Jesus is…The Way

It was November 2014. The rut, in deer hunting, is our sacred time of year. I was hunting a new property & a friend from Oklahoma was coming up in just 3 days to hunt with me…

Not being familiar with the property I took a short-cut along the pond dam & got stuck! Buried my Jeep!

“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.” x

5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:1-6

Doubting Thomas is what many refer to him by but maybe we should call him by a different name… Honest Thomas. It doesn’t have the ring that Honest Abe has but you get the point. He asks the questions that the others are afraid too and the answers to those questions are eternal treasures to the rest of us! “He was ignorant not just of the way but of the destination.” (Milne)

The Way to the Lord was a recurring theme in the Old Testament…

and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path. Psalm 27:11

A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path. Even the fool will not go astray. Isaiah 35:8

Have you ever been lost?

I was in the Air National Guard, here at McConnell, as a young A1C. I was asked by my supervisor to drive some returning Airman from OKC Airport back to Wichita.

o I took the wrong exit in Wichita… One of the officers had to guide me turn by turn back to where

we were supposed to go. Not a big deal but still embarrassing!

“That is what Jesus does for us. He does not only give us advice and directions and counsel. He takes us by the hand and leads us; He walks with us; He strengthens us and guides us and directs us personally every day. He does not tell us about the way; He is the Way.” (Barclay)

Jesus doesn’t just point the way, he walked it. He isn’t a road map, he is the road. He doesn’t tell us how to get to the Father…

Jesus is the way to the Father.

So what?

How do we get to the Father? How do we get to Heaven, where the Father is living?

Often times there can be some confusion. Have you ever played the game telephone? You start off by whispering a message to one person who then passes that message on to the next person. You only get one chance at whispering the message…and the point is to see what it ends up being at the end!

From a religious perspective we can experience that was what was happening with the Jewish people.

God had established his law through Moses. o Honor the Sabbath; keep it holy.

It ended up with them not only not working or cooking on Saturday (the Sabbath)

But eventually they had a long list of rules would you & could not do; including not walking more than ½ mile because that tipped the scales from not-working to working.

o They would go through the motions and fast at the appointed times & offer sacrifices & yet the Lord told them that he was not happy with them…why? Their heart was wrong!

The message of loving mercy & acting justly had gotten miscommunicated by the Rabbis & priests.

o So along comes Jesus, God in the flesh, The Word (as John put it in this book), to set the record straight!

Not only to set the record straight but to make the path straight!

No more priests. High Priest No more man pointing the way to the Lord God himself is now the path.

Jesus is the way to the Father. Not through good works. Not through Religious works.

o Eating the right foods. o Praying a certain number each day and in a certain way.

Not through donating enough money (although the church wouldn’t turn down a large gift!)

Not through anything we have done. Only through Jesus Christ.

o He is God in the flesh to reveal himself in a way that the world had never seen before. The Creator became creation to reveal himself to us!

Let’s be very honest here; this is not a popular message.

The world is very anti-one way. They are not necessarily opposed to Christianity but they are opposed to Christianity’s claim that it is the only way! And as Christian’s we make this claim because the one we follow, the heart of Christianity (Christ himself) makes that claim!

“Some people may argue that this way is too narrow. In reality, it is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept it. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying… ‘Thank you, God, for providing a sure way to get to you!’” (Life Application)

“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.” x

5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:1-6

Jesus is the way to the Father.

Now what?

It’s one thing to hear someone talk about Jesus. It’s another thing to make a decision in your own life…

To you who is Jesus?

Maybe you’re hear looking for something. Trying to find Peace.

You can have eternal peace in our Heavenly Father.o Jesus is the way to the Father.

Maybe you have a relationship with the Lord but someone you care about does not…

o Don’t waste another minute. Let them know that Jesus is the way to the Father.

HEART TROUBLEJohn 13:36–14:31

This section opens and closes with our Lord’s loving admonition, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1, 27). We are not surprised that the Apostles were troubled. After all, Jesus had announced that one of them was a traitor, and then He warned Peter that he was going to deny his Lord three times. Self-confident Peter was certain that he could not only follow his Lord, but even die with Him and for Him. Alas, Peter did not know his own heart, nor do we really know our hearts, except for one thing: our hearts easily become troubled.

Perhaps the heaviest blow of all was the realization that Jesus was going to leave them (John 13:33). Where was He going? Could they go with Him? How could they get where He was going? These were some of the perplexing questions that tumbled around in their minds and hearts and were tossed back and forth in their conversation at the table.

How did Jesus calm their troubled hearts? By giving them six wonderful assurances to lay hold of, assurances that we today may claim and thus enjoy untroubled hearts. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you may claim every single one of these assurances.

You Are Going to Heaven (John 13:36–14:6)

Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking Him where He was going, but His reply was somewhat cryptic. One day Peter would “follow” Jesus to the cross (John 21:18–19; 2 Peter 1:12–15), and then he would follow Him to heaven. Tradition tells us that Peter was crucified, though he asked to be crucified head-downward because he did not feel worthy to die as his Master died.

Just as Peter was beginning to feel like a hero, Jesus announced that he himself would soon become a casualty. The message not only shocked Peter, but it also stunned the rest of the disciples. After all, if brave Peter denied the Lord, what hope was there for the rest of them? It was then that Jesus gave His message to calm their troubled hearts.

According to Jesus, heaven is a real place. It is not a product of religious imagination or the result of a psyched-up mentality, looking for “pie in the sky by and by.” Heaven is the place where God dwells and where Jesus sits today at the right hand of the Father. Heaven is described as a kingdom (2 Peter 1:11), an inheritance (1 Peter 1:4), a country (Heb. 11:16), a city (Heb. 11:16), and a home (John 14:2).

The word Father is used fifty-three times in John 13–17. Heaven is “My Father’s house,” according to the Son of God. It is “home” for God’s children! Some years ago, a London newspaper held a contest to determine the best definition of “home.” The winning entry was, “Home is the place where you are treated the best and complain the most.” The poet Robert Frost said that home is the place that, when you arrive there, they have to take you in. A good definition!

The Greek word mone is translated “mansions” in John 14:2 and “abode” in John 14:23. It simply means “rooms, abiding places,” so we must not think in terms of manor houses. It is unfortunate that some unbiblical songs have perpetuated the error that faithful Christians will have lovely mansions in glory, while worldly saints will have to be content with little cottages or even shacks. Jesus Christ is now preparing places for all true believers, and each place will be beautiful. When He was here on earth, Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3). Now that He has returned to glory, He is building a church on earth and a home for that church in heaven.

