood disturbing men¡¦s heart.

Enlightenment in the Word:

     1) ¡§The peace of Christ¡¨ can not do without Christ. He who has Christ has the peace of Christ. He who has not Christ has not the peace of Christ.

     2) When we cannot feel the presence of the Lord we have already lost the peace of the Lord. The Lord¡¦s presence is the foundation and assurance of true peace.

     3) If we are bound by anything outside of Christ ---- including the self the world the arguments the customs and etc we will lose the peace. Only when we have been delivered out of all the entanglements will we have peace.

 

John. 14:28 ¡§You have heard Me say to you "I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me you would rejoice because I said "I am going to the Father ' for My Father is greater than I.¡¨

YLT: ¡§ye heard that I said to you -- I go away and I come unto you; if ye did love me ye would have rejoiced that I said -- I go on to the Father because my Father is greater than I.¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§for My Father is greater than I¡¨ the so-called ¡§greater¡¨ of the Father actually indicates the Lord¡¦s humbleness of Himself and His obedience (see Phil 2:8). This is the comparison concerning their ministration and function before men not their nature person authority and glory.

Enlightenment in the Word: what the Lord has granted are: love (v.23) peace (v.27) and joy. The Lord¡¦s love brings about His peace and His peace brings about His joy.

 

John. 14:29 ¡§"And now I have told you before it comes that when it does come to pass you may believe.¡¨

YLT: ¡§`And now I have said to you before it come to pass that when it may come to pass ye may believe;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§now I have told you before it comes¡¨ ¡§it¡¨ refers to the matter that the Lord would depart out of this world to the Father.

 

John. 14:30 ¡§I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming and he has nothing in Me.¡¨

YLT: ¡§I will no more talk much with you for the ruler of this world doth come and in me he hath nothing;¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§for the ruler of this world is coming¡¨ ¡§the ruler of the world¡¨ refers to the devil. ¡§Is coming¡¨ means that it was going to prosecute the Lord.

  ¡§He has nothing in Me.¡¨ ---- There are two explanations: (1) Satan can find nothing to accuse the Lord Jesus (see 8:46). (2) Satan could only kill the physical body of the Lord Jesus but do nothing of the divinity in Him.

 

John. 14:31 ¡§But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave Me commandment so I do. Arise let us go from here. ¡¨

YLT: ¡§but that the world may know that I love the Father and according as the Father gave me command so I do; arise we may go hence.¡¨

Literal Meaning: ¡§Arise let us go from here.¡¨ ---- There are many different interpretations among the Bible exegetes: (1) it should be put at the end of chapter 17 but the copyists of the Scriptures set it in a wrong place ---- it is only a saying without proof. (2) It is a common saying which means ¡§an invitation¡¨. (3) It means ¡§a pause¡¨ namely ¡§changing one¡¦s breath¡¨. (4) The Lord said He would leave but He did not leave at this moment. (5) It means the spiritual departure i.e. stand up to against the devil. (6) They really left that place where they ate the Feast of Passover and the words in the next two chapters were spoken in another place.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

I.  Features of the Immature Believers

A.   Their heart may usually be troubled (v.1).

B.   They are ignorant of many spiritual matters (v.5).

C.   Their knowledge about God and Christ still remains in the stage of ¡§seeing with the physical eyes¡¨ (v.3b).

D.   Their faith is still immature (v.11).

 

II.The Lord is the Way the Truth and the Life

A.   The Lord is the Way:

1.    No one comes to the Father except through the Lord (v.6).

2.    The Holy Spirit and the Father can abide with those who are of Him through the Lord (v.17 23).

B.   The Lord is the Truth:

1.    He who had known the Lord you would have known the Father also (v.7).

2.    He who has seen Me has seen the Father (v.9)

3.    The Lord¡¦s word is the Father¡¦s word (v.24).

C.   The Lord is the Life:

1.    The Lord is in the Father and the Father in the Lord (v.10-11).

2.    The Lord lives and we will also live (v.19).

3.    We are in the Lord and the Lord in us (v.20).

4.    We have the Lord¡¦s peace (v.27) ---- the peace of life (see Rom 8:6).

D.   The Condition of Experiencing That the Lord is the Way the Truth and the Life:

1.    To believe the Lord (v.1 11-12).

2.    To ask in the name of the Lord (v.13-14) ---- to abide with the Lord and be jointed to Him.

3.    To love the Lord (v.15 21 23-24).

4.    To keep the Lord¡¦s words (v.15 23-24).

5.    To follow and obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit (v.17 26).

 

