Coptic Orthodox Answers

In name of the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

Welcome to Coptic Orthodox Answers Deep Dive.

Last time we saw the mystical supper, the Last Supper where Christ washed the feet of his disciples, teaching them a huge lesson of humility, and how us, as Christians, ought to follow in his footsteps and wash the feet as well. And then, during that supper, he announced that someone was going to betray him. And the disciples were utterly shocked and confused, not expecting this at all. And at the end, he announced that St. Peter will deny him, and again they were even more shocked, and at this point, they are in a state of utter disbelief. And this is the background and the context of this upcoming chapter.

So John 14 starts, and Christ says:

'' 1 Let not your heart be troubled...'' (John 14:1)

He's saying this obviously because the disciples' hearts are troubled, they are fearful. Because not only some disciples will betray and some will deny, but Christ also told them that he will not stay with them for long and wherever he's going, they cannot come. Therefore, they are pondering how come. You know, I left my job for you, I left my family for you, I sold things for you, I gave you all that I have, I lost all this time in terms of like work, experience, education or what not, and here you're telling me that you're about to leave? Also I expected the Messiah to live forever. How come you are leaving?

So it's a huge state of shock and it's a state of shock that sometimes we, as Christians, are in when we feel God is not present, when we're praying and we feel that he's absent or he doesn't hear us although he's there, he's very close. But it's a state that we can all relate to sometimes. And therefore, Christ says:

'' 1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.'' (John 14:1)

Trust Me. I am the person who is the Messiah. I did not lie to you. You've seen My works, you've seen the miracles, you... you have heard the teachings, so since you're good Jews and you believe in God, as good Jews, believe also in Me. I'm telling you: I am God, I am the Messiah.

Then Christ says:

'' 2 In My Father's house [there] are many mansions...'' (John 14:2)

Why does He say this? The disciples, again, are fearful and they've looked to St. Peter as a leader, because he's naturally a leader, right?, and they wonder: Well, even if St. Peter won't make it... St. Peter is about to deny and someone else is about to betray... Where do I stand? Will I make it? Can I make it? Do I have what it takes to make it to heaven? So Christ is telling them: Listen, in My Father's house, there are many mansions. In other words, there's room for all, do not worry, I am here and you will make it. And then Christ continues:

'' 2 ...if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.'' (John 14:2)

So obviously we can tell from this last portion of the verse, I go to prepare a place for you, that this is not to be taken literally. In the same way that Christ only has to think about something or speak and say something or order to fiat something for things to be, here He says I go to prepare a place for you. Obviously, God is not gonna go and make some sort of, like, construction work up in heaven. So here, He's telling them that there's a salvific work that is about to be completed through the Ascension. It's not to be taken literally that there will actually be actual mansions in heaven.

A house is needed for us here for protection, you know, we're tired, we need to go to sleep, we have to have our own bedrooms, we have to have a kitchen to be able to cook and all of these things. These are the needs of this world, this material world. But in the spiritual realm, it's a very different story. I mean, could there be mansions? Sure, who knows? Do I know? I don't know. However, the idea is beyond actual physical walls. We're going beyond the physical realm into the spiritual one. So a better way of looking at this idea of mansions is explained to us in Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 5 and 6. It says the following:

'' 5 ...even when we were dead in trespasses [meaning in need of salvation], [God the Father] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,...'' (Ephesians 2:5-6)

So, the heavenly places are in Christ Jesus, it's not a mansion with physical walls and whatnot. So this is about the salvific work of salvation where we are raised with Christ, we ascend with Christ into the heaven, sit at the right hand of the Father in Christ and regain our authority in Him. So St. Cyril speaks about this in the commentary on John 14 and he speaks about the Ascension of Christ, right? And he says this:

''...this [Christ] has done on our account and for our sakes [so it's a salvific work for us as humans], in order that He, though found as a man, may still in His absolute power as Son, while yet in human form, obey the command: Sit Thou on My right hand, and so may transfer the glory of adoption through Himself to all the race...'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John 14)

So Christ is the natural Son of the Father, right? We are adopted by the Father through Christ and this is where we sit at the right hand of the Father and regain our sonship and regain our authority in Him.

''[So] He has presented Himself therefore as Man to the Father on our behalf, that so He may restore us, who had been removed from the Father's presence by the ancient transgression... He sits there in His position as Son, that so also we through Him may be called sons and children of God.'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John 14)

Verse 3:

''... 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.'' (John 14:3)

Obviously, Christ will not leave us orphans so he will come again on an individual or collective level and receive us to Himself.

