Book of John
Week 41 – December 16, 2014
Chapter 14:19-27
14:19 – Jesus fleshes out his coming a bit more in verse 19. The world won’t see him; the disciples will.
Now I am certain this has to do with post-resurrection things, but it is also such a spiritual truth about how
we see Jesus’ presence and his actions in our world. Jesus also connects the seeing him with his
resurrection life. So much of what Jesus says here is difficult to contextualize. He sounds as if he is speaking
to them in the moment, yet, in ways that can be expanded to speak to us in long-term eschatological ways.
His “because I live, you also will live” can be taken a number of ways. This can be speaking in the present
about a future set of givens. I think John’s memory of Jesus saying these things and realizing how complete
they now are post the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit made it difficult for him to maintain
his verbal tenses. That said, it is true that because he lives – both his earthly life and his resurrected life –
we live both a meaningful earthly life and an eternal resurrected life. It is true no matter how we look at it.
14:20-22 – Jesus “on that day” has commentators divided. The resurrection? The giving of the Spirit?
Whenever the disciples will fully realize the deep unity between the Father, the Son and us? I think the
giving of the Spirit. That is the ultimate unifying moment when reconciliation with God is complete and
then the union between God the Father and the Son and with the Son’s disciples will be complete. The
language is so clear – it is the same between the Father and the Son as it is between the Son and his own. So
much so, that it is clear that the Father is equally united with us by virtue of our union with Jesus. All of this
sounds too good to be true, but it is what God has always desired – a people who are united with him, one
in purpose and love. Jesus goes on to say that those who have his commands and keeps them, love him. A
couple of things: we better be sure we know them and keep them. That is the sign that we love him. This
would have been normal rabbi/disciple language. But it goes much deeper than that, particularly since the
primary new commandment had to do with loving one another! This statement is loaded with the
importance of the practical, everyday necessity to be about obedience. Knowledge isn’t the end of things; it
is action. Now this does not mean we earn God’s love. It does say we show our love through action, that our
truly loving Jesus opens us up to the love of the Father. His love for us is manifest in our love for his Son and
his Son’s love for us. I know this is all mixed up and difficult to put into clear words. It’s just something we
may have to struggle with to fully understand. But what is clear is that God’s intension in sending Jesus was
to reunite us with himself, and the means to showing our unity with him and his Son is through unity with
one another. We can understand this. This is why when we truly love one another as Jesus has loved us, we
can feel the hand of God on our shoulder and hear the voice of the Spirit commending us in our love. I
understand this much.
Now, the understood notion of the Messiah revealing himself was that it would be something that all Jews,
and eventually all the world, would recognize. It was to be a massive moment. Jesus saying that he will love
them and reveal himself to them naturally created some dissonance in the disciple’s minds. His revelation,
they felt, should be massive, known to all, something that let the entire Jewish world, at least, know he had
arrived! It is no wonder that Judas (not Iscariot) asked this question. Just a side note: when rabbis were
teaching, particularly giving a discourse, it was hugely inappropriate to interrupt them with questions
unless the questioner was a close friend – a very close friend. All of these interruptions by the disciples
throughout this discourse are purposed to show that they (the disciples) were indeed Jesus’ friends. We
shouldn’t overlook this. Some ancient texts read Judas Thomas (Didymus); some simply Thomas. We don’t
know much about this Judas. The evidence is that it is either James’s brother or Thomas. No proof either
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way. The main point is that this question was surely on everyone’s mind at that moment and they wanted
clarity. I’m not sure that Jesus will give it. They were looking for something akin to Mt. Sinai – not a private
time with Jesus. That’s all understandable. Jesus has other things on his mind in these last moments with
the ones he loves.
14:23-24 – Jesus answers the question, why us and not everyone, in a roundabout way, but he does answer
it. We have to look carefully at his words. First, Jesus settles who will be those to whom he will reveal
himself: those who obey his teaching. We must remember that this “reveal” or “show yourself to” language
was typical 1st Century Jewish language for being present. The Jews believed that God was present in
special ways with those who studied the law. The study of the law was the paramount act on the part of an
individual that gave promise to God’s presence. There was some notion of the Spirit’s presence with a
person engaged in the study of the law and were faithful to its teaching, but nothing ever was assumed that
looked like what we see at Pentecost. This statement by Jesus changes the dynamics. He sets the bar at
obeying his teaching – not at studying the law. First, there is expected action: obedience. Second, there is an
emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. He says, If you love me – and remember he has very clearly equated
himself with his Father – you will obey my teaching. He has just said whom he will reveal himself to: those
who prove their love for him through obedience. This is a much different group than most Jewish thinkers
expected. They expected those who obeyed the law and, more to the point, those who studied the law. Then
Jesus makes a very unexpected statement. Those who obey his teaching can expect Jesus’ Father and Jesus
to “come to them.” First, the Father will love them, not for obeying the law, but loving and obeying his Son.
Then he will, along with Jesus, come. The idea of God coming in any manner was a frightening
eschatological idea that generally included God’s presence filling the Holy of Holies in the temple. Here, the
word translated “make our home” is the same word used in 14:2 and rendered “rooms” in the NIV. It is a
word that seems to mean “abode” or “living space” or something of the sort. Bottom line, God’s only abode,
in Jewish thinking, at least among people, is in the temple – the one spot specifically designed to be God’s
“presence with his people” space. Jesus says, No, God and I will come and make our “abode” with those who
prove their love for me, by keeping my word (literally).
There is a great deal of prophetic hope in this. It may not have registered with the disciples at the moment,
but we are getting a stronger version of what was promised when God said he would write his law in the
hearts of his people. Now he is saying he will – he and his Son – take up residence among his true followers.
