John 14:8-14, a segment that began in verse 1, has the theme of Jesus as the way to the Father for those who believe in him. John 14:8-11 become a commentary on the relation of Jesus to the Father. 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Philip is requesting a vision. Again, Philip is not getting the spiritual level at which Jesus is speaking. Our desire clear and certain knowledge is admirable. We want to get important things right. Often, that means analyzing all the evidence careful and coming to conclusions. Science, mathematics, and technology often encourage us to move this direction. Yet, another way we have that helps us to gain clarity is as we share our stories with each other. We invite others into our lives, and become part of their lives, as we give a narration of the events in our lives that tie our lives together in a way that makes sense in our minds as well as to others. Our stories reveal the nature of our commitments and the values we hold dear. Philip has an admirable desire for clarity. 9 Jesus said to him, with obvious disappointment, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Luther will make the point that the Trinitarian God is revealed in Jesus Christ. Implied here is a connection of the Father and Son to the distinction of the hidden and the revealed God. Yet, the point is not that the Father is the hidden God and incarnate Son the revealed God. In the event of revelation, the hidden God is revealed as the Father of Jesus Christ. The unity of the hidden and revealed God is manifest in the unity of the Father and the Son. If for Luther the unity of the hidden and revealed God will be definitively manifest only in the light of eschatological glory, this means that the unity of the Trinitarian God is still engaged in the process of history. The Trinitarian distinctions of the Father, Son, and Spirit are not hidden. The divine reality discloses itself in the event of revelation. What is hidden is the unity of the divine essence in these distinctions. [1] How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? The question implies a desire for a vision. If we are not sure how to describe God, we look to Jesus. One way we can reflect upon the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in that he is the story God tells humanity concerning what God is like. God discloses the heart of God to us. If we are open to the story, and discover ourselves in it, we discover the heart of God. 10 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 speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Word and work complement each other. These “works” probably include the “signs” Jesus has done throughout the first half of the gospel, beginning at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11) and continuing through the raising of Lazarus (11:1-44). On some level, the disciples and all who saw Jesus should have believed based on these signs (2:11; 12:37). The importance of the “works of God” has been defined before in John’s gospel, however. Jesus proclaims, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (6:29). "Works" refer to all the acts of his ministry, the purpose of which is always to make known the power and character of God.[2] He is the true Son - the Child of the Heavenly Father. He and the Father share an essence, an access to power, and a relationship that allow the full exercise of that power. The terms Father and Son in John are such that the content of the one presupposes the other, and there follows the declaration that from knowledge of the content of the one there can be knowledge of the content of the other. In John, one is form while the other is content.[3] The believer can have confidence in the providence of God because our creator is also a gracious Father to the children of God. In this verse, we can see that the Christian belief in providence sees the Father, and therefore God over us, and therefore the Lord of the world process. Revelation discloses the will that rules the history of created being. In addition to this most unique and overt naming of Christ's divine power, John also relates unique teachings of Christ, unparalleled in the other gospels, which make clear his plan for the disciples and for the faithful who will come after them. If the question of Philip implies the desire for a vision, Jesus' answer is that now that he is here, Jesus is the only vision they need.[4] 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, emphasizing the relationship between Jesus and the Father and exhorting the disciples to believe; but if you do not believe the Father within Jesus does the works that Jesus does, then believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me because of the works themselves.
