CHAPTER XIV. THE HOUSE OF MANY MANSIONS (John 14:1-14) "No sooner had Judas left the room than, as though it had been relieved of some ghastly incubus, the spirits of the little company revived. The presence of that haunted soul lay with. weight of horror on the heart of the Master, and no sooner... [ Continue Reading ]
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. By the "Father's house" is meant the heavenly abode. He is about to return there, from whence he had come. It was not. small, narrow place, where few could be admitted, but it had many "abiding places," room enough for all, room enough for them to follow him... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF. The reference is not to Christ's return from the grave, but to. return from heaven, the second coming of the Lord, which is. part of the Christian faith. There is. presence of the Lord with his people, there is. call of the Lord to those who die in him... [ Continue Reading ]
WHITHER. GO YE KNOW, AND THE WAY YE KNOW. The Lord probably made this statement to provoke questions, such as followed. He had stated so clearly before that it seems strange to us that the apostles did not understand, but they were wedded to the idea that Christ was to be an earthly king, like all... [ Continue Reading ]
THOMAS SAITH UNTO HIM, LORD, WE KNOW NOT, ETC. Thomas,. plain, honest apostle, lost all hope when the Lord died; nor could he believe in the resurrection until he saw with his own eyes. Now he declares, "we do not know whither thou goest." We have heard thee talking of going away and dying when we... [ Continue Reading ]
AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. The Lord only answers his difficulty in part. He points him to the way in which he must walk if he would follow him. He must follow Christ in his life if he would follow him to the Father's house. He is the Way. The words of Christ here are words that could have... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE HAD KNOWN ME, YE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO. After over three years under the ministry of Christ they did not yet know him, except in part. The great truth declared is that the way to study God and know him is to know Christ. The universe may reveal his matchless grandeur, the Old Testa... [ Continue Reading ]
SHEW US THE FATHER AND IT SUFFICETH US. Philip fails to comprehend that the Father was to be seen in Christ and when the Lord declares that henceforth they have seen the Father; he at once requests such. revelation. He perhaps expected such. manifestation as Moses saw on the holy mount and from whe... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER. Philip, one of the chosen apostles, over three years an attendant on the ministry of Christ, seeing and hearing him daily, after such opportunities and "so long time, had not known" the Lord in his real character. He did not yet comprehend that the Son came... [ Continue Reading ]
BELIEVEST THOU NOT THAT. AM IN THE FATHER, AND THE FATHER IN ME? There was the completest union of the personalities of the Son and the Father. We may never on earth comprehend fully its nature, but we can understand it to be so complete that he was the manifestation of God in the flesh. In him was... [ Continue Reading ]
BELIEVE ME THAT. AM IN THE FATHER. The Lord did not wish only that they would accept his statement but that they would rise to such spiritual discernment as to behold in him the revelation of the Father's will and character. If needful to their faith they should believe FOR HIS WORKS' SAKE. These... [ Continue Reading ]
GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO, BECAUSE. GO TO MY FATHER. Those who believe shall have power given to do works, in some respects greater; not greater miracles, but to effect greater moral and spiritual revolutions. At the time of his death, as far as we know, he had only about five hundred di... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN MY NAME, THAT WILL. DO. What man would dare to make such. promise? It will be noted that in order to enjoy the fulness of these glorious promises we must, 1. Believe. It is limited thus in verse 12. Without faith it is impossible to please God. 2. We must _ask in his... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ADVOCATE PROMISED (JOHN 14:15-31) 15. If ye love me keep my commandments. This is not. command, but. declaration that if his disciples love him they will obey him. See Revised Version. Obedience is the fruit of love. Disobedience is the proof that love is not in the heart. "This is the love of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND. WILL PRAY THE FATHER. Rather "request" the Father. There are three Greek verbs used in the New Testament which mean respectively, "request," "ask," and "entreat." Christ never uses the last in his petitions to the Father. It belongs to the petitions of the creature to the Creator. AND HE SHAL... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. So called because he speaks the truth. The Comforter strengthens, guides, liberates, sanctifies by the truth. See chapter 17:19; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5. He also bears witness of the truth. See Acts 2:4; Acts 5:32; Hebrews 2:4. WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE. The... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL NOT LEAVE YOU COMFORTLESS. The word in the Greek is _orphaned._ It is applied to childless parents, or fatherless children, or any one bereaved. The term "desolate" used in the Revision probably expresses the idea. The disciples were bewildered and stupefied with grief at the thought of the Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
