“John 14–17,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
John 14–17
After the Last Supper, Jesus Christ taught and comforted His Apostles. He taught them that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” He told them that they could show their love for Him by keeping His commandments. The Savior invited His Apostles to abide in Him and taught them about the role of the Holy Ghost. Before entering the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior offered the Intercessory Prayer. He prayed for His Apostles and all who believe in Him.
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Background and Context
What are the Father’s mansions?
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the “many mansions” Jesus spoke of should be understood as kingdoms—in other words: “‘In my Father’s kingdom are many kingdoms,’ in order that ye may be heirs of God and joint-heirs with me. … There are mansions for those who obey a celestial law, and there are other mansions for those who come short of the law, every man [and woman] in his own order.”
President Dallin H. Oaks taught: “From modern revelation we know that the ultimate destiny of all who live on the earth is not the inadequate idea of heaven for the righteous and the eternal sufferings of hell for the rest. God’s loving plan for His children includes this reality taught by our Savior, Jesus Christ: ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions’ [John 14:2]. The revealed doctrine of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all the children of God—with exceptions too limited to consider here—will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory, even the least of which ‘surpasses all understanding’ [Doctrine and Covenants 76:89].”
How is Jesus Christ “the way”?
The Apostle Thomas wanted to know how to get to where Jesus was going. In response, Jesus said, “I am the way.” The word “way” is translated from the Greek word hodos. It can mean a road, path, entrance, direction, journey, or course of action. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “The Savior is the motivating power behind all that we do. He is not a rest stop in our journey. He is not a scenic byway or even a major landmark. He is ‘the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Jesus Christ]’ [John 14:6]. That is the Way and our ultimate destination. … I … testify that Jesus Christ is our Master, our Redeemer, and our one and only Way back to our beloved Father in Heaven.”
For additional insights, see “Acts 24:14, 22. What was ‘the way’?”
What can we learn about Heavenly Father from Jesus Christ?
In response to Philip’s plea “Shew us the Father,” Jesus explained that to know Him is also to know Heavenly Father. President Dallin H. Oaks taught: “What we know of the nature of God the Father is mostly what we can learn from the ministry and teachings of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. … The Bible contains an apostolic witness that Jesus was ‘the express image’ of His Father’s person (Hebrews 1:3), which merely elaborates Jesus’s own teaching that ‘he that hath seen me hath seen the Father’ (John 14:9).”
John 14:16–23, 26; 15:26; 16:7
Who is the other Comforter?
In the King James Version of the Bible, the Greek word paraklētos is translated as “Comforter” in John 14 and 15. A paraklētos is a helper, intercessor, or advocate. It is also one who comforts and encourages. The Savior promised His disciples that after He departed, they would not be left alone. He would send them “another Comforter.” This other Comforter is the Holy Ghost. The Savior’s promise that He would give His disciples another Comforter implies that the Savior Himself was also a Comforter. The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost. … Now [who] is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”
Who is “the prince of this world”?
The phrase “the prince of this world” refers to the devil. He has great power and influence in this fallen world. But Jesus Christ taught that the devil will be removed and “cast out” of this world at the time of judgment.
What can we learn from the allegory of the “true vine”?
Old Testament prophets often used vine imagery to describe Israel, God’s covenant people. Israel had the potential to be fruitful but often fell short and produced bitter fruit. In this account, God is the gardener, or husbandman, of the vineyard. Jesus Christ is the “true vine.” The gardener hopes for vines that produce good fruit. To produce good fruit, a branch must “abide in the vine.” Elder David A. Bednar taught: “The Lord Jesus Christ extends to each of us the invitation to abide in Him [see John 15:4–9]. But how do we actually learn and come to abide in Him?
“The word abide denotes remaining fixed or stable and enduring without yielding. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained that ‘abiding’ as an action means ‘“[to] stay—but [to] stay forever.” That is the call of the gospel message to … everyone … in the world. Come, but come to remain. Come with conviction and endurance. Come permanently, for your sake and the sake of all the generations who must follow you.’ Thus, we abide in Christ as we are firm and steadfast in our devotion to the Redeemer and His holy purposes, in times both good and bad [see John 15:10].”
