Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in me.

When the apostles heard about the supreme Peter that he would renounce, they were naturally embarrassed. For this reason the Lord comforts them and calms the confusion of their hearts. For if the supreme and fiery Peter abdicates three times before the crows, evidently they must wait for some great circumstance. Then, as it were, the disciples said; How can we not be troubled when such difficulties come to us? He answers: "Believe in God, and believe in Me," and all your difficulties will be resolved, and confusion will be calmed through faith in God and in Me. For this reason He said to them: "Let not your heart be troubled," so that by the very fact that He sees the state of their hearts and knows the hidden confusion, they would be convinced that He is God.

In My Father's house there are many mansions; and if it were not so, I would say to you, "I am going to prepare a place for you." And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, that you also may be where I am.

The Lord said to Peter, "Afterwards you will follow me." Lest others think that this promise was given to Peter alone, and not to them, the Lord says that the same country that will receive Peter will receive you. Therefore, there is no need to be embarrassed about the place. For there are many mansions "in My Father's house," that is, under the authority of the Father. By "house" you mean power and authority. But if there were no mansions, I would go and prepare for you, so that you should not be troubled in either case whether the mansions are ready or not. For if they were not ready, I would have prepared them for you with all diligence. If I had departed to prepare a place for you, I would not have left you, but would have taken you with me, so that you also might be where I am. It is therefore unwise for you to be troubled when you are with me.

And whither I am going, you know, and you know the way. Thomas said to Him, "Lord! we do not know where you are going; and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

The Lord sees what is on their minds – to ask and find out where He is going. Therefore, He gives them a reason to ask about it. You, he says, know where I am going, and you know the way, and thereby leads them to the question. That is why Thomas says: "Lord! we do not know where you are going; and how can we know the way?" Thomas says this out of great fear, and not out of a desire to follow the Lord, as Peter did. Therefore, Christ, wishing to show that it is convenient and pleasant for them to follow Him, declares where He is going and what path He takes. He goes to the Father, and the "way" is He Himself – Christ. If I am the way, then through Me you will undoubtedly ascend to the Father. I am not only the way, but "and the truth"; therefore you need to be cheerful, because by me you will not be deceived. I am still "and life"; therefore, even if you die, death will not prevent you from coming to the Father. Watch therefore, for everyone comes to the Father through Me. And as it is in My power to bring to the Father, you will surely come to Him. For it is impossible to come there in any other way than by Me. And you, perhaps, understand from this that the Son is equal to Him who begat Him. For in another place He says that the Father brings to Him: "No man can come to Me except the Father draws him" (John 6:44). And here He says that He leads to the Father. Therefore the Father and the Son have equal power, for the action is one. Thus, when you go by activity, then Christ is the way for you, and when you exercise yourself in contemplation, He is the truth for you. But just as many, marching on activity and contemplation, nevertheless did not receive life, either because they received a reward here by performing virtue out of vanity, or because in dogmatic opinions they deviated from the right path; then life is added to the way and truth, that is, to activity and contemplation. For this reason we too must go and theologize, striving for the glory that lives forever, and not for the glory that perishes, from men.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

He said above that you "know" where I am going, you also know this Way, that is, Me; but here he says that "if ye had known" me, you would have known my Father also. How is that? There is no contradiction in His words. For they knew the Father, but not as they ought to, they knew him as God, but they did not yet know the Father. Only later did the Spirit, descending upon them, impart perfect knowledge to them. Thus His words have this meaning: If you knew My essence and dignity, you would also know the essence and dignity of the Father. And from now on you began to know Him through My intermediary, and you saw Him, that is, you knew Him with your mind, as far as possible. Since you acknowledge Me to be Lord and Teacher, you have undoubtedly received sufficient knowledge of Me, as far as is attainable for you; and of the Father, for they have not yet received that which is perfect. And it is different. The words, "If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father," do not mean that they do not know him, but have this meaning: I have told you that you know where I am going, that is, to the Father, and you know this way, that is, me. Thomas said to Me, "We do not know whither you are going," and so on, and we do not know this way. I said to Thomas: I am the Way, and no one comes to the Father except through Me. Therefore, if you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. But you know Me, therefore you also know My Father. For henceforth, he says, you know him, and have seen him when you have seen me.

Philip said to Him, "Lord! show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, "How long have I been with you, and you do not know me, Philip?" He who has seen Me has seen the Father: how then do you say, "Show us the Father"?

