King James Version

John 14

John 14 is Jesus comforting his disciples the night before he died. He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled, promises a place in his Father's house, says I am the way, the truth, and the life, and promises the Holy Ghost as the Comforter and his own peace.

Take the quiz

John 14 (KJV)

Let not your heart be troubled v. 1-4

¹Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

²In 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.

³And 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.

⁴And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

I am the way, the truth, and the life v. 5-11

⁵Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

⁶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

⁷If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

⁸Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

⁹Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

¹⁰Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

Greater works and asking in his name v. 12-14

¹²Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

¹³And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Another Comforter v. 15-24

¹⁵If ye love me, keep my commandments.

¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

¹⁷Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

¹⁸I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

¹⁹Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

²⁰At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

²¹He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

²²Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

²³Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

²⁴He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

Peace I leave with you v. 25-31

²⁵These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

²⁶But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

²⁷Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

²⁸Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

²⁹And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

³⁰Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

³¹But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

What John 14 means

John 14 is part of what is often called the Upper Room or Farewell Discourse (John 13-17), spoken at supper on the night Jesus was betrayed. He has just told the disciples he is leaving and that Peter will deny him. Chapter 14 is his answer to their fear.

Verses 1 to 4 give the first comfort. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions, a word that in older English meant dwelling places. Jesus says he is going to prepare a place and will come again to receive them, so that where he is, they may be too.

Thomas says they do not know the way. Jesus answers with one of the seven I am sayings in John: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Then Philip asks to see the Father, and Jesus answers that he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. These verses are central to the Christian belief that Jesus and the Father are one.

From verse 15 Jesus promises another Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who will be with them for ever and in them. He will not leave them comfortless. Love for Jesus is shown by keeping his words, and the Father and the Son will make their abode with those who do. Verse 26 says the Holy Ghost will teach them all things and bring Jesus' words to their remembrance.

The chapter ends where it began. Jesus leaves them his peace, not as the world gives, and repeats: let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Then he says, Arise, let us go hence.

Background and context

The Gospel of John is traditionally attributed to the apostle John. Chapter 14 is set at the last supper, after Jesus washed the disciples' feet and Judas Iscariot went out (John 13).

Three disciples speak in this chapter: Thomas (verse 5), Philip (verse 8) and Judas, not Iscariot (verse 22), who is usually identified with the apostle also called Thaddaeus.

Key verses

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.
John 14:1-3 · KJV

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6 · KJV

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27 · KJV

Cross references

John 13:33-36 The lead-in: Jesus says where he goes they cannot come yet, and Peter asks whither goest thou?Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Acts 4:12 Peter's later sermon: none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, echoing verse 6.Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 16:7 Jesus explains it is expedient that he go away, or the Comforter will not come.Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 15:26 The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, shall testify of Jesus.But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:33 The close of the same evening: in me ye might have peace; I have overcome the world.These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Philippians 4:7 The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, the peace verse 27 promises.And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Paul's picture of the Lord coming again, linked with I will come again in verse 3.For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Quick quiz

How well do you know John 14?

7 questions, every answer checked against the King James text. Play it here, then try a full book quiz.

Want more? Play the full John Bible quiz.

Common questions

What does let not your heart be troubled mean?

Jesus spoke it to his frightened disciples the night before the cross. It is a call to trust him rather than fear, backed by his promises of a place prepared, the Comforter, and his peace.

What are the many mansions in John 14:2?

In the King James English of 1611, a mansion meant a dwelling place, not a grand house. Jesus is saying there is room for his people in the Father's house.

Where does Jesus say I am the way, the truth, and the life?

John 14:6, in answer to Thomas, who had asked how they could know the way.

Who is the Comforter in John 14?

Verse 26 says the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in Jesus' name.