Unshaken: Chapter a Day

John 14 Discussion

• Pastor Plek

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Fear has a way of shrinking our world, and John 14 opens it back up with a promise that cuts through the noise: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” We sit with Thomas, Philip, and Judas as they voice our own questions about direction, proof, and presence, then follow Jesus’ answers into the heart of Christian faith. The way to the Father isn’t a system or a ladder; it’s a Person. And the peace He gives isn’t the fragile kind we curate through control or escape—it's a resilient peace anchored by the Spirit who makes Jesus’ words alive in us.

We break down how “I am the way, the truth, and the life” confronts both religious performance and spiritual vagueness, clarifying the exclusivity and beauty of coming to God through Christ. From there, we move into the promise of “greater works,” unpacking what that means for ordinary believers and how prayer in Jesus’ name aligns us with His mission rather than our impulses. The highlight is the Helper: the Holy Spirit who indwells, reminds, and manifests the presence of the Father and the Son to those who love and obey. That indwelling becomes the answer to longing and the antidote to anxiety.

Along the way, we offer practical takeaways for troubled hearts: how to carry honest doubts to Jesus, why obedience is the natural expression of love, and how to rest in a future already prepared. We also touch carefully on the Trinity without bad analogies, point to the stability of the historic creeds, and briefly note the filioque debate to show how these doctrines shape everyday trust. If you’re weary, skeptical, or hungry for a peace that doesn’t evaporate when life gets loud, this conversation is a steadying hand. Listen, share with a friend who needs courage today, and if it helps you breathe easier, subscribe and leave a review to help others find the show.

Text us at 737-231-0605 with any questions.

Pastor Plek:

And welcome back to a chapter a day. Keeps the devil away. I'm Pastor Pleck. That is Pastor Holland. We're talking John 14. We're going to outline it. We're going to find some observations, get to some interpretation, and finally land the plane with some application that you can be remembering Jesus all day long. All right, so let's get into it. The first four verses of 14 talk about don't let your hearts be troubled. And we're talking about faith. We're talking about the Father's house. And Jesus is trying to explain to his disciples that where he's going, one day all disciples will be going with him. And then this is confusing. In five through 11, we got two big questions. First, Thomas, he has no idea what's going on. And he's just like, show us the way. Philip's then, like, hey, show us the Father. And Jesus tries to explain, and he says, Listen, I'm telling you this now, you're not going to get it. You will after I raised from the dead. And they are still confused. And then in verse 12 through 14, he's going to talk about he's going to, these guys, these disciples, and those who would believe are going to do greater works than Jesus has done. Uh, and they will see it and do it themselves. And then the promise of the Holy Spirit comes. And uh that's gonna be in verses 15 through 24, and this sort of manifestation of love that will indwell and be with and indwell the disciples is something that they can be excited about. And then finally, uh, there's this like verses 25 through 31. While present, Jesus is gonna he teaches them plainly, and then he said, Hey, listen, all the stuff I'm saying to you, the spirit will bring to remembrance everything. Don't worry about it, you're gonna be fine. And then it he ends the whole thing with like, hey, we gotta go. All right. Where um or what observations are you seeing here? Um in let's just go with the different characters we're seeing.

unknown:

Okay.

Pastor Plek:

Different characters? Yeah, I just thought I just the observation I got was first you've got the the big two stick out to me is Thomas and Philip being completely clueless. So Thomas, like, I I think he's a he's I love that he asks questions because he's you know, he has the moniker doubting Thomas for a reason. Right. Uh and he wants, we don't know where you're going, Jesus. What is the deal? And Jesus could have been like, you know, believing me is the way, but he's just like, no, I'm the way. And for people who don't understand what that means, that's like saying, Shemingaba.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, he um I I like uh I like I am the way as an answer. Um, you know, it's like it's it's differentiating a set of rules to follow from a person to trust and have a relationship with. Now Jesus does get to, you know, there are rules to follow and commands to obey. He says in verse 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. So that's you know, there commandment keeping is part of Christianity, but it's not the way to salvation, it's not the way to the Father. Um, in terms of like, uh, if you do these things, you'll be saved, but it's you have to come through me. So I I like his answer.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah. Uh, you know, it reminds me of, remember when he calls, I think it's Nathaniel, and he's like, Oh, here's uh Israelite in whom nothing is false, and like, how do you know me? And he said, I saw you when you're sitting under the fig tree. And he's like, Aha, you're the the Messiah. He's like, You believe because I said I saw you under the fig tree. Well, you'll see greater things than this. That the uh and then he goes, the son of man will have angels and descending ascending and descending upon him, whatever. It was it was like he just makes a reference to him being Jacob's ladder, essentially. And I thought that was sort of a wild thought, you know, thing to even impress upon them back in when he first started. But it's like the same message is true. Like he is Jacob's ladder, he is what gets the average human being to heaven. What Jacob saw as this great ladder is Jesus, where angels ascend and descend upon him. I I thought that was sort of a wild deal. And here it is. That that is when so when he whenever Jesus speaks, he never brings up anything that isn't hasn't already been foretold in some way in the days of old.

