The Way, The Truth, & The Life

John 14

Jesus taught on many important themes between the John 14–16. He began with words of comfort in light of the previous prediction of His death and Peter’s denial of Him, not once, but three times.

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:1–4 (ESV)

In Jewish wedding custom, the father would add rooms onto his house for his newly married son. Upon completion, which could happen at any time, the son would sojourn to receive his bride. The bride must always be ready and in anticipation of the day her husband to be would appear to take her to her new house with many rooms and a huge wedding celebration.

In this passage, Jesus wasn’t abandoning them but heading out to get their eternal home ready. When your or my time comes, have no fear, Jesus will appear to receive us. Heaven has been prepared for us, as we who are believers, will be ushered to our eternal home.

This return of which Jesus prophesied is what we call the rapture, the time when He will return to receive His saints and take us to heaven. John is the only Gospel that spells this out; however, Paul make it very clear in his letter to the Thessalonians.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18

Though we can’t know the precise timing of this event, I believe from my study and where I am in my present journey that it will happen prior to His return to earth to establish His millennial kingdom. Despite your pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib theology, the message is to be prepared for the “Groom’s Return.”

"And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. 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.” John 14:4–6 (ESV)

Thomas had misunderstood, as he often did. Dr. Tony Evans writes, “The way mentioned in verse 4 isn’t a path; it’s a person: Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (14:6). Christ is the universal point of access to God. If you want to know the Father, you must come to him through his Son. Jesus assured Thomas that if he knew the Son, he knew the Father.”

“If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” John 14:7–11 (ESV)

Warren Wirsbe writes about John 14 in his Word Commentary on how “Jesus takes us to the Father, Jesus reveals the Father, Jesus glorifies the Father, and Jesus and the Father dwell with us.

In what He said and did during His earthly ministry, Jesus revealed the Father and often reminded them: “I and My Father are one.” How can we not love the Father when He is like Jesus?

Philip wanted to be like Moses, who got to catch a glimpse of God. But he didn’t understand that fully revealing God the Father was exactly what Jesus had come to do. Whereas Moses only saw a hint of the glory of the invisible God from the cleft of the rock, Jesus said, The one who has seen me has seen the Father. Jesus Christ is God incarnate, the God-Man.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:12–18 (ESV)

Here, Jesus reveals the Father, and He does it through His people as they do God’s works and keep His commandments. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer, we could never glorify the Lord. Apart from Him we can do nothing.

In verse 15 we see that according to Jesus, obedience is the proof of love. Our relationship with Him, not a fear of disappointing him, drives our desire to please Him. Are you living a life of obedience to the Father? Is your obedience driven by your love for Him?

Dr. Tony Evans writes “In Greek there are two words that could be used to mean another. One means “another of a different kind”; the other means “another of the same kind.” The latter is used here. The Holy Spirit is another Counselor, but one who shares in the divine nature. Therefore, God would still be with them in the person of God the Holy Spirit. The same sovereign love and power they enjoyed in Jesus, then, would be present in their lives. Importantly, when you trust in Christ to take away your sins and give you eternal life, the Holy Spirit also comes to dwell within you, ministering the presence of God to you.”

The only way to know and receive the Spirit of God is through knowing and receiving the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Not only would He send the Holy Spirit to be with them, but one day the Son will also return to take His followers, we who believe, to the place prepared for us.

It is one thing for us to go to heaven and quite something else for heaven to come to us! There is a deeper fellowship with the Son and the Father for those who love Him, seek Him, and obey Him. We experience His peace as we commune with the Father and the Son in love.

Do you know without a shadow of a doubt that you will spend eternity with Jesus? Do you possess the assurance of salvation by your simple faith in Jesus Christ alone as the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Do you believe that He was born for you, lived a perfect life on earth as an example for you, was beaten, scourged, and hung on a cross for you?

Will you believe, if you haven’t already, that Jesus rose from the tomb He was buried for three days, walked upon the earth before many witnesses, and ascended into the heavens to sit at the right hand of the Father?

Do you believe your eternity is secure through the work of Jesus Christ and your faith in Him alone.
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Jesus is the only way to the Father; He reveals the truth about the Father; and He shares the life of the Father with us. Why should our hearts be troubled?

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