You know the way
This phrase suggests that Jesus' disciples have been given sufficient knowledge and understanding of His teachings to comprehend the path to eternal life. The "way" refers to the spiritual journey and relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus explicitly states, "I am the way," indicating that He Himself is the path to salvation. This echoes the Old Testament concept of "the way of the Lord" (Isaiah 40:3), which involves living according to God's commandments and guidance.

to the place
The "place" Jesus refers to is often understood as heaven or the Father's house, as mentioned earlier in John 14:2. This aligns with Jewish eschatological expectations of a future dwelling with God. The imagery of a "place" prepared by Jesus suggests a personal and intimate relationship with God, contrasting with the impersonal nature of pagan afterlife beliefs prevalent in the Greco-Roman world.

where I am going.”
Jesus speaks of His impending departure through His death, resurrection, and ascension. This statement reassures the disciples of His divine mission and the fulfillment of His role as the Messiah. It also connects to the promise of His return, as seen in John 14:3, where He assures them of His coming back to take them to be with Him. This reflects the hope of the Second Coming, a central tenet of Christian eschatology, and ties to prophecies such as Daniel 7:13-14, which speak of the Son of Man's eternal dominion.

1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples during the Last Supper, preparing them for His departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

2. The Disciples
The immediate audience of Jesus' words, they are being comforted and instructed by Jesus as He prepares them for His crucifixion and eventual ascension.

3. The Last Supper
The setting of this discourse, where Jesus shares His final teachings and reassurances with His disciples before His arrest.

4. The Way
Refers to the path to eternal life and relationship with God, which Jesus embodies and reveals through His life, death, and resurrection.

5. The Place
Symbolically represents heaven or the Father's house, where Jesus is going to prepare a place for His followers.Understanding The Way
Jesus is not just a guide but the very path to God. Knowing Him is essential for spiritual direction and eternal life.

Trust in Jesus' Preparation
Jesus assures His followers that He is preparing a place for them. This provides comfort and hope for believers facing uncertainty.

The Importance of Relationship
The way to the Father is through a personal relationship with Jesus, emphasizing the need for daily communion and trust in Him.

Living the Way
Believers are called to live in a manner that reflects Jesus as the way, embodying His teachings and love in their daily lives.

Assurance in Uncertainty
In times of doubt or fear, believers can find assurance in Jesus' promise that they know the way through Him.(4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.--The better reading is, And whither I go, ye know the way, i.e., "Ye know that I am the way to the Father, whither I am going." (Comp. John 14:6, and John 13:33.) They did not, indeed, fully know this, but the means of knowing it was within their reach, and His own words had declared it. (Comp., e.g., John 10:1; John 11:25.) They ought to have known it, and His words now are meant to contrast what they ought to have known with what they really did know, in order that He may more fully instruct them. To know our ignorance, is the first step to its removal.

Verse 4. - Instead of "Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know," R.T. reads, Ye know the way whither I am going. Some valuable manuscripts and versions, also the bulk of the cursives, Cyril and Chrysostom, sustain the T.R.; nor have Hengstenberg or Gorier departed from it. The construction of the amended reading is harsh and awkward, but considering the point-blank contradiction which Thomas gives to the words in Ver. 5, the truncated reading is probably the true one. Great emphasis is laid upon the ἐγώ. They ought to have known, if they did not know, after his telling them so frequently of the way he was taking through suffering, self-sacrifice, and aloneness, by spiritual processes rather than secular triumphs, by giving his life a ransom for many, by laying it down that he might take it again. He assumes, he even assures them, that whithersoever he may be going, and however vague may be his goal their ideas, they at least must comprehend the way by which he intended to reach it. Peter in any case ought to have been clear about it; more than once had he been rebuked for such worldly conceptions as beclouded his surer judgment.

Parallel Commentaries ...


You know
οἴδατε (oidate)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

way
ὁδόν (hodon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3598: A way, road, journey, path. Apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress; figuratively, a mode or means.

to the place where
ὅπου (hopou)
Adverb
Strong's 3699: Where, whither, in what place. From hos and pou; what(-ever) where, i.e. At whichever spot.

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

am going.”
ὑπάγω (hypagō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5217: To go away, depart, begone, die. From hupo and ago; to lead under, i.e. Withdraw or retire, literally or figuratively.


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NT Gospels: John 14:4 Where I go you know and you (Jhn Jo Jn)