John 14:28 kjv
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
John 14:28 nkjv
You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.
John 14:28 niv
"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
John 14:28 esv
You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
John 14:28 nlt
Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.
John 14 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 14:12 | "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." | John 14:28 (echoes promise) |
| John 10:30 | "I and the Father are one." | John 14:28 (divine unity) |
| John 16:7 | "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." | John 14:28 (reason for leaving) |
| Acts 1:8 | "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”" | John 14:28 (empowerment) |
| 1 Cor 6:19 | "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own," | John 14:28 (indwelling Spirit) |
| Gal 3:26 | "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." | John 14:28 (unity in Christ) |
| Eph 1:22-23 | "And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." | John 14:28 (Christ’s exaltation) |
| Heb 1:3 | "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his powerful word." | John 14:28 (Christ’s deity) |
| 1 Pet 1:12 | "...it was revealed to them that not for themselves, but for you they were serving those things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven..." | John 14:28 (Spirit's mininstry) |
| Rom 8:11 | "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." | John 14:28 (Spirit's life-giving) |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." | John 14:28 (incarnation of Son) |
| John 3:34 | "For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit by measure." | John 14:28 (Spirit from God) |
| John 5:30 | "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me." | John 14:28 (Son's obedience to Father) |
| John 17:5 | "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world was made." | John 14:28 (return to glory) |
| John 14:2 | "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" | John 14:28 (going to prepare) |
| Phil 2:6 | "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped," | John 14:28 (Christ’s equality) |
| Col 3:4 | "When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." | John 14:28 (shared glory) |
| John 14:16 | "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever," | John 14:28 (another Helper) |
| John 14:17 | "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he abides with you, and in you it will be." | John 14:28 (Spirit's presence) |
| John 15:26 | "“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." | John 14:28 (Spirit bears witness) |
| John 20:21 | "Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”" | John 14:28 (Jesus’ mission) |
| Isa 11:2 | "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." | John 14:28 (Spirit’s attributes) |
| Zech 4:6 | "Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." | John 14:28 (Spirit's power) |
John 14 verses
John 14 28 Meaning
Jesus states that He is greater than His Father, referring to His divine nature and unity with the Father, not a superiority of personhood. His departure to the Father is a transition that elevates His relationship with His followers. He reassures them that this departure is ultimately for their benefit, as it prepares them to receive the Holy Spirit, who will guide them and enable them to do even greater works.
John 14 28 Context
This verse is spoken by Jesus during His Farewell Discourse in the Upper Room. His disciples are troubled by His announcement that He will be leaving them. Jesus is seeking to comfort and prepare them for His departure. He has just told them that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). He has also promised to send the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who will be with them forever. This verse serves to explain the theological significance of His going to the Father and the resulting empowerment of believers.
John 14 28 Word Analysis
- because: The Greek word here is "hoti" (ὅτι). It functions as a causal conjunction, introducing the reason for the preceding statement.
- I: The pronoun "ego" (ἐγὼ) refers to Jesus himself.
- go: The Greek word is "hupago" (ὑπάγω). It means to go away, depart, or proceed.
- to: The Greek preposition "pros" (πρὸς) indicates movement toward a place or person.
- the Father: "ho Pater" (ὁ Πατήρ) refers to God the Father. The statement "I go to the Father" emphasizes Jesus' return to His divine origin and full unity with the Father.
Words-group Analysis
- "because I go unto the Father": This phrase encapsulates the movement of Jesus back to His exalted position alongside the Father. It signifies not a loss of presence but a change in mode of operation and relationship with humanity. It fulfills His earthly mission and inaugurates a new era of spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit.
John 14 28 Bonus Section
The concept of "greater works" has been interpreted in various ways. Some understand it to mean that the disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would perform miracles on a larger scale, or that their message would reach more people than Jesus Himself did during His earthly ministry. Others emphasize the inward transformation and spiritual growth that believers would experience through the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence, enabling a deeper relationship with God and a more profound understanding of divine truth. This verse underscores the continuity of Christ's work through His people, enabled by the Spirit.
John 14 28 Commentary
Jesus’ declaration that He is greater than the Father, followed by the explanation that He is going to the Father, is crucial for understanding His divine identity and His redemptive mission. This is not a statement of inequality but of unity and function within the Godhead. Jesus’ ascension to the Father means the exaltation and glorification of the Son. This departure is intrinsically linked to the sending of the Holy Spirit, who will empower believers to continue Jesus’ work. The “greater works” are not miraculous feats exceeding Jesus' own, but rather the broader and deeper impact of His ministry carried out through the multiplied agency of the church, empowered by the indwelling Spirit. It is the qualitative expansion of His Kingdom that occurs through the Spirit’s ongoing work in and through His followers, reaching more people and accomplishing His purposes on a global scale. This is ultimately a message of hope and divine enablement for all who believe.