“His Many Mansions, Part Four”
John 14:8-22

September 4, 2005
by C.W. Powell

“8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
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], Shew us the Father?
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.
11 Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
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.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” (Joh 14:8-24 AV)

There are two questions, asked by the apostles, that our Lord Jesus answers in this passage. It is very important that we know the answers to these questions, for they go to the center of the revelation of God to us. They follow hard upon that other questions asked in verse 5, “Lord, we know not where you are going, and how can we know the way.” Jesus’ answer to that question is the foundation for these other two questions.

Basic question: “Lord, where are you going, and how can we know the way?’ I am going to my father, and I am the way to my father.” This is the answer that Jesus gave to Thomas’s question. “No man comes to the Father but by me.” The next question is obvious and is the first thing we will consider today.

I. Show is the Father and we will be satisfied. To put it another way, “Who is God?” There are a number of things that need to be said about the response of Jesus to Philop’s question in verse 8. Let us try to unpack it:

a. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. I AM the revelation of the Father. You are not to look any farther.
b. The reason for this is in verse 10,11. God is invisible and cannot be seen. He is discerned in His works. The words and works of the Son are the words and works of the Father.
c. The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father. Jesus is speaking here primarily of His power, but if the power of the Son is the perfect power of the Father, then it follows that Jesus is truly God. What else is this meaning, ‘I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” If Christ has no words that are not the Father’s words, then there is an identity of wisdom that points to the identity of essence; so also with identity of works, as we see also back in chapter five, which Christ makes five astounding claims of identity with the Father, concluding with an identity of honor, for He said, ““That all [men] should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.” (Joh 5:23 AV)
d. The cure for the troubled heart that Jesus is seeking to cure is right here: faith in Jesus Christ, as he said back in verse 1. But this faith must see the essential unity of the Father and the Son, and not seeking something in the Father that is not in the Son, and so Jesus says again: “Believe me, that I am in the Father and the Father in me.’
e. It is necessary for me to go away to my Father, because that will result in greater works done by you than those that were done by me.

i. He speaks here of the evangelization of the world, and the conversion of the Gentiles to Christ.
ii. The power that was seen in Christ will also be seen in His people, because He goes to His father.

1. His unity with the Father is the essence of Deity, so that He is truly God.
2. Our unity with Christ is the essence of true humanity; so that the image of the last Adam in fulfilled in us. We cannot be gods, but we can and will be perfected in our humanity. It has begun already, and will be perfected at the resurrection of the dead. Because He goes to the Father, we can go to Him.
3. This power in the church is Christ working in the church through the prayers of the church. Vs. 13. This is so that Christ would be glorified.
4. The works here mentioned are not the works of the flesh, but are in answer to the prayers of the church through the One Mediator, Jesus Christ. “Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it.” The church of Jesus Christ is only built by Jesus Christ.

f. This manifestation of the Father is the work of the communion of love. Vs. 15-21

i. Eternal election is the cause, the means is faith, the effectual working is love.
ii. “If ye love me,” is the word of Christ concerning love.
iii. It is a contradiction for us to think that God loves us because we love him. That is clearly answered “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1Jo 4:19 AV) Christ is not talking about how we love God, but what love for God brings to us.
iv. It brings a beginning of obedience, which results in greater communion and greater love for God and for Christ.
v. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, which is given to those who believe in Christ. The power of God in the Christian is the work of the Holy Spirit, which does not make us God or permit us to participate in the essence of God as though we were added to the Holy Trinity, but is the work of conforming us to the image of Christ, so that we are restored to true humanity and true godliness.
vi. The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father; We are in the Son and the Son is in us, by the Spirit. The Spirit is also invisible to the world just as is the Father and the Son, who is in heaven.
vii. Our life is guaranteed by the life of Jesus Christ. Because I live, ye live also. Our life does not guarantee His life; His life guarantees ours.
viii. The Father’s love for us is a response to His work in us. His love awakens us to love him, through the power of the Gospel; Our awakened love for Him causes Him to look with additional love and favor to us, and the Father and the Son are at home with us.
ix. This is the true manifestation of God; through Jesus Christ, to love and know, and obey Him. No amount of obedience will result in love for God or Jesus Christ; but love for God will result in obedience.
x. So we know God because we love Him. This is a special knowledge and manifestation of God through the Holy Spirit and is reserved for the people of God, the elect of God. Not even all the members of the visible church necessarily have the knowledge of God; but this is eternal life.

II. The Second Question: “How will this not be for the world.” How can you show us without showing everybody?

a. This knowledge is the personal work of the Father and the Son, working together in the Gospel. If we do not obey Jesus Christ, then we do not obey the Father, for the Son only speaks the words of the Father.
b. The Rich Young Ruler did not do the Ten Commandments, for he refused the words of Christ and went away sorrowfully. Christ is the end of the law for everyone that believeth. The rich young ruler did not understand the law because he did not come in faith to Christ. Christ did not call him to a more severe and more thorough obedience to the Ten Commandments, but to submission to Himself. “If you believe in God, believe also in me.”
c. Once again, this shows the importance of Jesus returning to His Father. This knowledge is before the eyes of all men, but is understood only by those who have their eyes opened by the words and spirit of Christ. This is done in the secrets of their hearts.

III. Application

a. Every child of God is taught of God to come to Christ. He also receives the Holy Spirit, so that each true Christian fellowships in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who abide with him.
b. We are to reject any worship that is of the flesh, carnal, and sensual that is designed to appeal to the carnal senses. Even baptism and the Lord Supper are effective only by the Spirit and the Word of God, for the flesh profits nothing; the words that Christ has spoken are spirit and life.
c. Make much of the Scripture, which are the very words of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
d. Every approach to God must be through Jesus Christ, who cannot be seen with the eyes but must be apprehended by the Holy Spirit.

May God bless you.