John 14: 12-14 have the theme of the power of belief in Jesus. Here is encouragement and affirmation that the works the disciples would see in the generation after Jesus were still valid and part of his ministry. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. The disciples can wield the same authority, do the same actions and even greater acts, if they will only believe that they, too, share this familial bond with God through Christ. Christ is “coming again” in the mighty works in the disciples. The miracles of Jesus were signs of the revelation and salvation he brings. The works of the disciples continue this ministry.[5] When the disciples share in Jesus' works, they share in the ministry of Jesus in revealing of God to the world. Through faith, the individual is united to Jesus and the Father, and thus share in their power. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. The Spirit makes it possible to pray to the Father “in the name of Jesus,” to which Jesus promises a hearing. The promise that Jesus will do whatever is requested is coming in the last discourse. Undoubtedly, similarities with Synoptics suggest they are independent sayings of similar meaning. Making requests "in Jesus' name" suggests a request relevant to the Christian life. It suggests restriction, such asking in concert with others and in God's will, considering experience. Jesus' repeated promise that he will answer the believers' prayers makes clear that JESUS acts in and through the disciples and their works. All of this suggests that their works are, in reality, the works of Jesus- and by extension the works of God the Father. [6]
These are puzzling words. Could it be that one reason our faith feels so weak is that it never gets off the couch? Could it be that the very reason we feel so ill equipped to face life's obstacles is that we have only attempted to avoid them? Could it be that the very means of strengthening faith is jumping at opportunities that will test it? Let the fruit of the Spirit flow through us. Look them up in Galatians 5. Let the spiritual gifts find development in us. Look them up in I Corinthians 12-14. We may need to take the difficult step of reconciliation with a friend, co-worker, or family member. We may need to heed the call to serve on persons on the fringes of society. We may need to take difficult steps in managing the financial concerns of the household. We may need to stop making excuses for where we are now in our lives and make tough decisions that enlarge and expand our faith.
John 14:15-17, in a segment that extends to verse 21, has the theme of Jesus promising to his disciples the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the advocate, the one who prays for us, the one who counsels and directs us. To live in obedience is to have a way of life lived in loving union with him. Jesus is not physically present to continue leading the church. That is why another counselor and guide is part of the Christian community, namely, the Holy Spirit. The world is still strange and puzzling place, for humanity has yet to fulfill the intent God has for it. God does not leave us without a family, united by Christ and the Spirit, to nurture us along the way. This community and this Spirit help us to make the world the home God intended it to be. Our fears inhibit us from moving toward the best God has for us. Yet, this community can experience peace beyond what the world experiences, for Christ and the Spirit unite the community to the future God intends for humanity.
15 “If you love me (ἀγαπᾶτέ), you will keep my commandments. Jesus is asserting his rights to have them love him and obey him, even as does the Lord in the Old Testament. While love is important throughout the New Testament, only in John do we find the object of love to be Jesus. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (Παράκλητον, advocate, intercessor, counselor, protector, and supporter), to be with you forever. The material difference between the types of statement regarding the giving of the Spirit is not great. In each case both Father and Son work together in sending the Spirit, whether it is that the Father sends the Spirit at the request and in the name of the Son or that the risen Lord pours out the Spirit whom he has received from the Father. Regardless, the purpose of the sending is to continue the work of revealing Jesus. The Spirit glorifies Jesus as the Son of the Father by teaching us to recognize the revelation of the Father in the words and work of Jesus.[7] There is a close parallel between the work of the Spirit and that of Jesus. This word refers to a calling, summoning, inviting, demanding, admonishing, and encouraging, an address that both corrects and comforts. The Spirit will be for the community and individual Christian the great Paraclete. It describes the Spirit as the mediator, advocate, and spokesperson of Jesus Christ to the community of believers. The Spirit speaks both of Christ and for Christ, as the representative of the cause of Christ, seeking to make the cause of the community and the individual to become the cause of Christ. The Spirit sees to it that neither individual followers nor the community forgets Christ.[8] John distinguishes more sharply than does Paul the Son and Spirit. Here, the Spirit is the “other Advocate” whom the Father will send in the name of Jesus.[9] 17 This is the Spirit of truth (Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας), whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. The Spirit gives instruction to Christians in a way that never becomes identical with their own spirits. The Holy Spirit is superior to us as believers. As our teacher and leader, the Spirit is in us, but in a way that the Spirit remains Lord of our lives. The entire notion of Paraclete in this passage is relevant to this discussion. Note the difference in the notion here of “the Spirit of truth.” God is establishing and executing the divine claim to lordship over us by this immediate presence.[10] You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. Here, the Spirit is not present to believers in the way God will give the Spirit later.[11] In this passage, we see that the Holy Spirit is present to the church through the glorifying of Jesus Christ as the one whom the Father sent. This passage suggests an immediacy of individuals to Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit brings.[12] The people who have his commandments and keep them are those who love him. The Father will love those who love Jesus. Further, Jesus will love them and reveal himself to them.