John 14:3 is a clear promise of our Lord’s return for His people. Some will go to heaven through the valley of the shadow of death, but those who are alive when Jesus returns will never see death (John 11:25–26). They will be changed to be like Christ and will go to heaven (1 Thes. 4:13–18).

Since heaven is the Father’s house, it must be a place of love and joy. When the Apostle John tried to describe heaven, he almost ran out of symbols and comparisons! (Rev. 21–22) Finally, he listed the things that would not be there: death, sorrow, crying, pain, night, etc. What a wonderful home it will be—and we will enjoy it forever!

Thomas’ question revealed his keen desire to be with Jesus (see John 11:16), and this meant that he had to know where the Master was going and how he himself would get there. The Lord made it clear that He was going to the Father, and that He was the only way to the Father. Heaven is a real place, a loving place, and an exclusive place. Not everybody is going to heaven, but rather only those who have trusted Jesus Christ (see Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:4–6).

Jesus does not simply teach the way or point the way; He is the way. In fact, “the Way” was one of the early names for the Christian faith (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). Our Lord’s statement, “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me,” wipes away any other proposed way to heaven—good works, religious ceremonies, costly gifts, etc. There is only one way, and that way is Jesus Christ.

How would this assurance of going to heaven help to calm the disciples’ troubled hearts? Dr. James M. Gray put it beautifully in a song he wrote years ago: “Who could mind the journey, when the road leads home?” The assurance of a heavenly home at the end of life’s road enables us to bear joyfully with the obstacles and battles along the way. It was this assurance that even encouraged our Lord, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). Paul had this truth in mind when he wrote, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).1

14:1 Instead of the disciples lending support to Jesus in the hours before His cross, He had to support them spiritually as well as emotionally. This reveals His heart of serving love (cf. Mt 20:26–28). troubled. Faith in Him can stop the heart from being agitated. See note on 12:27.

14:2 dwelling places. Lit. rooms, or even apartments (in modern terms). All are in the large “Father’s house.”

14:2, 3 I go to prepare. His departure would be for their advantage since He was going away to prepare a heavenly home for them and will return to take them so that they may be with Him. This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns. The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom (Rev 19:11–15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of His return in

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 349–350). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

glory and power to destroy the wicked (cf. Mt 13:36–43, 47–50). Rather, this describes His coming to gather His own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in 1Co 15:51–54; 1Th 4:13–18. After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev 19:7–10), be rewarded (1Co 3:10–15; 4:5; 2Co 5:9, 10), and later return to earth with Christ when He comes again to set up His kingdom (Rev 19:11–20:6).

14:6 This is the sixth “I am” statement of Jesus in John (see 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 15:1, 5). In response to Thomas’ query (v. 4), Jesus declared that He is the way to God because He is the truth of God (1:14) and the life of God (1:4; 3:15; 11:25). In this verse, the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only approach to the Father is emphatic. Only one way, not many ways, exist to God, i.e., Jesus Christ (10:7–9; cf. Mt 7:13, 14; Lk 13:24; Ac 4:12).2

The departure of Judas permits Jesus’ final discourses. Within this block of teaching a break of some sort is indicated at the end of chapter 14, Come now let us leave (14:31). The material of chapters 15–16 would then perhaps have been shared during the progress through the city to the Garden of Gethsemane. More plausibly, the injunction to let us leave was not immediately acted upon until the teaching was completed and Jesus had offered his prayer (17). This latter view would accord with 18:1: ‘Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley.’ Either way we should recognize a break at the end of 14 which is confirmed by the content, and so divide the material into two distinguishable parts.

A more general question concerns the essential focus of these chapters. What does Jesus have in view in his instruction of his disciples here? We have already indicated the emergence at this point of what could be referred to as a minor motif in the earlier music, the mission of the disciples. While it is stated only in a preliminary way at 13:20, and will not emerge fully until the second discourse in chapters 15–16, it is arguably the underlying theme throughout. Jesus is preparing the disciples for their post-Easter work. If this perspective is correct, then these discourses have an urgent relevance to a church facing the enormous challenge of world evangelization at a time of exploding population and diminishing resources. Viewing the discourses in this way also, one hopes, removes them from the rather esoteric and enclosed atmosphere in which they have been traditionally set, and allows us to bring them out into the marketplace where they and this whole gospel surely belong.

2. The blessings of his ‘absence’ (14:1–31). While there are obvious points of transition in this chapter (from verse 4 to 5; and 14 to 15) the material hangs together as a unified discourse around a specific theme. The theme is stated in the opening words, Do not let your hearts be troubled (1). We gather the exposition under two heads: first, why the disciples (and we) become ‘troubled’; and secondly, what brings peace to troubled hearts (27).

2 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jn 14:1–6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The disciples are experiencing perceptible anxiety. The reasons for it are to hand. The most obvious is that Jesus has informed them he is about to leave them (13:33). Their whole world had been so wrapped up with Jesus over the last few years that the prospect of his departure must have been devastating. The image he uses for them is ‘orphans’ (18). Emotionally they can only contemplate the loss of Jesus as like a child’s loss of its parents. He had asked them to invest their whole future in following him and they had made the commitment he demanded. If they thought of the future at all during these years it was in terms of sharing the glory of his coming reign (cf. Mt. 20:20–24). A future without Jesus comes as a shattering prospect, despite his repeated attempts to prepare them for such an eventuality. A further cause of anxiety was Jesus’ foretelling Peter’s denial (13:38). It is not difficult to imagine the others arguing that if Peter was not going to stand the coming test, what hope had they? In addition to these immediate threats were the indicators that they, the disciples, had some great task to fulfil once Jesus was gone. True, with Jesus around they had undertaken a mission tour with some success (Mk. 6:7–13), but such activity without Jesus to direct them was a very different prospect. It was all deeply troubling.

‘Troubled hearts’ expresses the mind-state of multitudes in the modern world. Paradoxically many of these troubled folk live within western society, which is in most respects sheltered from the starker deprivations, such as the chronic lack of food, shelter and health care which plague the millions in the third world. Plenty, however, does not equal peace of mind. Even the followers of Jesus are frequently plagued with anxiety.