While this was the Jewish hope, Jesus is saying that these who will be given the chance to experience this
are few: only those who love me! He then tells the disciples who he will not be “showing” himself to: those
who do not love him, who do not “keep his words” (plural now). The idea that God would be selective in his
revelation of himself to the Jewish people was not common. God’s revelation of himself would please the
faithful and drive the unfaithful to obedience, but Jews generally would all see God, as was true at Mt. Sinai.
Not so, says Jesus. The disciples want a grand revelation to all people. This would vindicate them and set up
a situation where all would honor both their rabbi and them as his disciples. Jesus wants relationship – and
only with those who love him. He is only showing himself to those whose love is proven by obedience. And
he restates, I’m not making this up out of my own imagination. God said them. He told me this is how he will
be working in the world. I am not setting the parameters. Again, John’s gospel is about who gets to announce
Jesus. God does ultimately, but now we are beginning to see that this task is going to be given to those who
love Jesus. Their obedience announces the one that only they can truly see.
14:25-26 – Then Jesus begins talking to the disciples about what is coming. Jesus says, “These things I have
spoken to you while remaining with you.” This again is a setup of what he will be talking about a great deal
in a moment. He has already used this notion of “remaining in” to talk about his relationship with his
Father. And while his use of the word here is a “time related” use, “I am saying these things while I’m with
you now, before I leave you,” he is using this word as a connector. I am with you in just a physical way in a
time sense; I am with you in a unity way, I am remaining among you now, we are unified. And I am telling you
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these things in this moment, but you’ll be reminded of “these things” again when (now we got a definitive
article) “the” – it isn’t the article I’d have liked, but it’s there, though I find the construction odd. But that
aside, it is the same word used in 14:16 – Parakletos. I have found multiple translations here: comforter,
advocate, helper, counselor, Paraclete, “one called to the side,” intercessor, and convincer. They all have
merit, and probably all are true. The use of “the Holy Spirit which my Father will send in my name” is a
powerful identifier. We have to remember the greater context: Jesus has said he is leaving and they can’t go
with him. They won’t be left as orphans, but they will be alone. What role best describes their need in this
moment? I would say comforter first, advocate second. Helper might include both. But his task in the future
will be – this is the promise and the issue isn’t a present issue, because Jesus is with them – he will remind
them of what he taught them and teach them all things. The reminder is to take pressure off of
understanding everything now in this difficult moment. And the next words are some of the greatest words
of “comfort” ever spoken by Jesus.
14:27 – We can talk at length about the concept of peace. Shalom, the Hebrew word for this concept, is a
very large word. It is a bucket that holds everything from absence of war, to human relationships,
tranquility in the midst of hardships, happiness after death, good health, abundance of material gain
(mostly related to harvest) even the hope of a coming Messianic kingdom. It would all be true of Jesus’
peace. It is interesting that in most cases people can only wish another peace – they can’t give it or leave it.
The key words in Jesus’ statement here revolve around our hearts. This is the place where his peace makes
a difference. The world looks for and can offer peace – mostly structural, nation against nation – but not
much else.
This is why Jesus differentiates between his peace and the world’s. His disciples were most likely upset
about the entire context of this conversation – Jesus leaving, not taking them, saying he was going to the
Father and that some “advocate” would be left to help them. I’m sure they were “troubled of heart” and
fearful. And this is exactly where Jesus goes – inner peace in the midst of difficult times. Not an absence of
troubled times, but a confidence in who is with us. Peace is not, at least that which Jesus leaves, something
quantifiable in political terms or social contexts. His peace is what rules in our hearts even in the face of the
realities of life. There is so much emphasis on “peace” in the Bible. Both testaments emphasize the concept
– God’s peace in circumstances, peace with God through Jesus, rest in the face of difficulties, etc. The
interesting aspect of this statement is that it is stated in such a direct way – I leave you – now and for always.
I give you – now and for always. It is a gift to us.
The words of peace were generally used as a wishful salutation of greeting or farewell. Here they are
neither; they speak of a direct gift. This is a one-of-a-kind use of the term! Jesus alone can speak of peace as
something so attainable, and I believe this is because he is claiming this peace to be his – “my peace.” It is
his, he has it, owns it and it can be given away should he choose. This is a very unusual concept, but what
Jesus may have been doing is comparing his peace with the common call of the Romans to be giving peace.
Of course Rome’s was political; his was in the heart. I believe we could talk about this a long time – what
the peace of Christ means. There is actually a “passing of the peace” in many liturgical services. It is literally
the passing of the unity of believers, which leads to an end of conflict and tension – true peace in one’s
heart. It’s been lost over time, but it was a unifying moment meant to help believers see their place in the
wider community and thus relieve the tensions related to feeling alone or without family. Again, the
concept can be talked about forever, but the bottom line is that Jesus offers something concrete: peace, the
same kind that ruled in his heart which only he can give. His heart was not troubled nor was it afraid. And
he could say this within hours of being arrested and crucified. It is a peace that as Paul says “passes all
understanding.”
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Weekly Class Study:
30. Sept. 16 – John 10:22-33
31. Sept. 23 – John 10:34-11:16
32. Sept. 30 – John 11:17-43
33. Oct. 7 – John 11:44-54
34. Oct. 14 – John 11:55-12:15
35. Oct. 21 – John 12:16-33
36. Oct. 28 – John 12:34-50
37. Nov. 11 – John 13:1-11
38. Nov. 25 – John 13:12-30
39. Dec. 2 – John 13:31-14:7a
40. Dec. 9 – John 14:7b-18
41. Dec 16 – John 14:19-27
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