The Gospel of John – Lesson 37 – John 14:1-14

“Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions.If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am. ⁴ You know where I am going, and you know the way.” ⁵ “Lord, we don’t know where you are going,” Thomas replied, “so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you would also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ⁸ “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that is enough for us.” ⁹ “Have I been with you so long,” Jesus answered, “and you still do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I am telling you I am not speaking on my own, but the Father who remains in me is doing his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Or else believe because of the works themselves. ¹² “Amen, Amen, I tell you: The one who believes in me will do the works that I am doing. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.”

Jesus had just dropped some crushing news on his disciples. He was going to be leaving them soon. One of them was going to betray him. Peter was going to disown Jesus three times in one night. Can you just imagine what must have been going through the disciples minds after hearing all that? What are we going to do Jesus? Shouldn’t we all just get out of town now before these terrible things happen? Jesus, why won’t you take us with you wherever you’re going? Surely there must be a better way than the one Jesus just described.

Jesus had a completely different response in mind. He told his disciples not to be troubled. These were not mere empty words of comfort. Jesus’ words were backed by the unlimited power of God. All the disciples needed to do was to trust in Jesus and in his heavenly Father. Everything that was about to happen to Jesus, had been prophesied in the Holy Scriptures. In the short term, it was necessary for Jesus to suffer many things. This suffering would cause much grief for his disciples. But he explained that their grief would quickly be turned to joy. The disciples needed to trust that everything that was about to happen would serve God’s good purpose.

The reason that Jesus was going away was to prepare a place for his disciples in his Father’s house in heaven. This promise wasn’t meant only for the little group of disciples gathered with Jesus for the celebration of the Passover. Heaven has plenty of room. A place is waiting for all those who trust in Jesus Christ as their only Savior. That means he wants you to have a place there also. Jesus’ words don’t indicate that he is currently supervising a massive building project in heaven. He went away and prepared a place for us by his suffering and death on the cross. As he stated in verse 6 “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus needed to sacrifice himself to take away all our sins. Nothing sinful can live in the holy presence of God. We cannot remove our guilt by our works. Jesus prepared a place for us by shedding his own precious blood to wash us clean of all our sins.

Jesus also provided comfort by promising that his separation from us is only temporary. Jesus gave his life to prepare a place for us. He will make sure that we get to our new home. He will come back to take us to be with him where he is. He may come for you before his return on the Last Day. The souls of those who die in faith in Jesus will immediately go to be with their Lord in heaven. On the Last Day he will return to raise all the dead and reunite their body and soul. On that day everyone will stand before the Judgement Throne. Jesus will take those who are his to be with him where he is. Then body and soul, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Jesus made it clear that he and his heavenly Father are in full agreement on this. When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus made it clear in verse 11 “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.” Jesus’ works prove this to be true. The miracles he did show that he is true God. He is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father (and the Holy Spirit). All three persons of the Triune God are in full agreement on everything. They fully agree that all who place their trust in Jesus Christ will have a place waiting it God’s eternal house.

Jesus also tells us that those who follow him will do the works he has been doing. In fact, he said we will do even greater works. This doesn’t mean that we will do miracles like Jesus did. Jesus did allow his first disciples to do miracles. If God chooses to give someone else that ability, that is his decision. But the greatest work we do is to share the good news of Jesus.  Jesus came to preach and teach that he is the true Son of God who came as the promised Savior of the world. The greater thing we will do is proclaim to the world that Jesus has completed the work of salvation. Through our prayers, offerings, and personal testimony we will share in the work of bringing the good news of Jesus to every nation. Our Lord Jesus has prepared a place for us in heaven. He gives us the privilege to point others to Jesus so they may believe and have a place in heaven also.

Discussion Questions

1 – Jesus told his disciples not to be troubled. These were not empty words of comfort. Why didn’t they need to be troubled and why don’t we need to be troubled either?
Jesus told his disciples (and us) to trust in God and to trust in him (the Son of God). Everything that was happening to Jesus was going to serve God’s purpose. God promised at the fall into sin, that he would send a Savior to crush the devil and to undo the damage sin and the devil had accomplished. Jesus was now about to bring that promise to completion. In doing so he would prepare a place in heaven for all who trust in him as their Savior.

2 – What did Jesus mean when he called himself “the way and the truth and the life?”
Jesus is the way to our heavenly Father. No one can come to him except through faith in Jesus. Jesus came to proclaim the saving truths of God’s Word and to fulfill those truths by his life death and resurrection. He is the source of physical and spiritual life. All who believe in him have eternal life.

3 – What did Jesus teach us as he answered Philips’ request to see God the Father?
Jesus is true God, just as the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Those who have seen Jesus have also seen the Father. Those who hear Jesus’ words are also hearing the words of God the Father.

4 – How did Jesus prove that he is true God?
Jesus pointed to the miracles he did. Only God could do such powerful miracles. Jesus could also point to the way he fulfilled all the promises of the coming Messiah in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture testified that the Messiah is true God. Therefore, Jesus is also true God.

If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to:
revgtobison@gmail.com.