I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life

14 (A)“Let not your hearts be troubled. (B)Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. In (C)my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that (D)I go to prepare a place for you?[b] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you (E)to myself, that (F)where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”[c] (G)Thomas said to him, “Lord, (H)we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am (I)the way, and (J)the truth, and (K)the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (L)If you had known me, you would have (M)known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and (N)have seen him.”

(O)Philip said to him, “Lord, (P)show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? (Q)Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that (R)I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you (S)I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that (T)I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else (U)believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, (V)whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I (W)am going to the Father. 13 (X)Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that (Y)the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 (Z)If you ask me[e] anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 (AA)“If you love me, you will (AB)keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another (AC)Helper,[f] to be with you forever, 17 even (AD)the Spirit of truth, (AE)whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and (AF)will be[g] in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; (AG)I will come to you. 19 (AH)Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but (AI)you will see me. (AJ)Because I live, you also will live. 20 (AK)In that day you will know that (AL)I am in my Father, and (AM)you in me, and (AN)I in you. 21 (AO)Whoever has my commandments and (AP)keeps them, he it is who loves me. And (AQ)he who loves me (AR)will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and (AS)manifest myself to him.” 22 (AT)Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it (AU)that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, (AV)“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and (AW)we will come to him and (AX)make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And (AY)the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the (AZ)Helper, the Holy Spirit, (BA)whom the Father will send in my name, (BB)he will teach you all things and (BC)bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 (BD)Peace I leave with you; (BE)my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. (BF)Let not your hearts be troubled, neither (BG)let them be afraid. 28 (BH)You heard me say to you, (BI)‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I (BJ)am going to the Father, for (BK)the Father is greater than I. 29 And (BL)now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for (BM)the ruler of this world is coming. (BN)He has no claim on me, 31 but I do (BO)as the Father has commanded me, (BP)so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Footnotes

  1. John 14:1 Or You believe in God
  2. John 14:2 Or In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you
  3. John 14:4 Some manuscripts Where I am going you know, and the way you know
  4. John 14:7 Or If you know me, you will know my Father also, or If you have known me, you will know my Father also
  5. John 14:14 Some manuscripts omit me
  6. John 14:16 Or Advocate, or Counselor; also 14:26; 15:26; 16:7
  7. John 14:17 Some manuscripts and is

The Way to the Father

14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled.(A) Believe[a] in God; (B) believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going (C) to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again(D) and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.(E) You know the way to where I am going.”[b](F)

“Lord,” Thomas(G) said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am(H) the way,(I) the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know[c] my Father.(J) From now on you do know him(K) and have seen him.”

Jesus Reveals the Father

“Lord,” said Philip,(L) “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father.(M) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?(N) The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own.(O) The Father who lives in me does his works.(P) 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe[d] because of the works themselves.(Q)

Praying in Jesus’s Name

12 “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me(R) will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these,(S) because I am going to the Father.(T) 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified(U) in the Son.(V) 14 If you ask me[e] anything in my name,(W) I will do it.[f](X)

Another Counselor Promised

15 “If you love me, you will keep[g] my commands.(Y) 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor[h](Z) to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit(AA) of truth.(AB) The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be[i] in you.(AC)

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me,(AD) but you will see me.(AE) Because I live, you will live(AF) too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father,(AG) you are in me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.(AH) And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.(AI) I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

22 Judas(AJ) (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” (AK)

23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.(AL) 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.(AM)

25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit,(AN) whom the Father will send(AO) in my name, will teach you all things(AP) and remind you of everything I have told you.(AQ)

Jesus’s Gift of Peace

27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.(AR) 28 You have heard me tell you, ‘I am going away(AS) and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father,(AT) because the Father is greater than I.(AU) 29 I have told you now before it happens(AV) so that when it does happen you may believe. 30 I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world(AW) is coming. He has no power over me.[j](AX) 31 On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me.

“Get up; let’s leave this place.

Footnotes

  1. 14:1 Or You believe
  2. 14:4 Other mss read this verse: And you know where I am going, and you know the way
  3. 14:7 Other mss read If you had known me, you would have known
  4. 14:11 Other mss read believe me
  5. 14:14 Other mss omit me
  6. 14:14 Other mss omit all of v. 14
  7. 14:15 Other mss read “If you love me, keep (as a command)
  8. 14:16 Or advocate, or comforter, also in v. 26
  9. 14:17 Other mss read and is
  10. 14:30 Lit He has nothing in me

The Road

14 1-4 “Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”

9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.

The Spirit of Truth

15-17 “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

18-20 “I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

21 “The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”

23-24 “Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.

25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

28 “You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life.

29-31 “I’ve told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I’ll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don’t worry—he has nothing on me, no claim on me. But so the world might know how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father’s instructions right down to the last detail.

“Get up. Let’s go. It’s time to leave here.”