John 14:1-31 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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Jesus; the Way, the Truth, & the Life
Comments for Study 19

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Memory Verse: 14:6
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Outline
A MAP OF JERUSALEM IN JESUS' TIME
A MAP SHOWING JESUS' LATE MINISTRY TRAVELS

Passion Week Events

* An outline of Jesus' last week before his resurrection is as follows.
Friday -Jesus arrives in the Jerusalem area.
    Friday -Jesus arrives in the Jerusalem area. (John 11:54-12:1)
    Saturday (Sabbath) -a day of rest; no event recorded except Luke 21:37-38.
    Sunday -Jesus' triumphal entry. (Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19)
    Monday -Jesus curses the fig tree (Matt. 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14). Jesus clears out the Temple. (Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18)
    Tuesday -Jesus' authority questioned. (Matt. 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:18) Jesus teaches in the temple. (Matt. 21:28-22:46; Mark 12:1-44; Luke 20:9-21:4) Jesus wept over Jerusalem's leader's unbelief and rejecting him as their King. (Matthew 23:1-39) Jesus anointed at Bethany. (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 13:3-9; John 12:2-11)
    Wednesday -another day of rest; no event recorded except Luke 21:37-38. The Jews plot to kill Jesus. (Matt. 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6)
    Thursday (Hebrew month Abib the 13th day) -the Passover meal begins at twilight (see below note) when Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Last Supper. (Matt. 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20; John 13:1-18) Jesus comforts the disciples (John 14:1-16:33) Jesus prays at Gethsemane. (Matt. 26:26-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46)
    Friday (Hebrew month Abib, 14 day) -According Hebrew time Jesus is arrest and tried from night to daylight. (Matt. 26:47-27:26; Mark 14:43-15:15; Luke 22:47-23:25; John 18:2-19:16) Jesus' crucifixion at 3:00pm, and death before sunset which is the end of the Hebrew day and Passover. (Matt. 27:27-56; Mark 15:16-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30) Jesus is buried at sunset. (Matt. 27:57-66; mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:31-42)
    Saturday (Sabbath Abib 15, Seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread begins) Jesus' body is in the tomb. He appears in Sheol and accompanies the saints previously dead to heaven.
    Sunday (Abib 16; day of First Fruits Sheaf Wave) Jesus' morning resurrection and appearing to the women. (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18) Then he appeared to the two on the road. (Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-35) Then to the ten apostles (no Thomas or Judas) in the evening. (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25)
    Saturday (Sabbath) -Jesus appears to Thomas and the rest of the apostles. (John 20:26-31)
    A week later -Jesus talks and eats with some disciples by the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-25)
    Forty days since his resurrection -Jesus ascends to his Father from the Mount of Olives. (Matt. 28:15-20; Mark 18:19-20; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11)

* The Passover is linked to the 14th day of the month not the day of the week. It starting on Thursday twilight is a very rare event; unusually it starts on a different day of the week. (Hebrew days start at sunset/twilight and go through the night till the next day's sunset.) Falling on a Thursday that year made it possible for Jesus to fulfill the meaning behind the feasts associated with the Passover. His was crucified on Friday (still Passover), the Sabbath (Saturday) rest was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Sunday was the third day since his death, the day of the First Fruit Wave Sheaf, and the day that Jesus rose from the dead. All three feasts were thus fulfilled by Jesus.

I. "In my Father's house..." (1-4)

>1. Read verse 1.

* "'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.'" (1)

>Why were Jesus' disciples troubled and anxious? (13:21, 33, 38)

* "'After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, 'I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.'" (13:21)

* "''My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.'" (13:33)

* "Then Jesus answered, 'Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.'" (13:38)

* Even when Jesus washed their feet they were troubled.

* Their main problem was that they didn't trust God, nor Jesus. God's grace was still with them. They were still disciples, just mixed up disciples.

* Following Jesus is easy to do when things are going well, but when things are not going so well it is not so easy to believe and follow Jesus. When troubles come, one's faith is shown.

* Even those who are with Jesus can be troubled.

* Their security was collapsing. Their trust in the human Jesus seemed to be coming to nothing but disasters that Jesus was predicting.

>What did he tell them to do?

* Trust in God and Jesus.

* Jesus tried to help them come out of their troubled hearts and anxiety. Yet, they seemed to not want to come out of it. They just couldn't believe Jesus' words that it would be good and for the glory of God.

