John 14:31

But 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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) The most probable arrangement of this verse is to omit the period after “so I do,” and to consider all down to this point as governed by “that.” We shall read then, “But, that the world may know that I love the Father, and that as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do, arise, let us go hence.” He has asserted, in the previous verse, the sinlessness which makes His act wholly self-determined. He now expresses the subordination of His own to the Father’s will, and summons the Apostles to rise up with Him from the table, and go forth from the room.

But that the world . . .—The words seem to point back to “the prince of this world” who has just been mentioned. The prince cometh, but it is to a defeat; and the very world over which he has ruled will see in the self-sacrifice of Jesus the love of the Father. That love will reclaim them from the bondage of the oppressor and restore them to the freedom of children.

It is an interesting question which we cannot hope with certainty to solve, whether or not in obedience to the command they went from the room at once. In other words, were the discourse of John 15, 16 and the prayer of John 17, uttered in the room after the summons to depart, or on the way to the garden of Gethsemane? The immediate connection of the opening words of the next chapter with the present verse naturally leads to the opinion that they were spoken in the same place, and, in the absence of any hint of a change, it is safe not to assume any. The words of John 18:1 are probably those which express the act to which the words our Lord has just spoken summon them. But comp. Chronological Harmony of the Gospels, p. xxxv.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:28-31 Christ raises the expectations of his disciples to something beyond what they thought was their greatest happiness. His time was now short, he therefore spake largely to them. When we come to be sick, and to die, we may not be capable of talking much to those about us; such good counsel as we have to give, let us give while in health. Observe the prospect Christ had of an approaching conflict, not only with men, but with the powers of darkness. Satan has something in us to perplex us with, for we have all sinned; but when he would disturb Christ, he found nothing sinful to help him. The best evidence of our love to the Father is, our doing as he has commanded us. Let us rejoice in the Saviour's victories over Satan the prince of this world. Let us copy the example of his love and obedience.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That the world may know that I love the Father - That it might not be alleged that his virtue had not been subjected to trial. It was subjected. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin, Hebrews 4:15. He passed through the severest forms of temptation, that it might be seen and known that his holiness was proof to all trial, and that human nature might be so pure as to resist all forms of temptation. This will be the case with all the saints in heaven, and it was the case with Jesus on earth.

Even so I do - In all things he obeyed; and he showed that, in the face of calamities, persecutions, and temptations, he was still disposed to obey his Father. This he did that the world might know that he loved the Father. So should we bear trials and resist temptation; and so, through. persecution and calamity, should we show that we are actuated by the love of God. "Arise, let us go hence." It has been commonly supposed that Jesus and the apostles now rose from the paschal supper and went to the Mount of Olives, and that the remainder of the discourse in John 15; 16, together with the prayer in John 17, was delivered while on the way to the garden of Gethsemane; but some have supposed that they merely rose from the table, and that the discourse was finished before they left the room. The former is the more correct opinion. It was now probably toward midnight, and the moon was at the full, and the scene was one, therefore, of great interest and tenderness. Jesus, with a little band, was himself about to die, and he went forth in the stillness of the night, counselling his little company in regard to their duties and dangers, and invoking the protection and blessing of God his Father to attend, to sanctify, and guide them in the arduous labors, the toils, and the persecutions they were yet to endure, John 17.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

31. But that the world may know that I love the Father, &c.—The sense must be completed thus: "But to the Prince of the world, though he has nothing in Me, I shall yield Myself up even unto death, that the world may know that I love and obey the Father, whose commandment it is that I give My life a ransom for many."

Arise, let us go hence—Did they then, at this stage of the discourse, leave the supper room, as some able interpreters conclude? If so, we think our Evangelist would have mentioned it: see Joh 18:1, which seems clearly to intimate that they then only left the upper room. But what do the words mean if not this? We think it was the dictate of that saying of earlier date, "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!"—a spontaneous and irrepressible expression of the deep eagerness of His spirit to get into the conflict, and that if, as is likely, it was responded to somewhat too literally by the guests who hung on His lips, in the way of a movement to depart, a wave of His hand, would be enough to show that He had yet more to say ere they broke up; and that disciple, whose pen was dipped in a love to his Master which made their movements of small consequence save when essential to the illustration of His words, would record this little outburst of the Lamb hastening to the slaughter, in the very midst of His lofty discourse; while the effect of it, if any, upon His hearers, as of no consequence, would naturally enough be passed over.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I die not for my own sin; but being found in fashion as a man, I humbled myself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, ,{ as Philippians 2:8} to let the world know, that I love the Father, and am obedient to him, doing even so as he hath commanded me.

