Please explain John 14:1.
John, chapters 14-17 contain some of the Lord’s final teachings to His disciples before He went to the cross to die for our sins. This occurred after the Lord had instituted the Lord’s Supper, so Judas was not among them. This was the Lord with those disciples who truly believed on Him. He begins by offering words of comfort and assurance to them. Let’s read John 14:1-6, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
That Lord had been speaking to His disciples about His upcoming crucifixion. The first time He mentioned His crucifixion was in Matthew 16:21, where we read, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” With that day being imminent, sorrow had overtaken the disciples. Let’s read the words of the Lord in John 16:5-6, “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.” It was because of their lack of understanding that the Lord’s disciples were sorrowful.
So, here in John 14, the Lord speaks tender words of comfort and assurance to His sorrowing disciples. He goes on to say, “ye believe in God, believe also in me.” What else can this mean but that the Lord is telling His disciples that they can trust in Him, even as they trust in God? Had He ever claimed equality with the Father before this time? Yes, He had! Let’s read John 5:17-18, “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD.” We read of another instance in John 10:30-33, “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, MAKEST THYSELF GOD.”
These men trusted in God as their deliverer, their strength, the Almighty. They knew Him as the One who could rescue them from all distresses, fears, and weaknesses. The Lord Jesus assures them (and us) that He was not only sent by God, but that He is God Himself. We can put our absolute trust in Him even as we do God, the Father. The fact that the Lord Jesus was about to be crucified did not alter that fact that they could fully trust in Him. The Lord would further say in John 14:18-20, “I will not leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” Later, on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord Jesus introduced Himself to John the Apostle by saying, “I am he that liveth, and was dead…” (Revelation 1:18)
Your question concerned John 14:1, but I encourage you to read, study, and meditate on this entire portion. They are precious words from the Lord to give comfort and assurance to all who believe on Him. (360.6)