John
Chapter 14
John 14: This is one of the more familiar chapters in the Bible. It is probably the most loving and comforting section in Scripture. It is very often read at funerals for that purpose.
This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter. Peter had just said that he would follow Yeshua anywhere and Yeshua had just informed him that he would deny Him three times before the sun comes up that next morning.
(John 14:1 NASB) “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1: This is yet another claim of deity by Yeshua. He is making the statement here that He and the Father are One. It is not enough to simply believe in Elohim. That simply means you are not an atheist.
Yeshua says to not let our hearts be troubled. We are to entrust ourselves to the Father and to Him (Psalm 43:5, Isa. 12:2-3, 43:1-3).
(John 14:2 NASB) “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2: Yeshua says that there are many dwelling places in His Father’s house. His house is spoken of in Psalm 23 also (Psalm 23:6).
(John 14:3 NASB) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
John 14:3: (v. 2-3) The place that Yeshua is preparing is Zion, which is His kingdom He will set up His kingdom on earth (Ps. 2:6-7).
Yeshua is preparing the land of Israel for His people. He will then gather us to be with Him in Israel and in righteousness (Deut. 30:1-10).
(John 14:4 NASB) “And you know the way where I am going.”
(John 14:5 NASB) Thomas said^ to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
John 14:5: Thomas was one who seemed to always raise questions and doubts. This is a good question too, by the way.
(John 14:6 NASB) Jesus said^ to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
John 14:6: This is one of those passages we should have tucked away in our memory banks. Yeshua says that He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. He means that He is the Torah of the Father made flesh.
He is the Way (Psalm 119:1). Paul knew that this meant we are to walk according to the Torah of Elohim (Acts 24:14).
He is the Truth (Psalm 119:142, 151). Paul knew this also (Romans 2:20).
He is the Life because He is Torah in the flesh (Lev. 18:4, Prov. 4:4). Yeshua told another man the same thing (Matt. 19:16-17).
(John 14:7 NASB) “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
John 14:7: This is another statement of fact that Yeshua and His Father are One. If know Him, you know the Father because you keep His commandments (1 John 2:3-7).
(John 14:8 NASB) Philip said^ to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
(John 14:9 NASB) Jesus said^ to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 14:9: Yeshua seems a little put out with Philips comment. He already told them that He is a manifestation of the Father and He tells them again (John 12:44-45). Paul understood that Yeshua is the image of the Father (Col. 1:15-19).
(John 14:10 NASB) “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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
John 14:10: Yeshua is in the Father and the Father is in Him. The Words Yeshua speaks are not His, but His Father’s Words. This is because He is the Prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15-19).
(John 14:11 NASB) “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.
John 14:11: Yeshua says to entrust in Him for what they have seen if not for what He has said. What does He mean to “believe on account of the works themselves?” He explains further.
(John 14:12 NASB) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.
John 14:12: Whoever entrusts in Yeshua, He should do the same works that Yeshua does. The Greek word for “works” is ergon:G2041. The popular teaching on this passage is that Yeshua is referencing His miracles. But that is not what Yeshua is referring to.
The Greek word for “works” is G2041. ergon, from an obs. word erg (to do work); work:– action(1), behavior(1), deed(13), deeds(52), doing(1), effectual(m)(1), labor(1), result(m)(1), task(1), what he has done*(m)(1), work(34), works(62).
The term “works” is a reference to obedience to the commandments (Eph. 2:8-10, 2 Cor. 9:8, Rev. 22:12).
Therefore, if you look at the two verses together where “works” is actually a reference to “deeds of following Torah,” then this takes on a different meaning (v. 11-12).
Yeshua says that if we do not believe that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, then believe because of His obedience to His Father’s Torah. Then He goes on to say that if we entrust in Him, we will be obedient to Torah just as He is obedient to Torah. Then He says that our obedience to Torah will be even greater because He goes to the Father. And when He goes to the Father, He will send the Spirit of the Father to dwell in them to enable them to be even greater in obedience.
(John 14:13 NASB) “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(John 14:14 NASB) “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:14: This is often thought to be a blank check for wealth, prosperity, and pretty girls. I do not believe that is what Yeshua is saying here. The Greek word for “name” here is G3686. onoma, on’-om-ah; from a presumed der. of the base of G1097 (comp. G3685); a “name” (lit. or fig.) [authority, character]:–called, (+ sur-) name (-d).
