The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (126 page)

14:18 desolate:
Literally, "orphans".
I will come to you
: i.e., with the Father and the Spirit (14:23). • When Jesus withdraws his visible presence from the world, he does not withdraw his spiritual presence. Christ is always present in his Church, especially in the liturgy, where he ministers through his priests, speaks through the Scriptures, and sanctifies us through the sacraments (CCC 788, 1380). 
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14:22 Judas (not Iscariot):
Presumably "Judas the son of James" (Lk 6:16), also called "Thaddaeus" (Mt 10:3). See chart:
The Twelve Apostles
at Mk 3. 
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14:23 our home with him:
Through grace the living presence of the Trinity inhabits the hearts of the faithful (14:17; Gal 2:20). From John's perspective, God dwells in the saints on earth before the saints dwell in God in heaven (14:2-3; Rev 21:22; CCC 260). 
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14:26 the Holy Spirit:
Sent from heaven to complete the teaching ministry of Jesus and give the apostles an accurate understanding of the gospel (16:12-13). The Spirit also works through the sacraments to renew the world with the graces and blessings that Christ died to give us (3:5; 6:63; 20:22-23) (CCC 243, 729).
See note on Jn 16:13
.
teach you . . . bring to your remembrance:
The terms "you" and "your" in this verse are plural. It is thus a promise to guide and instruct the ordained leaders of the Church, here represented by the eleven apostles. It is not a promise that the Spirit will grant every individual Christian supernatural insight into the full meaning of the gospel or the Scriptures (2 Pet 1:20-21). 
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14:27 my peace:
Not worldly peace, which is often procured by violence and is always unstable, but a spiritual serenity that comforts us regardless of our outward circumstances. See word study:
Peace
at Col 3. 
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14:28 the Father is greater:
The Son is equal to the Father in his divinity but less than the Father in his humanity. • Although no one of the Divine Persons exceeds the others in greatness or glory in the eternal Trinity, there is a relational hierarchy among them, where, unlike the Son and the Spirit, the Father alone possesses divine Paternity and has the distinction of being entirely without origin. 
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Word Study

Counselor
(
Jn 14:16
)

Paraklētos
(Gk.): an "advocate" or "helper". The word is used five times in John's writings, always with reference to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. It is a legal term for an attorney or spokesman who defends the cause of the accused in a courtroom. Jesus uses it for a heavenly intercessor who is called to the side of God's children to offer strength and support. Jesus is a "Paraclete" because in heaven he pleads to the Father for believers still struggling on earth (1 Jn 2:1). The Spirit, too, is a "Paraclete" because he is sent to strengthen the disciples in Jesus' absence (Jn 14:16), instruct them in the truth (Jn 14:26; 15:26), and defend them against the prosecutions of the devil (Jn 16:7-11), who is the "accuser" of the family of God (Rev 12:10).

14:30 ruler of this world:
Satan.
See note on Jn 12:31
. 
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14:31 I love the Father:
This is the only place in the k6kJ Gospels where Jesus verbalizes his love for the Father. The fact is never in doubt, however, since his every deed is done to honor the Father (8:29; 15:10), and he will soon make a loving gift of himself to the Father on the Cross (15:13) (CCC 606). • Christ reveals through his humanity the mystery of his divinity. The life and death of Jesus are thus a visible expression of the invisible life of the Trinity, where the Son eternally pours himself out in love to the Father. 
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15:1-11
The metaphor of the vine underscores Jesus' union with the disciples and their absolute dependency on him for life and growth. It assumes that because the vinedresser (the Father) seeks an abundant harvest, he trims back the vine stock (Jesus) to rid it of fruitless branches (apostates) and to invigorate the other branches (disciples) to become even more fruitful. • Several times the OT depicts Israel as a vineyard planted and tended by the Lord (Ps 80:8-16; Is 5:17; 27:2-6; Jer 2:21). When Jesus clothes himself with this same imagery, he is stressing that Israel finds its life and vigor no longer in the Old Covenant but in the New Covenant ratified by its Messiah. • The delivery of this sermon during the Last Supper gives it a sacramental coloring. Note how the invitation to "abide" in Christ (15:4-5) picks up a theme from the Bread of Life discourse (6:56) and how the Synoptic Gospels make an explicit link between the "fruit of the vine" and the eucharistic meal (Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25; Lk 22:18) (CCC 787). 
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15:2 he prunes:
The Father must trim away our selfishness to increase our growth in love. Pruning probably refers to the trials and fatherly discipline we experience in this life (Heb 12:511; Jas 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:6-7). 
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15:5 bears much fruit:
The fruits of righteousness are borne in us by the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; CCC 737). Without this lifegiving sap, which flows into the branches through the vine, we can do absolutely nothing to please the Father or move closer to salvation (CCC 308, 2074). 
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15:6 thrown into the fire:
Damnation awaits every branch that withers away from Christ and becomes worthless (Mt 3:10; Heb 6:4-8). • Ezekiel similarly described the residents of Jerusalem as vine branches that failed to yield
fruit
and so became
fuel
for the fires of divine judgment (Ezek 15:18). Vines, the prophet reasoned, are useless to the craftsman as wood and thus have no value apart from the grapes they bear. 
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15:10 my Father's commandments:
Love for the Father expresses itself through obeying his commandments as Jesus did (1 Jn 3:23-24). It was common in ancient society for younger siblings to look up to the eldest brother for guidance on how to honor and obey one's parents. 
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15:13 Greater love:
The fullest expression of love consists in pouring out our lives to God as Jesus Christ did on the Cross (1 Jn 3:16). See notes on Jn 13:34 and 14:31. 
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15:14 my friends:
The promise of intimacy with Jesus is conditional because it can be fulfilled only if we commit ourselves to his teaching. • Abraham, the man of faith, was the first to be called a "friend" of God in the Bible (2 Chron 20:7; Is 41:8). 
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15:18-27
Jesus cautions the disciples against the hostility and persecution of the world. The hatred it has for Jesus will likewise fall on them for preaching his gospel and living as he lived. The wording of 15:24-25 and 16:2 suggests that by "world" Jesus is referring to unbelieving Israel.
See note on Jn 1:10
. 
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15:22 no excuse:
Revelation entails the responsibility of embracing it. Had Jesus not spoken the truth to the world, its culpability would be lessened; since he did, however, scoffers and unbelievers face the dreadful consequences of rejecting the voice of the living God (12:47-50). 
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15:25 their law:
Refers to the entire OT, not only to the Pentateuch (10:34; 12:34).
They hated me:
Echoes Ps 35:19 and 69:4. • In both verses the Psalmist pleads for Yahweh's vindication because wicked men harass him for no justifiable reason. The disciples must learn from this word of caution from Jesus that the world's hatred will not go unnoticed by the Father, but he will one day deliver them from the malice of their oppressors. 
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15:26 whom I shall send:
The Spirit comes forth from the Father (14:16, 26) and the Son (16:7). • The mission of the Spirit in history is a reflection of the procession of the Spirit in eternity. This is expressed in the Nicene Creed, which says that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son" (CCC 244-48). 
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