4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.'' (John 14:4)

So St. Thomas is about to ask Him: Christ, like, we have no idea what you're talkin' about. Where are you going? And if you don't know where you're going, how can we know the way? But Christ is speaking on a completely different level. He's speaking on a spiritual level. So, where I go you know... what He means here is that I'm going to the Father; I'm going into the presence of the Father in the fellowship between the entire Holy Trinity: the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit. This is where heaven is, that experience, that fellowship, that unity with them. This is where I am going. And the way you know, and that way is not a physical path, but I am the way; Christ is the way. He's the only way that can lead us to God the Father.

Verse 5:

'' 5 Thomas said to Him, ''Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?'' 6 Jesus said to him, ''I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me...'' (John 14:5-6)

So, the context of this famous verse is about going in the presence of God the Father who is the source of life and to enjoy heaven. It is the context of the verse.

'' 7 ''...If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.'' '' (John 14:7)

So here, this verse 7 and a few verses later on... there's always a confusion between what this means. What does it mean that if I have seen the Son Himself, I have seen the Father?

Are they the same person? So, many people, unfortunately, they quote this verse and others thinking that Christ, here, means that the Father and the Son are the same person. They're not the same person. The Holy Trinity is one God that shares one divine essence, but they are three persons within that one God and these three persons share the one divine essence that is obviously divine. So, that's why we believe in the Holy Trinity. So, let us expound these verse... these verses, this verse and the next ones together.

So, I think there's no one better than St. Cyril of Alexandria to explain to us what these verses mean. So, here he quotes and he says:

''...in My own nature are contained the qualities peculiar to My Father;'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John)

So, it's as if Christ... he's quoting Christ here; he's saying in My own nature, as the Son of God, are contained the qualities peculiar to My Father. In other words, I share the same characteristics, the same attributes, the same qualities as God the Father.

''...and whatever He may be, that in very truth am I, in regard to sameness in essence...'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John)

In other words, because we share the same essence, we share the same qualities.

''Therefore, whatever I say is spoken as the words of the Father; and whatever I do, is done by the Father also... And [the] Christ says this, not as one making use of the words of another... nor even as speaking in the... capacity of a prophet to interpret the commands that came from the Father above: for the prophets ever spoke, not their own words, but the words which they received by inspiration from God...'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John)

So, what he means here is that there's a difference between God the Father or God the Holy Trinity speaking to a prophet, and a prophet is like spitting those words out, versus the communication between the Son and the Father themselves, because they share the same essence. So, it's a different mystery that we cannot comprehend. So here, he's differentiating or contrasting the idea of the communication between God and a prophet or between the two persons of the Trinity, Father and Son, and they're not the same way of functioning.

''...But since the Son is Consubstantial [so shares the same substance] with the Father, differing from Him in no respect except as to distinct personality [so, they are different persons], He says that His own words are those of the Father [so, He's able to say this because they share the same divine essence], since the Father could in no way make use of words differing from those of the Son [they do not disagree, ever]. And further, You will understand the same to be signified in the majesty of His works [so, it's the same idea with the miracles]. For since the Father could never [be... sorry, could never] by any

possibility carry into effect any work without the Son's knowledge and co-operation, Christ attributes His works to His Father.'' (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John)

And that is precisely why that in Hebrews 1, the author says that Christ is the express image of the Father, right? So, He's the image of the Father, but the fullness of the image, the express image of the Father. So, it's like an icon, an icon that we have in the church, right? Let's say the icon of Christ or St. Myra or any saints, this icon, by putting the holy μυρóν (myron), the holy oil on it, becomes mysterious and the presence of this saint is there in the icon, right? So, the icon is not the saint himself, but it's the presence of that saint. It's the same idea that we are in the image of Christ, so we, as Christians, are supposed to make Christ present through Him renewing His image within us. But between the Father and the Son, again, the Son is the express image of the Father, right?, so, this is the whole idea.

So the verses that would say that I and the Father are one and who has seen me has seen the Father do not mean that they are the same person, but that both of those share the same divine essence and Christ is the icon and express image of the Father.

Also, the words of Christ in verse 9 to Philip or St. Philip... I always take them on a personal level, when he says to him:

'' 9 ...Have I been with you so long, (...) yet you have not known me, Philip? (John 14:9)

You know, and I think, you know, have I... have I been with Christ for so long, have I been in the Church for so long, have I been trying to pray, you know, all my life and yet I do not know Him? This idea of a true sacrifice of praise, like the praise, you know, that is from the heart truly, a life that truly makes Christ present, it makes one thing... think, especially someone that is born as a Christian, ought to consider this. Have I been a Christian my entire life and yet I do not know Him? When will I start?

