John 14:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

NIV: Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

NASB: Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?'

CSB: Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

NLT: Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, 'Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?'

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

NKJV: Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Modern culture, especially in the west, has almost entirely abandoned using the name Judas, thanks to the reputation of Judas Iscariot (John 13:2). During the lifetime of the disciples, however, it was a common name. This verse notes another disciple named Judas, likely the person also called Thaddeus in Mark 3:18 and Matthew 10:3. In Greek, this name is Iouda, which is also the name of the author of the book of Jude. Just as names like "Mary" were extremely common among women (Luke 24:10; Matthew 27:61), names like John and Judas were common among men.

This man's confusion is understandable. At this point, the disciples don't fully understand everything Jesus has told them. Modern readers have the benefit of hindsight. We read Jesus' words knowing exactly what's going to happen, and how it will all work out. These men understand the broad concepts, but haven't seen the specific details. So when Jesus says that soon the world will not be able to see Him, but these men will (John 14:19), the meaning is not clear.

John 14:15–31 contains a prediction about the Holy Spirit. Jesus refers to this as the Spirit of Truth, and promises that the Spirit will arrive to help the disciples carry on after Jesus is ascended to heaven. Throughout this section, a person's love for Christ, their obedience to His teachings, and the indwelling of the Spirit are intertwined. As in prior statements, Jesus is focused on comfort and encouragement. He will continue to highlight the need to maintain faith, based on all He has said and done so far. Later, after advance warnings about what Christians will face, Jesus will return to describing the work and purpose of the Holy Spirit under the new covenant.

Christ reassures His followers that faith in Him is faith in God. To know Christ is to know ''the way, and the truth, and the life'' (John 14:6). The words, actions, and miracles of Jesus should give Christians confidence to trust that He will make good on His promises. Among those are His guarantee that He is preparing to come for us, so we can be where He is. Jesus also predicts the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is only available to believers, and this Helper acts to guide, teach, and remind us. Both for the disciples, and for future Christians, these words are meant to be comforting during hard times. Since Christ knew, in advance, what would happen, we can be even more confident to trust Him.

After completing His public ministry in Jerusalem (John 12:36–38), Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:3–5), predicted His betrayal (John 13:21), and foreseen Peter's denial (John 13:37–38). Chapter 14 begins a series of remarks meant to encourage the disciples, in the face of dire warnings. Among these are reminders that Jesus is planning to bring them to be where He is, assurance that He is ''the way,'' and the first explicit promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 will continue this address, beginning with Jesus' claim to be ''the true vine.''

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 12/19/2024 6:14:11 PM