Arise, let us go hence; arise from supper, (after which they were wont sometimes to lengthen out discourse), the supper in Bethany, as some think; but to me it seems more probable (as I said before) to be the passover supper, and the Lord’s supper which immediately followed that; and let us go hence, out of the guest chamber, where the passover was to be administered. So as it is most probable, that the discourses in the two next chapters were as they went along in the way to Mount Olivet. In this discourse our Saviour hath most applied himself to relieve his disciples upon their disturbance for their want of our Saviour’s bodily presence.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But that the world may know,.... Not the wicked and unbelieving world, but the world of God's elect, such as are brought to believe in Christ:

that I love the Father; Christ must needs love the Father, as being of the same nature and essence with him, and as standing in the relation of a son to him; he loved all that the Father loves, and approved of all his purposes, counsels, and determinations, concerning himself and the salvation of his people; and therefore he voluntarily laid down his life for them:

and as the Father gave me commandment, so I:do: as a son is obedient to a father, so was Christ in all things obedient to the commands of his heavenly Father, in preaching the Gospel, obeying the law, and suffering death; all which he did and suffered, as the Father gave commandment to him, as man and Mediator: and that it might fully appear how much he loved his Father, and agreed with him in all his designs of grace; how much his will was resigned to his, and what respect he paid to whatever he said or ordered; he said to his disciples,

arise, let us go hence: not from the passover, or the supper, for the passover was not as yet, and the Lord's supper was not instituted; nor in order to go to Mount Olivet, or to the garden, where Judas and his armed men would be to meet him, and lay hold on him, as is generally thought; but from Bethany, where he and his disciples now were, in order to go to Jerusalem and keep the passover, institute the supper, and then surrender himself into the hands of his enemies, and die for the sins of his people; for between this and the sermon in the following chapters, was the Lord's supper celebrated; when Christ having mentioned the fruit of the vine, he should drink new with his disciples in his Father's kingdom, he very pertinently enters upon the discourse concerning the vine and branches, with which the next chapter begins: the phrase is Jewish; so R. Jose and R. Chiyah say to one another as they sat, , "arise, and let us go hence" (f).

(f) Zohar in Exod. fol. 74. 1.

Geneva Study Bible

But 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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

John 14:31. That the world may know, etc. (as far as οὕτω ποιῶ), rise (from table), let us go hence! In order to bring the world to the knowledge of my love and my obedience to the Father (“ut mundus desinat mundus esse et patris in me beneplacitum agnoscat salutariter,” Bengel), let us away from here, and go to meet the diabolical power, before which I must now fall according to God’s counsel! The apodosis does not begin so early as καὶ καθώς (Grotius, Kuinoel, Paulus), in which case καί would mean also, and a reflection less appropriate to the mood of deep emotion would result. If a full point be placed after ποιῶ (Bengel, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Ewald), which, however, renders the sentence heavy, and makes what follows to stand too abruptly, then after ἀλλʼ a simple ἔρχεται would have to be supplied. Comp. John 15:25.

