A Study of John 14

1DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.

You may read this and think, OK, I have to keep my heart from being afraid. But here our peace that passes all understanding, Our Father is responsible for keeping our hearts from trouble.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

The Truth is that anywhere that we read in scripture that we have to do something, there are multiple other scriptures that teach us the Truth that it is God doing it for us. The reason the Bible is written in this way is because its Truths are only for those who are truly chosen and saved. It takes the Holy Spirit within us to plainly show us the full Truth. There are a ton of people who claim to know Jesus, but He does not know them. So they read this and preach that the burden of salvation is on man, we must do this or that to receive the blessings of our Father. They make God reactive to our direction, but the Truth is that we are the ones who are reactive to our Fathers direction, just as the hand is reactive to the heads direction. So it is the Truth that we must not have trouble hearts and that we must trust in Jesus. And false religion will preach that we have to do it. But the real Truth is that we must not have troubled hearts and trust in Jesus, and to insure that we do the peace of God that passes all understanding keeps our hearts from fearing and not trusting. The Truth is that our Father has given us His very own Spirit and since He has we do not fear, because we are one with our Fathers power and love!

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Matthew 13:10-11

2In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.

Jesus came so that all of mankind could have a direct and unbroken relationship with God. Jesus came so that we could become one with God through Him. God has room for us all. God would that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. God has room for all men, He has room for the angels, and the 24 elders and created beings that we read of in Revelation. Our Father is all about hospitality.

There will people from every nation, every tribe, and every language saved, Revelation 5:9.

3And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

Ask yourself this question, is this for our future when Jesus returns to set up His Millennial Reign , or is it for us right now because Jesus has been raised from the dead?

And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Ephesians 2:6

And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions, Colossians 2:13

IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

It only took God 6 days to create the earth, man, and every living thing on it. I really don’t believe that it would take Jesus thousands of years to create our place in Heaven. God just speaks and things come into existence. So when you tie these verses into Jesus saying that He is coming back for us, so that we may be with Him where He is, it has to be for us right now. Jesus was crucified and He was raised from the dead by the Spirit of our Father, so that we could be one with Him. And we are one with Him today, as well as in Heaven.

Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23

We are one with Jesus right now so that the world may believe! Our oneness with our Father through Jesus is our power to evangelize the world.

Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me] may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me]; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24

If we are only to see Jesus’ glory when we are in Heaven than our life here on this earth will be miserable. Every day we see Jesus’ glory. We see Him leading us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake, Psalm 23:1. We see the power of His Blood cleansing us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:7. We see Him bearing our sins, sicknesses, and diseases and by His stripes we are healed, 1 Peter 2:24. We see the Holy Spirit causing us to remember all things and strengthening us in all things, John 14:26. Every day we the chosen of God see the glory of our Lord and Savior.

4And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.
5Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?
6Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

The way for us to be where Jesus is, is not our physical death and then we go to Heaven. The way to Jesus is being empowered by the Holy Spirit to make Him the Lord of our lives. It is the truth that sets us free, John 8:32. We are one with Jesus right now. Just as Jesus was one with God when He was here on earth as a man, we are one with Him. God is bigger than our physical bodies and He is not confined by flesh and time and space.

7If you had known Me [had learned to recognize Me], you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him.

Look at this, from know on we know the Father. Jesus never teaches us that our Father is mysterious and private. Jesus never says that we have to go through others to speak to our Father. God desires a one on one relationship with Him and through Jesus’ sacrifice He has it.

8Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father--that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied.
9Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father?

10Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the ([a]His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power).

Right here Jesus tells them that even though He is on this earth, He is still in the Father and the Father is in Him. And when Jesus was raised from the dead, we became one with Him. So we are now where He is, just as Jesus was where His Father was. This is salvation, that we become one with our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We can read about Jesus and see what we now have, exactly what He had when He was here as a man. And we even have more, because Jesus has been raised from the dead and He has shed His Blood to bring in the power of the New Covenant. A covenant that allows God to graft us into Himself and actually make us one with Him. For we are members of His body, flesh f His flesh, and bone of His bone, Ephesians 5:30.

We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. Romans 6:4-5.

Also take clear notice of this Truth, it was God in Jesus doing His works and it is God within us doing His works. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. Ezekiel 36:27. Religion will try and tell us that we need to do this or that to have God work through us. They will tell us of steps or that we have no faith. But the Truth is this. God chose Jesus to work through. He chose when to work through Him, Jesus did no miracles until He was in His 30’s. And the same holds true for us. It is the power of our Father and the timing of our Father. If we need faith, we have Jesus to Author and Finish it, Hebrews 12:2. If we need to be cleansed from some problem, God is our Gardener that prunes us, John 15:2.

