John 14

Scripture Study

V1 - “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

This is building off of the earlier passage where Peter will deny Jesus three times.

He is saying don’t focus on the future and be troubled, Believe in God. Believing in God and Jesus allows us to rest because He will grant us true peace and joy.

V2-3 - “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

There are many rooms in the Father’s house. Heaven is not just meant for God and Jesus, but for His followers.

Jesus needs to leave and will prepare a place for His disciples.

Jesus, a heavenly figure goes and makes a distinct visual image of His love and humility. To go a prepare a room for us, where one day Christians will eternally exist in.

V4 -7 - “And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

“we do not know where you are going” The disciples are still thinking of a literal place, location on earth where Jesus will travel to. This whole idea of a spiritual realm is very much new to them.

This place that Jesus is going to, is heaven. When Jesus mentions He is the way, He is staying that He is the way to heaven. Not buddha, not Mohammed, not the Emperor, not through your works, not greek gods like Zeus, only Jesus.

He is the truth and He is the life. Through Him our sins are forgiven because of His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our works don’t save us, they now boast of His love and grace!

V-7-11 - 7 “If you had know me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen Him” 8 Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to Him, “have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father, How can you say, ‘Show us the Father? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

To get to the Father we must know Jesus. When we know Jesus, we now know the Father.

The idea of what God looked like was much different than what Jesus looked like and they were caught up in the physical nature.

Jesus is showing that He is the father through the words that He has taught from God’s authority, miracles that deny science, and the example He has shown. He is also the Father. The two are connected

“have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?” Harsh words to this disciple, but several of us also fall into this trap. We might have been a “christian” for many years, but do we know Jesus? We must know the Jesus is also the Father. A relationship with Jesus allows us to have a place in the Father’s house.

V-12-13 - 12 “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Don’t underestimate the power of Jesus that lives inside you. You have a chance to do great things for God because He will help you. The holy spirit is called “the helper.”

Greater didn’t mean greater as in sensational, but greater in magnitude.

Don’t underestimate the power of a soul saved. Truly one of the greatest miracles, better than any physical miracle. One that saves the soul through the name of Jesus is “greater” than we could ever do in our entire lives.

This is specific in glorifying God. When we ask in His name, don’t expect your prayer to be answered in the way you want it to be answered, but how it will best glorify God. How it aligns with His will.

V15 - V18 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. 18 You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”

Here we have it again, love is backed by action. If you love Jesus, do what He says.

As we love Him by doing what He says, we also have help. Jesus knows of the kinds of temptations we face in this world. He didn’t just live a perfect life and say ‘do what I do, good luck.’ He is still working and making an impact on us today as he said ‘I will not leave you as orphans’. We need His spirit to help us love Him.

Not everyone will receive this though, only those that love Jesus.

V19 - V20 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you I will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

Eventually Jesus will go back to heaven, the disciples won’t be alone as they will continue on the ministry of Christ because we they will still see Jesus as they live our lives.

Jesus is in His heavenly realm after He dies and raises from the dead. He is where His Father is. However, with the Spirit we are in Jesus and He is in us.

V21 - 24 21 “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot), said to Him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and no the world? 23 Jesus answered 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. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the words that you hear is not mine, but the Father who sent me.

The real test of love, is knowing God’s commandments, and doing them. That is love. It’s rooted in Christ and done for Christ, but true love is backed by action. Through this love, the Father will also love Him and Jesus will manifest Himself to us.

Judas asked a question, is this only for us 12 disciples? Jesus clearly responds that this is for everyone. Anyone who keeps His commands rooted in His grace and love, has a place in heaven.

If people don’t keep His words, they do not love Jesus.

Jesus closes this section showcasing His submission to God but also the authority He has from God.

V25-26 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you, 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 that I have said to you”

The disciples have learned so much from Jesus, but there is more to be taught.

We have 3 unique beings here. Jesus, the son of God, God, the Father, and the Holy spirit whom God will send.

The spirit is the Helper, the disciples will not be alone.

V27 - 28 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 hearts be troubled, neither, let them be afraid. 28 You have heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

The world gives with treasures, gold, money, property, power, position. But God gives peace where our hearts will not be troubled or afraid.

Peace is and will be very much needed for the disciples who will end up persecuted for their faith and go through a great amount of suffering.

When we love Jesus, we will rejoice in all circumstances when the will of God is being done.

Greater in this context is referring to Jesus in His human nature.

For a purpose, a reason, this is meant to go back in glorifying Jesus and helping our unbelief.

V30 - 31 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

The ruler of this world is not the emperor of Rome, but Satan. Earlier in in John 13:27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly. Judas/Satan have gone out but will be back shortly.

Jesus knows of the plans they have against Him but Jesus knows the plans of what God has in store for salvation, and does what God wants Him to do, rather than running away.

Jesus is doing what God has commanded Him and the world will see this Love. Love is backed by action.

Is Christianity Inclusive or Exclusive?

What is inclusive or exclusive?

Some examples:

Clique's are exclusive. A member’s only club is exclusive. A sports team in a way is exclusive.

Church is inclusive. All are truly welcomed. Events that are free and open to the public.

Christianity is inclusive. All are welcome to love Jesus, John 14:22-23

John 14:22–23 ESV

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered 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.

This home is in heaven as we see earlier in John 14:2-3

John 14:2–3 ESV

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Heaven is where the Father is and anyone who loves Jesus, He will add Him to their home.

What is love though?

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

What are Jesus’ commandments?

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Who doesn’t love Jesus?

John 14:24 ESV

24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

Everyone is invited to love Jesus by obeying and knowing His words and keeping His commandments.

If you love Jesus, He and God will make their home with you. When you die, you’ll go to heaven.

If you don’t love Jesus, Jesus and God will make their home without you. When you die, you’ll go to hell.

Jesus specifically states anyone who loves me will have a place with me.

For those that don’t love him

The truth is inclusive to anyone, but whoever decides to refuse the truth, is excluded from heaven.

We live with absolute truths every day

If I drop this pen, you know it will fall.

If I look at a math equation and it states 2 + 2 it = 4. It’s not 3, it’s not 5. It’s 4.

If I steal something and am caught, I will go to jail.

If I didn’t marry Berkley, I would not be apart of her family such as her mom, dad, and sister.

We live with the truth that everyone will die.

We live with the truth that whoever loves Jesus, will be in heaven. Whoever doesn’t love Jesus won’t.

The Truth that is inclusive to everyone:

How do we go to heaven? Love Jesus

How does this love start? Know the weight of your sin and how you need to stop doing those sins and have true faith in Jesus Christ. That you can trust in Him, draw strength from Him, and rely upon His word, the bible.

What will it look like? A new way of thinking, a new way of feeling, a new way of living because Christ’s spirit now lives in you will transform you and you don’t have to think, feel, or live like you used to.