The Gospel of John Made Easy
Chapter 14
Verse 1-3
These 3 verses are worth memorizing.
These verses are quoted in church services, funerals, and many other places.
These verses tell of a wonderful promise from Jesus to us.
“Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions (beautiful houses, places to live).
If it were not true, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you unto myself—that where I am—there you will be also.”
Jesus is telling the disciples that he will soon be going away from them. He will be going back to heaven. He will be making things ready for believers to come be in heaven. Jesus will come back and take to himself—-all those who believe in him. And they will be with Jesus.
Verse 4
Jesus said to them—You know where I am going, and you know how to get there.
Verse 5
Thomas was not so sure he understood. So he said to Jesus: “We do not know where you are going, and we do not know how to get there.”
Verse 6
Jesus said,” I am the way.” “I am the truth, and the life.” “No man comes unto the Father except by Me.”
***This verse is one of the most important verses in the Bible.
Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus is the only way to heaven. You can not get to God the Father unless you go through Jesus, his son.
You will hear people on TV and read papers—–that will tell you that it does not matter what you believe. That is not what the Bible says.
You will hear people say that you only have to believe in God—–and you will go to heaven. That is not what Jesus said here. He said, you must come through him (Jesus)
if you want to see the Father in heaven.
James, (the brother of Jesus) said , “The demons believe in one God— so much that they tremble (shake in fear).” James 2:19
So the demons believe in one God. Will the demons go to heaven? They believe in God!
The demons may believe, but they will not obey.
If you want salvation —–You must do what Jesus says to do. The first thing you must do—– is to believe in Jesus, believe that he died for your sins and rose again, then confess your sins to him, and ask for forgiveness. The next thing you must to do—– is to live the way Jesus says for you to live.
Your obedience shows what you believe.
People say they believe eating “junk food” is bad for them. But they keep eating it.
Do they really believe “junk food” will hurt them?
What you do shows what you really believe.
And if you say you believe in Jesus—–but will not obey—- then all you are doing is having a head knowledge saying there is a God, Jesus is his Son so what?
Believing in Jesus means—-trusting your life—-eternal life—-into His hands. You believe that He will wash away your sins, and you believe that He will take you to heaven. Then because you trust him with your eternal life—–you trust Him with this earthly life—–and obey what He says to do.
“Just believing something about a god or a spiritual being or believing in something —- is not the answer. What you believe is important!
If you believe a lie—-there will be no salvation.
There are many religions in the world. People believe in them with all their heart.
Have you ever believed something —-then found out it was a lie?
Jesus said that he was the Truth, the Life, and the Way. John 14:6 —–no one can come to the Father in heaven—-except through Jesus, His son.
Verse 7
Jesus said to Thomas, “If you had known me, you would have known the Father, also.”
In the last part of the verse, Jesus is saying—-by knowing me (Jesus) you have seen the Father. Why? Because Jesus is of the Father.
Verse 8
Philip said: “ Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough.”
Verse 9
Jesus said: “I have been with you a long time. How is it you say you do not know me? If you see me, you see the Father.”
Verse 10
Jesus said: “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 say of myself. They are words that the Father who lives in me speaks.”
Verse 11
Jesus said: “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” “Or else believe me, because of the works I have done.” (All the miracles and healings.)
Verse 12
Jesus said, “I say to you, He that believes on me, he will do the same works (miracles and healings) that I have done. Greater, (bigger or more) things he will do than I have done. Because I go unto my Father.
(Jesus knows the Holy Spirit will come to live in the believers and the Holy Spirit will give them power to do wonderful things for God.”
Verse 13
Jesus said:” Whatever you will ask in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may have glory in the Son, Jesus.”
Verse 14
“If you will ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
Jesus was talking to his disciples. Jesus knows he is soon to leave them. He wants them to know that when the Holy Spirit comes—–the Holy Spirit will give them power to heal, to cast out demons, to do other miracles. Jesus wants them to know that when they pray to God, the Father, in Jesus’ name God will answer.
We have seen preachers—-and missionaries—–around the world who have done miracles in the name of Jesus. We have seen new believers in Africa, South America, China —–every country,—- who have done miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God still does miracles through people today.
Does Verse 14 mean that God will answer every prayer a believer prays —-by giving him everything he asks for?
Let me give an example: Two men love the same woman and want to marry her. They both ask God to let them marry that woman. Can God give them both a “yes” answer?
A parent may want their twenty one year old son to stay at home. The twenty one year old son want s to have his own apartment. The parent prays that the son stays home. The son prays that God helps him find an apartment. Can God give them both a “yes” answer?
When Jesus was talking to his disciples—he was talking to them about them go out to the towns and country around Jerusalem—–preaching and teaching about Jesus. The people they were going to were people who did not believe Jesus was God some of the people groups worship idols. Jesus was telling the disciples when the Holy Spirit comes on you you will have power to do miracles that will show these people God’s power. They will know you have God’s power in you. They will believe what you say and preach to them.
The “works” were to bring glory to God.
Many prayers we pray having nothing to do with bringing glory to God. Many of our prayers are about having things the way we want them for our own pleasure.
God answers many of our prayers and gives us good things. But he is also a Father
He knows what is best for us to have. Pray about everything. Ask. Trust God to answer. Trust God to answer in his time and in his way. The answer to your prayer should be so God gets the glory.
Verse 15
Jesus said, “ If you love me, keep my commandments.” In other words, if you say you love me, obey me. Do what I tell you.