Unless the eye catch fire,
The God will not be seen.
Unless the ear catch fire
The God will not be heard.
Unless the tongue catch fire
The God will not be named.
Unless the heart catch fire,
The God will not be loved.
Unless the mind catch fire,
The God will not be known.[13]
World history, having attained its goal in Christ and in his death, cannot continue as though nothing had happened. His community is now present in the world as witnesses to Christ. Yet, God does not leave them to their own devices. They cannot be without Christ in the world.[14]
Jesus presents the Father. In a world that is still a stranger to what God intends for it, followers of Jesus are to present Jesus to the world. The Spirit will be the one present to help followers of Jesus fulfill their calling.
His name is Homer Sewell, but total strangers tend to call him “Abe.” One look at the man and you know exactly why: Homer Sewell bears a spooky resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. This all started about 30 years ago in Orlando, Florida, when Sewell grew a beard and schoolchildren suddenly began to call him “Abe.” He completed the effect by adding a black suit and stovepipe hat, and developed a show called Abe Lincoln’s America. Sewell has now made over 2,400 appearances as the 16th president, performing for more than two million people. “As soon as I get my suit on and my hat,” he explains, “I become Abraham Lincoln.” Sewell is a dead ringer for Honest Abe, even without makeup, and you have to admire his attention to detail. The car he drives is a ... Lincoln, of course. The Association of Lincoln Presenters presented Sewell with the “Lincoln of the Year” award in April of 1999.
In the gospel of John, Jesus is laying the foundation for an “Association of Jesus Presenters.” Jesus knows that his death is coming, and he is preparing his disciples for the period that lies ahead, when he is not going to be physically with them. “Very truly, I tell you,” Jesus assures them, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). He promises his followers that he will do whatever they ask in his name, and then he goes on to predict that God will send them the Holy Spirit, to be with them forever (vv. 13-17).
Jesus invites the disciples to be Jesus Presenters — people who carry forward the words and works of Jesus Christ and offer his grace and truth to the world. Like members of the Lincoln Presenters, their mission is to educate and inspire, and to present the powerful insights and actions of their leader to the world. Disciples are to represent Jesus, so that when people see them at work, everyone will know that they are Christians.
The coming of the Holy Spirit should remind us that claiming to be followers of the historical Jesus is one thing but allowing the Spirit of the risen Christ to dwell fully in us is another. One can confine the former simply to knowing a lot about Jesus, while the latter involves representing Jesus and acting every day on his behalf according to his model of life and faith. Granted, Christians often obscure Jesus rather than present Jesus. Yet, their calling, vocation, and mission, based upon the model offered by Jesus, is to show God to the world. Fortunately, we do not function alone or in isolation. We have an association of Jesus Presenters we call the church.
The theme of John 14:25-27 are the final thoughts of Jesus before his departure.