The Truth of salvation is that we are now one with God. We are actually part of Him. There is no longer any separation whatsoever. Our old man is dead. I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20.We cannot do anything alone anymore, it is Jesus within us doing it all. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. John 15:5.
So if you are thinking if I would just do this or that and then God will work through me; you’re wrong. There are absolutely things that need to happen in our lives, but we are never alone, we are always one with God and it is always our Father within us doing His works and on His time frame. Think of it like this, for us to eat our mouths must chew. Our tongues and teeth have their parts to play. But is their part separate from the body? And isn’t the head telling the tongue and teeth what to do? Jesus is our Head and we are His body. The head doesn’t tell the tongue it is my desire for you to swallow and if you do there will be a blessing and if you don’t there will be a curse. Tongue the choice is yours. The tongue has no choice but to do what the head directs it to. The tongue is not a robot, but one with a greater thing, the body. And that is how we are, through Christ we are now one with God and Jesus is our Head.

You may be asking, but what about our free will? You ever here a preacher tell you that God loves you so much that He will allow you to go from Him. Bull! Jesus tells us that to have any part of the Kingdom of Heaven we must be as little children, Matthew 18:3. Think of a father saying I loved my little child so much, a love that man cannot comprehend, so I let my little child decide to stay or go from my home. He would be arrested and charged with child abuse if he allowed the child to wonder off.

Think of a sheep. Does the shepherd say I love the sheep so much that I allow them to stay or go? If a sheep leaves and is killed the shepherd is to blame. And Jesus is our Shepherd.

Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches, John 15:5. Does the vine say to the branches I would like for you to produce this kind of grape and you will be blessed if you do, but it is your choice. The branch cannot help but bear the fruit of the vine that it is attached to, and we are attached to Jesus. The branch produces the fruit that the vine tells it to and when it tells it to. And the gardener keeps the bugs and diseases off it, so that it can produce abundant crops. And God is our Gardener, John 15:1.

We can only say yes to Jesus because we have been chosen and empowered to. For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 12:3. For us to be saved is a total sacrifice, just as Jesus had to die, so must we, it is the only way that we can live. So if your all about free will and your choice, the true revelation of what salvation is has not come to you.

11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves. [If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's name convince you.]

We shall know each other by the fruit that Jesus produces through us, Matthew 7:20. And Jesus tells the apostles the exact same thing, that look at what you see God doing through Me, this is how you will know that He is in Me and I am in Him.

12I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

God loves miracles. He used them all throughout the Old Testament. He used them through Jesus. He used them through the Apostles, through the believers in the Book of Acts, and we read that He will use them during the Great Tribulation in the Book of Revelation. God never changes, Malachi 3:6. People should see things that cannot be done by humans through us. It proves that God is alive. But so many preach that it is our power to believe that allows them to happen. Instead of the Truth that it is Jesus’ power to believe working through us that allows God to use us to do them. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God and faith is the evidence of things hoped for. So we need to preach the Truth that will set the captives free to be used by God to do the works that He did through Jesus and even use us to do greater works. People are captives to themselves believing that there is separation between them and God and that they have to muster up this ability to believe on their own and then God will use them.

13And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as [b]presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son.(A)

Jesus will answer whatever we ask in His Name, and He will answer our prayers, so that God receives the glory. Think of Jesus for a minute. He received everything that He asked for and we are now one with Him. Jesus can be so confident in our ability to ask for what is the will of God because He knows that He is our Head.

Religion tries to put limitations on us. I love quoting this verse to people and watch them scramble at trying to qualify it. But when we read what Jesus actually said, He never does. And think of what Jesus received from God, water turned to wine, because the party ran out of it. Storms stopped because His disciples got scared and the apostles caught so many fish that it broke their nets. These are not exactly needs for a person to survive. But yet they came to pass. Every bit as much as Lazarus being raised from the dead, thousands being fed in the wilderness, and thousands of people healed.

So when we read that whatever we ask in Jesus’ Name we will receive, we need to rejoice, because this is the Truth that Jesus spoke. And if Jesus wasn’t timid in saying it, why would we be in asking? This is a simple sermon, ask in the Name of our Lord, Jesus, and receive, and by doing so our Father receives the glory!

Now think of it, how will the world, the world mind you, give God the glory? If we pray for small things that only benefit us, or if we ask for big things that benefit the world, things that men cannot do? Think of Jesus and then you will see the kind of things that we can ask for! The water turned to wine was for others. The storm was stopped because the disciples were afraid. The masses were fed because they were hungry. Lazarus was the dead one, the masses were the sick ones, Jesus asked and received so that others would benefit. We don’t read that Jesus was asking for Himself, but for those around Him.

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:25 to take no thought for our own lives, and then we see how He lived. Jesus took on the servant’s towel. Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified so that we might live. And now Jesus ever lives to intercede for us, so that we might be saved to the uttermost. So ask for huge wonderful things: hurricanes to stop, whole nations to be saved, and the dead to be raised, even after they were embalmed.