Jesus addresses these ‘troubled hearts’ by urging them, first of all, to have faith (1). The answer to trouble is trust. The NIV, following earlier translations, uses trust here, which is defensible, though the Greek word is the basic verb for ‘believing’ (pistueō). While the manuscripts indicate some support for a reading such as ‘You already believe in God, now have the same faith in me’, a double imperative is probably correct: ‘Have faith in God; have faith in me.’ On any reading this reflects a high Christology. Jesus presents himself unambiguously as the object of faith. ‘For John there is only one faith and that is in Jesus and God at the same time.’ Faith needs adequate grounding, however, if it is to experience serenity and to overcome the ‘troubled hearts’ of the disciples. The effectiveness and strength of faith are bound up with the greatness and dependability of the God in whom the faith reposes. ‘ “Have faith in God” means “hold God’s faithfulness” ’ (Hudson Taylor).

Jesus accordingly relates the grounds for the disciples’ faith by showing them, in a series of thrilling paragraphs, that his leaving them is not the unmitigated disaster they imagine. On the contrary, all manner of remarkable blessings will flow from it. Jesus will even be able to assert in conclusion that his going away is something they can be glad about (28; cf. 16:7, ‘It is for your good that I am going away’).

Jesus’ departure will have three major benefits for the disciples.1. His going away will secure their future destiny (2–6). Jesus will continue in the fullness of

his life, but in a different place. He is returning to life, he tells them, in my Father’s house (2). His going there will be by a specific route, through death and resurrection (10:17–18; 12:31–32). Thus his going to the Father is an act of power which will win eternal life for all who believe in him. In the terms of his ‘homely’ (literally) metaphor, his going will prepare rooms for the disciples in God’s eternal home, the transcendent dwelling of God depicted in Hebrews 12:22 as ‘the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God’ (cf. Rev. 21–22).

Jesus appeals to their knowledge of him. If there were no glorious dwelling for the children of God beyond the limits of this earthly life, Jesus, as the true Son who has come from the

Father’s bosom, would certainly have warned them. The hope of life beyond the grave is thereby rooted in the most certain of realities, the veracity and trustworthiness of Jesus Christ. Jesus is going away to make that ready. By implication, if they resist his departure the ‘making ready’ will not take place. The price of their refusal to be ‘made orphans’ now through the departure of Jesus is finding themselves homeless orphans on the other side of death. Besides which, Jesus will not forget them in his departing. Having prepared their rooms, he will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (3). Scholars have disputed what this ‘coming back’ refers to, whether his appearances after the resurrection, or the gift of the outpoured Spirit at Pentecost, or his repeated ‘coming’ through the sacraments or other moments when faith’s realities are especially vivid. The most obvious meaning is arguably the correct one. Jesus is referring to his glorious appearing at the end of the age, his ‘coming back’ at his parousia.

John’s stress on the second coming of Christ is more muted than that of the other evangelists, who record many of Jesus’ parables about the end, and also give the details of his great eschatological discourse (cf. Mk. 13:1–37; etc.). Jesus’ glorious appearing is not ignored by John, however, as this verse makes clear (cf. also 5:25f., 28f.; 21:22f.). Though the centuries have stretched since this promise was made, its fulfilment is certain. The Lord is coming to take his people home to share his glory (17:24). History is not at the mercy of the whims or passions of politicians or tyrants. The reins are firmly in the hands of the Lord of history, and ‘he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice’ (Acts 17:31). That day was entered in the calendar of God when the world was made. It is drawing daily nearer.

It is noteworthy that Jesus gives no details concerning that future state. It is simply being where he is. That, however, is sufficient; ‘Where Jesus is, ’tis heaven there.’ This great blessing, the assurance of eternal life with Jesus in his heavenly home, is possible only because Jesus goes away from us through his cross, resurrection and ascension. If part of the reason for our ‘troubled hearts’ is the loss of dear ones through death, or our disillusionment with this present world, we are called to renew our trust in him and rediscover his gift of peace, in the confidence that he is coming as he promised and that he has prepared a place for all who love him, in the glory that will surely be.

The way to this future life is known, Jesus asserts (4). But Thomas, nothing if not honest, expresses his ignorance not just of the way but of the destination itself. Clearly, what Jesus has been speaking about has passed Thomas by. While we cannot be glad for the dullness of the disciples (would we have done better?), we can be thankful that their questions not infrequently draw out an important response from Jesus, albeit none quite as memorable as this one: I am the way and the truth and the life (6).

The stress falls on the way, since that is the issue in question. The way to heaven is Jesus himself. Faith in him shatters the barrier of sin and death, and blasts open the road to the eternal life of the kingdom of God. It is ‘the road that leads to life’ (Mt. 7:14).

He is also the truth and the life.41 The reality and truth of God are incarnated in Jesus Christ, who embodies the indestructible life of the ever-living God. This audacious claim carries a major corollary, no-one comes to the Father except through me (6). The exclusivism of this statement must not be reduced. Peter makes exactly the same claim in Acts 4:12. ‘Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’ At a time when religious pluralism and syncretism are widespread, such claims are never going to be popular. Nothing less, however, is the implication of Jesus’ incarnation. If, in Jesus, God has come among us in person to reconcile his rebellious lost world, it follows necessarily that

through him, and him alone, is the way to God. The exclusiveness of Christ’s salvation is simply the uniqueness of his divine person.

To say that Jesus is the only way to God does not imply that every idea in non-Christian religion is devoid of value. Non-Christians may find that their conscience approves them, in terms of fulfilling this or that element of the law of God engraved upon their hearts, as Paul recognizes in Romans 2:14. In the same way non-Christians as religious seekers may at one point or another express a response which reflects a valid truth. Such factors, however, do not rescind the general biblical verdict that the non-Christian conscience also universally accuses, and so invariably needs Christ’s atonement and forgiveness (Rom. 3:23), or that non-Christian religion is idolatrous at its heart and cannot offer salvation. Jesus alone is the way to God, but he is the way for all, and so whatever the religious background of an individual, or lack of religion, Jesus in his grace welcomes every one of them to the Father if they will come through him. For them too he is ready to prepare a place in the Father’s house.3

Original Context

JOHN 14 IS a continuation of the Farewell Discourse that began in 13:31 after Judas’s departure from the Upper Room. In the previous chapter we saw how Jesus is adapting a “farewell formula” well known in Judaism. He comforts his disciples in light of his impending departure by explaining what will come, how the Spirit will arrive, and how they will flourish as his followers. Throughout these verses (beginning in ch. 13) we can feel how distraught the disciples must have been. They have entered Jerusalem for the last time and Jesus is speaking clearly about his death. They are facing profound shame, disillusionment, and fear. Peter was the first to express their worry (13:36). Jesus now begins to provide answers to their many spoken (and unspoken) questions.

