Jn. 14:21. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me;
With such words, as we said above, He calms their sorrow, teaching them that the one who loves Him is not the one who grieves over His death — which grief they themselves were experiencing — but the one who keeps His commandments and precepts about not being attached to the present life, but laying down one's life for God and for the good. He speaks to them as if to say: "You think that you grieve over My death out of love, but I, on the contrary, place the sign of love in your not grieving." That such is the thought in His words is evident from what He says a little further on: "If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to My Father" (John 14:28). So then, whoever loves Me has My commandments, and not only has them but also keeps them, lest the thief — the devil — should come and steal this treasure, for careful vigilance is needed so as not to lose them.
Jn. 14:21. And whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.
He who loves Me, what reward shall he receive? "He shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him."
Why did He say this: "I will manifest Myself to him"? Since after the resurrection He was to appear to them in a body of divine form, so that they would not take Him for a spirit and a phantom, He foretells this to them, so that when they saw Him then, they would not remain in unbelief, but would remember that He had foretold this to them, and that He appears to them for keeping His commandments, so that they would always strive to keep them, and He would always appear to them. The mystery of the resurrection is great, and they would have accepted it with difficulty; therefore He prepares them, saying that He will appear to them Himself. For after the resurrection He also ate for the very reason that they would not consider Him a phantom — which was precisely the thought Judas had now.
Jn. 14:22. Judas—not Iscariot—says to Him: Lord! What is it, that You want to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?
The Judas mentioned now thought that just as we see the dead in dreams, so too would He appear to them; therefore he also says: "Lord, what is it that You intend to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" He says this out of intense amazement and horror. He speaks as if to say: "Alas for us! You are dying and intend to appear to us in a dream, just as the dead appear." For "what is it" are the words of one frightened and alarmed. What then does the Lord answer to this? By what does He overthrow his opinion as false?
Jn. 14:23. Jesus answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
Judas in great fear thought that the Lord after His death would appear to them in a dream, which is why he posed the aforementioned question. But the Lord, refuting his opinion, says that just as the Father appears Himself, so I too will appear to you Myself. For I and the Father together will come to the one who keeps My words. I will not appear to you in a dream; but since I will come with the Father, as it is fitting for the Father to appear, such also will be My appearance to you.
The words "We will make Our abode with him" also overthrow the opinion of Judas. Dreams are short-lived, but I will appear and abide with the Father. Therefore My visitation does not resemble a dream.
He foretells them about His appearing for the reason, as I have said, that they might not consider Him a phantom, and at the same time He rouses them to the keeping of His commandments by the assurance that to those who keep them both He and the Father manifest Themselves. Just as, conversely, from the one who does not keep the commandments, as from one who does not love, both He and the Father withdraw.
Jn. 14:24. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
For whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. And whoever does not love the Son does not love the Father either. For the word belongs to both the Son and the Father. Therefore, whoever does not keep the words of the Son, that is, of the Father, does not love either the Son or the Father. So you, disciples, keep My words, for by this you will prove your love for Me and for the Father.
Others say that the question "why do You intend to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" was proposed by the disciple Judas not out of fear, but out of love for people. He desired that the benefit of the manifestation would be not for the disciples alone, but for the whole world as well. But the Savior shows that not all are deemed worthy of such blessings; only those who keep His commandments will become worthy of His manifestation and the Father's love. For in the one who keeps the commandments, God and the Father abides. But not in the same way as in the Son; for in the Son He abides by nature, while in man by moral disposition.
Jn. 14:25. These things I have spoken to you while being with you.
Jn. 14:26. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.
Since the Lord's words were unclear to the disciples, and some of them they did not understand, while about the greater part they had doubts, then, lest they again ask Him and say, which commandments must we keep, He frees them from anxiety and confusion, saying that the Comforter will make what is unclear and difficult to understand easy to understand for you. This, which seems unclear to you, I said while remaining with you and being with you; but if I depart, then you will be taught all things. Therefore, you need not grieve on account of separation from Me, when it will bring you so many blessings and so much wisdom. For as long as I Myself remain with you and the Spirit does not come, you can comprehend nothing great or lofty.
He frequently mentions the Comforter because of the grief that grips them, giving them good hope that He will guide them. "The Comforter will come in My name." This means: He will not teach you anything foreign to My teaching, will not seek His own glory, but will come in My name, that is, for the glory of My name, and not His own, as hostile teachers do who draw followers after themselves.
Some understand the words "in My name" to mean that the name of Christ is "Comforter." For it is said: "We have an advocate (Comforter), Jesus Christ" (1 John 2:1). And since the Spirit, having come to the disciples, became the Comforter and relieved their sorrow, He came in the name of Christ, for He too is a Comforter, just as Christ is. But the Apostle Paul also calls the Spirit Christ, when he says: "You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Rom. 8:9). Then he added, "But if Christ is in you..." (Rom. 8:10). Do you see how he said above that the Spirit of God dwells in them, and then added "Christ is in you"? It is clear that the apostle called the Spirit Christ. And since the Spirit is called Christ, the words "the Father will send Him in My name" you should understand to mean that He too will be called Christ.
The Holy Spirit both taught and reminded: "taught" all those things which Christ did not tell them, as they were unable to bear them; "reminded" all that which the Lord did say, but which the apostles could not retain in memory, either because of the obscurity of what was said, or because of the weakness of their understanding.
Jn. 14:27. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
The Apostles again felt sorrow when they heard the Lord's words "I am going away, and the Spirit will come." Therefore, seeing their hearts in turmoil, and especially because of the sorrows and tribulations awaiting them, He says: "Peace I leave with you," speaking to them as if to say: "What harm can the world's upheavals do to you, so long as you are at peace with Me? For My peace is not such as the world's peace. That peace is often harmful and useless, but I give such a peace by which you will be at peace with one another and will form one body. And this will make you stronger than all. Though many will rise against you, yet with your unity of mind and mutual peace you will suffer no harm at all."
Jn. 14:27. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Then, since He again said "I leave," and this indicated His departure and could bring them into confusion, He therefore adds: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." They experienced trouble from their attachment and love for Him, because they were about to be deprived of Him, and fear because after His death calamities might befall them. But the Lord does not leave without healing either their trouble from attachment or their dread of future calamities, but calms both the one and the other, saying "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Jn. 14:28. You heard that I said to you: I go away from you and will come to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I said: I go to the Father; for My Father is greater than Me.