Hi everyone. Welcome back to the podcast
where we look at the Gospel reading from today's mass and we
really want to dig into the literal sense of the text.
We want to find out what was the author trying to convey to his
original audience. And today we're looking at John
chapter 14, verses 1 to 12. Jesus said, to his disciples.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in.
God, still and trusting me. There are many rooms in my
father's house. If there were not, I should have
told you. I am now going to prepare a
place for you and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I
shall return to take you with me.
So that where I am? You may be too.
You know, the way to the place where I am going.
Thomas said, Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how
can we know the way? Jesus said, I am the way, the
truth and the life. No one can come to the father
except through me. If you know me, you know, my
father too, from this moment, you know, him and have seen him.
Philip said, Lord let us see the father and then we shall be
satisfied. Have I been with you all this
time? Philip said Jesus to him and you
still do not know me to have seen me is to have seen the
father. So how can you say let us see
the father, do you not believe that I am in the father and the
father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not
speak as from myself. It is the father living in me.
Who is doing this work? you must believe me when I say,
That I am in the father and the father is in me I believe it on
the evidence of this work if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly whoever believes in me will perform the
same works. As I do myself, he will perform
even greater works because I am going to the father So the
context here is that it's in the Last Supper.
So the Last Supper has already begun, and Jesus has just
finished washing their feet. And that's in the first part of
John Chapter 13. That first part of the Last
Supper is raid on Tuesday of Holy Week.
See, you might like to go back and look through the podcast,
archives. To find that Tuesday of Holy
Week is the start of John Chapter 13.
So in that passage, Jesus gives them the new commandment to love
one. Another, as I have loved Did you
and then he foretells Peter's denial.
So he starts. What's called the farewell
discourse, which is a set of final instructions for his
Apostles before he departs. And now we continue with the
farewell discourse. He says, do not let your hearts
be troubled. So by this point, the Apostle's
have worked out that he's leaving because he's told them
that and the Greek word for here for troubled is distressed.
So he doesn't want them to be anxious and sad that he's
leaving. He says trust in God still and
Trust in Me. Now other lik other translations
have this word as believe in God steel but I think the lectionary
translation gets it right here, it puts the word trust and
really in the New Testament context to believe.
Was to trust. So Jesus, he says, trust in God,
still and trust in me and the basic meaning is he's talking to
the apostles. You have trusted in God up until
now keep doing that and trust in me as well.
I am his perfect representative and messenger, even though
things may look Bleak, keep trusting us, that's the idea.
He wants them to stay strong in their faith, in both the father
and the son even though difficult times are coming.
Verse 2, there are many rooms in My Father's House.
So presumably Jesus is talking here about heaven, where God,
dwells and he says it has room for many people.
When he says this, the apostles probably would have thought of
the temple in Jerusalem because the temple, which was considered
to be God's house at that time. Actually did have many rooms.
There were rooms all around the outside of the temple.
Some of them are for storage, some were for worship, and some
of them were actually living quarters, people lived in the
temple. So, that's probably this model
of God's house that Jesus starts.
With. If there were not, I should have
told you, so Jesus wants them to trust him again.
He wants them to know that they will be with him in heaven, and
he's basically saying I would not deceive you about this.
If I did not think that you would actually get to be with me
in heaven, then I would tell you that.
So, he's stressing to them, I'm being honest, you will be with
me, trust me, you will get to be with me in heaven.
Now some Scholars think this imagery of my father's house
might not refer to the the literal place of heaven but
maybe just the state, the Believers can be in.
So the state of divine communion with the father that the
Ascension makes possible, although I think as we see, I
think it really is trying to elicit some visual imagery of an
actual place. Now, Jesus is going to go on
here to use this. Do this famous short little
Parable and He's going to use a wedding imagery, that would be
quite familiar to the apostles. And so, here's the background.
And this is why doing an exegesis is really important in
that culture. First century Jewish culture, a
groom? And a bride would be betrothed.
So that was the first step of the marriage, which meant that
they signed a legal consent in front of witnesses and they were
considered to be married but that was only stage one.
Then what would happen is the groom would leave the bride for
an indefinite period of time. Time to go and prepare a room
for them to live in. And usually that would be an
extension of the father's house. He would actually go and build
another room in his father's house for them to live in.
So while that's happening, the bride, would await the return of
the groom? Although the bride doesn't know
when the groom is coming back, it could be a short time.
It could be a long time. One day, the groom would come
back unexpectedly and he would take the bride to be with him in
the new house, and it will be a very joyful time with great
ceremony. And you can see that appearing
in some of the other Parables, for example, the parable of the
ten virgins, who light their lamps while they wait for the
groom. So you can start to see some
really clear parallels and it's such a beautiful image as well
as Jesus as the groom and he's actually going away to prepare a
place for us to extend his father's house in heaven.
