John 14(07–21)

Introduction

We’re getting closer and closer to the time when the Lord Jesus will be arrested and taken away to be tried and then crucified on the cross as the true Passover Lamb who died so that all who believe will be spared from the wrath of God and live for ever. We’re getting closer and closer to that time.

The Lord and his disciples have gathered together for the Last Supper. The Lord has washed the feet of his disciples and in so doing he has given them a picture of his mission to save us from our sins, because just as he served them by washing their feet before taking his place again, so he has served us by dying on the cross to cleanse us of our guilt before rising from the dead and ascending to heaven to resume his seat at his Father’s side in glory. And so, by washing their feet he gave them a picture of his mission to save us. And he also gave them an example to follow, because we’re to humble ourselves as he humbled himself and we’re to love and serve one another as he loved and served them. And there is no task that is too lowly for us to do, because if the Eternal Son of God was prepared to stoop down and wash the feet of his disciples, then there’s no task that is beneath us and we should be willing to do whatever is necessary to serve others.

And so, the Lord and his disciples have gathered together for the Last Supper and he has washed their feet. And after Judas left to betray him, the Lord began to his teach his disciples one last time before his crucifixion. And one of the things he taught them, which we were studying last week, was the new command which we’re to obey. In the past, God commanded his people to love our neighbour as ourself. Whatever you wish for yourself, that’s what you’re to wish and do for your neighbour. But the new command which the Lord gave his disciples and which he wants all of his people to obey is for us to love one another as Christ has loved us. And since he loved us with a humble, servant-like, sacrificial love, then we’re to love one another in the same way.

And then he also taught them about his departure. He told them that he will be with them only a little while longer. And where he’s going, they cannot come immediately. And the thought that he was leaving them and that they cannot follow him immediately troubled the disciples. They had been with him for three years. They didn’t want it to end. They didn’t want him to leave. But he explained that the reason he was leaving them was to prepare a place for them in his Father’s heavenly house, where there is room for all who believe. And when it’s all ready, he will come back for his people and bring them to the place he has prepared for them, so that where he is, they will be also.

And when Thomas said that they don’t know where he’s going, so how can they know the way, the Lord answered him with those well-known and precious words: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.’ He is the way to the Father, because everyone who believes in the Saviour receives forgiveness and the right to eternal life in the presence of God. And just as he has come down from heaven to give us the access to the Father, so he has come down from heaven to give us truth and life from God and about God and the hope of everlasting life in the presence of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And so it will be that all of God’s people will live for ever in the place God has prepared for us, where we’ll enjoy God’s presence for ever and for ever.

And the Lord has many other things to teach his disciples before he’s taken away to be crucified for us and for our salvation. And in today’s passage, he talks about his relationship to the Father. And he talks about his ascension to the Father. And he talks about how we demonstrate our love for him. And he talks about the Holy Spirit. And so, he has many things to teach them before he leaves them.

And this is only the start of it, because we also have everything he says to them in chapters 15 and 16 and 17. But let’s turn to consider what he said to them in today’s passage, beginning with verses 7 to 11.

Verses 7 to 11

In these verses the Lord said to his disciples that if they know him, then they would know his Father as well. And he says that from now on they do know the Father and they have seen him. Philip responds by saying to him: ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ And the Lord answers him by saying: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?’ So, he’s rebuking Philip, because Philip and the others should know that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. And that means that whoever knows the Lord Jesus knows the Father. And whoever has seen the Lord Jesus has seen the Father. Whoever has heard the Lord Jesus has heard the Father, because the Father lives in him and is at work through him.

So, Philip wants to see the Father. But he should’ve realised that he has seen the Father already, because the Lord Jesus, who is the Son of God the Father, is in the Father and the Father is in the Son.

We need to do a little theology here. We believe there’s only one God. That’s the most fundamental doctrine we learn from the Old Testament, because the Israelites were taught that the gods of the nations were not real. They were false gods. They were idols made of wood and stone and metal. The gods of the nations were not real and there’s only one, true and living God and it’s the Lord, the God who revealed himself to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Moses and who rescued his people from Egypt and who entered into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai. He’s the one, true and living God.

But then, by sending his Son and Spirit into the world, God revealed that the one, true and living God is also three. He is one God in three persons because there’s the Father, and there’s the Son and there’s the Holy Spirit. The Father is God. The Son is God. And the Holy Spirit is God. But there are not three gods, because there’s only one God. The Father is Lord. The Son is Lord. And the Holy Spirit is Lord. But there are not three lords, because there’s only one Lord. There’s only one God and one Lord because the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit possess one and the same divine being and they are one God.