Pastor Holland:

Would you agree with that? Yeah. Yeah, he brings brings uh greater clarity, yes, um, and you know, reveals it's you know, it's a mystery in the sense of it was there, but you didn't see how it, you know, connected to him necessarily. And he makes that more clear. Um, even if they don't get it right away. Like uh, you know, you get the sense that okay, John's writing this all uh they got it eventually, you know.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, okay. And then let's look at Phillips. So we got we got Thomas, Philip, and Judas, by the way, not a scary. So Philip is he's got he's he's just just show us like you can kind of feel the fr. Like this sounds like what just show me the just show me the thing, show me the father. I just want to see him. Like you can kind of give a a glimpse of heaven. If you can walk on water, you can you know make people rise from the dead, just show us the father. And he's like you know, like Philip, buddy, like I'm here. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, this is um, I feel like this passage gets into some really important like theological uh realities about the Trinity. Yeah. So um, you know, you see the Father and the Son and the Spirit all featured in this chapter. And, you know, each differentiated in terms of, you know, three distinct persons. Um, and yet at the same time, Jesus says, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. Um, and the Spirit's gonna, you know, bring to remembrance everything I said. And so you see how each person of the Trinity is connected and working together and yet a distinct person. So I think that's really awesome. And then the if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. You see, um, you know, you're saved by grace through faith in Jesus, yeah, not by your works, but also there are works to be done in Christianity, right? Obeying his commandments, and he says, You'll do greater works than me if you believe in me. So works are a big part of Christianity, they're just not the things that save you.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, I do like it, it's John 14, 21. Um, if you love me, you will obey my commandments, and he who keeps my commandments will be loved by my father, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him. Which I don't know what like manifesting, that seems like that's a word I don't fully wrap my head around, other than like, I don't know, I like I get to experience his presence. Uh you know, in the doing of obeying his commands, I'm I am in a sense manifesting the presence of Jesus in some way. To me, that's confusing, other than I mean, it's it's like confusing language because I just don't maybe the word manifest is not is not my normal vernacular. Um, but but I what I think what he's saying is like that when you hear his word and then obey his word, you get to experience God in a really powerful way, God the Father and God the Son, uh, which is kind of a powerful thing. Obeying God manifests his presence.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Well, I would say he manifests himself to you. Yeah, okay, yeah. He managed, he yeah. His manifest is like make it reveals, right? Is what it means. Right, reveals, makes known. Yeah. So he makes himself known to you as you fulfilling his right. Yeah, exactly.

Pastor Plek:

Okay. Um, okay, so you've got Thomas, you got Philip. Okay, let's talk Judas. All right, here. He's uh he's inquisitive, uh, he's a little discerning. He's he's just like, What? Let's just take a look at his question, verse 22.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, it's a really good question.

Pastor Plek:

Lord, how is it that you will manifest because this is the same question I'm asking? Yeah, right. How is it that you'll manifest yourself to us and not to the world? Which I love that. And then that's when the Holy, we're talking about the Holy Spirit, right? Um, yeah.

Pastor Holland:

And you know, his his answer is uh the way that he manifests himself is he comes and dwells within you. Yeah, right? Uh we will come to him. He says, We, so the son and the father will come to him and make our home with him. Um, how? By his spirit who dwells in you. And so you have the Father, the Son dwelling in you by the Holy Spirit. Yep. And that is something that is unique to believers that the world does not get to experience. Right. So the world can experience um, you know, the common grace of God, can witness the works of God, but only believers experience the manifest presence of God through his Holy Spirit. I love that. And so that's the answer to Judas's question.

