The passage
      v22. Judas (not Iscariot - possibly the brother of James) is puzzled. He thought that Messiah would inevitably manifest (display / reveal himself) in glory before all humanity. He therefore asks how it is that Messiah will only manifest himself to the disciples, and not the world.
      v23. Jesus' answer is that he (together with the Father) only manifests himself to (reveals himself in the sense of comes to, makes his home with, enters into a permanent intimate relationship with) those who love him and those who love him obey his teachings. Actually, loving and obeying mean much the same thing, and given the context of the gospel, "obey" (lit. "keep my word") means the same as "believes in", or "comes to" Jesus.
      v24. On the other hand, those who do not love Jesus, do not keep his words, do not believe, are rejecting, not just Jesus, but the Father, the source of the divine revelation in Christ.
      v25. In this final moment with his disciples, Jesus is able to teach them some very powerful truths. Yet, this is not the end of his teaching ministry.
      v26. Jesus goes on to speak of the one who will carry on his teaching ministry. The Father will send the Holy Spirit (later we are told he comes/proceeds from Jesus as well) and he will "teach you all things." The "you" here are the disciples. For us, the New Testament is the fulfilment of this promise.
      This verse gives us some deep insights into the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the Paraclete. The Greek Fathers translated the word to mean "consoler", "comforter". Westcott says "the word is used technically for the advocates of a party in a cause, and specifically for advocates for the defence." Knox says it means "another to befriend you"; he is one who is close beside us and speaks with us for Christ - bears witness to Christ, convinces, teaches us... He is, of course, the Holy Spirit. As to the Spirit's character, power is not the emphasis, rather it is holiness. His task is to teach. "All things" probably means "all that is necessary for the church to know."
      v27. In introducing the word "peace", Jesus is not broaching a new subject. Peace is a blessing that results from the coming of the Holy Spirit. A Greek understood "peace" in the sense of an absence of war, and regularly used the word in greetings in the sense of a wishful hope. For a Jew it conjured up the promised blessings of the kingdom of God, particularly the blessing of God's intimate involvement in their lives. This is how Jesus is using the word and why such peace can still a troubled heart and overcome fear.
      v28. Jesus' imminent departure has saddened the disciples, but as his going means a coming to the Father (a reunion with the Father), then it should fill them with joy.
      "The Father is greater than I" is a problem statement. The subordination of one member of the trinity to another, seems to undermine the notion that all members are equal in authority. Jesus is probably referring to his role as the obedient servant of God on our behalf.
      v29. When the Spirit comes, then Jesus' words will be verified and the disciples will be filled with joy.
     

The ministry of the Spirit
      The issue Jesus deals within this passage concerns his "manifestation" to the disciples, but not to the world. This is the point of Judus' (not Iscariot) question. Jesus is about to leave the disciples, but he will come again soon and reveal himself to them. He reveals himself to those who believe in him. In fact, this manifestation is of the Father as well as the Son - "we will come". It is in the coming of the Holy Spirit that both the Father and the Son make their home with the disciple.
      The Holy Spirit intimately involves himself with each believer, and this association is similar to a personal friendship with Jesus. The relationship is experienced primarily through the advocacy of the Holy Spirit. He speaks with us in the conflicts of life, advising and aiding us in the struggle. He stands beside us. As Jesus put it, "I will be with you always." The aid is revelational. He "teaches us all things." That is, he gives us the information we need to know in our life as a disciple of Christ. This revelation comes through the principles outlined in scripture, which is the Spirit inspired Word of God. Through the word-ministries (prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) this revelation is made known to the fellowship of believers, whose task is then to prayerfully consider the word and apply it in their daily life.
      A believer is not alone in the struggle of life. The Spirit of Christ is beside us all the way, informing, directing and guiding. We are therefore, able to face life free from fear. Life may compound at times, but the path to glory is clearly before us because the Master leads us onward. Peace therefore surrounds us, even at moments of deepest loss. We can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is holding our hand.