And so, the one God we worship and adore exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten. The Son was neither made nor created, but is begotten from the Father eternally. And the Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeds from the Father and the Son eternally. But — and this is the bit that relates to these verses — the Father’s begetting the Son does not produce a separate divine being, but it produces a second person within the one divine being. So, when two humans have a child together, they produce a separate human being. The father is one human being and the mother is another human being and the child they produce is a third human being. But God the Father’s begetting the Son does not produce a separate divine being, but it produces a second person within the one divine being. And the Spirit’s proceeding from the Father and the Son does not produce a separate divine being, but it produces a third person within the one divine being.

And the theologians refer to the way the three persons exist together within the same divine being as perichoresis. It’s a Greek word which means ‘go around’. The three persons of the Trinity go around one another. They encircle one another. They indwell one another, so that the Father is in the Son and the Spirit; and the Son is in the Father and the Spirit; and the Spirit is in the Father and the Son. They indwell one another because all three persons possess one and the same divine being and they exist in one another.

And so, the Lord Jesus says to Philip in verse 10 that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. And later in the same verse he says that the Father lives in him. And in verse 11 he repeats that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. And so, to know the Son is to know the Father. To hear the words of the Son is to hear the words of the Father. To see the works of the Son is to see the works of the Father. And this is because the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. They are wrapped up in one another.

Now why does any of this matter? It matters because God commands us to love him with our heart and soul and our mind. And loving him with our minds means learning about him and who is he and what he’s like. God has given us minds so that we might know him. And in knowing him, we fulfil the purpose of our minds which is to know the truth about God. And in the life to come, we will contemplate God and his glory for ever and for ever and will find joy in knowing him. And what we will do for ever in glory we begin to do now by meditating on what God has revealed to us about himself already.

But this doctrine also matters because of what we read in verse 21 where the Lord says: ‘He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him.’ When he refers to those who love him he’s talking about his people. He’s talking about Christians. And Christians are people who love the Lord. We love the Lord because he gave us our life in this world and he fills our life with good things and the Lord Jesus gave up his life on the cross so that we might have eternal life in the presence of God. We love the Lord because of all that he has done for us.

And the Lord says that God the Father will love them and he will love them too. So, the Father loves us and the Son loves us as well. And they love us with one and the same love, because they’re not two separate beings with two separate loves. They are one divine being and their love for us is identical. They love us with one and the same love.

Sometimes people think that the Father hated us and wanted to punish us and that the Son had to persuade a reluctant Father to forgive us. They think that the Son loves us, and not the Father. And if the Father does love us now, it’s only because the Son convinced him to do so. And the Father only loves us reluctantly and that’s why, when we pray to him, we have to pray to him in the name of the Lord Jesus, because really the Father doesn’t want to hear or to answer our prayers, because his love for us is weak.

But those who think that way have got it all wrong, because the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son and they love us with one and the same love. There’s no difference between the Son’s love for us and the Father’s love for us. They both love us with an abounding, overflowing and everlasting love. The Son’s love for us is an never-ending fountain of benevolence, so that his will for us is only good. And the Father’s love for us is the same never-ending fountain of benevolence, so that his will for us is only good. It’s because the Father loves us that he sent his Son to save us. And it’s because the Son loves us that he was was willing to be sent to save us. The Father loves us and gave up his Son for us. And the Son loves us and gave up his life for us.

If the Father and the Son were separate gods, then it’s possible that one might love us while the other did not. But since they are one God, then their love for us is identical. And when we see how the Son loved us and gave up his life for us on the cross to pay for our sins and to make peace for us with God, then we see at the very same time the Father’s love for us.

And so, the Lord could say to his disciples that if they know him, then they know the Father as well. And when Philip asked to see the Father, the Lord could say to him that whoever has seen him has seen the Father. Whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father, because they exist together as one God; and with the Holy Spirit they possess one and the same divine being. This is our God and we will worship and adore him for ever and for ever in the life to come.

Verses 12 to 14

And in verses 12 to 14 the Lord said to his disciples that anyone who has faith in him will do what he has been doing. In fact, anyone who has faith in him will do even greater things than he has been doing. And they will do even greater things than he has been doing because he is returning to his Father in heaven.

And so, the reason they will be able to do greater things than he has been doing is because he is returning to his Father’s side in heaven, where he will rule over all things in heaven and on earth on behalf of his people. And from his throne in heaven, he will do whatever his people ask in his name. He said: ‘You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.’ And in this way, he will bring glory to his Father in heaven.

And so, it’s clear from what the Lord says that whatever these greater works may be, his believing people will only accomplish them because of him. He’s the one with the power and the authority. He’s the one who is able. And so, whatever these greater works may be, his believing people will only be able to do them because of him.

