John 14

His confession that Jesus was innocent, implies his conviction that Jesus was not only a good man, but the character he assumed to be, namely, the Messiah; for an impostor could never be an innocent and good man. It implies, also, that he (Judas) was privy to no design of sedition or rebellion against either the Jewish or Roman government: that Jesus was no magician, and had no dealings with impure spirits, as his enemies had pretended. Had he been guilty of either of these charges, we can hardly think the remorse of Judas would have gone so far as to lead him to hang himself, for bringing a criminal to justice! But let us turn to Peter. He was naturally impetuous in temper, warm in his attachments, and most sincere in his professions; but weak in faith, and irresolute in action; yet not a little vain and self-confident.

In the absence of danger, bold as a lion; but soon as it appeared, timid as a deer. Such was Peter in himself. He sinned awfully—wept bitterly—and was freely pardoned. If we view, however, the sequel of his life, we find what grace can do. No apostle was more courageous, more determined, more faithful. He was faithful unto death, and received the crown of martyrdom and glory. The new commandment here mentioned (ver. 34) will come more fully under our notice in the following chapters, where it is somewhat amplified, and explained to be founded on, and measured by the Saviour’s love to his disciples.

Cuare. XIV. Ver. 1—14. Jesus encourages and comforts his disciples.—In these last discourses of our Saviour, he endeavours to comfort his apostles by a variety of considerations, at which we can only glance.

Let not your heart be troubl’d in the power and goodness of my heavenly Father; rely no less on my promises of grace and mercy: “I and the Father are one.” He then assures them, that though he is about to leave the world, and that in the most awful way, by a cruel and ignominious death, yet will he not finally forsake them. He is only going home to his Father’s house, where there are “many mansions” of bliss and glory, that he may prepare a place for them to reside with him for ever. Thomas, with the same difficulty to understand, and reluctance to believe, that he manifested in another case, affects not to know whither his Lord is going, nor yet the way: and Philip, uniting with him, seems to require a corporeal sight of God, and of these heavenly mansions of which he speaks: “Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

Jesus then exhibits himself as the way to the Father—the true and living way, as he had before taught them, ((John 10:9), &c.;) the only way by which men can have access to God and heaven. He farther informs them, (as before,) that such a union subsists between the Father and himself, that whosoever seeth the Son seeth the Father also. There is such an intimate union between these divine persons, that whosoever communeth with the one, communeth with the other also. Jesus then addresses the twelve, and as Elijah said to Elisha—“Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee:” so Jesus says, “If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Let this then encourage us to pray in the name of Jesus, who is not only our intercessor, but our agent, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

This extensive promise, however, must be limited within the boundaries of common sense. It is not to be supposed that our Lord would sanction the extravagancies of enthusiasm, much less of crime: the con-

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIV. Ver. 1. Believe in God.—The original is ambiguous, and may be rendered either as by our translators, or as by Doddridge and Campbell, “Believe in God, believe also in me;” or, “Ye believe (or believe ye) in God, and ye believe in me.”

Ver. 5. We know not whither thou goest.—By this answer of Thomas, it should seem that this apostle thought our Lord was about to retreat to some distant part of the country to avoid his enemies; or, as Doddridge suggests, to some other country, to set up his kingdom.

Ver. 12. Because I go unto my Father.—This refers to the day of Pentecost, when Christ, having ascended up on high, poured forth therefrom the gifts he had received of the Father for that purpose.

(See (Acts 2)) Archbp. Fenelon beautifully remarks on the simple language Christ here uses. So a prince, educated in his father’s palace, would speak of it as perfectly familiar to him,—as going home,—without being dazzled with the aura of its splendours.