After the summons ἐγείρεσθε, κ.τ.λ., we are to think of the company at table as having risen. But Jesus, so full of that which, in view of the separation ever drawing nearer, He desired to impress on the heart of the disciples, and enchained by His love for them, takes up the word anew, and standing, continues to address chap. 15 and 16 to the risen disciples, and then follows the prayer of chap, 17, after which the actual departure, John 18:1, ensues. This view (Knapp, Lücke, Tholuck, Olshausen, Klee, Winer, Lnthardt, Ewald, Brückner, Bleek, following the older expositors, also Gerhard, Calovius, and Maldonatus) appears to be correct from this, that John, without any indication of a change of place, connects John 15:1 immediately with John 14:31; while, that the following discourses, and especially the prayer, were uttered on the way (Ammonius, Hilarius, Beda, Luther, Aretius, Grotius, Wetstein, Lampe, Rosenmüller, Lange, Ebrard), is neither in any way indicated, nor reconcilable with John 18:1, nor psychologically probable. A pure importation, further, is the opinion of Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, Erasmus, and several others, that Christ, John 14:31, went with the disciples to a more secluded and safer place, where He (“sur la pente couverte de vignes, qui descend dans la vallée du Cédron,” Godet) delivered chap. 15, 16, 17; so also is Bengel’s harmonistic device, which Wichelhaus has adopted, that the locality of the discourse from John 13:31[158] to John 14:31 had been outside the city, but that now He set forth to go to Jerusalem for the passover.[159] Others, while De Wette abides by the hypothesis of an hiatus between chap. 14 and 15, the reason of which remains unknown, have sought to make use of the ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν, Matthew 26:46, Mark 14:42, in spite of the quite different historical connection in Matthew and Mark, in order to charge the author with a clumsy attempt to interweave that reminiscence in his narrative (Strauss, Scholten); in opposition to which Weisse, with equal arbitrariness and injustice, accuses the supposed editor of the Gospel with having placed in juxtaposition, without any link of connection, two Johannean compositions, of which the one closed with John 14:31, and the other began with John 15:1. Baur and Hilgenfeld, indeed, make the synoptic words, divested of their more definite historical justification, stand here only as a sign of pause. The Johannean words, and those in the Synoptics uttered in Gethsemane, have nothing to do with one another; but the apparent incongruity with the present passage speaks, in fact, in favour of the personal testimony of the reporter, before whose eyes the whole scene vividly presented itself. Comp. Bleek’s Beitr. p. 239.

[158] Bengel on John 13:31 : “λέγει: dicit postridie, nempe mane, feria V.”

[159] So also again Röpe, d. Mahl des Fusswasch., Hamb. 1856, p. 25 f., who, following Bynaeus, assumes that in ἐγείρεσθε, κ. τ. λ. is contained the setting forth from Bethany for Jerusalem, and that chap. 15–17 were then spoken at the paschal meal on the 14th Nisan, in reference to the institution of the Supper.

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 14:31. Jesus goes to death not crushed by the machinations of Satan, “but that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father has commanded me,” οὕτω ποιῶ, “thus I do,” applies to His whole life, which was throughout ruled by regard to the Father’s commandment, but in the foreground of His thought at present is His departure from the disciples, His death.—ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν, “arise, let us go hence,” similar to the summons in Matthew 26:46, but the idea of referring so common an expression to a reminiscence of the Synoptic passage is absurd. On the movement made in consequence of the summons, see on John 15:1.

In chapters 15 and 16 Jesus (1) explains the relation He holds to those who continue His work, John 15:1-17; (2) the attitude the world will assume to His followers, John 15:18-25; (3) the conquest of the world by the Spirit, 26–16:11; and (4) adds some last words, encouragements and warnings, John 16:12-33. In this last conversation, which extends from chap. 13 to chap. 16 inclusive, the closing words of chap. 14, ἐγείρεσθε ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν, form the best marked division. At this point Jesus and His disciples rose from table. Whether the conversation was continued in the house or after they left it may be doubtful; but probabilities are certainly much in favour of the former alternative. A party of twelve could not conveniently talk together on the street. In John 18:1 we read that when Jesus had uttered the prayer recorded in 17 ἐξῆλθε σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ πέραν τοῦ χειμάρρου τῶν Κέδρων. This, however, may refer to their leaving the city, not the house. Bengel thinks they may have paused in the courtyard of the house.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31. But that] Once more we have an instance of S. John’s elliptical use of these words (see on John 13:18), ‘But (this is done, i.e. Satan cometh) in order that, &c.’ Some, however, would omit the full stop at ‘I do’ and make ‘that’ depend upon ‘Arise:’ ‘But that the world may know that I love the Father, and that as the Father commanded Me so I do, arise, let us go hence.’ There is a want of solemnity, if not a savour of ‘theatrical effect,’ in this arrangement. Moreover it is less in harmony with S. John’s style, especially in these discourses. The more simple construction is the more probable.

let us get hence] ‘Let us go and meet the power before which I am willing in accordance with God’s will to fall.’

