seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “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’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 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 works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Let not your heart be troubled: The disciples had reason to be troubled. Jesus had just told them that one of them was a traitor, that all of them would deny Him, and that He would leave them that night. All of this would legitimately trouble the disciples, yet Jesus told them, let not your heart be troubled.
This was in some sense a command. “The form of the imperative me tarassestho implies that they should ‘stop being troubled.’ ‘Set your heart at ease’ would be a good translation.” (Tenney)
You believe in God, believe also in Me: Instead of giving into a troubled heart, Jesus told them to firmly put their trust in God and in Jesus Himself. This was a radical call to trust in Jesus just as one would trust in God the Father, and a radical promise that doing so would bring comfort and peace to a troubled heart.
In My Father’s house are many mansions: Jesus spoke with complete confidence about heaven, here spoken of as His Father’s house. Jesus didn’t wonder about the life beyond this earth; He knew it and told His disciples that there was room for all in heaven (many mansions).
I will come again to receive you to Myself: Jesus promised to come again for the disciples. This was not only in the sense of His soon resurrection or in the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also had in mind the great gathering together of His people at the end of the age.
That where I am, there you may be also: The entire focus of heaven is being united with Jesus. Heaven is heaven not because of streets of gold, or pearly gates, or even the presence of angels. Heaven is heaven because Jesus is there.
Lord, we do not know where You are going: Thomas should be praised for honestly and clearly explaining his confusion. He thought Jesus was simply going to another place, as if it were another city.
No one comes to the Father except through Me: Jesus made this remarkable statement, claiming that He was the only way to God. In this He set aside the temple and its rituals, as well as other religions. It was a claim to have an exclusive way, truth, and life — the only pathway to God the Father, the true God in heaven.
And from now on you know Him and have seen Him: The disciples certainly had learned and known much about God in their three years of apprenticeship under Jesus. Yet Jesus understood that since they had not yet seen the full revelation of God’s love at the cross and His power at the resurrection, there was a sense in which they would only now know and see God.
Lord, show us the Father and it is sufficient: Philip had seen and experienced much in following Jesus, but had not yet seen God the Father with his physical eyes. Perhaps he thought that such an experience would bring life-changing assurance and courage.
Believe Me… or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves: Jesus presented two solid foundations for our trust in Him. We can believe Jesus simply because of His person and words, or we can also believe Him for the sake of the works that He miraculously did.
The Father who dwells in Me does the works: “We are not only one in nature, but one also in operation. The works which I have done bear witness of the infinite perfection of my nature. Such miracles as I have wrought could only be performed by unlimited power.” (Clarke)
Believe Me: “Here Jesus calls on Philip and the others (note the change to the plural) to believe Him, not only to believe in Him. Faith includes a recognition that what Jesus says is true.” (Morris)
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do: Jesus further explained how greater works would be possible for His followers. It would be possible because Jesus would do His work through His prayerful people, who asked and acted in His name. He promised to do anything that His trusting followers asked for in His name; that is, according to His character and authority.
In My name is not a magic incantation of prayer; it speaks of both an endorsement (like a bank check) and a limitation (requests must be in accordance with the character of the name). We come to God in Jesus’ name, not in our own.
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I'm pretty sure Thomas wanted to know where Jesus was at all times. According to John 11:16, Thomas was Jesus' twin. He looked like Jesus. Jesus was a hunted human. That meant that every time Thomas walked away from Jesus, he was in danger of being arrested. Now Jesus says He's going away and Thomas can't go. Poor Thomas better find a place to hide for a while. Jesus says He's coming back. I bet Thomas was counting on that!
Phillip is another one of the disciples who spoke up about Jesus leaving them. The Pharisees and the Sadducees accused Jesus of being a Bastard. They knew Mary was His mother, but Jesus didn't have a human father "for the record". If Jesus were born today, the Birth Certificate would say "Father Unknown". That would identify Mary as a whore and Jesus as a Bastard.
Phillip and company still had no clue whose name should be written on the Birth Certificate. Jesus claimed to be a Jew, but no human Israelite would claim Him as their son. So, it looked like the Pharisees and the Sadducees had been right all along. Jesus must be a Bastard.
Jesus appears to be a Bastard who claims to be the Messiah. How crazy is that? Phillip had a point.... and Jesus had an answer.
Jesus reminded them of all the Miracles He performed. They saw Him turn water into excellent wine. They saw Him tell the wind to calm down and it immediately followed His Command. They saw Him feed 5,000 men, along with the women, children, and slaves with a handful of tiny fish and a bun meant to be a sandwich for a little boy. They saw Him call Lazarus from the tomb... 4 days stinky.... alive and well.
Could there be any question that Jesus was indeed the Messiah?
Jesus told His Disciples to trust Him. How big is the leap of faith for someone who has witnessed a man brought back from the dead?
Jesus didn't need a name on the Birth Certificate. Jesus didn't need to identify His Father in the Census. The Miracles Jesus performed should be good enough for them. Jesus' father is God Himself! It's evident in everything Jesus said or did.
Jesus told them He would be back. Jesus said He was just going home to get things ready for them. There would be plenty of room for everyone.
There's the "End Times" promise.
Why don't preachers teach this as the "End Times" promise? Don't they understand this chapter? Is it because they don't want to use the word "Bastard" in church?
Jesus wasn't just going to return home and give Dad a hug. He still had to go through the beatings and the murder on the Cross and the dark Tomb, and address the Assembly in Heaven that was planning the End Times. Jesus had a lot of work to do in order to get Home to make things ready.
Jesus said "I'll be back" long before the Terminator Movie.
He'll be back!
