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. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. 4 Where [I] am going you know the way.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 12 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.
Jesus told his disciples not to worry but have faith in God and have faith in him. His Father’s house (v. 2) is traditionally understood to mean heaven, and the many mansions as the dwelling places of God’s holy ones in heaven where all who worship God hope to be. He was going to prepare a place for them and would come back for them and by extension, all who believe in him. Jesus did not just preach about salvation, he is the way to salvation. He is the source of life and truth (v. 6), and no one can enter God’s house except through Jesus who is not the gatekeeper but the gate (Jn. 10:9).
Just as Jesus is truth and life (Jn. 1:4), to attain eternal life we must worship him in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:23). We are all capable of understanding the Truth and the Life, but not all find the Way (Mt. 7:13). Phillip’s request to see the Father allowed Jesus to explain that he was the revelation of God and that, “Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me (Jn. 12:45).” Jesus reproved Philip and the disciples for not understanding that he was, “The image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15).” Jesus told his disciples that if there was any doubt just look at the works that he does which speak for themselves. They will see even greater works when he returns to his Father.
Almighty Father, you reveal your truth to us and tell us about eternal life and the joy that awaits all who obtain it. In your infinite mercy grant us the grace to pray with our whole heart that your Spirit will show us the way to life. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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