The Gospel of John, Chapter 14: The Road
Jesus has stated several times in this gospel: where I am going, you cannot come. At the start of Chapter 14, Jesus contradicts that statement, with this beautiful and comforting speech:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” (verses 1-4)
In comfort level, this is akin to the metaphor in chapter 10:14-17, where Jesus says he is the good shepherd:
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.” (v 10:14-17)
It’s comforting and strengthening to have a place to belong.
Back to Chapter 14.
The disciple Thomas contradicts Jesus, saying, but we don’t know where you are going; “How can we know the way?” Jesus replies with another of the “I am” statements of this gospel:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. (verses 14:6-7)
There it is again, the black-and-white absolutism of this gospel. It sounds like Jesus is saying, “It’s my way or the highway.” But perhaps the more important part of this passage is that Jesus reiterates a main theme of the gospel: Jesus is from God.
Then the disciple Philip contradicts Jesus, saying in essence we have not seen the Father; please “show us the Father.” Jesus is either disappointed or exasperated. Haven’t you been paying attention, Philip? He exhorts Philip to believe with this squishy phraseology:
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.
This is a repeat of what we’ve read in 6:45-47, 8:19-20, 10:14-15, and perhaps elsewhere in the gospel. God is the one who sent Jesus. If you see Jesus, you see God.
I want to pause a moment and go back to Jesus saying “I am the way.” It sounds quite absolute, like trundling down a predetermined sluiceway, like a luge track. But The Message translates this as “I am the road,” The Message sounds more like traveling, walking somewhere, taking a journey with Jesus.
It's comforting and strengthening to have a traveling companion.
Jesus says where he is going, sort of: “I am going to the Father.” And then he makes a promise, a statement which has led to all kinds of bad theology, in my opinion:
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” (verses 13-14)
How many honest, praying people throughout the centuries have asked in Jesus’ name, but have been denied their request? This has been argued away by saying things like, you are not a good enough Christian to have God listen to your prayer; you weren’t in the right humble frame of mind when you asked; you hadn’t confessed your sins right before you asked; your motivation was wrong - you weren’t asking in order to glorify God, you were asking for human reasons; what you asked for was not in God’s time.
The Message translates this passage this way, with a little bit more restriction than “anything.”
“From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.”
As I’ve said before, I just can’t dive into theodicy right now. Not in the mood. Moving on.
Jesus makes the conditional statement “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” three times in this chapter. And Jesus promises to send an advocate, a helper, a friend – the spirit of truth – later to become known to Christians as the Holy Spirit. Jesus uses the preposition “in” some more:
In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (verses 19-20)
This is the style of this gospel - short little words like “in” without a great deal of definition. If you are “in” with Jesus, you will know what it means. Jesus also hints at the resurrection.
At a very troubling time, when Jesus is about to leave them, he calms his disciples with these comforting words:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (verse 27)
Jesus predicts doom for himself, but says he is doing what God has commanded him to do. And then, “Rise, let us be on our way.”
But in the next three chapters, the author inserts more speechifying before the action continues.
Metaphors: house/dwelling places, going/the way (the road)
Images and themes: coming and going, seeing the Father,
People/Beings: Jesus, the disciples (Thomas and Philip have speaking parts)
Places: at the dinner table
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