YET. LITTLE WHILE AND THE WORLD SEETH ME NO MORE. After the next evening the world would see him no more. When it took him and buried him out of sight it looked upon him for the last time. BUT YE SEE ME. They would see him with the natural eyes after he had veiled himself to the world. This, howe... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT DAY YE SHALL KNOW THAT. AM IN MY FATHER. "That day" began on the day of Pentecost. The apostles and brethren "waited the promise of the Father" until "the day of Pentecost was fully come," and then the risen and exalted Savior "shed forth" the Holy Spirit which he had promised should abide... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH MY COMMANDMENTS. The conditions upon which Christ may be present in each soul, seen and enjoyed, are next shown. As before seen, obedience and love are essential. "Hath" the commandments implies more than. mere possession of them. It implies that they are clearly apprehended. This must... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAS SAITH UNTO HIM, NOT ISCARIOT. John is careful to state that this apostle was not the traitor who had gone out. little while before. WHAT HATH COME TO PASS? ETC. This question indicates the bewilderment of all the apostles. They had, in spite of his teachings, adhered to the Jewish ideas tha... [ Continue Reading ]
IF. MAN LOVE ME, HE WILL KEEP MY WORDS. The Lord again compassionately states the conditions needful for his manifestation, as already pointed out, but adding another and. sweeter idea; that is, that the loving soul shall be. temple of God, and that as of old the Shekinah came and dwelt between the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT LOVETH ME NOT KEEPETH NOT, ETC. Disobedience springs from the absence of the love of Christ in the heart, and Christ only manifests himself in the heart that loves him. But he who refuses to obey Christ is disobedient to the Father also, because Christ's word is the Father's.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS HAVE. SPOKEN, BEING PRESENT. "These things" is put in contrast with "all things" in the next verse. They were yet so dull that they could not fully comprehend even what he said, but the time would come when they would understand better. The next verse points out that time.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COMFORTER, WHICH IS THE HOLY GHOST. The Revision gives, instead of "Ghost," which is not correct, "Spirit," as the word _Pneuma_ should always be translated. The Savior now identifies the Comforter with the Holy Spirit, soon to be sent. WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME. What is done in th... [ Continue Reading ]
PEACE. LEAVE WITH YOU. This is. solemn and affectionate farewell, in view of the cross,. parting benediction. As Isaac, about to depart, bestowed his blessing; as Jacob, "leaning on the top of his staff," blessed the twelve patriarchs, so the departing Lord will leave his peace to his disciples. M... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE HEARD, ETC.... IF YE LOVED ME YE WOULD REJOICE. This is. gentle rebuke. It declares that the desire of his disciples to prevent him from going away springs from selfish motives. They ought to rejoice because his own glory would be secured by his departure. He would return to his Father, whe... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE IT COME TO PASS. Told you of my going away that "when it is come you may believe," by knowing that. foresaw it all the time and that it was. part of my plan that. should go away.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD COMETH. Satan, who is regarded as the embodiment and contriver of the sins and iniquities of the earth. At the temptation of Christ he had offered the kingdoms of the world as if they were his own, and at the time the Savior came it must be admitted that these kingdoms were... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT. LOVE THE FATHER. His, death was. sublime act of self-sacrifice. In the prayer of Gethsemane the burden was, "Nevertheless not as. will, but as thou wilt." Hence, because in the mysteries of the divine government it was the Father's will, he died in demonstration of his... [ Continue Reading ]