Bible Commentaries

Building The Faith Of The Disciples
- John Fourteen -

Jesus used some of His last moments with His disciples to comfort them and to encourage their faith. He again predicted His death, but He also gave them hope by speaking of His resurrection. Jesus said He was leaving this earth to go to heaven. The good news is that He is preparing a place for His faithful disciples there. He said, "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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3) He even told the disciples that they knew the way to reach this heavenly home. Jesus is the way! A life of loving and submissive faith in Jesus leads to that heavenly home. Jesus did not want His death to over burden the hearts of His disciples. He wanted them to see Him as "The Way, the Truth and the Life." Those who follow Jesus must become like Him and do the works that He did. The disciples of Jesus are involved in spreading the great message of Jesus" resurrection to the world.

Jesus gave commands to His disciples and said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Jesus called for action from those who would be His disciples. A true follower of Christ is one who loves Him and obeys His will. Jesus promised to send another Comforter to the apostles. This was a promise that He would send the Holy Spirit. The Spirit taught the apostles all things and brought all things to their remembrance that they had been taught by the Lord. The Spirit personally guided the apostles until the end of their lives and through the writings of the apostles guides us today. The Lord loved His apostles and He would not leave them as orphans. They were His little children. (John 13:33) Obedience on the part of a disciple gains a believer the love of Jesus and the Love of the Father. (John 14:21-23) Jesus promised His disciples a peace that the world does not know, cannot give and neither can the world take it away. Why not allow Jesus to give you that same peace?

In My Father's house -- John 14:1-5 : Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus wanted the hearts of the disciples to be filled with faith instead of distressed. It was the desire of the Master that they would adhere to and trust in Him just as they did in God. In the Father's house there are many mansions. It is truth, Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us. Jesus promised that He would return to take His disciples to Himself that we may be in heaven with Him. Jesus told the disciples that they already knew the way to reach that place. It is sad that Thomas said, "We do not know where You are going." He had told them that he was going to the "Father's house." He had also spent over three years teaching them how to get there. Learning is a slow and difficult process.

The Way, the Truth and the Life -- John 14:6-14 : The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. If the disciples had known who Jesus really is, the Son of God, then they would have had no difficulty in knowing the Father. Philip asked the Lord to show them the Father. Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father." The disciples had been with Jesus for this long time and had not yet grasped what He is all about. However, this would change completely when He arose from the dead. It was the purpose of Jesus that the Father be glorified through Him. Our purpose should also be to glorify God. The life of a Christian is not about you; it is about God being seen through you! We should have faith in Jesus, either because of what He said or because of the things He did. He is the Son of God! What a great thing we can do by telling others that Jesus is the Son of God and that this great truth has been proven with power by His resurrection from the death. As the Son of God Jesus is able to answer prayers that are prayed in His name and in accordance to His will.

Love leads to obedience -- John 14:15-24 : Now we come to recognize the path by which we enjoy God's blessings. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will do as I command you." "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:21) Jesus promised the apostles that sense He would no longer be with them that He would send the Holy Spirit as a Comforter to them. The Comforter would come as a result of Jesus" praying to the Father. The Holy Spirit would be with the apostles as a "Strengthener." The true follower of Christ will see who He is and follow Him in loving obedience. A loving, obedient child receives his Father's words, treasures them in his heart and lives them in his life. Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." (John 14:23-24)

True peace from the Lord -- John 14:25-31 : Jesus had spent over three years teaching the apostles concerning the will of God. Now the Father would send the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, Strengthener, or an Advocate. The Holy Spirit would cause the apostles to remember everything that Jesus had told them. Jesus did not want the apostles to be worried or afraid so He promised them a peace unlike anything that the world could give. Jesus told the apostles that if they really loved Him they should be glad He was going back to the Father. These things that Jesus was telling the apostles were to help them have strong faith. Jesus" death was essential but He did not want it to be a stumbling block to their faith. Jesus warned them, "The ruler of this world is coming; but he has no power over me." This could refer to the Roman government but more likely the reference is just to Satan himself. Satan is the prince of the power of the air. (Ephesians 2:2) He is the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Through Jesus Christ Satan's kingdom would suffer defeat. Jesus said, "I obey my Father, so that everyone in the world might know that I love him." Will you do the same?