* Jesus planted God's hope.

>What does it mean to trust or believe in God (and also in Jesus)?

* To believe what is happening is all in God's hand; that it is his will. And everything will work out for the best of those who believe.

* He did not want them to be troubled.

* In the future things would become even worse and they would need to know what to do.

* Don't worry about tomorrow. Believe in the love and grace of Jesus.

* doubt = troubled heart

>2. Read verses 2-4.

* "'In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 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. You know the way to th place where I am going.'" (2-4)

>What is the promise Jesus gives here?

* They will be in heaven in God's big house, where their was plenty of room for them.

* Since Adam men have had a life security problem. Jesus gives true security in heaven, the kingdom of God.

* If accepted this would take away their troubled hearts.

>How does this promise build faith?

* With perspective on eternity, are problems seem smaller.

>Why is it important to believe it?

* People will always have problems.

* Something concrete to believe in. He gave them hope for the future.

* Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

* Without hope in the kingdom of God a life of faith would be useless and depressing. (1 Cor. 15:32)

* The disciples heard, but they did not listen. They eat and digested the bread and wine, yet did not digest Jesus' words. We need to have Bible study even if we don't understand it now. Later God will reveal it to us.

>To what does Jesus refer when he speaks of his "going"?

* To heaven, to his Father.

* Jesus going to the Father is very important. We need to accept he is there now. We need to accept and have faith in what God is doing.

II. "I am the Way" (5-14)

>3. How did Thomas respond?

* "Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?'" (5)

>Why had he lost the way?

* Jesus had told him many time already.

* "If you really knew me" -He did not really know Jesus nor who he was.

* He doubted. He didn't really believe what Jesus was saying because he was full of his own ideas. All the apostles were this way.

* He had a faith problem.

* Thomas had been with Jesus three years now.

* Jesus had just said that he would come back for them.

* Thomas and the rest had done their best, but they still didn't obtain the way, which is Jesus.

* Following the human Jesus was great with only a few ruff times compared what was to follow. Without receiving these words of Jesus, their future would be very hard indeed.

>Are there any modern Thomas'?

* Yes. There are a lot of Thomas' today. There is a little Thomas in many people claiming to be Christian and followers of Jesus. We need good Bible study.

>4. How did Jesus answer Thomas? (Read verse 6.)

* "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (6)

* This is more of Jesus' "I am" that John recorded him saying. Just as the LORD God told Moses at the burning bush that was not consumed, "I AM THAT I AM." Jesus is the one and only I AM.

>Why is Jesus the way?

* Thomas didn't have a clear life direction.

* Jesus is the way to the Father and the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is the way to know the Father.

* Jesus is the way to true life.

* Jesus is the way to our true home.

* Jesus is the way to live.

>Why is Jesus the truth?

* His words are truth.

* He is the truth of right and wrong.

* Universal and eternal.

>What is truth? (16:28)

* "'I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.'" (16:28)

* John 13:37

>Why is Jesus the life? (1:4, 5:24)

* "In him was life and that life was the light of men." (1:4)

* "'I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.'" (5:24)

* He is the source and sustainer of all life. John states this in the beginning of this gospel account.

* Jesus give us new life in the Spirit.

* Our life is now ours but we are stewards.

>5. Read verses 6 & 7.

* "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.'" (6-7)

>How did Philip respond to Jesus' words? (8)

* "Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.'" (8)

* Philip didn't understand that Jesus and the Father are one and the same.

* Calculation and fact searching to believers in Jesus doesn't help.

>What did Philip think he needed in order to believe?

* To Philip, seeing is believing.

* Moses on the mountain and Isaiah asked this.

* "that will be enough" -That was obviously not enough.

>Why did he need this at all? (1:18)

* Jesus and the Father are one in the same. This is only understood in faith in the trinity.

* Anyone who knows Jesus knows the Father.

* "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.'" (1:18)

* Belief based on physical evidence isn't faith at all.

>How can we believe? (10-11)

* "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not my own. Rather, it is the Father living in me, who is doing his work. 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." (10-11)

* Hold onto and believe in Jesus' words.

* At times Jesus' words will be the only thing we can hold onto. All the times it should be the only thing we hold onto.