And on a positive note, the saints have said... they've said, you know, I eager to start my life with Christ and they were saints already. But it's an invitation to always go deeper in Christ, to talk to our spiritual father and our father of confession and try to pray more and to pray with genuine heart, to offer a true sacrifice of praise in our liturgical worship and our personal worship at home and so on and so forth, because we want to really know Christ, you know. We do not want to be standing on Judgment Day and hearing Christ tell us a verse that is similar to this one, but quite the contrary. We want to hear from Him, you know, well done, good and faithful servant!

Verse 12:

'' 12 ''Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.'' '' (John 14:12)

So, the idea here, because Christ goes to the Father, because Christ ascends and we ascend in Him and sit at the right hand of the Father, and we are adopted through adoption, sorry, we become sons through adoption, and because we regain a similar authority to what Adam had prior to sin, if not even better authority, then also, us, we can do great works, right? And He specifies greater works than these he will do, and we'll get back to this portion in a bit.

'' 13 ''And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.'' '' (John 14:13-14)

But what does it mean that the disciples will do greater works than Christ? Is it because Christ can't do certain things and the disciples will be able to? I mean, of course not! So, let us read Isaiah 49:6 and take it from there. It says:

'' 6 Indeed He says [so God says], „It is too small a thing [It is too small a thing] that You should be My Servant [here talking about the Messiah] to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles [so Christ the Messiah will become a light to the Gentiles], that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.‟ '' (Isaiah 49:6)

So, what we need to take here from this verse is that God is telling the Son, in His human form, that He will become the Servant, capital S, right?, who's also the Son of God, and this Son of God will be the light to the Gentiles and will bring about salvation to the ends of the earth. But as we know, Christ only preached in Jerusalem, or in Israel, I should say, right? So, Christ did not physically go to the ends of the earth. Now, to understand Isaiah 49, we ought to look at Acts 13. So, it says:

'' 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first [talking to the Jews]; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. [And then he quotes Isaiah 49:] 47 For so the Lord has commanded us: „I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.‟ ” (Acts 13:46-47)

So here, obviously, in Isaiah 49, he was speaking about Christ Himself, but Christ, like I said, did not go to the end of the earth. But the Church, the apostles, who led the Church who is the body of Christ, went to the end of the earth. So here, the idea is that Christ preached in Palestine and Israel and He went about His work, right?, and this work was salvific. But then,

the Holy Spirit was given to His body, the Church, and the Church went all the way to the end of the world. And that's why Isaiah 49 is both applicable to Christ Himself and to the work of the Church in Christ. So, this is very important. So here, the greater works are not in terms of physical capabilities or greater miracles, but they are in terms of the actual region that is covered in terms of the servants, the service in Christ.

Now, Christ, in verse 13 and in verse 14, He says: And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. And in verse 14, He says: If you ask (...) in my name, I will do it. And then, often we wonder: What does that mean? I ask many things in Christ's name and they don't necessarily happen. So, St. Augustine has a very beautiful contemplation on this, so, I wanted to read it for you. So, he says:

''And if we go to the lives of the apostles themselves, we shall find that he who labored more than them all [meaning St. Paul] prayed that the messenger of Satan might depart from him but was not granted his request... Wake up then, believer, and note what is stated here: ─In my name. That [name] is Christ Jesus. [So, he's saying when Christ says, you know, ''whatever you ask in my name, I will do'', so the name is Christ Jesus. So, what does Christ Jesus mean?] Christ signifies King [or anointed one], Jesus signifies Savior... Therefore whatever we ask for that [for that] would hinder our salvation [because the name of Christ is Savior], we do not ask in our Savior's name, and yet he is our Savior not only when he does what we ask but also when he does not.

''When he sees us ask anything to the disadvantage of our salvation, he shows himself our Savior by not doing it. The physician knows whether what the sick person asks for is to the advantage or disadvantage of his health. And [the physician] does not allow what would be harmful to him, though the sick person himself desires it. But the physician looks to his final cure... And some things we may even ask in his name, and he will not grant them to us at the time, though he will some time. What we ask for is deferred, not denied...'' (St. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John)

Remember: Know your faith, live your faith, and teach your faith. And glory be to God forever and ever. Amen.

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Remember: Know your faith, live your faith, and teach your faith.