In John 14: 25-26, we find the theme of the sending of the Paraclete to teach. We find an unhappy reminder. The time of Jesus with his disciples is running out, preparing the way for another reference to the Paraclete. Now, the focus is the function of the Paraclete as teacher. The significance of this passage is that it shows that the Spirit continues the reconciling work of Jesus in the world. In fact, the Spirit brings to completion the reconciling work of the Son.[15] 25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate (Παράκλητος), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, as prayer is in the name of Jesus, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. This passage speaks of a sending by the Father in the name and at the request of the Son. For J. Zizioulas, this passage is basic to an understanding of the work of the Spirit in the Eucharist, especially to grasping it as “remembrance” in the context of the invocation or calling down of the Holy Spirit.[16] The use of the personal pronoun, “him” suggests that for John, the Spirit was more than a tendency or influence. Further, the fact that the Holy Spirit will teach them everything means that the Paraclete will enable the disciples to see the full meaning of the words of Jesus. The Father will send the Spirit in the name of Jesus. Now Jesus mentions for a second time the imminent arrival of another who will be "Advocate," "Helper," even "Counselor" to the disciples once Jesus himself has returned to the Father. The Paraclete will teach, completing the mission of Jesus. The Paraclete will enable the disciples to see the deepest meaning of the words of Jesus. One should understand the "everything" this Holy Spirit will teach as "everything you need to know about what I have said." Jesus also reveals just how this Holy Spirit "teaches" - by making his disciples remember all that Jesus had already taught them. Jesus assures the disciples that the Father will send another personality, the Paraclete, Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name to teach them and remind them of what Jesus has taught them. The relations described between Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit suggests a unified purpose and coordinated effort. The words of the Father are those of Jesus, and the Spirit will in turn teach these words. In the gospel writer's perspective, the goal of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to build the community of faith, and to sustain them in their belief. Their activities of sending, coming, and going work is to establish that community and to build up its belief. The promise of the Spirit's presence is a promise that the presence of the Spirit will sustain the community in the instruction of Jesus' words. The revelation of God in Christ goes on. Indeed, seeing this takes special eyes, the eyes of a believer. Such revelation conditions all our thinking. Through this happening, we apprehend who we are, what we suffer, what we are doing, and what our potentialities are. Revelation moves us beyond arbitrary and dumb fact. It becomes relatable, intelligible, and eloquent fact through the event of revelation.[17] This posture of belief is what John holds out for the community at the close of the unit. Jesus, according to John, has told these things to his disciples so that when these events do transpire, John's community will remember Jesus' words and come to believe. Indeed, John issues this goal of belief toward the end of the gospel in John 20:31 as the book's entire purpose. Belief in Jesus encourages the gospel writer's readers, both ancient and contemporary, that we will find our secure dwelling as the church, and that in this we will abide together in God. The Spirit is the Spirit of truth, for the Spirit does not direct people to the Spirit but to the Son. Distinct from the Father and the Son, the Spirit belongs to both.[18]Teaching and reminding are aspects of the same function of the Holy Spirit (Bultmann). Carl Ludwig Nitzsch uses this verse as a basis for his new definition of revelation that gave direction to the age that followed. He differentiated the external and public revelation of God from the inner and private revelation that the biblical authors received, and which one might more properly call inspiration. He equated the content of revelation with moral religion. He distinguished the historical form of revelation from the matter of revelation. He thought of his view of revelation superior to the notion of identifying revelation with the writings of biblical authors, which could fall to the ground if they were in error at a single point.[19] However, as in verse 16, this passage is not materially different from other forms of the statement. In each case, both Father and Son work together in sending the Spirit, even if the text refers to the risen Lord as sending the Spirit. The purpose of the sending by the Son is to continue the work of Jesus in revelation.[20] In this passage, the emphasis is on the spontaneous coming and working of the Spirit.[21] The sending of the Spirit by the Father “in the name of Jesus” is a thought consistent with the notion of prayer “in the name of Jesus.”[22] The Spirit of Christ reminds Christians of Jesus.[23] The Spirit works as the basis of our lives, enabling us to do anything we ought to do, go anywhere we ought to go and be anything we ought to be.[24] We rightly pray for the Spirit to descend into our hearts, enlightening the dark corners of our minds, and scattering the cheerful beams of light the Spirit wants to bring.