14:2 my Father’s house. The Father’s “house” is where we shall dwell forever (Psalm 23:6). It is also “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19) and corresponds to the “holy city” (Revelation 21:2) which will be placed on the new earth as our eternal home. Its dimensions are given (see note on Revelation 21:16), and it is amply large to provide many “mansions.” This word is used only one other time, in John 14:23, referring to the “abode” where the Father and the Son will also dwell with the believer.

14:2 a place. Thus heaven is a “place,” not merely a state of mind, or some sort of fifth dimension. It is a physical place in God’s eternal cosmos.

14:3 I will come again. Although Christ had discussed His second coming on several previous occasions, this was the first time He had applied it personally to His disciples. He Himself would come to receive them!

14:3 there ye may be also. Then we shall “ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17).

14:6 I am the way. This is the sixth of Jesus’ great “I am” assertions and, no less than the others, is a clear claim of deity.

14:6 the life. He did not come to show us the way, teach us the truth and give us the life, though He does all of this. He is the Way to God, the Truth of God, and the Life in God.

14:6 unto the Father. The exclusiveness of this claim is a stumblingblock to those who are supposedly searching for truth, or who desire a different kind of life some other way. It is probably the main reason why Christians are persecuted by others. Nevertheless, one cannot be a Christian and believe otherwise, for “there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christians are not being unloving when they try to win others to Christ, for they know that those others are eternally lost without Him.

14:12 greater works than these. The works of the believer are not greater in quality (i.e., miracles) but in quantity, for we are to go into all the world with His saving gospel.

14:14 in my name. The phrase “in Jesus’ name” is not just a formula with which to conclude our prayers, although that is certainly appropriate. It carries the sense of “as my agent,” thus seeking to do His will. Thus, John says later: “If we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us” and only then do “we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (I John 5:14-15). It is significant that Jesus followed this amazing promise with the admonition to “keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

14:16 another Comforter. The “Comforter” (Greek parakletos, meaning “called alongside”) is, of course, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune Godhead. Although He is mentioned in many ways in the Old Testament (first of all, as the Energizer of the physical creation, Genesis 1:2), and also in the earlier chapters of the four gospels, this is the first explicit promise that He would be coming to be with the believer, taking the place of the Son, who would be returning to the Father. Having taken a human body, the Son cannot be omnipresent, but the Spirit is omnipresent, and thus Christ can continue to be with each believer through His Holy Spirit.

14:17 Spirit of truth. The “Spirit of Truth” inspired the Holy Scriptures (I Peter 1:11; II Peter 1:21); therefore they are altogether true and righteous (Psalm 19:9).

14:17 in you. The Holy Spirit frequently guided and energized the people of God in ancient times, but, with the death and resurrection of Christ, the way was open for Him to indwell every believer permanently (I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9).

14:19 because I live. The future resurrection of the body of each believer is thus assured by Christ’s own bodily resurrection from the dead.

14:23 keep my words. The measure of our love for Christ is whether we keep (i.e., guard and obey) His Word and keep His commandments (John 14:15,21-24; see also I John 2:5,17; 4:17-20).

14:23 our abode. “Abode” is the same word as “mansion” in John 14:2, and these are the only two occurrences of the word in the New Testament. Even though each redeemed one will have his own “mansion” in the New Jerusalem, the indwelling presence of the triune God (even now a reality through the Holy Spirit) will continue dwelling in the same “abode” with us throughout eternity (I Thessalonians 4:17).

14:26 remembrance. John wrote his gospel, and the detailed discourses of Jesus recorded therein, approximately fifty years after the events occurred, yet he was able to recall and reproduce them all by the supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The same would have been true for the other New Testament writers. We can be confident, therefore, in view of this promise, as well as the many assurances of inspiration of the Old Testament (e.g., II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21) that our entire Bible is altogether true and trustworthy.