>6. What else do you know about Philip? (6:7)

* "He asked this only to test him for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, 'Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!'" (6:7)

* Philip was a calculator. A down to earth, what I sence and can calculate is all that is real to me, kind of guy.

>Read verse 12.

* "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even great things than these, because I am going to the Father." (12)

>How did Jesus encourage him?

* Jesus said he would do greater things that him. That is miracles, preaching, teaching, raising disciples, and bringing glory to God.

>How could Philip do greater things than Jesus? (13-14; Mk. 11:23; and 1 Jn. 5:14)

* Jesus is going to the Father. (12) Have faith in this.

* "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (13-14)

* "'I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him'" (Mk. 11:23)

* "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.'" (1 Jn. 5:14)

* We can preach the gospel to all nations, Jesus was only in Israel.

* Jn. 18:37.

* "in my name" -in the place of Jesus, what Jesus would do.

* Praying is asking.

III. Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit (15-31)

>7. How must disciples show their love for Jesus? (15)

* "If you believe me, you will obey what I command." (15)

* This is through action.

* Love God. Love others.

* Forgive others is included.

* Bless others is also included.

* "'And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever." (16)

* love = obey

>What can we learn about the Holy Spirit from the name given him? (16-18)

* He is a Counselor.

* A counselor tells us things when we don't know something.

* He is called the Spirit of truth too.

>8. What does the Holy Spirit do for believers?

* He brings Jesus to us. He leads us to Jesus.

* He reminds us of all things Jesus taught.

* To be able to remind we need to have it stored by learning it originally. (26)

* He is the Spirit of truth, of peace.

Contrast this with the work of evil spirits in men. (Think about Saul in 1 Samuel.)

* They trouble men's souls.

* Think also of those possessed by demons.

* They pull us away from God.

* They plant doubt.

>How can we know God and have his Spirit? (21)

* "'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.'" (21)

* 1) has

* 2) obeys

>9. What did Judas (not Iscariot) want Jesus to do?

* "Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?'" (22)

* This was a sort of "out of the blue" question. Maybe he asked because of verse 21. Jesus had been talking a lot about love him and obey the Father, and the Holy Spirit will be in us as an answer to Philip's question.

>Why? (22)

* "Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

* So others may known and believe.

* He thought it would be easy to obey if one would see God's glory. This was not the case for Israel who continually saw God's glory (i.e. at Mt. Sinai, in the desert, in the temple, etc.)

>Why does Jesus reveal himself to disciples, but not to the world? (22-24)

* "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. He who does not love me will not obey me teaching. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me.'" (22-24)

* When we love we hear and obey him. Thus we see him.

>10. What else can we learn about the work of the Holy Spirit? (26)

* "'But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.'" (26)

* Only with God's help the word does good in our hearts.

* "teach" -he will give revelation if we don't understand.

* "remind" -only if we study and accept Jesus' word. We can not be like the first three soils in Jesus' parable of the four types of soil. This is only true with the fourth soil.

* This is all believers. This is not a few special people. For many years the church taught and enforced that only priests could teach and only they taught was the Pope said.

What promise does Jesus give to those who receive the Holy Spirit? (27)

* "'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do no let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.'" (27)

>How is Jesus' peace different from worldly peace? (Ro. 5:1; Gal. 5:22,23a)

* "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Ro. 5:1)

* "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. gentleness, and self control." (Gal. 5:22, 23a)

* The world's peace is: not being at war, or no violence. It is temporary and fragile.

* People in the world also try to find peace in drink, music, sex, sports...

* Worldly peace is costly, often at others lives.

* Jesus' peace is not being at war with God. It is peace of mind, heart, soul. No fear.

>11. Read verse 28.

* "'You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.'" (28)

>Why should Jesus' disciples be glad instead of fearful and anxious that he is going to the Father?

* It means we can go and have fellowship with God. The Father is greater.

* "I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world; is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. 'Come now; let us leave.'" (30-31)

* "the world" -Everyone needs to know that Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father. This will be revealed in what is about to happen.

>Why does the prince of this world, Satan, have no hold on Jesus?

* Jesus had done no wrong. He was without sin. He didn't have to die.

* The prince of the world did not keep Jesus dead for long. Jesus rose on the third day.

* We must learn that Jesus loves the Father and that he does exactly what the Father has commanded him. His action was death on the cross for our sins.