A great deal of scholarly energy has been spent on deciphering the literary structure and theological purposes of John 14. Scholars prone to locate sources behind this Gospel and to reconstruct the compositional history of the chapter claim to find complex cycles of thought here that really tell us more about John’s thinking than about Jesus. But much of this work seems dubious at best. The primary theme of the chapter is the departure and return of Jesus. This discussion is advanced through the questions of various disciples: Peter (13:36), Thomas (14:5), Philip (14:8), and Judas (14:22). Jesus likely taught for a long time during this supper and what we have here are summaries of his words. These disciples’ questions are thus literary devices that push the subject along, raising important themes and advancing the chapter to its climax.

We can discern a shift in subject at 14:18. From 14:1–14 Jesus is addressing the disciples’ despair over his leaving. This is followed by his first promise of the Spirit (14:15–18). Jesus then turns to the subject of his return in 14:18, which is followed by yet another promise of the Spirit (14:25–31).

3 Milne, B. (1993). The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (pp. 204–212). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

But the themes of “departure and return” are more complex than we might imagine. Jesus’ departure refers to his glorification (that mix of subjects that begins with the arrest and concludes with his ascension). His return is likewise complex: In 14:18–19 Jesus’ return seems to describe his “Easter return,” when his disciples will see him. But in 14:21 we learn that another “coming” of Jesus to his disciples will result in his indwelling them spiritually (14:23). In each case—Jesus leaving, Jesus returning—the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in comforting, empowering, and reassuring the followers of Christ. The entire chapter ends in a blessing of “peace” (14:27–31) that Jesus bestows on his followers.

Jesus’ Departure from this World (14:1–14)

ON THREE PREVIOUS occasions we learned of Jesus’ deeply troubled feelings (Gk. tarasso): when he faced Lazarus’ tomb (11:33), when he contemplated the cross (12:27), and when he reflected on the betrayal of Judas (13:21). Jesus’ confidence in the greater power and purposes of God made it possible for him to confront each of these crises. Now the disciples must face the same feelings (14:1). Jesus’ answer can be read either as an indicative (“You [already] believe in God and you believe in me”) or as an imperative (“Believe in God! Believe also in me!”), since the Greek forms for the indicative and imperative are identical in this case. The imperative for both verbs seems preferable (as it is in 12:36; 14:11) since Jesus is charging his disciples to hold fast in light of the upcoming crisis. This follows the majority readings of current translations, such as the NIV: “Trust in God; trust also in me.”

One of the reasons to trust is that Jesus’ departure will be purposeful. In his departure he will be working on their behalf, preparing a place for them (14:2). The KJV “mansions” (for Gk. monai, “rooms”) was a seventeenth-century expression for modest dwellings; thus, 14:2 should not build a picture for us of heavenly palatial residences. This is not Jesus’ point. God’s “house” refers not to the church but to the heavenly dwelling where he lives (cf. Heb. 12:22; Rev. 21:9–22:5), and a mone is a place of residence there with him. This word is related to the common Johannine verb meno, to remain or abide. To “remain” with Jesus is the highest virtue in John’s Gospel (15:4–10), and he is promising that death will not interrupt intimacy enjoyed with him.

To have a place in heaven reserved for us is one thing; confidence in getting there is quite another (13:36–37). But Jesus promises that he “will come back.” The image is straightforward: Jesus is leaving for heaven and there will prepare a place for his followers; then he will return to take them there. But when will this “coming” occur? At Easter? At the coming of the Spirit? At our death? At his second coming? Scholars have pointed to each of these. For some, it is each one together, so that the verses represent a sweeping all-inclusive promise of encouragement.

Even though it is Christ who comes in each event, the best view takes 14:2–3 as a plain promise of the Second Coming. As the chapter develops, Jesus points to other returns he will make (14:18, 23), but these are separate from what he affirms here. John has a genuine future eschatology that expects a dramatic climax to history (5:25ff.; 1 John 2:28). But here his interest is not like that found in the apocalyptic drama of Mark 13:24–26; rather, it is in comforting and reassuring his disciples that they have not been forgotten.

While Jesus affirms (14:4) that they know where he is going, Thomas speaks up and presses for more clarification. He claims that they know neither the destination of Jesus nor the way he will take to get there. This reflects the disciples’ inability to comprehend that the cross will be the way Jesus will return to the Father—a way, if they understood, they would have trouble accepting. Peter had already asked about Jesus’ destination (13:36) but this had been left unanswered. Thomas now picks it up again and adds another element.

Jesus’ answer in 14:6 is the premier expression of the theology of this entire Gospel: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ” Of the three terms, emphasis surely falls on the first, “the way.” Access to the Father’s presence in heaven will only be through Jesus and no other. He is the only one who can lead his followers back to the places he will prepare.

This is the case because Jesus is the truth, the authoritative representative and revealer of God. He hears what God says and obeys what God tells him to do (5:19; 8:29). He discloses God exhaustively unlike anyone else can because he has seen God (1:18). Those who follow Jesus, who come to the Father through his “way,” will be the ones who gain eternal “life” (cf. 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life”). Thus, this verse places Jesus in the role of mediator, creating the only avenue to God. Bruce has written, “All truth is God’s truth, as all life is God’s life; but God’s truth and God’s life are incarnate in Jesus.”

Such an absolute statement leads, of course, to a different series of questions. Jesus has disclosed more than anyone expected. Instead of simply defining his destination (the Father, heaven), he says that he alone is the way to get there. But only God can lead us to himself. Jesus takes the next inevitable step, therefore, a step no doubt that the disciples can barely comprehend: Only the Father can lead us to himself—and the Father is genuinely present in Jesus.

This is an echo of the prologue (1:1–2), which explained the ultimate union (and differentiation) of the Son and the Father. Jesus Christ is God in complete human form (1:14) and so has the capacity to accomplish divine tasks. Hence if his followers know Jesus, they will know the Father as well (14:7). This is not a rebuke, but a promise pointing to a deeper revelation that will come if they continue with Jesus (14:23). Since they have known him, there is more to come, and they will discover the Father who is present in him. Moreover, they have seen the Father already (14:7b).

