John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
I believe God is righteous, that He will judge the living and the dead. So I don't need to be troubled about unrighteousness, in the end everyone will have to give an account to God. But Jesus is telling us to also believe in Him, the incarnated word of God. This is the means by which all things come into being which have come into being. I am praying that the kingdom would come, well the means by which it will come is the incarnated word of God. Not talking about debates and arguments over doctrine, talking about the word of God doing a work on me, to become one with me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Each one of us has a place, a function, a roll to play. It is easy for us to look at others and think God has a roll for them, but not for me. That is one way in which our heart would be troubled. We are troubled when we see the wicked prosper and when it appears that there is no justice in the world. But what is more troubling is when we think that we are useless. But look at a palace, there are many rooms in that palace, every one of them has a function. Every one of them is useful. God has a place and a use for every one of us. If that wasn't the case the Lord would have told the apostles, He would have told them which people are useful and which aren't. He never said that anywhere in the gospels, so clearly that is not the case, every person can become useful in the Kingdom of God.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
So then, the reason Jesus has "gone away" during the church age, is to prepare a place for you. Think of the Galilean wedding, the son lives in the Father's house. He finds a bride, proposes, she accepts, and then He goes and builds an addition to the Father's house, a place for the bride. Jesus said "I will build my church". In Ephesians we learn the church is the temple of God. This is the "third temple". But this temple, this church, this is the place for us to dwell.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
If we are praying that "the kingdom would come and God's will would be done, on earth as it is in heaven" then clearly we know that the Lord is in Heaven. And the gospels all show us the way that Jesus took from His baptism to the cross.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
The problem is not that we don't know where Jesus is going or the way. We know it, the problem is we don't want to take that way. We don't want to be the scapegoat, we don't want to go outside the camp and bear the shame, and we don't want to bear our cross.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
We can see the way the Lord took, we can see that no man in history ever took that way, so to say Jesus is the way is easy to understand. We also know that the words Jesus spoke are truth, they light the way and they are life, they strengthen us to walk this way. But here is the cool thing, it is like knowing a secret pathway, no one could ever walk this path without the truth lighting the way and the life strengthening them.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
I think the biggest regret anyone has who has followed the Lord is that they did not know how to pray. But if you know the Lord, you know what is possible. To know the Lord is to know what to go to the Father for. But after Jesus died and rose from the dead we all know to pray for the resurrection power, to pray for life that overcomes death.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Answered prayer is a manifestation of the Father. When someone has answered prayer we can see the Father.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
Again, look at the gospels, it is all about answered prayer. There are somewhere between 50 and 65 specific instances of answered prayer in the gospels: prayers of Jesus, petitions to Jesus, and other prayers like Zechariah's prayer.
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
This is the ultimate of any ministry, to be in the Father, the Father is in you, and the words you speak, not of yourself but God in you is speaking through you and doing the works. That is where Jesus was in His ministry and the promise here is that this is where we can ultimately be also.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
How was Jesus able to heal people? He was in the Father and the Father was in Him, He wasn't speaking from Himself, it was God the Father, the creator of all, speaking through Him and God was doing the work.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Jesus pioneered the way to the Father. It is like cutting the way through the forest for a road. But since that time this road has been paved, lights have been put along the road, signs are posted, and gas stations are set up along the way. When Jesus was on earth you had one man taking this way, today we have thousands taking this way.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
How do we know there are thousands taking this way? Whatever they ask in the Lord's name Jesus does so that the Father would be glorified in the Son. Answered prayer is the evidence that you are in the Son and the Son is in you.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
