“A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN” ST. JOHN 14:1-11

Christ’s Heartfelt Discourse With His Disciples

In this grand chapter, we have Christ’s heartfelt discourse with His disciples; it was a discourse held on the last night before He died.  It is indeed noteworthy in saying that, instead of Christ being occupied with His own sufferings that He anticipated, He was consumed with comforting the hearts of His sad disciples.  Truly, by comforting their hearts He exhibited the extent of His love – “He loved them unto the end” (St. John 13:1).

Indeed, His beloved disciples were troubled because Christ had warned them that “He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (St. Matthew 16:21).  Such a disclosure caused the disciples much anxiety and sorrow!  This touching and penetrating discourse with our Lord begins by saying “Let not your heart be troubled.”  The disciples were troubled or experiencing pain or sorrow because one from their ranks would betray Jesus (St. John 13:21).   They were troubled because Christ was troubled in spirit (St. John 13:21); they were troubled because Christ had warned them that He would be with them only for a “little while” (St. John 13:33); they were trouble because it had been predicted that Peter would deny the Lord three times (St. John 13:38).

Certainly, these disciples had been sufficiently warned in scripture that Christ must suffer and be raised triumphantly; therefore, they must believe God and His word!  In verse 2, Christ comforts the hearts of His disciples by instructing them of the prospect of heaven becoming the future abiding place for every child of God, having ample rooms.  It is comforting to know in verse 3 that believers will enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him in heaven.  The eternal abode for every child of God is heaven; and that thought along is comforting, indeed!  Our blessed Lord is coming in person to receive us into His precious fellowship!

In verse 4, Christ guarantees the promise He made to Peter, indicating that Peter will be in heaven with Him during some future time (St. John 13:36).  Although He had spoken plainly that He was securing a place for His own, and that He promised to come and receive His own, these sayings were not received because Thomas misunderstood Him!  What a life-changing statement Christ made in verse 6.  In pursuit of fallen mankind, God has provided the Way, Jesus Christ, whereby mankind can be reconciled to God through faith in Christ’s finished work on Calvary.  Not only is Christ the Way, but He is the Truth – full disclosure and revelation of God.  Jesus Christ truly reveals God because He is God.  Not only is Christ the Way and the Truth, but He is Life.

Christ is the only One who can rescue fallen mankind from eternal doom, for St. John 5:24 promises that those who believe in Christ have passed from death unto life.  According to verse 7, one cannot have a true knowledge of the Father without having knowledge of Christ.  The Father is known as one knows the Son!  Christ’s statement in verse 7, prompted Philip to say – “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (v 8).  Christ reply in v. 9 to Philip is really a forceful rebuke!  The Word, Who manifested Himself in Human flesh, was right in his midst; though, his desire for a corporeal revelation was not possible; furthermore, he could not bear the full splendor of God’s glory.  The absolute union between the Father and Son is brought out in verses 10 and 11.  May God bless!