III.   The Purpose of the Lord¡¦s ¡§Departure¡¨

A.   The Lord departed in order to prepare a place for us (v.2).

B.   The Lord¡¦s departure was for the purpose of His coming again to receive us (v.3).

C.   The Lord¡¦s departure enabled the believers do greater works than those he would do (v.12).

D.   The Lord¡¦s departure was the coming of the Holy Spirit (v.16 18).

E.   The Lord¡¦s departure made us joyful (v.28).

 

IV.  The Profits of ¡§Believing into¡¨ the Son

A.   Where He is there we may be also (v.3).

B.   We have known God since we have known the Lord (v.7).

C.   We have seen God since we have seen the Lord (v.9).

D.   The works that the Lord does he who believes Him will do also and greater works than those the Lord will do (v.12).

E.   We ask anything in the Lord¡¦s name He will do it (v.13-14).

F.    We have the Spirit of truth who is our Helper and abides with us forever (v.16-17).

G.   We shall never be orphans for He abides with us (v.18).

H.   The Lord lives and we will live also (v.19).

I.      We are jointed to the Lord (v.20).

J.    We have the Lord¡¦s revelation (v.21).

K.   We have been granted the love of God the Father and He abides with us (v.23).

L.    We will be guided by the Holy Spirit (v.26).

M.   We have been granted the peace of Christ (v.27).

N.   We will experience the joy because of loving the Lord (v.28).

O.   We will experience the victory of the Lord (v.30).

 

V.   The Relationship of the Divine Trinity

A.   The Son is the manifestation of the Father (v.7-9).

B.   The Father works in the Son (v.10).

C.   The Father has been glorified because of the Son (v.14).

D.   The Son prays the Father and the Father bestows the Holy Spirit (v.16 26).

E.   The Holy Spirit is the substantiating of the Son (v.18-19).

F.    The Holy Spirit makes men remember what the Son has said (v.26b).

G.   The Father is greater than the Son (v.28).

H.   The Son walks according to the commandment of the Father (v.31).

 

VI.  The Proofs of the Lord¡¦s Deity

A.   He who has seen Me has seen the Father (v. 9).

B.   He is in the Father and the Father in Him (v.10a 11a).

C.   What He has spoken and has done are what the Father has spoken and has done (v.10a 11b).

 

VII. The Lord¡¦s ¡§Departure¡¨ Was the ¡§Coming¡¨ of the Holy Spirit

A.   The ¡§I (the Lord) (v.16a)¡¨ is the ¡§He (the Holy Spirit) (v.16b)¡¨. The ¡§Him (the Holy Spirit) (v.17)¡¨ refers to the ¡§I(the Lord) (v.18-20)¡¨.

B.   ¡§I (the Lord)¡¨ am the helper and ¡§He (the Holy Spirit)¡¨ is the other Helper (v.16).

C.   ¡§His (the Holy Spirit¡¦s)¡¨ presence (v.16-17) is that ¡§I (the Lord)¡¨ have come to you (v.18).

D.   ¡§He (the Holy Spirit)¡¨ is in you (v.17b) is that ¡§I (the Lord)¡¨ am in you (v.20b).

 

VIII.   The Functions of the Holy Spirit

A.   Being the Helper (v.16a) ---- who is the comforter persuader counselor Intercessor of us.

B.   He abides with us forever (v.16b).

C.   Being the spirit of truth (v.17) ---- who guides men into all the truth (see 16:13).

D.   He will teach us all things (v.26a).

E.   He will bring to our remembrance all things that the Lord said to us (v.26b).

 

¢w¢w Caleb Huang¡mChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series¡n

   Translated by Mary Zhou