Yeshua is saying that whatever we ask in His character, He will do. In other words, whatever we ask in obedience to Him and His Father’s Torah, He will do in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Yeshua explains this further (John 15:7, 16).
How is the Father glorified in the Son? When through the work of the Son, His people are obedient to the Father, then the Father is glorified (Isa. 60:21, 2 Thess. 1:11-12).
(John 14:15 NASB) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:15: Now this verse fits so very well with entire passage (v. 11-15). Yeshua is saying that believe in Him because of His obedience to Torah. If we entrust in Yeshua, then we will be obedient to the Father’s Torah. And we will be even greater at following His Torah when He leaves and asks the Father to send His Helper (v. 16 – not yet). And whatever we ask within the character of Him (in obedience to Torah), He will do in that the Father may be glorified. He then bluntly states, if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
(John 14:16 NASB) “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
(John 14:17 NASB) that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.
John 14:17: This is the mission of Yeshua. When Yeshua leaves, He will send another Helper, the Spirit of Truth. What is Truth? Truth is His Word (Torah), as we saw before (Psalm 119:142, 151, 160, 145:18).
Yeshua said that He will send the Spirit of Torah whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him. They know Him because He abides in them and they follow Torah.
(John 14:18 NASB) “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:18: Yeshua is not just going to walk out and leave us without parental leadership. He is going to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and lead us in His Torah.
(John 14:19 NASB) “After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also.
(John 14:20 NASB) “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
John 14:20: He says that after a little while the world will behold Him no more. The “world” is the unbelieving, disobedient people (John 8:21-24)..
When is “that day?” That day began at the Feast of Pentecost and continues on until today. Yeshua says that we will know that He is in the Father, we are in Him, and He is in us. Those are very small words, but very deep ones. This is a reference to the Spirit of Elohim within His people bringing them closer to Him through His Torah.
(John 14:21 NASB) “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:21: He who keeps the commandments of Elohim are the ones who love Him (Deut. 10:12-13 11:13, 30:6-8).
(John 14:22 NASB) Judas (not Iscariot) said^ to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
John 14:22: Judas is saying, “this is great for us, but what about the rest of the world?” Yeshua spends the rest of the chapter answering this question.
(John 14:23 NASB) Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.
(John 14:24 NASB) “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
John 14:24: Yeshua is making it very clear that if anyone loves Him, they will keep His Word. But the world does not love Him and does not keep His Word. He reminds them that His Word are not His, but they are the Words of His Father who sent Him. He is reminding them that He is the Prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:18-19). The Father treated Moses the same way by using Moses to speak His Words (Ex. 4:15).
(John 14:25 NASB) “These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you.
(John 14:26 NASB) “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 14:26: At one time, I used to think that Yeshua is saying that the Holy Spirit will bring to mind the things of the life of Messiah to the minds of the Apostles and they will be able to write thse thigns years later and we would have our New Testament. That is not what Yeshua is saying here.
He is saying that the Spirit of the Father will be sent in Yeshua’s authority and character and He will teach them how to obey His Father’s Instructions and bring to remembrance all the He said to them about it (Psalm 51:11-13, 25:8-14, Isa. 54:13-14).
(John 14:27 NASB) “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
John 14:27: Yeshua says, “My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you.” His peace is not the same as the peace the world gives. The peace He gives is peace through righteousness (Num 6:24-27, Psalm 85:9-13, Isa. 32:15-18).
(John 14:28 NASB) “You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
John 14:28: Yeshua says “I go away, and I will come to you. If you loved me you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father.” He is referring to passages in the Tanakh (Psalm 47:5-7, 68:18-19).
Yeshua said the Father is greater then Him. He is His Father’s Word made flesh and His Father’s Servant (Isa. 49:5-7).
(John 14:29 NASB) “And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe.
John 14:29: Yeshua told them before it happened. He didn’t want the disciples to think this was going to catch Him off guard.
(John 14:30 NASB) “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;
John 14:30: Yeshua says that the ruler of this world is coming. He already defined “the world” as disobedient unbelievers who are against Him. The ruler of this world is Satan and he is coming to have his minions take Yeshua away to His death.
(John 14:31 NASB) but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
John 14:31: Yeshua didn’t say much more to them. He is going to obey the command given to Him by His Father (Psalm 40:8). In a few hours He is going to be arrested and drug away for a scam of a trial that will lead to His death. After that, He will ascend to His Father, and then He will send the “Helper”, the Spirit (or Breath) of the Father.
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2015
Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly
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Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly
Fort Smith, Arkansas