[25] 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. We find the parting gift of peace. “Peace” is a departing “shalom” to the disciples, but not just a thoughtless salutation. Jesus offers the gift of salvation. “Peace,” along with “grace,” became part of the traditional greeting from one Christian to another, as we can see in Romans 1:7 and I Corinthians 1:3. Despite frequent usage, it retained its religious meaning, as we can see in Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts.” Twice in this farewell discourse, in 14:27 and 16:33, Jesus focuses on the parting gift of peace. Jesus offers peace, while the tribulation of the world stands waiting. What is this "peace" that Jesus mentions? It describes, rather, a special and desirous gift from God. The Gospel of John equates the term variously with "light," "life," "joy" and "truth." Peace is a positive, active presence. Peace is a gift selected to salvation. All the benefits the believer receives because of the saving gift of Jesus Christ are components of this peace. Receiving Jesus' peace is personally receiving God's gift of salvation. There is some grammatical debate over how one should understand the second line of verse 27. It is not clear whether Jesus' subject is the peace - "not like the peace the world gives, do I give to you," or the act of giving - "such giving is not the kind of giving exhibited by the world." The gospel writer may have intended some ambiguity here, for theologically it is evident that this author would declare that both statements are true. The "peace" this world holds out is a false peace, based on the momentary success of one force (person, country, ideals, status) over another. Since the world never fully holds such a peace, true peace is not something the world gives. Any "giving" gesture made by the world is empty of content and promise. In any case, when we accept the fact that everything that the Spirit can make everything that happens to us useful for our spiritual growth, we will have arrive at the type of peace Jesus promises.[26] We start maturing emotionally and spiritually when we take responsibility for our feelings, actions, and style of life. We have responsibility for outgrowing the various psychic damages we received in life and accept our dignity as human beings who choose a satisfying style of life.[27]
In verse 27, part of a segment that extends to verse 29, the theme is the departure of Jesus. Because the disciples are to receive Jesus' own peace, Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. Thus, Jesus stresses that their love is possessive instead of generous. In going to the Father, he accomplishes the purpose of his life. Any human love that fails to recognize this is not real love. Implicitly, he connects faith and love closely. The kind of troubled heart to which Jesus refers involves worry, fear, anxiety, or stress. It can feel like loss of hope, a lack of faith, a panic attack, or the pangs of uncertainty. Of course, Jesus is preparing them for his physical absence. They have troubled hearts due to the spiritual battle that John often portrays between Spirit and flesh, light and darkness, sight, and blindness, and even life and death. Jesus has told them about betrayal, departure, and denial. With these words, he wants to strengthen their faith. The intimate relationship of the Son and Spirit with the disciple is to result in a peace that will keep them from having troubled hearts.
Jesus is the advocate, the one who prays for us, the one who counsels and directs us. To live in obedience is to have a way of life lived in loving union with him. Jesus is not physically present to continue leading the church. That is why another counselor and guide is part of the Christian community, namely, the Holy Spirit. The world is still strange and puzzling place, for humanity has yet to fulfill the intent God has for it. God does not leave us without a family, united by Christ and the Spirit, to nurture us along the way. This community and this Spirit help us to make the world the home God intended it to be. Our fears inhibit us from moving toward the best God has for us. Yet, this community can experience peace beyond what the world experiences, for Christ and the Spirit unite the community to the future God intends for humanity.
[1] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 1, 340)
[2] (C.K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John, 2nd ed. [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978], 460).
[3] Barth, (Church Dogmatics, I.1 [5.4] 176)
[4] Barth, (Church Dogmatics., III.3 [48.2], 29)
[5] Dodd (The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel, 1940, p 395)
[6] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 3, 204)
[7] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 3, 5)
[8] Barth (Church Dogmatics IV.2 [64.4] 326)
[9] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 1, 270)
[10] Barth (Church Dogmatics, I.1 [12.1] 454)
[11] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 1, 267)
[12] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 3, 134)
[13] --Attributed to Enlightenment poet William Blake.
[14] Barth (Church Dogmatics, IV.2 [64.4] 326)
[15] Pannenberg (Systmatic Theology, Volume 2, 450-454)
[16] (“ L’Eucharistie: quelques Aspects bibliques,” in L’Eucharistie, 1970, p. 13-74)
[17] H. Richard Niebuhr, The Meaning of Revelation, New York: Macmillan, 1941, p. 36
[18] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 1, 315)
[19] (De revelation religionis externa eademque publica prolusiones academicae, 1808, 5)
[20] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 3, 5)
[21] (ibid., 15)
[22] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 3, 204.
[23] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 3, 275, 307.
[24] E. Stanley Jones.
[25] O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there thy cheerful beams. --Saint Augustine.
[26] M. Scott Peck, Further Along the Road Less Traveled (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993
[27] Sam Keen, quoted by John Shea in Stories of God (Chicago: The Thomas More Press, 1978), 122.
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