John 14:2 - Barnes' Notes

John 14:2

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

1 “Let ^anot your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so,² I would have told you. ^aI go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, ^aI will come again and receive you to Myself; that ^bwhere I am, there you may be also.

4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

5 ^aThomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am ^athe way, ^bthe truth, and ^cthe life. ^dNo one comes to the Father ^eexcept through Me.

The Father Revealed

7 ^a“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? ^aHe who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

10 Do you not believe that ^aI am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you ^bI do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, ^aor else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

The Answered Prayer

12 ^a“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

13 ^aAnd whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be ^bglorified in the Son.

14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Jesus Promises Another Helper

15 ^a“If you love Me,¹ keep My commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and ^aHe will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

17 ^athe Spirit of truth, ^bwhom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you ^cand will be in you.

18 ^aI will not leave you orphans; ^bI will come to you.

Indwelling of the Father and the Son

19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but ^ayou will see Me. ^bBecause I live, you will live also.

20 At that day you will know that ^aI am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

21 ^aHe who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and¹ manifest Myself to him.”

22 ^aJudas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, ^aand We will come to him and make Our home with him.

24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and ^athe word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

The Gift of His Peace

25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.

26 But ^athe Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will ^bsend in My name, ^cHe will teach you all things, and bring to your ^dremembrance all things that I said to you.

27 ^aPeace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 You have heard Me ^asay to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because¹ I said, ^b‘I am going to the Father,’ for ^cMy Father is greater than I.

29 “And ^anow I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.

30 I will no longer talk much with you, ^afor the ruler of this world is coming, and he has ^bnothing in Me.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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John 14:2-3

In my Father' s house - Most interpreters understand this of heaven, as the special dwelling-place or palace of God; but it may include the universe, as the abode of the omnipresent God.

Are many mansions - The word rendered "mansions" means either the act of dwelling in any place (John 14:23, "we will make our abode with him" ), or it means the place where one dwells. It is taken from the verb to remain, and signifies the place where one dwells or remains. It is applied by the Greek writers to the tents or temporary habitations which soldiers pitch in their marches. It denotes a dwelling of less permanency than the word house. It is commonly understood as affirming that in heaven there is ample room to receive all who will come; that therefore the disciples might be sure that they would not be excluded. Some have understood it as affirming that there will be different grades in the joys of heaven; that some of the mansions of the saints will be nearer to God than others, agreeably to I Corinthians 15:40-41. But perhaps this passage may have a meaning which has not occurred to interpreters.

Jesus was consoling his disciples, who were affected with grief at the idea of his separation. To comfort them he addresses them in this language: "The universe is the dwelling-place of my Father. All is his house. Whether on earth or in heaven, we are still in his habitation. In that vast abode of God there are many mansions. The earth is one of them, heaven is another. Whether here or there, we are still in the house, in one of the mansions of our Father, in one of the apartments of his vast abode. This we ought continually to feel, and to rejoice that we are permitted to occupy any part of his dwelling-place. Nor does it differ much whether we are in this mansion or another. It should not be a matter of grief when we are called to pass from one part of this vast habitation of God to another. I am indeed about to leave you, but I am going only to another part of the vast dwelling-place of God. I shall still be in the same universal habitation with you; still in the house of the same God; and am going for an important purpose - to fit up another abode for your eternal dwelling." If this be the meaning, then there is in the discourse true consolation. We see that the death of a Christian is not to be dreaded, nor is it an event over which we should immoderately weep. It is but removing from one apartment of God' s universal dwelling-place to another - one where we shall still be in his house, and still feel the same interest in all that pertains to his kingdom. And especially the removal of the Saviour from the earth was an event over which Christians should rejoice, for he is still in the house of God, and still preparing mansions of rest for His people.

If it were not so ... - I have concealed from you no truth. You have been cherishing this hope of a future abode with God. Had it been ill founded I would have told you plainly, as I have told you other things. Had any of you been deceived, as Judas was, I would have made it known to you, as I did to him."

I go to prepare a place for you - By his going is meant his death and ascent to heaven. The figure here is taken from one who is on a journey, who goes before his companions to provide a place to lodge in, and to make the necessary preparations for their entertainment. It evidently means that he, by the work he was yet to perform in heaven, would secure their admission there, and obtain for them the blessings of eternal life. That work would consist mainly in his intercession, Hebrews 10:12-13, Hebrews 10:19-22; Hebrews 7:25-27; Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 4:16.

That where I am - This language could be used by no one who was not then in the place of which he was speaking, and it is just such language as one would naturally use who was both God and man - in reference to his human nature, speaking of his going to his Father; and in reference to his divine nature, speaking as if he was then with God.

Ye may be also - This was language eminently fitted to comfort them. Though about to leave them, yet he would not always be absent. He would come again at the day of judgment and gather all his friends to himself, and they should be ever with him, Hebrews 9:28. So shall all Christians be with him. And so, when we part with a beloved Christian friend by death, we may feel assured that the separation will not be eternal. We shall meet again, and dwell in a place where there shall be no more separation and no more tears.

**Other Barnes' Notes entries containing John 14:2:**

John 14:28
Philippians 3:20
1 Thessalonians 1:10
1 John 2:28

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John 14:3 >>

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