Philip’s question (14:8) now concentrates on Jesus’ last phrase. “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” This is perhaps a typical “misunderstanding” that we have seen in numerous Johannine discourses. Philip does not understand that no one has seen God (1:18a). It is beyond the human capacity. Even Moses’ request on Mount Sinai was refused (Ex. 33:18–23). But in Christ Philip has before him the full embodiment of God as it can be seen by humanity. Nevertheless, Jesus now says with utter clarity what Philip could not comprehend before (14:9). In seeing Jesus Philip is seeing God. This is one of the high points of John’s Christology. Jesus is not simply a religious teacher or guide, nor is he simply the means to some other destination. He is also the end, the goal. He is the One in whom God can be found. The exhaustive and exclusive nature of this astonishing claim cannot be missed (cf. 10:30, 37–38).

Such a claim requires justification, and Jesus supplies it (14:10–11). At its most basic level, Jesus is God’s envoy. In the ancient world, a duly authorized representative (an agent) had the power to speak and act in the name of his sender. Thus the rabbinic saying “A man’s agent is like himself” (m. Berakoth 5:5) means that Jesus (as God’s agent) is authorized both to work for and to speak for his Sender.

But “agency” barely touches the surface of Jesus’ thought. Jesus and the Father enjoy a reciprocity of life: The Father is in him and he is in the Father. This is not merely a functional unity, as if Jesus’ life could be summed up by his obedience. This is an exhaustive, substantial unity—an ontological unity—that at last explains statements hinted in the public ministry: “I and the Father are one” (10:30; cf. 10:38).4

4 Burge, G. M. (2000). John (pp. 389–393). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Bridging the Gap

THE APPLICATION OF chapter 14 is significant since for the first time in this Gospel, Jesus speaks in detail to his followers concerning their experience in the church following his departure. Of course throughout the Gospel we have been able to bridge themes that arose during Jesus’ ministry and apply them to the current setting. But here we have something different. This chapter is filled with promises addressed directly to the community of faith, not to the leadership of Jerusalem or to audiences in Galilee. Jesus is now anticipating that the community he has built, a community centered on his twelve apostles, will continue his work when he is gone.

A number of theological themes spring from this chapter, each of which could become a starting point for long excurses on numerous subjects (such as Jesus, the Spirit, eschatological hope, and salvation). Our first challenge is to distill them into units that will make sense for a clear presentation of their key themes. Three general areas of inquiry seem evident:

The departure of Jesus. Jesus speaks openly and honestly about his departure. Throughout the Synoptic Gospels and indeed here in John, Jesus has continued to say that he will die on the cross; this event will be a dramatic return to the Father. Jesus affirms what he has said throughout this Gospel: His death will not be a tragedy orchestrated either by men who desire to stop him or by Satan, who thinks that by using Judas like a pawn he has foiled God’s plan; but it will be a glorious return to God the Father. As we have heard elsewhere in John, this death should be described as Jesus’ “glorification.”

But here in chapter 14 Jesus tells us something about his aims: He is going to prepare a place (a “room”) for us. Immediately this means that we need to have a different perspective on the “dwellings” we possess in this world. Jesus has gone ahead of us, and there is now something ready for us. The implications of such a teaching are profound and timely. Our perspective on this world as well as on the eternal life God has prepared for us both come into view.

But if Jesus is indeed someone who can return to the Father and make a place for us, then this leads naturally to reflections about his identity and the access he can provide to these heavenly dwelling places. The flow of the discourse, including the successive questions of Peter, Thomas, Philip, and Judas, all point in this same direction. If heaven is Jesus’ destination and if this heavenly work is Jesus’ mandate, then who is Jesus? What is the nature of his divine power and influence? To what degree is God himself present in him? Such questions lead immediately to the next field in reflection.

The identity of Jesus. This chapter invites us to think deeply about the identity of Jesus and his relation to the Father. This is the direction of Philip’s thinking in 14:8. Discerning that Jesus is offering more than simply knowledge about God and the way to heaven, Philip pursues the subsequent reflection. Is Jesus substantially different than the rest of us? Or is he simply a wise leader who can show the way to heaven? We discover (and it came no doubt as some surprise to Philip and his fellow disciples) that fellowship with Jesus was a prerequisite for fellowship with the Father. To see Jesus is to see the Father.

Jesus is therefore not making a claim simply to possess some functional equivalence with the Father, saying in effect that he is doing what the Father does, so that to participate with him is to

participate in the Father’s work. No, Jesus is saying more. Resident within his person is some aspect of the Father’s life, some feature of divine reality that sets him apart. It is not simply that Jesus is sent on a divine mission on behalf of the Father, but that the Father himself is on a divine mission in the life of his Son. In 14:10 Jesus explicitly says that the Father is living in him. This exploration of the Father and Jesus is a direct working out of the implications of the prologue of the gospel.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (1:1, 14)

Later in the chapter a final step is taken. Jesus tells us about his obedience to God’s will, his fidelity to God’s word, and a union of profound intimacy between them. But then another feature is included. The Spirit is likewise a part of this union, and the Spirit’s indwelling in the believer will create a unity between God and the Christian that reflects the intimacy between Father and Son. While many of us in the church find discussions of the Trinity opaque and confusing, here in John 14 we cannot miss the basic elements of Trinitarian thought implicit in this description of God. Jesus is promising not simply to fill his disciples with the Spirit, but to come to the disciples himself and there take residence.

To sum up, the Father is resident in the life of the Son, and the Son will return to his disciples in the form of the Spirit. Jesus can say in 14:23 that both Father and Son together will indwell the disciple. These are profound contributions to our understanding of God.

Jesus’ return. The third area of thought concerns Jesus’ return to his followers. Throughout John 14 Jesus brings comfort to his disciples by reassuring them of his imminent return. But in our exegesis we had to wrestle with the timing of this return (vv. 1–3, 18, and 23). When Jesus says, “I will come again,” is he referring to his Second Coming? To Easter? Or to his coming in the Holy Spirit? We noted that Jesus makes all three affirmations. Thus any application of this subject of “Jesus’ coming” must explore each of these themes carefully.

