John 14:1-14
Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Read the passage
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.
4You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
9Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
10Do 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 on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.
11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.
12Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus speaks to troubled disciples about a future they cannot yet understand. He tells them to trust Him as they trust God. He is going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house, and He promises to come back and welcome them into His presence. Their hope is to be with Him.
Thomas asks how they can know the way when they do not know where Jesus is going. Jesus answers, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Access to the Father depends on Jesus Himself. The disciples can trust Him even while they still have questions about what comes next.
Philip then asks Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus points him to what he has already seen and heard: His words and works reveal the Father who dwells in Him. The Father is not someone with a different character whom Philip must discover behind Jesus. In knowing the Son, the disciples truly know the Father.
Jesus also promises that believers will continue His works and do even greater things because He is going to the Father. Later in this chapter, verses 16–17, He promises the Spirit to be with them. Acts shows that mission spreading: Jesus sends His witnesses to the ends of the earth in Acts 1:8, and about three thousand people join the believers in Acts 2:41. That widening reach helps us understand the promise of greater works. The disciples' service will depend on the risen Jesus and the Spirit He promises.
The promise about prayer belongs with that work. Jesus says He will act when they ask in His name, “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Asking in His name means coming to the Father in reliance on Jesus and seeking what honors Him. Adding His name to a request does not make every desire of ours His desire. He gives His disciples a reason to pray expectantly as they carry on His work.
Questions
1 What does Jesus promise to prepare for His disciples?
AnswerHe promises to prepare a place for them in His Father's house, where there are many rooms. He will come back and welcome them into His presence so they can be with Him.
2 What does Jesus mean by saying He is the way, the truth, and the life?
AnswerAccess to the Father is found in Him. Jesus reveals the Father and gives life; no one comes to the Father except through Him. Thomas can trust Jesus even though he does not yet understand the way ahead.
3 How does Jesus answer Philip's request to see the Father?
AnswerHe says that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father. His words and works reveal the Father dwelling in Him, so Philip should pay attention to the Jesus he already knows.
4 What purpose does Jesus give for answering prayer in His name?
AnswerHe says it is so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. We ask with confidence in Jesus and a desire to honor God, rather than treating His name as a way to secure whatever we want.
What This Means for Us
Jesus gives His disciples a promise they can hold while the future is still unsettled: they will be with Him. Our family can bring fears about loss, change, and what comes next to the same Lord. We do not have to hide our questions; Thomas and Philip brought theirs to Him.
Let each person name something that troubles them, if they wish. Pray about it together, asking for help that honors Jesus. There may be a conversation we need to have, a person we can serve, or a task we need courage to face. We can take that step while trusting Him with what we cannot yet see.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for making the Father known and promising Your disciples a place with You. Receive our fears and questions. Help us pray in Your name, serve with confidence in Your power, and seek the Father's glory in what we ask and do. Amen.