Why did Jesus need to leave before His disciples could receive the Holy Ghost?
“For some reason not fully explained in the scriptures, the Holy Ghost did not operate in the fulness among the Jews during the years of Jesus’ mortal sojourn (John 7:39; 16:7). Statements to the effect that the Holy Ghost did not come until after Jesus was resurrected must of necessity refer to that particular dispensation only, for it is abundantly clear that the Holy Ghost was operative in earlier dispensations.”
What is the Intercessory Prayer?
Before going into the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior prayed to His Father for His Apostles and all who believe in Him. This is often called the Intercessory Prayer. It is generally accepted that an intercessory prayer is a petition “offered in behalf” of someone and invites “God to act in response.”
In this prayer, the Savior demonstrated His role as our Mediator, or Advocate, with Heavenly Father. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “The word advocate comes from Latin roots meaning a ‘voice for,’ or ‘one who pleads for another.’ Other related terms are used in scripture, such as intercessor or mediator (see 1 Timothy 2:5; 2 Nephi 2:28; D&C 76:69). From the Book of Mormon we learn that this responsibility was foreseen before His birth: ‘[Jesus] shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved’ (2 Nephi 2:9). This mission was clearly evident in the compassionate intercessory prayer of Jesus.”
What does it mean to know God?
In this verse, the Greek verb ginōskō is translated as “to know.” The word ginōskō suggests knowledge received through experience and obedience. Jesus taught, “If any man will do [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” Gaining this type of knowledge “requires a willing heart, an engaged mind, active ears, and authentically living that knowledge in everyday life.” Commenting on this type of learning, Elder David A. Bednar wrote, “As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better.”
How can we become one with the Father, the Son, and other disciples of Jesus Christ?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught:
“Becoming one is a recurring theme in the gospel of Jesus Christ and in God’s dealings with His children. With respect to the city of Zion in Enoch’s day, it is said that ‘they were of one heart and one mind’ [Moses 7:18]. Of the early Saints in the primitive Church of Jesus Christ, the New Testament records, ‘The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul’ [Acts 4:32].
“In our own dispensation, the Lord admonished, ‘I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine’ [Doctrine and Covenants 38:27]. …
“Where God prevails in all hearts and minds, the people are described as ‘in one, the children of Christ’ [4 Nephi 1:17; emphasis added]. …
“… It is only in and through our individual loyalty to and love of Jesus Christ that we can hope to be one—one within, one at home, one in the Church, eventually one in Zion, and above all, one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Who is “the son of perdition”?
In the Intercessory Prayer, Jesus prayed for His Apostles, “those that [God] gavest [Him].” The “son of perdition” who was lost refers to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. The Greek word from which “perdition” is translated (apōleia) indicates a condition of being lost or destroyed. Speaking of Judas Iscariot, President Jeffrey R. Holland said: “It is wrenching to think that one of [Jesus’s] special witnesses who sat at His feet, heard Him pray, watched Him heal, and felt His touch could betray Him and all that He was for 30 pieces of silver. Never in the history of this world has so little money purchased so much infamy. We are not the ones to judge Judas’s fate, but Jesus said of His betrayer, ‘Good [were it] for that man if he had not been born’ [Matthew 26:24].”
What is sanctification?
Sanctification is “the process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught: “Sanctification removes the stain or effects of sin. …
“[It is] accomplished by the grace of Christ, which grace is a gift to [us] based on faith. But our moral agency is also a necessary element in this divine process. We must will to repent and act to repent. We must elect to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, and we must elect to remain loyal to our covenants thereafter. To receive the gift we must act in the manner He has ordained.”
Learn More
Jesus Christ Is “the Way”
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Lawrence E. Corbridge, “The Way,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 34–36
The Comforter
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Henry B. Eyring, “The Comforter,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 17–21
Intercessory Prayer
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Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 46–49
Media
Video
“Jesus Warns Peter and Offers the Intercessory Prayer” (5:02)
Image
For Those Who Will Believe in Me, by Dan Wilson