There are many people who are willing to say they believe in God and trust Jesus to forgive their sins——but they do not want to obey. They are not interested in doing what Jesus said about how they should live. They want to live the way they want.
If you truly love someone, you try to please them and make them happy. If you truly love Jesus, you will try to please him.
Verse 16
Jesus said: “ I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he will live with you forever.” This “Comforter” will be the Holy Spirit.
The word “comforter” here does not just mean someone to hug you and pat your hand and say “Now, now, everything will be ok.”
The word “comforter” has the meaning of “one who walks along side you”. The Holy Spirit will walk along with you—-in your spirit——He will guide you, warn you, teach you, and yes, He will encourage and comfort you. He will tell you when you do wrong.
He will keep encouraging you to do right.
Verse 17
“The Sprit of Truth” whom the world an not receive, because the world can not see him, they can not know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
Only the believer in Jesus can know and have the Holy Spirit.
Verse 18
Jesus said, “I will not leave you without comfort. I will come to you.”
Verse 19
“In a little while, the world will not see me any more. You see me, because I live, you will live also.”
The world will not see Jesus. He will go back to heaven. Even though Jesus is back in heaven—believers will “see” Jesus because the Holy Spirit is in them—-the Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit are one.
Verse 20
Jesus said: “At that day, you will know, that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
When the Holy Spirit comes to them (disciples and other believers) they will know God’s presence and Jesus’ presence with them. Because all 3 are 1—-when the Holy Spirit comes into them—-they will know the presence of God and Jesus in their life.
Presence means the feeling and knowing that another person is near.
Verse 21
Jesus said, “He that has my commandments, and keeps them (does them), he is a person who loves me. He that loves me, will be loved by my Father. I will love him, and I will show myself to him.”
Verse 22
Judas (not Judas Iscariot) (the other Judas) “ Lord, how is it that you will show yourself to us? But you will not show yourself to the world?”
Verse 23
Jesus said: “If a man loves me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him,
and we will come unto him, and will live with him.”
Verse 24
“He that loves me not will not keep my sayings. The words you hear from me are not my words, but they are the words of my Father who sent me.”
Verse 25,26
“These things I have said to you, while I am here with you, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name He will teach you all things.
He will bring all things (that I have said) to your memory.”
In various places, we read where the disciples would say that they remembered later some of the words of Jesus they did not understand those words when Jesus said them—— but now they understood what Jesus meant. That was the Holy Spirit bringing to their memory the words Jesus told them and helped them understand what Jesus was teaching.
Verse 27
Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. Not the peace the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled. Do not be afraid.”
Verse 28
“You have heard it said, I will go away, and I will come again unto you. If you loved me you would be happy because I said I am going to my Father. My Father is greater than I.”
This is a verse that some “church” groups use to say that Jesus is not the same as the Father. Jesus is lower. Jesus is weaker. Jesus is less than the Father.
But we have read verses where Jesus said that He was in the Father, the Father was in him. “I and the Father are one.”
This is the “mystery” of the Trinity. Three in One. How can they be the same, but be different, be equal but the Father is greater, Jesus obeys the Father. The Holy Spirit never brings glory to himself but always glorifies the Father and Jesus ??
How can this be? The Trinity is hard to explain and understand. We read Jesus’ words about himself and the Father and we try to understand it.
There are Bible study books that have written chapters explaining the Trinity. I do not think we will ever understand how God, the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can be One and yet each have a special part that they do. I think it is something we will have to take by faith.
Some religious groups have pointed to this verse 28 and have made it a big part of their beliefs. To them—-Jesus is not equal with God. Jesus is a lesser being. He is not God to them. He is just a prophet or an “lower-god” of some kind.
Jesus said in other verses that He and the Father were One. We have to take Jesus’ word for it. We believe Jesus. We can not explain it, but we still can believe it.
Verse 29
Jesus is telling the disciples that he is telling them these things before they happen.
So that when these things happen they will remember that Jesus told them they would happen. Jesus was giving a prophecy—telling them what would happen in the future.
Verse 30
Jesus said that he would not be talking with them much more. It was time for Satan to come and work through Judas to betray him to the Jewish leaders.
Jesus called Satan the Prince of this World. When we read in various places in the Bible, we find that Satan is called the Prince of this World. It seems that when Satan was an archangel in heaven—-when he was called Lucifer—-he was given the earth to oversee.
But then Lucifer “fell” and “sinned” and was put out of heaven—–he still was the “Prince of the world”. In the end of time, he will lose this name and power and position.
At this time, Satan is going about the earth trying to get people to “rebel” go against
God. That is what Satan did. He wants people to join him. So he tempts every person to follow him in rebelling against God.
But Jesus said that Satan had no power over him (Jesus). Jesus said in John 10:15 “I lay down my life for my sheep.” John15: 13 “Greater love has no man than this—-to lay down his life for his friends.” Also, John13: 37, and John 10: 17 ,18 “no man takes my life from me—- I lay it down—I take it up again.”
After Jesus rises from the dead—–Jesus will have conquered (win) over death and hell. Satan’s power will be completely broken.
Satan tempts people still. But Satan has no power over people—–unless they let him have the power over them. They could turn to Jesus and ask Jesus to give them more power to win over Satan. Jesus’ power is there for us—–if we choose to use it.
Verse 31
Jesus said these things will happen so the world will know that I love the Father
And just as the Father has given me the command to come to earth to die for your sin, to teach you about the Father—— I have obeyed —– so I give the command to you—-to go teach and preach.
Jesus was done talking to them, he said, “Get up, let us go.”