Heavens so that we can live in it and that's exactly what he
says. I'm going now to prepare a place
for you. So Jesus is teaching and this is
probably what they would have thought of that.
He is the groom that's going to prepare a place for his Apostles
in heaven. So the ID here in context is
that the reason that Jesus must go away to Heaven at his
Ascension or at least one of the reasons that he has to go away
is so that he can prepare heaven for the arrival of the Apostles.
Geez. Wants to comfort the Apostle, so
he tells them that him leaving temporarily is actually going to
be a good thing because it means that they can be with him for
eternity forever in their glorious home in heaven.
So he wants to comfort them. He wants them to know that.
It's a good thing that he's going away.
Verse 3, after I have gone and prepared you a place.
I shall return to take you with me.
So that where I am? You may be too.
So this is a prediction that Jesus makes, he says that he is
going to come back. At the end of time.
So one day he's going to come back for his bride and his bride
can be understood as all Christian Believers, not just
the apostles and he's going when he does come back, he's going to
lead his bride to heaven to go to their permanent glorious
home. So it's quite an amazing image,
actually. Verse 4.
You know, the way to the place where I am going now, keep in
mind that Jesus hasn't actually told them where he's going yet.
We can assume that he means heaven but he hasn't told them
that Nevertheless he says to them you know the way to the
place I'm going. Now as we soon learned the
apostles think they don't know the way they don't know what
he's talking about but Jesus says actually you do know the
way if you think about it verse 5 Thomas said.
Now this is the first Thomas doesn't appear a whole lot in
the gospels but here in John he shows some doubt and some
elements of die out here in his question and later after the
resurrection in the scene that he is very famous for For he has
a similar attitude of doused to the claims of Jesus
resurrection. So doubting Thomases what he's
become known as probably not a Fair Labor feel label because he
he asks reasonable questions but that's certainly what he's known
for. So this is what he asks.
Lord we do not know where you are going.
So how can we know the way? Now that makes sense really
because they don't know where Jesus is going.
He hasn't actually told them. So as a result, they logically
we think while we don't know the way, but if they reflected on
the past three years and all that his taught them, they would
probably realize that they do in fact know the way And that's
what Jesus says. He says, I am the way, the truth
and the life. Now, this is 6 Jesus sixth.
I am statement in the Gospel of John, there's seven of them in
the gospel and they're all about Jesus trying to communicate his
identity. Now here it's actually a summary
of all the others that have come before and it requires a bit of
unpacking. So he's three things.
He's the way the truth and the life.
And obviously there's a lot you could say about each of them
when he says I am the way. The basic meaning of that is,
he's the way that people can access the father and access
eternal life, and that's discuss particularly in the parable of
the Good Shepherd. In John chapter 10.
He says, I am the truth and that seems to basically mean that, if
one follows Jesus Commandments, they will know God's will, which
is the truth. So, the truth is, what is God's
will, for people. That's discussed more earlier in
the Gospel of John in. That famous phrase, you will
know the truth and the truth. It will set you free.
And then Jesus also says, I am the life, the Greek word there
is Zoe which is kind of like eternal life, spiritual life.
So Jesus is the source of that spiritual life for all who
believe and that's unpacked, particularly in the bread of
life discourse in John, chapter 6.
So he's the way the truth and the life.
Why does Jesus say this in context?
Well, remember what Thomas is question was?
We do not know where you were going, so how can we know the
way? So, Jesus basic answer to Thomas
is if you know me, you already have everything you need to get
to the father and to get to heaven.
That's the basic reason he says that.
The last thing he says here is no one can come to the father
except through me. So Jesus teaches here that the
only way to get to the father's house, which is essentially what
he means here by the father is to continue to believe in Jesus,
identity and teachings. That's how you get to be where
the father is in the father's house.
Now, that's developed more in the synoptic gospels.
This idea of no one can come to the father, except through me in
the teachings about enter through the narrow gate.
So it is unpacked a little more and particularly later in the
New Testament. In the book of Acts that says
there is only one name under Heaven by which, we can be
saved. And then Paul and Peter, both
unpack, this idea of Jesus being the only savior.
So, basically Jesus in context is telling Thomas, keep trusting
me and you will make it to the father's house.
Now that last line there does have profound theological
significance. No one can come to the father
except through me. The only way to the father is
through the Sun and that applies to lots of different things,
primarily to applies, to Salvation.
The only way we can be saved and get to heaven is through
trusting, the Sun. And obviously this teaching has
been developed through church history and the basic teaching.
Now of the Catholic church is that this line does not mean
that non-christians definitely can't.
Get to heaven. That's not the teaching.
The teaching is though that anyone who does get to heaven
does so through the grace of Jesus even if they don't
explicitly believe in him. So it is true.
