John 14 - ESV Study Bible

14:1 Believe in God is translated as an imperative (or command), but the Greek could also be rendered as a statement, “You believe in God.” The imperative is probably better in light of the previous sentence. What troubles the disciples is Jesus’ imminent departure (see 13:36). “Believe,” in keeping with OT usage (e.g., Isa. 28:16), denotes personal, relational trust.

14:2–3 In light of the context (Jesus going to the Father; 13:1,3; 14:28), it is best to understand my Father’s house as referring to heaven. In keeping with this image, the many rooms (or “dwelling places,” Gk. monē) are places to live within that large house. The translation “rooms” is not meant to convey the idea of small spaces, but only to keep consistency in the metaphor of heaven as God’s “house.” In a similar passage, Jesus speaks of his followers being received into the “eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9; cf. 1 Cor. 2:9).

14:6 Jesus as the one way to the Father fulfills the OT symbols and teachings that show the exclusiveness of God’s claim (see note on 3:18), such as the curtain (Ex. 26:33) barring access to God’s presence from all except the Levitical high priest (Leviticus 16), the rejection of human inventions as means to approach God (Lev. 10:2), and the choice of Aaron alone to represent Israel before God in his sanctuary (Num. 17:5). Jesus is the only “way” to God (Acts 4:12), and he alone can provide access to God. Jesus as the truth fulfills the teaching of the OT (John 1:17) and reveals the true God (cf. 1:14,17; 5:33; 18:37; also 8:40, 45–46; 14:9). Jesus alone is the life who fulfills the OT promises of “life” given by God (11:25–26), having life in himself (1:4; 5:26), and he is thus able to confer eternal life to all those who believe in him (e.g., 3:16). This is another “I am” saying that makes a claim to deity (see note on 6:35).

14:8–11 Philip apparently asks for some sort of appearance by God. In the OT, Moses asked for and was given a limited vision of God’s glory (Ex. 33:18; cf. Ex. 24:10). Isaiah, too, received a vision of God (Isa. 6:1; see note on John 12:41). Jesus is the greater fulfillment of these limited OT events (see also Ezek. 1:26–28). In keeping with OT teaching, Jesus denied the possibility of a direct vision of God (John 5:37; 6:46; Cf. 1:18), yet he makes the stunning assertion that those who have seen him have seen the Father—a clear claim to deity. Philip’s request shows that he has not yet understood the point of Jesus’ coming, namely, to reveal the Father (1:14,18).

14:10 I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Though there is a complete mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son, the Father and the Son remain distinct persons within the Trinity, as does the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14), and the three of them still constitute only one Being in three persons.

14:11 The works themselves includes the miracles of Jesus and also the other actions and teachings that he did and gave (see note on v. 12).

14:12 the works that I do. In John’s Gospel, the term “works” (Gk. ergon), both in singular and in plural, is a broader term than “signs.” While “signs” in John are characteristically miracles that attest to Jesus’ identity as Messiah and Son of God, and that lead unbelievers to faith (see note on 2:11), Jesus’ “works” include both his miracles (see 7:21) and his other activities and teachings, including the whole of his ministry (see 4:34; 5:36; 10:32; 17:4). These are all manifestations of the activity of God the Father, for Jesus said, “The Father who dwells in me does his works” (14:10). Here Jesus is teaching his disciples to imitate the things he did in his life and ministry. The disciples’ greater works will be possible because Jesus is going to the Father, subsequent to his finished work on the cross (12:24; 15:13; 19:30); this indicates that the “greater works” will be possible because of the power of the Holy Spirit who would be sent after Jesus goes to the Father (see 16:7; also 7:39; 14:16,26). The expression “greater works” could also be translated more broadly as “greater things,” since the Greek meizona is simply a neuter adjective and the noun “works” (Gk. erga, plural) is not included here as it is in the earlier part of the verse. These “greater works” include evangelism, teaching, and deeds of mercy and compassion—in short, the entire ministry of the church to the entire world, beginning from Pentecost. (E.g., on the day of Pentecost alone, more believers were added to Jesus’ followers than during his entire earthly ministry up to that time; cf. Acts 2:41.) These works are “greater” not because they are more amazing miracles but because they will be greater in their worldwide scope and will result in the transformation of individual lives and of whole cultures and societies.

