Jesus’ message was getting through to his disciples on some level, because Jesus began giving them assurances in this chapter. Have not the words of the first verse, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”, reached out to all of us in stressful times? As we experience difficulties, these simple words encourage us to grab our emotional guts by our faithful brains and believe in Jesus. In the same way, Jesus called his disciples back from the panic of losing their friend, reminding them of the future they would have together when he would take them to be with him, as he described in verse 3.
That the disciples had yet to catch up with Jesus’ level of planning was evident in Thomas’ question, one that we would have asked if we did not have the advantage of hindsight provided by the written word. “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Jesus wanted his followers and the readers of the word to understand that because of his sacrifice, Christians would enjoy direct access to God in prayer. The followers of Christ in that time would no longer have to depend on the intercession of the Levitical priesthood for access to God and this was radically new to them. Jesus needed to explain this to them directly as part of his last conversation with them. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14: 6-14).
Jesus wanted his apostles to understand that although he would not be physically with them, he would hear and answer their prayers as they continued his ministry, doing ‘greater things’ than he did, because they would have more years in which to spread the gospel. Philip and the others would have to work hard to accept this departure from the God who told Moses, “…you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20) Even being blessed with the fullness of the word of God it is difficult for us to appreciate what a blessing it is to have direct access to God. We still need to be reminded, as these brethren did, to trust in Jesus during all the good and difficult times in our lives.