The Way and the Nature of Christ's Work

Only because they cannot walk into heaven in the body, and also because they have not yet completed the 'race' of the apostolate, which made them worthy of following the Lord. But the saying shows that the souls follow the Lord into heaven, becoming no longer below or under the earth as captives (John 14:5-6).

He calls Himself Truth because of the perfection and precision of virtue, and Life because of the lasting and eternal nature of existence; and He makes manifest those who are established in virtue and attain eternal life, showing them to be traveling toward God and that this is the way. He has also said that He is both traveling and being the way; traveling indeed according to the earthly citizenship, in which He fulfilled every virtue and brought life as if a crown to the citizenship, but being the way because He Himself is the living virtue and the eternal life, so that His movement and action toward the Father is not a movement connecting to the incorporeal divinity, but this nature and essence. And through incarnation He also took up the earthly energies and good works, through which He leads all toward God and toward His own divinity.

He was currently exercising His natural unity toward the Father (John 14:12), and He freely offers also a union toward the apostles according to His grace; for this is the likeness and imitation of that which is natural according to grace; and indeed this happens through faith, but that the former is not through faith, but according to natural power; for Christ does not work the wonders toward the Father by faith, but the apostles perform the things of the Son by faith in the Son, and the works are not the apostles' own, but the Lord's own, and those things being done through them. Therefore, reverence is indeed offered to the Son, but reverence is owed to the apostles in no way, nor would they do anything greater than the Lord.

Christ does whatever the apostles ask (John 14:13); for He said, 'I will do whatever you ask in my name.' And His own work is thus demonstrated.

In this he says that the Father is glorified in himself, the Father working, while the Father is being manifested through the energy of the Son; for there is no other approach to the Father or through the Son, neither of old nor now nor again, but the approach through the Son is more intimate, and it has come to be now, because having been made flesh, he has become nearer to us.

Regarding John 14:15-16, they owe to the Lord from us, concerning which he also commands, but he himself provides to us, concerning which he promises; for the keeping of the commandments is ours, and this is the proof of the love toward the Lord; but from him to us the participation in the divine nature is granted to those who are suitable for becoming participants through obedience; and he says to ask the Father as a brotherly embassy on our behalf; for it is he who gives according to the despotic authority and according to the energy of all the paternal wills.

Regarding John 14:16-17, the Spirit indeed of truth, the incorporeal, is being sent from the incorporeal. Therefore also he has said the Father sends it, revealing his incorporeal presence, since he himself is seen in a body. But the presence of the incorporeal is invisible. Therefore also to those who think that only the visible things are real, this presence of his is ungraspable; for indeed he is also unfeeling and because of this unknown; for what they do not behold with eyes, this they neither know nor think to be, but they are able to participate of him being present. These, recognizing a greater essence of perception from the participation, grasp themselves from others, when they are filled with the Spirit, and through which they participate, they recognize the cause of the divine state, either a divine power or some art, just as one having wisdom or some art in himself understands what he has, even if it is unknown to those near him.

Regarding John 14:27, Christ came to those being at war, and he worked peace, pulling down the strength of those warring; for there is no longer power for the opposing powers against those belonging to Christ; for they have come out of captivity, having known the Redeemer. Therefore peace is motionless for them, because it is a peace of the soul toward freedom being attained and fear being cast off and turmoil being expelled. Since therefore the good things of the soul are certain and unshakeable, the peace of the soul is certain. Regarding John 14:30-31, saying that a commandment again is being given to him, it seems to us according to similarity to say to understand God in a human manner, but not even a Son...