Pastor Plek:

And I appreciate like I feel like Judas and I are on the same plane. Thankfully, we got to make sure it's not a scary. Uh that Judas and I were really struggling with the same thing. Like, what are you talking about? How are you gonna manifest yourself to us and not to the world? What does that even mean? Uh so I I really appreciate just I appreciate the re the realness of the disciples in their just they're being they're they're they're pictured not as really perfected saints, but the people that are real guys asking real questions and not understanding uh who Jesus is. And then finally, uh you've got they're they're sort of all like they're they're they're anxious. You can kind of feel it. The disciples as a whole are kind of anxious. Let me, I think this is verse 27. Uh, like, do not let your hearts be troubled. Yeah, I think Jesus is saying, he's seeing their, and of course, like he's being cryptic, and and inevitably, if anyone's cryptic with you about some impending doom, you're gonna be a little bit anxious. Right. Um, anyway, I I thought that was sort of wild, like how just all the disciples sort of felt like uh this is a little bit of a struggle. And I think that's where I think we can identify even the disciples. If you're you know with a church of 12 who saw Jesus do miracles, who saw him work the wonders, still had questions and doubts and struggles, and and was were relying upon his words to calm them down. And I think nothing about that changes today. So let's get into some maybe some exegetical truths about the nature of man. Uh, maybe it's just like we have a lot of doubts. We can we carry doubts and and to question is human, like Thomas, uh, and then Philip and then Judas all had great questions that I think we and I think what's really cool about God is I don't think he's offended by our questions if we ask them in faith.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Yeah, I think what you don't when you see them, you know, asking these questions, they're not coming like the Pharisees came with questions, trying to catch him in a trap or trying to make an accusation against him. They're coming with gen genuine, you know, um curiosity, uh, you know, ignorance. They're just they're what they're seeking actual understanding. Right. Um, and so that's a good thing. Um, but he, you know, he still commands them let not your hearts be troubled a couple times, you know. Um, he's saying that uh you shouldn't be anxious. Stop it. Yeah. And here's why you shouldn't be anxious, you know. Um, you need to believe in me, you need to trust me. I'm gonna give you my spirit, I'm gonna take care of you, I'm not gonna leave you as orphans. He gives them all these assurances of why they don't need to be troubled, you know, which are more fully realized in us today, um, as those who have, you know, this is before they received the Holy Spirit. Right. We have the spirit now, so we have all the more reason to not let our hearts be troubled.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah. The other thing I thought is that um even those who saw Jesus still questioned, like they didn't see enough. Uh, and so I think there's this part of us that always wants a little more proof. Even when you have the Son of God sitting right in front of you, uh, you're there's still this thing in you that says, I need to see something more.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, yeah, that's good.

Pastor Plek:

Uh, what else you got about the nature of man?

Pastor Holland:

Um related to uh the you know, having our hearts be troubled, he he promises peace, but he differentiates it from um worldly peace. Verse 27, you know, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. Yeah. So I think there is there's some something about the nature of man, um, just you know, a certain type of peace that we have or that we seek that is different than what Jesus offers us. And maybe it's the peace of um, okay, all my circumstances are this certain way, or you know, I don't have any question, you know, I'm in full control of things right now. There's a I think like a shallow worldly type of peace that we're drawn to.

Pastor Plek:

I feel like it's either my circumstances give me peace or I escape through alcohol, drugs, TV, binging. I get my peace by escaping. And Jesus saying actual peace is not escaping, but getting fully into reality.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, and tr and trusting that God is in control and trusting that God is good.

Pastor Plek:

Okay. All right, let's get into some exegetical truths uh about the character of God. What you got?

Pastor Holland:

So the exclusivity of Jesus, you know, the I am the way, the truth, and the life. Uh, here's this is the sixth I am statement now. So one more to go in the next chapter. Um, and then we'll get all seven. But uh in this one, you get the exclusivity of Jesus. There's no other way to the Father um but through Jesus. And so it's not through um, you know, another set uh other religions don't all lead to the same place, you know, good works don't lead you there, um uh, you know, lack of, you know, I didn't do this or I did do that. It's just there's one way and it's faith in Jesus.

Pastor Plek:

Um that's really important. Could you say that this is a three and one statement because it's I am the truth, and then you can try it kind of like a isn't a some sort of property of math where it's like parentheses around way, truth, life. It's I am the truth, the way, I am the truth, I am the wife.

Pastor Holland:

You're saying there's three I am statements here? It could be a three and one. So this would be six, seven, and eight. It could be so there's nine total.

