John 14:1-6
Chapter 14
1
Jesus, the Way to the Father
“Do not let your hearts be troubled! You have faith in God; have faith also in me!2
In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places; otherwise, I would not have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you.
3
After I have gone and prepared a place for you, I shall come again and take you to me, so that where I am, you also may be.
4
And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
5
Thomas said to him:
“LORD, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
6
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.
Commentaries
Jesus, the Way to the Father
This chapter explores a mysterious pattern of Jesus going and returning: going to the Father only to reappear to his disciples and stay with them forever. The text in the Fourth Gospel reveals that Jesus never truly leaves or disappears; his going to the Father symbolizes a fuller return to his followers. Verse 23 is the chapter’s central point. God’s dwelling among his people, which the Old Testament describes in a cultic way (Ex 25:8; 29:45; Lv 26:11), was promised for the end times (Ezk 37:26ff; Zec 2:14; Rev 21:3, 22ff), and is now fulfilled within the community. It is the presence of the Holy Trinity in the heart of the Christian, who is transformed into a living temple of God! Amidst the desert and the exodus of our history, God truly dwells in the tent and temple of the believer.