This therefore reminds me of the beginning of the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the book of the acts of the apostles. It’s all about what they did here on earth after the Lord’s ascension. And the apostles did great things, because the apostles were able from time to time to perform miracles as the Lord Jesus did when he was on the earth. But they also did something which the Lord Jesus did not do, They were able to go out from Judea into all the world to preach the gospel. And whereas very few people believed the Lord Jesus when he was on the earth, many, many, many people believed the apostles when they went into all the earth. Very few people were convinced and converted as a result of the Lord’s ministry. But many people were convinced and converted as a result of the apostles’ ministry. And I think that’s what the Lord meant when he refers to their greater works. The apostles didn’t perform greater miracles than he did, but their preaching ministry stretched furthered than his and their preaching ministry was more effective than his.

However, remember the beginning of Acts? Luke — who wrote the book of Acts as well as his own gospel — said in the beginning of Acts that in his gospel he wrote about all that the Lord Jesus began to do and to teach until he was taken up to heaven. And the implication of the word began is that what he’s about to tell us in the book of Acts is what the Lord continued to do from his throne in heaven. The gospel tells the story of what the Lord began to do, whereas the book of Acts tells us the story of what the Lord continued to do. The book of Acts is about how the Lord Jesus, from his throne in heaven, worked through the apostles to enable them to do what they did. Because of his power at work in them and through them, they were able to do great things.

And that matches what the Lord says here in John 14. His believing people will do greater things than he did while he was on the earth. But it’s not because they’re are more powerful than he was or wiser or smarter or that they know how to be more effective communicators. It’s because he was at work in them and through them to convince and convert sinners to faith in Christ and to extend his kingdom and to build his church and to bring glory to his Father.

And, of course, we need to notice what he says here about prayer. He says that he will do whatever we ask in his name. The words ‘in his name’ mean that our prayers must be in accordance with his will. But he’s saying to his disciples that, so long as our prayers are in accordance with his will, then we can expect to see him do great things in answer to our prayers.

And sure enough, when you read through the book of Acts you’ll see how the apostles met together frequently for prayer. They knew their own weakness. They knew the opposition they faced. They knew the challenges before them. And so, they prayed. They looked to the Lord for the help they needed. And the Lord answered them and he did great things in them and through them.

And so, the lesson for us is to pray. We must be a praying people and we must be a praying church. The prayer meeting should not be the smallest meeting during the week, but the largest meeting during the week. And we should be in prayer continually, calling on the Lord to bless the reading and preaching of his word here and throughout the world, so that sinners are convinced and converted to faith in Christ; and believers are built up in comfort and holiness; and Christ’s kingdom is extended and his church is built and all to the praise of God’s glorious grace and power.

Verses 15 to 17

My time is almost up, but let’s look briefly at verses 15 to 17, where the Lord says: ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command.’

Now, the Father and the Son did not love us with words only, but with deeds. Because of the Father’s love for us, he sent his Son to save us. And because of the Son’s love for us, he came to save us. They loved us with deeds and not with words only. And we’re to love the Father and the Son with deeds and not with words only. We’re to demonstrate our love for them by obeying them.

The Lord doesn’t specify which command we’re to obey. Some commentators think he’s referring back to the new command from chapter 13 which is to love one another as Christ has loved us. However, in verse 21 he refers to ‘commands’ in the plural. And so, it’s more likely that he means that we demonstrate our love for him by obeying all his commands. We display our love for him by being his obedient people. Anyone can say they love the Lord, but the true test of our love for him is whether or not we’re prepared to live for him and his glory and to submit to his will as revealed in his word.

And God the Son will ask his Father in heaven to give his people another Counsellor to be with us for ever. And he goes on to make clear that he’s referring to the Holy Spirit. Now, the Greek word translated Counsellor in the NIV is sometimes translated Comforter or Helper or Advocate. It’s a word which referred in those days to a friend who would help you if you were taken to court. He would help you to face your accuser and he’d speak in your defence and he’d offer advice and encouragement. He’d help you cope in difficult circumstances.

And the Lord refers to the Holy Spirit as another Counsellor. The Lord Jesus is one Counsellor and the Holy Spirit is another. The Lord helped and encouraged the disciples while he was on the earth. Now that he’s leaving them, he’s giving them and us another Counsellor to help us. And whereas the Lord Jesus existed outside his disciples, the Holy Spirit lives in us. And so, he’s always with us to help us and to comfort us and to reassure us and to encourage us. He’s present with us at all times to help us to cope with all the troubles and trials of life. He comes to minister to us according to our need. And he does so by bearing witness to us of all that God has revealed about himself in his word and by reminding us of all that God has promised to do for us and how we can always trust in him.

And so, because of the abundant, overflowing, and everlasting love of God the Father and God the Son for us, they send the Spirit to help us. And because of the Spirit’s abundant, overflowing and everlasting love for us, he is willing to come to us. And this means that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit — who live in one another eternally as one God — live in us as well. They live in us by grace and for our good. And so, we do not face this world and all its trials by ourselves, because our God, whose love is a never-ending fountain of benevolence, is always with us to help us.