Philip thought that he knew Christ well, but did not know the Father. For this reason He said: "Show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." For no matter how much you tell us that if you knew Me, you would know My Father, we cannot know the Father in this way. And show Him to us, our bodily eyes. Philip had heard that the prophets had seen God, and he himself wished to see Him in the same bodily way, not knowing that the visions of the prophets were condescension. Thus, teaching Philip that God cannot be seen bodily, Christ says: "So long have I been with you, and you have not yet known Me, Philip?" He did not say, "You have not 'seen,' but you do not 'know,'" in order to distract Philip from earthly thoughts, from the desire to see the Father bodily. For it is said of God to know, and not to see bodily. Then he adds: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." The words have the following meaning: Philip! you desire to see the Father with your bodily eye, and you think that you have already seen Me. And I tell you that if you had seen Me, you would have seen Him. And since thou hast not seen Him now, thou hast not seen Me either, as thou shouldst look upon Me: thou hast seen Me bodily, since I also have a body, but thou hast not seen the Divine being; therefore you cannot see bodily the essence of the Father. Neither Me nor the Father can be seen bodily. For he who has seen Me has seen the Father also. However, many think that they see Me, but they do not see the Father. Therefore they see Me not according to the Divine nature, but according to the human nature. You can also understand it more clearly thus: I am of one essence with the Father. Therefore, whoever has seen Me, that is, has known Me, has known the Father. For when there is one being and nature, then there is one knowledge. Let Arius be ashamed to hear that he who has seen the "Son," that is, who has known the Divinity of the Son, has come to know the "Father," that is, the Divinity of the Father. Let Sabellius also be ashamed, who says: "One essence and one person of the Father and the Son." For behold, the Lord distinguishes the Hypostases, and shows another Person in the Father, and another in the Son. For in the words: "He who has seen Me" points to His Face, then in the words: "He has seen the Father" – to another Person. If He and the Father were one Person, then He would not have said anything of the kind, but to Philip's request, "Show us the Father," He would have replied that I have no Father, but I am the Father and the Son. And it would be extremely unwise to hear the Son say, "I go to My Father," and "I am in the Father," and so on, and not to understand that there is another Person of the Son and another of the Father, not to merge them. For this reason the Lord reproaches this disciple for having followed Him for so long, for having seen the signs and works of the Godhead, but for not yet knowing Him as God, so that through Him he might also know the Father. But now, he says, from the fact that you desire to see the Father bodily, it is revealed that you believe neither that I am God, nor that He is God.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak of myself; The Father who dwells in Me, He does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; and if not, believe Me according to your very works.

The Son is in the Father, because He appears in His essence, and again the Father is in the essence of the Son, just as the king appears in his image, and the image in the king. For the image and the tsar have the same features. And that My and the Father's beings are one, this is clear. For "the words that I speak, I do not speak of myself," that is, I speak them no other way, but as the Father would say, so do I speak; for I have nothing special with Me that is separate from the Father, but all things that are common; for one being, though the persons are different. But the Father owns not only the words that I speak, but also the deeds, the works of God. But if the works are God's, and the Father and I are God, then the works are one Being, so that if I do, the Father does, if the Father does, I do. "Believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me," that is, you who hear about the Father and the Son, should not seek any other proof of their kinship in essence. But if this is not enough for you to prove the consubstantiality and oneness of godliness, and that the Father appears in My essence and I in the essence of the Father, then at least believe Me in works: for the works are God's.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works which I do, he shall do also, and greater than these; for I am going to My Father. And if you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

Christ, showing that He can do not only these works, but also others, much greater than these, speaks of this with extraordinary force. For he does not say, "I can do greater works than these," but, what is much more surprising, I can also give power to others to do greater works than these. Do you see how great is the power of the Only-begotten? He also gives others the strength to do works greater than those that He Himself did. Because I am going to My Father, that is, now you will work miracles, for I am already departing. Explaining to us how he who believes in Him can do great and wonderful works, He says: "If you ask anything in My name," Here He shows us the way of working miracles: everyone can work miracles through petition and prayer and invocation of His name. Thus the Apostles said to the lame man: "In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk" (Acts 3:6). Wherefore He did not say, Whatever ye ask, I will beseech the Father, and He will, but, I will do, showing His own authority. "Let the Father be glorified in the Son." For when a son appears to have great power, then there is glory to him who begat such a son. See how the glory to the Father flows. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, miracles were performed; the preaching of the apostles believed in miracles; finally, passing on to the knowledge of God, they came to know the Father, and in this way He was glorified in the Son. Let those who suffer from Arianism say: how did He perform miracles through the Apostles, not by Himself, but with the help of the Father? How did He give strength to others, but He Himself did not have it? Why did He say the same thing twice? For having said, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it," then adding, "That the Father may be glorified in the Son," he again says a second time, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." He says this twice in order to confirm His word and show that He creates Himself and does not need outside power. All this He says to His disciples for their consolation and as a confirmation that He will not perish or be destroyed after death, but will again remain in His dignity and will be in heaven. For I, he says, go to the Father; I will not be destroyed, but I will depart to where life is most blessed. Though I shall die, I shall not be in the least powerless; on the contrary, I will endow others with the power to do great deeds. And whatever you wish, I will give you. Therefore, do not be discouraged because My death is such as I have pointed out to you.