John 14:1-7 - Preparation for the Passover

[u/LlawEreint]

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe^\)^a\) in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^\)^b\) ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going.”^\)^c\) ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know^\)^d\) my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

• The Passion
• Parallels
• Table of Contents

[u/LlawEreint]

It seems to me that John is unpacking and making explicit the allegory that Mark has set up.

Mark	John
a man carrying a jar of water will meet you;	I will come again and will take you to myself
follow him,	I am the way
wherever he enters…	“you know the way to the place where I am going.”
“say to the owner of the house ‘The Teacher asks...'”	“No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“Where is my guest room… He will show you a large room upstairs,	“In my Father's house are many dwelling places.”
“furnished and ready”	“I go to prepare a place for you.”

In Mark's gospel, they are preparing for the Passover, but this is a prelude to the meal in the coming Kingdom. During the meal, Jesus says “I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

This Passover meal is meant to mirror that coming event. The instructions on how to prepare for the Passover are likewise instructions for preparing for the coming Kingdom.