That no one can get to heaven. No one can get to the father
except through the son even if that operates in mysterious ways
that we don't fully understand. So verse 7, if you know me, you
know, my father too, from this moment, you know, him and have
seen him. so the disciples are worried that they don't know the
father and they don't know the way to the father, but Jesus
here says He's reassuring them. That he is the way to the
father. If they know him, they do know
the way to the father. Jesus, the way we can look at
this is Jesus is the perfect representation of the father,
he's the perfect messenger. So if one truly knows the sun,
they know the father and this is a consistent theme all
throughout the Gospel of John Jesus, he is says that if they
have seen him, they have seen the father.
That's how closely United they are.
But then Philip says, Lord, let us see the father, and then we
shall be satisfied. So Philip has this really strong
desire. He wants to See, the father.
Now Jesus has kind of just answered this though.
Jesus has just said that they have already seen the father.
So why does Phillip here feel the need to say?
Lord let us see the father well he certainly doesn't understand
what Jesus has said. Maybe Phillip is thinking that
Jesus has just promised to show them the father in the future.
Rather than Jesus saying it's something that they already have
access to. So maybe Phillip is hoping for
some sort of grand theophany big Grand experience of the father
kind of like what Moses says in Exodus 33 where Moses says Lord
let me see your glory maybe it's he's expecting this big thing
like that so that's certainly possible to Verse 9 have I been
with you all this time. Philip said Jesus to him and yet
you still do not know me. So, Jesus has been saying all
throughout his ministry, things like I and the father are one.
So, by now, Philip in the other Apostles should have understood
this basic principle. In fact, Philip was one of the
first disciples to be called, right?
In John chapter 1. So Philip should have understood
Jesus basic identity by now. Jesus continues to have seen me
is to have seen the father. So how can you say let us?
See, the father. Now, Jesus, you have to be
careful here. Jesus is not claiming to be the
father, but rather to be the perfect representation of him.
And if you go through the Gospel of John, you'll see that that is
the specific claim. Jesus is making, he is the best
perfect representation of the father later in the New
Testament. This is developed more Hebrews
talks about him being sort of the perfect image of the father
and Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus, the in the visible image of the
invisible. God.
So this has a lot of implications for our Theology of
the Trinity verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in
the father? And the father is in me.
So there's this deep Union between the father and the son.
The father is in the sun and the sun is in the father.
That's how present they are to each other.
The words I say to you, I do not speak as from myself.
So Jesus emphasizes here as he does in lots of places that he's
not speaking his own words, he's speaking the words of the
father. Jesus mission is to reveal the
father to people that's what's going on.
It is the father living in me who is doing this work.
So other translations have this as Works plural the father, does
his works and that would make sense because in the context of
the Gospel of John Works means Miracles.
So here we learn that, the father actually dwells within
Jesus, this is probably new information.
We knew that Jesus had the approval of the father and
speaks the words of the father. But now we learn that the father
actually dwells within Jesus himself.
And he carries out actions through Jesus.
When Jesus does his healings. Not only is it designed to point
people back to the father, it is in a real sense.
The father himself doing these Works through Jesus.
It's this really close intimate connection between the father
and the son will probably never fully understand it.
But Jesus uses language like this to help us understand it,
verse 11. You must believe me.
When I say that I am in the father and the father is in me
Notice that you must believe he's telling his Apostles
because they're going to be the leaders of the church that they
need to correctly. Understand the relationship
between the Sun and the father as far as possible in order to
preach the message of the kingdom of God.
Jesus then says believe it on the evidence of this work if for
no other reason. Other translations, render this
a little better. I think they put it as believe
me. For the sake of the works
themselves. All throughout his ministry,
Jesus does Miracles or Works to help people understand his
identity. That's the point of them Jesus
here at the Last Supper he recognizes that it's hard for
the apostles to understand the Deep connection between the
father and the son. So he encourages them to at
least believe even if they can't fully grasp this Trinity stuff.
He encourages them to believe at least based on what they have
seen the Miracles. The idea is if they think
logically about the Miracles, If they've seen Jesus, do, they
should realize that these are only possible through the
father, so they don't have to fully understand the mysteries
of the Trinity. They just need to really think
about Jesus miracles and realize that he must be empowered by the
father. That's kind of Jesus almost Last
Resort here. He says, if you can't believe
what I'm saying, at least believe, because of the
Miracles. Verse 12, I tell you most
solemnly. So Jesus is about to say
something quite important. And other translations might
have this those amen. Amen.
I say to you or truly, truly I say to you whoever believes in
me. Now remember believe means to
trust in New Testament terminology.
So whoever believes in me is someone who trusts in Jesus
identity and teachings, continually not just believes in
Him in an intellectual way too. Trust in his identity and
teachings will perform the same works.
As I do myself, he will perform even greater works.
Now, is this quite striking and it's quite a controversial
passage. It says that people who believe
in Jesus will be able to do better and Greater Works than
Jesus himself. So let's talk about what we do
know from this passage will clearly The Works are Miracles.