14[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as [c]presenting all that I AM].
Jesus comes right back and says it again. He wants no doubt about our ability to ask Him for
everything. Big and small. Ask Him for a better golf game and for someone to be healed of HIV. Ask Him for a great parking space and for Hurricane whatever to be stopped. Ask and receive. We are now one with Jesus and as He is so are we in this world, and Jesus receives everything from the Father and so do we.

15If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
Of course we will keep His commandments, we have the Holy Spirit within us causing us too!

We are one with Jesus, Who is the commandments. For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; Hebrews 2:11.

16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

Once again we see Jesus asking for others, remember 1 John 4:17, as He is, so are we in this world.

We have been given the very Spirit of God. The same Spirit that Jesus has, we have. The same Spirit that strengthens Jesus, strengthens us. The Spirit of God, strengthens us, helps us, counsels us, intercedes for us, and is always standing with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us, we are one with God forever as Jesus is one with God forever!

17The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.
18I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you.
19Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you.

Because we have the Holy Spirit we know that we are saved. We know that we are one with God in the exact same way that Jesus is. Jesus died and was raised from the dead. Our Lords Blood has been shed, our place has been prepared and He has returned to be in us, the two (Jesus and His chosen ones) have become one flesh, Ephesians 5:31:32.

21The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

Religion will try to put all of this burden on man. We must keep the commands as if there is separation between us and Jesus. But there is not, we are in Jesus and He is in us, and we are all one in our Father. We have the Holy Spirit in us, never leaving us or forsaking us, causing us to keep the commandments of our Father. We are now one flesh with Jesus, so the commands are kept, because we are one with Jesus Who is the commands. Our yoke is easy and our burden is light, Matthew 11:30. The Truth is that we cannot help but to keep the commandments of God, because we have Jesus keeping them for us. He is our Head, He is our Vine, He is our Shepherd!

22Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world?
23Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.

Where Jesus is, so are we, and Jesus is at home within us! Not everyone will be saved, but God would that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. So we should be asking that all men are saved. In the last times I believe that many will be saved and here is why. Look at the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. When Jesus calls them and the time is at hand, five of the virgins are ready. Jesus could have said only one was or two, but He said five, and that is 50%! So pray for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth.

24Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me.
25I have told you these things while I am still with you.
26But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

There is only one thing that we cannot know and that is the exact hour that Jesus returns, Matthew 25:13. But other than that we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. Everything that Jesus has ever said, we have the Holy Spirit Who causes us to remember it. Think of Jesus, think of what He knows, and then rejoice in the Truth that we have the same Spirit causing us to know. Jesus is the Beginning and the End, and we are one with Him, so there is absolutely nothing that we cannot know.

Now here is a trap and a snare of the world. People will talk about what they don’t know. I have been in several churches that fall into this trap. They talk about they don’t know this, or they fail at that. The problem with this is that a major majority of the attention is on man. And if you come back 5 years from now, they will be saying basically the same things. But when the attention is directed towards the Truth, towards Jesus, then things change. The Truth that will set us free is that we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things! The Truth is we have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, Romans 10:17. So things change by spending the majority of our time talking the Word of Truth and not talking about mans shortcomings, If Jesus is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Him, John 12:32.

27Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

You think Jesus is worried? We have His peace. He knows everything, and we have His peace. He is our Shepherd. Now think about that. If a shepherd knows there is no water, he will not lead the sheep there. If he knows there is a pack of wolves, he will not lead his sheep there. If he knows that there is a storm, he shelters the sheep. We have Jesus as our Shepherd and He knows the beginning and the end, and we now have His peace!

28You heard Me tell you, I am going away and I am coming [back] to you. If you [really] loved Me, you would have been glad, because I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater and mightier than I am.
29And now I have told you [this] before it occurs, so that when it does take place you may believe and have faith in and rely on Me.

Jesus was letting the disciples know what was going to happen. And now we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things. Jesus knew when He was going to die and how He was going to die. Jesus knew who would be His disciples and who wouldn’t. He knew who was going to betray Him and He knew who was going to deny Him. So many believe that we have to walk blindly in this world and we never see that taught. Jesus told Peter how he was going to die. Paul knew that he was going to be arrested in Jerusalem. We have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. We can and should know everything as Jesus knows. Now that sounds pretty incredible doesn’t it? But that is what our Lord said, so it is the Truth!

30I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]

We are one with Jesus and if satan has no claim on Jesus our Head, he has no claim on us, His body! Satan has no power over us.

31But [[d]Satan is coming and] I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know (be convinced) that I love the Father and that I do only what the Father has instructed Me to do. [I act in full agreement with His orders.] Rise, let us go away from here.