John 14:1-24. G od’s Love and Our Response

This passage is so key to understanding the Christian message that it bears a further look.

When I was at school, I longed to be one of those included in the inner circle, the ‘Options’ with their blue ties. Most of us have experienced what it is like to be left out of that inner circle. God has always been a God of love since before time. Incidentally, this is a very strong argument for the Trinity as love cannot exist without someone to love. The three persons of the Trinity have always loved each other with an eternal love, joy and peace and they spoke as one.

The Garden of Eden was primarily the first home of God on earth and he created man to share this with him, in this wonderful loving abode. The problem came when mankind turned its back on God’s love and as a consequence was expelled from this loving relationship. The third scene is the coming of the Lord Jesus to enable us to be restored into this circle of love with God. John wrote earlier,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

We can have a longing to be restored into this loving relationship. One of the Psalms talks about this longing,

“As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2

Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest bible teachers, recognised that this desire is found in all people, and wrote,

“You have made us for yourself and our heart is restless till it finds its rest in you.”

Blaise Pascal was a great mathematician and philosopher. When just 30 years old, shortly after his Father had died, he had a remarkable experience of God that lasted for two hours. He immediately recorded this,

“FIRE.

GOD of Abraham, GOD of Isaac, GOD of Jacob
not of the philosophers and of the learned.
Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace.
GOD of Jesus Christ.
My God and your God.
Your GOD will be my God.
Forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except GOD.
He is only found by the ways taught in the Gospel.
Grandeur of the human soul.
Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you.
Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy. . .”

For the first time he experienced something of what it meant to be admitted into this circle of God’s love and it changed his life. This sheet of paper was found sewn into the seam of his cloak when he died.

The context of John 14 is that Jesus has just told his disciples that he will soon be leaving them and they are distraught.

“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. As I have loved you . . .” John 13:33

The next three chapters record the intimate conversation Jesus had with his closest followers, just before his execution. Up to this point the disciples had experienced being within a loving circle that centred on Jesus, but now he was going to leave them. They believe him but do not understand. No wonder they are frightened and troubled.

Jesus reassures them that when he goes everything will change for the good. Indeed these improvements can only occur if he leaves them and these he enumerates.

1. The Promise of God John 14:1-10

Jesus does not want his followers to remain distraught.

“Do not let you hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1

He reassures them that he will continue to care for them although he is physically absent. This is yet another time when he equates himself with God. Because Jesus is about to be crucified, rise again and then ascend to heaven, they can be confident that all will work out for the best because he will remain in charge. Future security is a marvellous strength as we face the tensions of life.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And I will go and prepare a place for you.” John 14:2-3

That is not all.

“I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

This is astounding. He has often talked about God being his Father but now he says he is going to prepare his Father’s home for them. He then says that it will be he who welcomes them and they will live there with him! For a Jew to speak in such a way,, equating himself with God is outrageous if he is not God.

It is only by his dying that the door to heaven can be opened for sinful people. Unless Jesus dies to pay for our sin, admission to this circle of God’s love would be impossible.

Thomas then expresses what most of the disciples were thinking.

“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:5

Jesus has already told them in verse 2 that he is going to his Father’s house. Jesus was not talking about the temple, he was speaking about being in the presence of his Father. Jesus is making a profound point here. The only way into this circle of love is through having a relationship with himself. Religion cannot be a substitute for this, it must be personal. Judas Iscariot was shortly to illustrate this by walking out of this relationship with Jesus. Jesus answered Thomas’ question and all who have this desire to know the way back to God,

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know the Father as well. From now on you know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

Surely Jesus could not be clearer, yet at least one of the disciples still hadn’t understood. Philip replies,

“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” John 14:8

So yet again Jesus spells out what he wants everyone to understand,

“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me?” John 14:9-10

If we belong to Jesus we need have no fear of the future with God because Jesus is God.

But there is more. The words that Jesus has given us all are extremely important for one reason,

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather it is the Father, living in me who is doing his work.” John 14:10

The ‘work’ of Jesus is a technical term and includes his love, his teaching, his character, his prophecies and his miracles, all of which reflect his heavenly Father. Jesus explains this when he mentions two of the aspects of his ‘work’, his words and his miracles.

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”

We can trust the Word of Jesus because it is the Word of God.

2. The Privilege of Christians

As a result of Jesus returning to the Father, we, his followers, will be empowered to continue this ‘work’ of the Father. All Christians are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to this end. What a joy and privilege this is, that through us others may enter into this loving relationship with God.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

This is extraordinary. Jesus says that every believer will be gifted in this way, that means everyone who believes in Jesus. All Christians will see the ‘works’ of God being fulfilled through them. What is even more astounding is that these ‘works’ will be even greater in dimension than those that Jesus achieved. This is staggering teaching. The clue as to how this will be possible is explained,

“ . . . he will do even greater things than these , because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

It is as we pray for Christ to be glorified that God is glorified.

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” John 14:13

These are ‘the works’ that God wants to continue, the glorification of the Lord Jesus by every believer.

3. The Power of God

Surely this ‘work’ will be achieved by every Christian because every Christian has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. At the time of our conversion to Christ, the beginning of the new life, this is the gift from God that we all receive.

“And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9

“Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:2-3

“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour . . .” Titus 3:5-6

Jesus later explained that unless he goes back to his Father, the Holy Spirit could not empower his people.

When Jesus returned to his Father he asked for this gift of the Holy Spirit to be given to his church so that those who love Jesus, a love revealed by our obedience to his wishes, can continue this ‘work’ of God. Without the determination to obey Jesus, which is called repentance, there can be no gift of the Holy Spirit.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth.” John 14:15

Jesus next explains that the Holy Spirit is also God. Just as the claims of Jesus were rejected by many, so will the Holy Spirit’s work, even though he is both the Spirit of truth and has such beneficial effects on those he indwells.

4. The Presence of God

What a great promise is given to the disciples and to every Christian. Just as Jesus and the Father are equated, so Jesus and the Holy Spirit are equated and what is astounding, Jesus says that this presence of God will be with us all too. We will be included in this loving relationship with the Trinity. We will not be left alone to glorify Christ.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me any more but you will see me.” John 14:19

This statement could either refer to his resurrection appearances that were just to his followers, or to his reappearance at the end of time but that would not be ‘before long’, or could refer to the effect the Holy Spirit has on enabling all Christians to see how God wants us to behave. These are all possible as Jesus continues to emphasise that this day will be associated with the realisation about who he is,

“On that day you will realise that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” John 14:20

Jesus then continues to make it abundantly clear that he is referring to all belonging to the Lord Jesus, the ‘whoever’ who are continuing his ‘works’.

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” John 14:21

Judas, (not Judas Iscariot) was still puzzled over who Jesus was talking about; was it just the twelve disciples or is this teaching for all his followers? Jesus replied,

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23

Jesus’ answer is no longer imprecise, he is referring to his coming to be with every believer, to the ‘anyone’s’ who hear him speak to them and respond. This is the secret coming into the heart of every believer. When Jesus returns in glory at his second coming he will then be seen and acknowledged by all, but for those not committed to Christ, that occasion will be too late.

Jesus then gives a warning that none of these privileges will be given to those who are not committed to following him, which is shown by the desire to complete ‘his works’ in this life.

“He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” John 14:24

The Lord is not interested in our religious affiliations or church membership. He wants us to know that people are only Christians if we love him and this will be seen in our obedience to what he teaches.

BVP