Jesus says that Believers, True Believers will be able to do
great miracles. Even greater than what he did.
Now, the next verse clarifies that such Miracles are only
possible because Jesus himself will do them through people.
So people won't do it on their own strength.
Even Believers won't be able to do it on their own strength.
It will in fact be Jesus doing it through people.
Now, does this apply to everyone?
Can every believer, do Miracles equal to or greater than Jesus?
Maybe it depends on what you think about spiritual gifts.
Gifts and how Miracles work. But we can say not necessarily
Jesus is not saying that every single believer will be able to
do it to the same extent. However, certainly the book of
Acts, if you read the book of Acts and then early church
history, it's Miracles were very active in the early church.
So Jesus might have in mind mostly the early church here,
there's healings, there's raising the dead, but even
today, lots and lots of these things are happening all around
the world. There's healings all over the
world, people are being raised from the dead.
Christians are still doing Miracles, a great book for this
and Incredibly eye-opening and Incredibly scholarly in-depth
book, the catalogs all of these modern-day Miracles that I
recommend to you is A book called Miracles and it's by
Craig Cana. So it's a two-volume set
Miracles by Craig Cana huge book but it really goes through all
of these real-life examples where Miracles have been
recorded in recent times, not in 2000 years ago, but in recent
times it's quite Incredible Book.
So if you're interested in seeing how Christians have been
able to do even Greater Works than Jesus, check out that book.
And then Jesus says, Because I go to the father, so notice the
word because this, there's a link between people being able
to do Miracles. And Jesus going to the father in
context, this probably means Jesus is trying to communicate
that he's not simply going to die or go out of existence.
Once he leaves, he's actually going to the Father in heaven so
therefore he will be able to continue his work from heaven
and make Miracles possible. A couple of verses later, we
learn not in today's reading but in next time that he will send
his holy spirit to assist in the process of doing Miracles,
that's in verse 16 and 17. So Jesus will be in heaven to
help the miracles happen and the Holy Spirit will be there as
well. There's another perspective on
this though when it says, because I send to the file,
because I go to the father in his Ascension, Jesus body is
glorified and Jesus glorifies Humanity.
So some schools of thought Maybe what Jesus means is through
Jesus Ascension, he enables these great works, these great
miracles to be performed because when the apostles do these works
in the book of Acts, they are united to the Risen Jesus, and
in that sense, maybe that's what it means by saying, the Miracles
will be greater because by then Humanity will be glorified in
the Ascension. So that's the end of our passage
for today, up to verse 12. If you want to hear more of the
farewell discourse, it's usually read in week, 4 and week 5 in
the weekday masses after Easter. So weak for a Visa in week, 5 of
Easter, you get the whole farewell discourse which spans
across quite a few chapters. Now, if we turn to the
catechism, we find lots of references here to John chapter
14. This is quite rich in
theological meaning, because, you know, Jesus says, I am the
way, the truth and the life, and there's some discussion about
the Trinity and Jesus Ascension and miracles.
So, I just want to read out a few particular good paragraphs
in the catechism, but there's about 10 of them in total on all
include, all of those in the catechism, in the show notes
paragraph, 15. One of the catechism says, for a
In believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the
one he sent his beloved Son in whom the father is, well
pleased, God tells us to listen to him.
The Lord himself said to his disciples, believe in God,
believe. Also in me.
And then in paragraph 2795, we have a discussion about heaven.
It says he is in heaven, his Dwelling Place, the father's
house is your Homeland sin has exiled us from the land of the
Covenant, but conversion of heart enables us to return to
the father to heaven in Christ. Then Heaven and Earth are
reconciled for the sun alone. Descended from heaven and causes
us to ascend there with him by his cross resurrection.
And Ascension. And then paragraph 661 is a very
specific discussion of the Ascension.
Here's what it says. The final stage stays closely
linked to the first that is to his descent from heaven.
In the Incarnation. Only, the one who came from the
father can return to the father Christ.
Jesus, no one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended
from Heaven, the son of man left to its own natural powers.
Humanity does not have access to the father's house to God's life
and happiness. Only Christ can open to man such
access that we his members might have confidence that we too
shall go where he our head and our sauce has preceded us. so,
those last two paragraphs linking very much into where
Jesus says here, I go to prepare a place for you in my father's
house and that's a joyful thing that Christians can look forward
to last paragraph will look at is paragraph or 70, which is a
discussion about the Trinity and it says the Son of God,
therefore communicates to his Humanity, his own personal mode
of existence in the trinity in his soul, as in his body Christ,
thus expresses only the Divine ways of the trinity.
So lots to think about from this passage today.
I hope you learned something new continue to share this podcast
around. I'd be very grateful.
Thank you and please tune in again tomorrow.