We are probably to understand that they rise from table and prepare to depart, but that the contents of the next three chapters are spoken before they leave the room (comp. John 18:1). Others suppose that the room is left now and that the next two chapters are discourses on the way towards Gethsemane, chap. 17 being spoken at some halting place, possibly the Temple. See introductory note to chap. 17.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 14:31. Ἀλλʼ ἵνα, but that) This indicates that in the preceding verse καὶ signifies and indeed [to which ἀλλʼ ἵνα here answers],—γνῷ ὁ κόσμος, that the world may know) The world, which is held fast by its prince; by divesting itself of its character, however, that the world may cease to be the world, and may recognise to its salvation that the good pleasure of the Father is in Me.—οὕτως ποιῶ, that so I do) from love; ch. John 15:10, “Even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” The full stop is rightly fixed here: nor is the ἀλλʼ ἵνα which precedes an objection to this (Let the ἀλλʼ ἵνα be well considered in ch. John 1:8, “He was not that light, but that he should bear witness of that light;” John 9:3, John 13:18, John 15:25; 1 John 2:19; Mark 14:49, “I was daily with you—and ye took Me not; but that the Scriptures might be fulfilled” [ἀλλʼ ἵνα πληρωθῶσιν αἱ γραφαί]): in this sense, but, viz. I await the onset of the prince of the world, [that the world may know, etc.] The stopping by a colon is not ancient. See Luther’s Kirchenpostill for the feast of Pentecost. If ἐγείρεσθε, arise, were the Apodosis, such a connection would be a remote one, involving many enunciations or sentiments.[356] Between this going and the world’s coming to know Jesus, how many things intervened!—ἐγείρεσθε, arise) A word expressing alacrity. He Himself strenuously proceeds to the business in hand, rising now already before His disciples.—ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν, let us go hence) into the city, to the Passover. Comp. ch. John 13:1, “Before the feast of the Passover;” John 18:1. The things which heretofore elapsed from ch. John 13:31 [The departure of Judas after receiving the sop], were done and spoken on Thursday outside the city. But the things which follow in chapters 15. and 16. and 17., were spoken in the city on the very evening of the Passover, accompanied with the wonted hymn; namely, immediately before His going forth beyond the brook Cedron (ch. John 18:1). There are then two discourses, which are divided by this abrupt breaking off here (John 14:31). [To the common scope of which, however, as well as to the sense and argument, the intervening Passover-supper most sweetly corresponds.—Harm., p. 507.]

[356] ‘Noemata.’ Beng. seems to mean, ἐγείρεσθε is too far removed from ἀλλὰ, and there are too many intervening enunciations which would be made to be involved in and depend on it, for it to be the Apodosis to ἀλλά.—E. and. T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 31. - But that - ἀλλ ἵνα is elliptical (Westcott translates, "But I surrender myself, that," etc.; and Meyer, "But he cometh, that," etc.), not dependent on ἐγείρεσθε - the world may know - that very world over which this alien spirit has so long tyrannized may know, if not now, yet ultimately - that I love the Father. Then it is the world which is to be nevertheless drawn to him by his being "lifted up "(John 12:52) - the world which the Father loves so much as to save and redeem from the power of the enemy. And even as the Father commanded me - which is undoubtedly in harmony with the entire representation of the μειζονότης of the Father - so I do. My love is strong as death. Though the prince of the world has no right over me, I go at the Father's bidding to do his will, to suffer, but to win, and through death to destroy him that has the power of death. Arise, let us go hence - words which are also found in Matthew 26:46, and are a touch of the eyewitness that nothing will obliterate. A second-century theologian would not have introduced such a feature. They leave the guest-chamber, and so the remainder of the discourse was delivered in the brightness of the Paschal moon, under shadow of the walls of Jerusalem, or in some corner of the temple area, or some convenient place on the way to Gethsemane. He said these words, however, before he crossed the Kedron (John 18:1). Apparently on the way thither he once more took up his parable.



John 14:31

Vincent's Word Studies

But that the world may know, etc.

The connection in this verse is much disputed. Some explain, Arise, let us go hence, that the world may know that I love the Father, and that even as the Father commanded me so I do. Others, So I do, that the world may know - and even as the Father, etc. Others, again, take the opening phrase as elliptical, supplying either, he cometh, i.e., Satan, in order that the world may know - and that as the Father, etc.; or, I surrender myself to suffering and death that the world may know, etc. In this case, Arise, etc., will form, as in A.V. and Rev., an independent sentence. I incline to adopt this. The phrase ἀλλ' ἵνα, but in order that, with an ellipsis, is common in John. See John 1:8, John 1:31; John 9:3; John 13:18; John 15:25; 1 John 2:19.