(1) The promise of the Second Coming. The promise of the Second Coming appears throughout the Johannine literature both explicitly (21:22; 1 John 4:17) and implicitly (when Jesus refers to the resurrection on the last day, John 6:54; 11:24–27). We can also find this theme in the Synoptic Gospels, which describe Jesus’ “appearing” (Gk. parousia) to his followers at the end of time (Matt. 24:3, 27, 37–44; Luke 17:26–35). Any treatment of John 14 must embrace some sense of Jesus’ eschatological vision for his disciples. Their comfort will not simply be found in a newfound strength to endure the things of the world (a strength found in the Spirit). Jesus also says that some day he will “come again” and take us to himself (14:3).

(2) Jesus’ death. The most pressing immediate concern for the disciples is the threat of death that Jesus describes so clearly. Here he says confidently that he will return “before long” so that they can see him. The appearance of Jesus in the Upper Room following the cross is one of the most important events in Christian history. Jesus’ return from an empty grave is the bedrock of early Christian testimony. It is found not only in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–9; cf. John 20:1–18) but also in Paul in virtually a creedal form (1 Cor. 15:1–6). The promise of Jesus’ coming at the end of time took faith. The promise of Jesus’ coming in the Spirit may have seemed ambiguous and open to interpretation. But here in this promise, Jesus provides objective, concrete proof that validates his identity and power. Any attempt to defend the divine power of Jesus Christ today does well if it begins here.

(3) The Holy Spirit. The climax of the chapter describes the “coming” of Jesus in the Holy Spirit. As we saw in the Original Meaning section, the “rooms” of heaven in 14:2 parallel the “home” built by the Son and Father in the disciple’s life (14:23). In other words, the Christian experience of the Holy Spirit cannot be viewed apart from an experience of Jesus. In theological jargon, our pneumatology (doctrine of the Spirit) must have a Christological basis. To experience the Spirit is to experience Jesus. While this may seem to be of peripheral value, its theological ramifications are profound, and they are in desperate need of clarity in the church today.

This experience of the Spirit promised by Jesus also points to benefits that are truly astounding. Believers will sustain the miraculous works of Jesus (14:12), they will have intimacy with God in prayer (14:13–14), and they will recall God’s word with conviction (14:25; 1 John 2:22–27)—all with the aid of the Spirit. A brief perusal of the book of Acts shows that this is exactly the profile of the earliest Christians, and it is safe to assume that this must have been the experience of the believers in John’s church. Christians were reproducing not merely the work of Jesus; they were continuing the presence of Jesus in the world. Perhaps we could put it this way: As the Son incarnated the Father’s presence in the world, so now the Spirit brings the Son’s presence into the world through the life of the believer.

These three themes have sweeping importance for the church today. We live in an age that is eager for spiritual experiences. John 14 provides us with guidance on how to interpret and understand them.5

Contemporary

IN THE CONTEMPORARY Significance section of John 1:18–51, I referred to the testing of biblical and theological literacy we at Wheaton College have done on the incoming freshmen. We as professors were delighted by our incoming students’ zeal for the Lord but were surprised at their illiteracy about the stories of the Bible and the classic doctrines of the Christian faith. I mention this here again because as I think about the contemporary significance of John 14, I sense the temptation to pursue the promises of this chapter without examining the theological structures that undergird them.

We live in an age that is eager for experience. Sermons are often measured by the “emotional work” that can be done in twenty minutes. The comment “that was a great service” can easily refer to the worship band. Preaching themes are often filtered through therapeutic categories, and for many Christians, the final validity of the Christian walk is not what I believe (a cognitive category) or how I live (a moral imperative) but what I have experienced. All three are an essential part of the Christian life. John 14 invites us to have profound experiences with Christ-in-Spirit, but it also instructs us in how to think rightly about Jesus and the Spirit.

The departure of Jesus. John 14:1 is often used at a funeral. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” In one respect this is not a precise use of 14:1–2 since Jesus is actually saying that the solution to the disciples’ despair will be found in his dramatic

5 Burge, G. M. (2000). John (pp. 402–405). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

second coming. But there is another sense in which it is appropriate. Jesus expects his followers to have a confidence in his power that is equal to their confidence in God. His departure is not simply an exodus from humanity, it is a continuation of his work on behalf of humanity. Jesus then has a postresurrection ministry and authority. He will be glorified above all creation and seated on God’s right hand (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 1:3; 10:12). From this position he serves on our behalf. “I am going there to prepare a place for you” is a promise that his work will continue until we are united with him for eternity in heaven.

It is valuable to look carefully at the words of 14:2. The passage does not mean that these rooms need to be built, for the Father’s house has these rooms already (14:2a). Rather, it is in Jesus’ returning to the Father (a departure through the cross) that the way to these rooms will be constructed. And it is in his arrival there that the place will be prepared completely for us. Our experience of coming to this place will be one of overwhelming gratefulness to God’s grace for bringing us there. We will not take pride in any private residence, but will discover that this residing is a life that is invited into the residence, the presence, the “rooms” of Jesus himself. Prepared rooms are rooms where Jesus lives, which are the places he desires us to enter.

As noted above, the word translated “rooms” does not refer to the quality of the place Jesus is preparing (as in the KJV, “mansions”). The concern on the hearts of the disciples is their loss of Jesus’ fellowship. The “room” in Greek refers to an abode, a place of residence, a place “with your name on it.” Jesus is saying to them (and to us) that heaven is awaiting our arrival. The experience of heaven will not be merely one of bliss, but it will be one of fellowship when Jesus renews his presence with us.

Possessing such an anticipation for heaven builds in us what I call an eternal vantage point. I live in a world that continually offers me temporal securities and comforts, a world that keeps my eye on the near horizon of the present, that denies the limitations of my own mortality. My “life of work” aims not simply to make a contribution to my career, but to provide a means of security in the world: a home, a stable income, an investment scheme, a retirement program. While Jesus is clear that these securities are foolish and unreliable (Matt. 6:19–20; Luke 12:13–21), here he offers a positive incentive. Our true home, our complete security has already been built for us by him in heaven. Once we embrace the significance of this notion, our attitudes toward this world completely change.

Perhaps this is why some of the most creative and thoughtful conversations I have ever had have been with the senior members of my church. These are men and women in their late seventies and eighties who are firm in their faith and aware—very aware—that their hope rests in the Lord and nowhere else. John 14:1–3 are key verses for them. They possess this “eternal vantage,” and when I ask them to think about the many years of their life, they always say that they wish they had this eternal perspective when they were younger. “I would have spent more time giving and less time acquiring,” one friend told me. This is an eternal perspective that has put a check on our investment in earthly rooms.