Pastor Plek:

It could be, you know, I'm just I'm just throwing it out there. It is one I am statement. However, you those are I mean, is because the way, the truth, and the life seem like three distinct things. Are they though? Ooh, is is it like a trinity? All right, that might be way too much than this podcast has time for. But uh, how about this? How about the simple reality of within the Trinity, I and the Father are one? Like that is where it's a clear statement of oneness with the Father. And I think this is where um, you know, this is the problem not with the statement, but the problem that people have with this statement, like it seems like there are two gods. Like Muslims say those this is he's clearly pointing out there's two gods. No, he's saying he, Jesus, and the father are one in nature, distinct in person. And for those of us who have only one person and one nature or whatever, one person and one role or one substance, all that, that's kind of hard for us to wrap our head around.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, yeah. One, one in uh essence, one in glory, one in substance. Jesus has two natures divine nature, human nature. Yep. Uh, and so there's a lot to get confused about. My my encouragement when you start talking about the Trinity, like to prevent yourself from becoming a heretic. Bad analogies. Just, yeah, don't go, don't try to figure out an analogy. It's not like, you know, three phases of uh, you know, water, liquid, gas. Or Voltron. It's not Voltron. It's not um, it's not what's the one I heard recently, uh Neapolitan ice cream. Right, right. It's not just there's no, there's not gonna be an analogy that works. What what is a safe bet? Yeah, it's not an egg. Go to the um uh the Nicene Creed and uh and just stick with the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed. Those are all good ones.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah. Here's another way, here's what I always like to say when because I it's inevitable you're gonna try and use an analogy, and it's gonna be a bad analogy. Say this is what God is not, and then say it's not this, but that gets you a little closer. And that might be helpful, but the all the bad analogies are just that. Bad analogies, bad analogies, just stick with the creeds. All right, um, what else? Um uh I just thought the fact that the Holy Spirit's coming. Like, and this is a preview for chapter 15, which is a more clear understanding of how the Holy Spirit's gonna work, and uh that God is or Jesus is revealing here that the Father is gonna send uh the Holy Spirit. Now, here's the big question Is it the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit, or just the Father sending the Holy Spirit? Yeah.

Pastor Holland:

Catholic versus Eastern Orthodox.

Pastor Plek:

Hey, listen, recently, I know this is like 1054, the church split over this one thing. It's called Filioque Filioque, yeah. So man, now uh in recent history, uh the Pope and the Archbishop of the Talking about the Orthodox guy? Yeah, they all got together and and the Pope just said it without the Sun sending. So I didn't even know that. Yeah, it just happened. Just happened. Uh anyway, so that's that's kind of a wild reality.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, I mean, we're gonna see here. I mean, I think it's clear in these chapters that Jesus does also send the Spirit. I mean, he says it himself.

Pastor Plek:

So unfortunately, the Nineteen Creed originally, originally said didn't have the and the Son. That was added later, and that made the Eastern Orthodox people pretty fired up. Okay, let's get to uh application sin to avoid or confess, promise to claim, uh, example to follow, command to obey, and knowledge to believe. What do you have?

Pastor Holland:

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Um, so that's a uh I mean it's a command to obey, but it's a command about commandments. Is it a conditional command? Yeah, could obey Jesus' commands today.

Pastor Plek:

If you really love me, then you will obey me.

Pastor Holland:

I think it's more of a uh, you know, a natural logical evidence?

Pastor Plek:

Is this evidence of your love is your obedience?

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, there's a logical connection that if A, then B, you know, if you love him, then you will necessarily obey him. Right. Yeah. Okay, like that.

Pastor Plek:

Um, how about um promise? Like, hey, Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. Yeah. And we have a home in heaven for eternity that ultimately is all of our longings that haven't been met, this side of heaven are going to be fulfilled in Jesus. And so it's not like um, so death is still the enemy, right? However, we don't approach it in fear, we approach it in trust that Jesus has a home and a room for us.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. And um in that incur, I think that's an encouragement too, with another command to obey, let not your hearts be troubled. If you're anxious today, if you're troubled today, like that reality of Jesus is prepared, he's prepared a place for you. Um, you have a hope and a future, you have the promise of eternal life. All of that should help bring peace, not a worldly peace, but a true Christian peace into your heart.

Pastor Plek:

Love it. Uh if I was just to leave with you one thing, love him and obey him. Amen. Hey, we'll see you next time on a chapter a day.

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