14:13 Praying in Jesus’ name means praying in a way consistent with his character and his will (a person’s name in the ancient world represented what the person was like); it also means coming to God in the authority of Jesus. Probably both senses are intended here. Adding “in Jesus’ name” at the end of every prayer is neither required nor wrong. Effective prayer must ask for and desire what Jesus delights in. See also note on 1 John 5:15.

14:14 If you ask me gives warrant for praying directly to Jesus (but see esv footnote). Many other verses encourage prayer to God the Father (see 15:16).

14:15 Jesus’ words echo the demands of the Deuteronomic covenant (cf. Deut. 5:10; 6:5–6; 7:9; 10:12–13; 11:13,22) and reflect his unique authority. True love manifests itself in willing obedience.

14:16–17 The Holy Spirit (cf. v. 26), the Spirit of truth who will guide the disciples into all truth (16:13), will serve as another Helper (or “helping Presence”; see also esv footnote). He will indwell Jesus’ followers forever, functioning as Jesus’ emissary in his physical absence. The promise of the divine presence with Jesus’ followers in 14:15–24 includes the Spirit (vv. 15–17), Jesus (vv. 18–21), and the Father (vv. 22–24). he dwells with you and will be in you. This does not mean that there was no work of the Spirit of God within believers prior to this time (see note on 7:39) but rather that the Holy Spirit “will be in you” in a new and more powerful sense after Pentecost.

14:18 I will come to you most likely means that Jesus will appear to the disciples after his resurrection (Chs. 20–21). Some interpreters have taken this as a reference to the Holy Spirit’s coming, which Jesus does promise (14:16–17), but both Jesus and John always use precise wording in maintaining a distinction between Jesus and the Spirit.

14:21 keeps (i.e., follows and obeys) them. Obedience to Christ is an indication of genuine love for him.

14:22 The Judas referred to here is probably “Judas the son of James” mentioned in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, not Judas the half brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3).

14:23 Home (Gk. monē, “room, dwelling place”) is the same word used in a different context in v. 2. Just as the Father and the Son now make their home with Christians in this age, Jesus is preparing for them a place in heaven where they will one day live with God (vv. 2–3). On the theme of God’s dwelling among his people, see note on 1:14.

14:26 He will teach you uses the masculine Greek pronoun ekeinos (“he”) instead of the neuter pronoun ekeino (“it”), which would have been expected for grammatical agreement with the grammatically neuter antecedent Pneuma (Spirit). Many interpreters have seen this as a deliberate choice on John’s part, indicating an awareness of the distinct personhood of the Holy Spirit (though others disagree, suggesting that the pronoun is masculine in order to agree with the masculine noun Helper earlier in the sentence). John follows the same usage in 15:26 and 16:13–14. That he will teach the disciples all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you is an important promise regarding the disciples’ future role in writing the words of Scripture; see also 16:13–15. Jesus’ promise here is specifically to these disciples (who would become the apostles after Pentecost), though there is of course a broader teaching and guiding ministry of the Holy Spirit generally in the lives of believers, as is taught elsewhere in Scripture (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:16,18). On the work of the Trinity, see chart.

14:27 The expression peace (Hb. shalom) had a much richer connotation than the English word does since it conveyed not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God (e.g., Num. 6:24–26; cf. Ps. 29:11; Hag. 2:9, and also, as a result, the idea that “all is well” in one’s life). This may be manifested most clearly amid persecution and tribulation; see also John 15:18–19; 16:33.

14:28 In saying that the Father is greater than I, Jesus means that the Father as the one who sends and commands is “greater” (in authority or leadership) than the Son. However, this does not mean that Jesus is inferior in his being and essence to the Father, as 1:1, 10:30, and 20:28 clearly show.

14:30 On the ruler of this world, see note on 12:31. Those who do not follow Christ are not autonomous. They are serving Satan, whether they are aware of this or not. Satan is coming in the person of Judas and those with him (see Ch. 18), and this is why in a short time Jesus will no longer talk much with them. But Jesus is not subject to Satan, for Satan has no claim on Jesus. Satan cannot force Jesus to do anything, but Jesus willingly submits to the suffering that is to come, out of obedience to his Father (see 14:31).

14:31 Jesus’ obedience to the Father signifies his love for the Father. The transition from 14:31 to 15:1 is at times viewed as a “literary seam” (i.e., an indication that John’s Gospel is pieced together from different sources). More likely, John is implying that Jesus and his followers are leaving the upper room, making their way to the Kidron Valley, and arriving in the Garden of Gethsemane (18:1).