Jesus and the Father. I believe that John’s deepest desire is for us to see that Jesus is the revealer of God and in this revelation, to find life. This is not the same as saying that Jesus had wisdom that unveiled the inner workings of God (although this is true). Nor is it the same as saying that Jesus lived a life so attuned to God that simply by imitating him, we might know God (although this is true too). Jesus does not show us the way to the Father; rather, Jesus is the way to the Father. We have to pause to let the nuance of this idea settle in.

In a world of religious pluralism, anyone making an exclusive truth claim will find opponents who will object not necessarily to the religious system offered, but to the exclusivity of any such

claim. In general our age views all religious systems as offering variations on the same theme. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Taoism—all religious systems possess historical, cultural accretions that must be removed as dispensable byproducts, but essentially they point the way to God through principles of belief (the oneness and goodness of God) and life (charity and love). But to stand in one of these traditions and affirm that there is something ultimate, something unrepeatable, something unparalleled is offensive to the reasoning of our day.

But this is precisely the truth claim we have in Christianity. Jesus does not merely point the way, he is the Way. Jesus does not just teach us truth, he is the Truth. He does not represent one avenue to life, he is the Life. This is an exclusive claim that cannot be compromised. In a word, the human quest for God ends in Jesus Christ. There are those who with Philip might say, “I wish God would just show himself! This would end the spiritually debilitating ambiguity of life.” To such people the answer is: God has shown himself; God has spoken—in Jesus. Even Bultmann in his critical study of John’s Gospel saw this same absolute claim in John 14:

The implication behind the reproachful question [of Philip] is that all fellowship with Jesus loses its significance unless he is recognized as the one whose sole intention is to reveal God, and not to be anything for himself; but it also implies that the possibility of seeing God is inherent in the fellowship with Jesus. What need is there for anything further?

The theological idea that anchors this belief—and this is the important point—is that God himself was in Christ. The Word was not a creature (as we are). There was not a time “when he did not exist,” and so he shares in the same substance (or essence or being) as God himself. Of course, I am using the language of the first council of the church (Nicea, A.D. 325), but I argue that it is not an anachronism to press this language back into John. It was the image of Jesus given in John (and elsewhere in the New Testament) that presented the Christological dilemma that Nicea tried to articulate. “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Throughout the chapter Jesus is pictured as enjoying an intimate unity with the Father (14:10, 20, 21, 23)—a unity not just of purpose, but of “essence.”

Therefore the exclusive claim of Christianity about Christ is not centered on our belief that Jesus was right about God. It is centered on our claim that God was fully present in Christ to reconcile the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:18). It is the theological claim about Jesus that makes the spiritual claims of Jesus potent. Jesus’ words are right because those words are God’s words (14:10b). Jesus “way” is not superior because it promotes a higher ethic or because it champions values that resonate with our spiritual sensitivities. Jesus’ way is true because in him we find God drawing us to himself.

A young woman told me recently that for her Christianity was true—Jesus was true—because she had experienced him as true in her heart. I asked what would happen if these feelings of certainty went away. She admitted quietly, “I guess I would not be very sure about God if that happened.” The validity of spiritual truth cannot be found entirely in spiritual experience. There is an objective reality here (“You have seen the Father!”). John knows this well, and as he writes his first letter, he affirms again and again that the basis of our faith is “that which was from the beginning,” “that which we have heard … seen … looked at … touched” (1 John 1:1; 2:7, 13, 14, 24; 3:8, 11; 2 John 1:5, 6). The objective historical reality of Christ supplies our confidence in our knowledge of the truth and the certainty of our spiritual pursuits.

Our survey of evangelical college students has a parallel in the similar surveys of David Wells at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Young seminarians reflect the same reluctance to embrace absolute theological truth claims. Many of us in the church need to pause and take

notice of the results. The exclusive and absolute claim of Christ anchored in an incarnational theology may be slipping from evangelical thinking. Nothing could be further from the truth in John’s mind in John 14.

Jesus is coming. If John 14 has an organizing idea, it may be found in 14:18: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Throughout the chapter Jesus is assuring his followers that whatever may occur in their experience in the world, they will never be on their own. They will not be left desolate. He will continue to shepherd them and protect them. Of course, the immediate occasion for their worry is the threat of Jesus’ arrest and death, which he is willing to accept as God’s will. But threaded throughout the discourse, Jesus says, in effect, “I will come again,” in three different contexts (14:1–3, 14:18, and 14:23).

(1) The Second Coming. Many interpreters agree that when Jesus refers to his return in 14:1–3, he is referring to the Second Coming. That is, these verses fit with the descriptions in the Synoptic Gospels describing the triumphant return of Jesus at the end of time. It is significant that in 14:3 Jesus does not simply promise his return, but adds, “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (italics added). Jesus’ return will encompass a reunion with his disciples and a departure that escorts them to another place, where Jesus is.

Older conservative writers with an interest in dispensational eschatology have suggested that 14:1–3 may refer to the Rapture, the dramatic end-time removal of the church described by Paul (1 Thess. 4:12–18; 2 Thess. 2:1; cf. 1 Cor. 15:23). Curiously, few (if any) evangelical commentators note this.37 While 14:3 does not provide any detail, it does dovetail with Paul in one respect: When Jesus returns, the rescue of his followers will be one of his first aims. The description of eschatological “removal” in Luke 17:34–35 even uses the same verb (and tense) as in John 14:3 (“[I will] take you”).

For many of us, the notion of the Second Coming has evolved from being a longed-for experience and has instead become a doctrine we defend and teach. In the 1960s and 1970s this hope flamed brightly. In 1978 American newspaper editors were asked by The People’s Almanac to consider what would be the most sensational headline they could write. “Jesus Returns to Earth” was their answer. One wonders if this answer would be the same today.

My experience among young people in their twenties is that they hold a sense of historical despair equal to any in the 1960s: War, population, environmental crises, infectious disease, and moral decline are some of the items they will check off quickly. Oddly, when asked to describe their hope in this apparent “mess,” the “blessed hope” of the Second Coming rarely comes to view. Jesus’ promise is that he will come, that he will return to save his church and rescue his followers. This teaching needs to be revitalized in the church today.

(2) The empty tomb. Jesus’ promise to return from the grave is another central belief for the church. Paul could not be more firm when he writes, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Cor. 15:13–14). In John 14:18ff. Jesus’ resurrection is not merely a display of his divine power over death, but it is motivated by his interest in coming to his followers and aiding them. While the resurrection is a step in Jesus’ glorification and return to the Father, it also provides an opportunity for him to meet with his disciples, encourage them, and equip them. Disciples today need to have a confident grasp of the meaning of this return. In virtually every sermon in the book of Acts, Jesus’ return from the grave lies at the center (e.g., Acts 2:24, 32; 3:7, 15; 4:10; 5:30; 7:37; 10:40; 13:22, 30, 33–34, 37; 17:31; 26:8).

(3) The Holy Spirit. The chief thrust of Jesus’ teaching lies here. The “coming of Jesus” will also be experienced in the “coming” of the Spirit (14:23). Yet in a manner similar to the other

themes we have explored, there are crucial theological issues that affect our experience. Jesus promises that we will receive the Holy Spirit (14:16) and then goes on to promise that he and the Father will indwell his followers (14:23). What are the implications of these thoughts?

(a) We have seen that God himself was in Christ restoring and loving the world. Christ was not a courier sent on a mission to change God’s mind; Christ came from the Father to express God’s mind. Therefore the divinity of Jesus (the ontological unity of Christ and the Father) cannot be compromised. Now in a parallel manner, we see that the Spirit is not an independent agent sent on a mission to equip and inspire us. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit; the Holy Spirit ushers to us the presence of Father and Son to indwell us and to share fellowship with us. Hence, as God was at work on the cross in Christ to save us, so now God is at work in the Spirit to transform us. I cannot underscore sufficiently how important this is. God is on our side. He is at work renewing us and loving us. This is the gospel.

(b) John 14 has been in one of the most difficult controversies in church history, one that in 1054 split the Eastern Orthodox Church from the Western Roman Church. Here we can only skim its surface. In a word, does the Spirit come from the Father, or does it come from the Father and the Son together? In John 14:16, 26 Jesus says that the Father will send the Spirit. In 15:26; 16:7–8 Jesus says that he will send the Spirit. Which is it? The East argued it was the Father alone; the West argued that it must be the Father and the Son (and so a pope in Rome changed the Nicene Creed and was promptly denounced by Orthodox bishops).

Rather than an arcane theological squabble, much was (and is) at stake. The East preferred to see the Spirit as an independent person, coming directly from the Father. As Irenaeus put it, the Son and the Spirit are the two separate hands of God at work. But this distinction came at the expense of showing how the Father, Son, and Spirit were unified and how the Son plays an indispensable role in the Spirit’s work. Where has this led? According to some, it can inspire a “Christless mysticism,” in which the Spirit is an inspiration apart from Jesus.43 It can also lead to more radical theologies that seek a spirituality apart from Jesus, a spirituality that seeks to unite with other world religions. It is also evident today in some charismatic/Pentecostal theologies, in which the Spirit is distinguished from Jesus as a subsequent experience—theologies that promote inspiration and illumination quite apart from the Jesus of history.

The West (going back to Augustine) objected to this view. The Father begets the Son and together the Son and the Father breathe out the Holy Spirit. In this, the Father wins the priority, but still, the Son cannot be separated from the Spirit. The Father and the Son are one—and so the Spirit cannot glorify the one without the other. This means that one cannot claim to have the Spirit without having the Son. One does not have a complete Christian experience if he or she embraces the Son and has not had a life-transforming experience in the Spirit. This theological squabble means everything for how we understand, experience, and interpret the Spirit. How deeply is the Spirit connected to the person of Jesus?

But there is perhaps an easy way to reconcile this tension on the origins of the Spirit. In Great Britain, there is a train called the Flying Scotsman, which runs between Edinburgh, Scotland, and King’s Cross Station, London. It also passes through a number of other English cities. In watching this famous train arrive at King’s Cross, you could say “The Flying Scotsman has just come from Edinburgh,” or you could say “This train has come from Edinburgh and York,” or “This train has come from Edinburgh through York.” All three statements are true.

John 14 urges us to see the Spirit as intimately tied to Jesus. The Spirit is another Paraclete, continuing the work of Jesus (14:16). The Spirit is dependent completely on Jesus’ glorification before he can come (7:37–39; 16:7). Even each of the numerous tasks of the Spirit as outlined in

John 14–16 have direct parallels in the life of Jesus in the Gospel. As the disciples come to the Upper Room on Easter day, it is the breath of Jesus that conveys to them the Holy Spirit (20:22), indicating that this Spirit is his Spirit indwelling them.

The unity of Jesus and the Spirit means that we should not talk about receiving Jesus without incorporating some notion of receiving the Spirit. To receive Jesus, to “have Jesus in your heart,” is to experience the Spirit dwelling within. And charismatics likewise should not promote a “two-stage” doctrine that in some manner offers the Spirit as something subsequent to Jesus. The work of the Spirit-Paraclete is to usher to our hearts the ongoing life and presence of Jesus-in-Spirit.

To have this Spirit is to have the catalogue of gifts listed in this chapter. Powerful works (14:12), effective prayer (14:13), and the peace of God (14:27) all deserve careful application today. But this does not mean that the work of the modern minister will exceed the work of Jesus. As remarkable as this thought sounds, such a view is often heard among certain African Pentecostal leaders, who claim supernatural power superior to Christ. This is not Jesus’ point. It is the distribution of his powers to the wider world that facilitates a remarkable outpouring of mighty works (promised in 14:12).

A quick glance at the church in Acts shows that the earliest Christians took these promises to heart and experienced these gifts as they lived in the power of the Spirit. But among these John directly connects the coming of the Spirit with the preservation of Jesus’ word (14:25–26). Jesus says that the Spirit “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Does this refer to the historical reminiscences of the apostles as they protected and recorded the words of Jesus? Did John experience this as he wrote his Gospel? Does this refer to the Spirit’s work in providing us with the inspired Scriptures we treasure today? Or does this refer to the inner illumination of the Spirit as we work within God’s Word, delving deeply into its meaning?

No doubt John would say “yes” to each of these. The Spirit in 14:25–26 is a conserving, recalling power in the church. As Jesus faithfully spoke the words given to him by the Father, the Spirit faithfully recalls Jesus’ words, never deviating from the things he taught. New ideas, therefore, new spiritual “insights” must always be tested against the historic revelation we have in the Gospels (cf. 1 John 2:22–27).6

6 Burge, G. M. (2000). John (pp. 405–413). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.