v23
      ean tiV agapa/ me ton logon mou thrhsei (threw) fut. "if anyone loves me he will obey my teaching" - if anyone loves me the word of me he will keep. This conditional sentence takes the form of a vivid future supposition. John repeats this statement a number of times, v15, 21, 15:14. The strength of the condition (if a person loves Christ they will keep his word) implies an interrelationship between the two elements of the condition, ie. the protasis and the apodosis. This connection comes out fully in 1 John 5:3, "this is the love of God, to obey his commands." So, it is likely that loving Christ and keeping his word are one in the same. Doing one is doing the other, and visa versa. Yet, what "word" do we keep? There is little doubt that keeping the "word" is interchangeable with keeping/obeying my "words", my "commandments". The "word" may be taken collectively and include the Torah as well as Jesus' ethical teachings, ie. the whole law. Given the context, it is possible that the word we keep is the ethic of love. Those who are in a loving relationship with Christ will respond in love toward a brother. Just as the adulterous woman loved much because she was forgiven much, so here, the person who is in a loving relationship with Christ, who experiences the mercy of God in Christ, will naturally respond in love toward the brotherhood. Yet, it is more likely that the word/law is nothing more than the call to faith, belief in Christ, see Bultmann. The one who loves Christ believes in Christ; the one who believes in Christ loves Christ. "And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another", 1Jn.3:23. We create an intolerable legalism if we teach that the Father's love, and therefore, his coming to us, is dependent on our faithful response to Jesus, namely, obedience to the law (of Christ). It is annoying when this line is taken, particularly as the clause is not imperatival, not a command.
      eleusomeqa (ercomai) fut. "we will come" - Here Jesus answers Judas' question. The manifestation of the kingdom of God in the person of Jesus is revealed personally and intimately to those in a relationship with Christ through faith. It is realized in the coming of the divine into that person's life. By its very nature, such a manifestation cannot be perceived by "the world." The specific, as to who comes, has burdened the church for eons. The orthodox (not "O") position, following Augustine, opts for a Trinitarian coming; the Father and the Son come in the Spirit. We should note that John doesn't quite say this. There is evidence of a distinction, at least in function, and possibly in timing, between the coming of the Father and the Son, and the coming of the Spirit. Whatever is said, the text is not anti trinitarian.

v24
      oJ mh agapwn me touV logouV mou ou threi "he who does not love me will not obey my teaching" - the one not loving me the words of me does not keep. Negative conditional clause. Note that it is now "words" plural (NIV "teaching"). So, has John changed the sense of "word" = believe, to "words" = Christ's ethical teachings? The trouble is he reverts to "word" again in the second half of the verse. Do we take the second use to mean "doctrine", "teaching"? All this is a bit tenuous. We are best to press on with the idea that those who do not believe in Christ do not love Christ, those who do not love Christ do not believe in Christ.
      oJ logoV (oV) sing. "these words" - the word. This teaching, doctrine (justification by grace through faith?) derives from the Father, ie. it is divine and not of human devising; it is authoritative.

v25
      tauta "all this" - this. Presumably the words in this discourse. The verse serves to introduce the teaching on the Paraclete.

v26
      oJ de paraklhtoV (oV) masc. sing. "but the counselor" - but the Paraclete. Although spirit in Greek is neuter, it is important to note that John renders paraclete as masculine singular - he is a person, not a thing, not just a power. The word is a verbal adjective functioning as a noun, derived from "to call alongside" and therefore counsel, encourage, exhort. As a noun, there are a number of possible meanings: i] Advocate, probably the best choice in the sense of the one who advises and speaks on our behalf in the courts of heaven. Note, he is "another" advocate (v16) in that Jesus performs this task as well; ii] Counselor, in that he gives divine counsel, as does Jesus ; iii] Helper TEV; iv] Comforter, AV. The word is also used to begin the 2nd of the 5 passages in this discourse dealing with the Paraclete.
      en tw/ onomati mou "in my name" - in the name of me. At Jesus' request v16? With Jesus' authority?
      uJpomnhsei (uJpomimnhskw) fut. "will remind" - remind, cause to remember. The teaching role of the Holy Spirit is underlined, but teaching only in the sense of reminding the apostles of the teachings of Jesus and explaining those teachings to them. This word serves to authenticate the apostolic tradition, not to promise a divine interpretation to all who study the scriptures.

v27
      eirhnhn (h) "peace" - The greeting of peace, in a formal way, recalls the security and bounty of the coming kingdom of God, and wishes this on the person so greeted. In a piece of realized eschatology, Jesus bequeaths this reality to his disciples.
      afihmi uJmin "I leave with you" - I bequest to you
      emhn "my [peace] - the kingdom is realized in Christ, so it is his peace.
      mh tarassesqw (tarassw) pas. imp. "do not let [your hearts] be troubled" - let not be troubled. The thought is repeated in "do not be afraid", don't play the coward, for the kingdom has dawned in Christ and there is therefore, no need to fear.

v28
      hkousate (akouw) "you heard" - It is what the disciples heard, namely that Jesus is going away, that has filled them with fear.
      oJti oJ pathr meizwn (megaV) adj. comp. "for the Father is greater [than I]" - There is some doubt as to the antecedent. If it is "you would be glad that I am going to the Father" = you would be glad because everything is under his control. On the other hand, if it is "if you loved me" = you would be glad because I am returning to the realm within which I belong. The second option is obviously best. Note that Christ's submission to the Father, ie. his obedience, here expressed in the terms of the Father being greater than the son, does not make Christ less than deity. Christ functions as the obedient servant of God on our behalf.

v29
      iJna oJtan genhtai pisteushte "so that when it does happen you will believe" - "Before it all happens so that when it does happen you will believe" TEV, "have faith" NEB. The promised coming of the Holy Spirit will confirm Jesus' reliability and thus strengthen their faith.

v30
      ercetai gar oJ tou kosmou arcwn "the prince of this world is coming" - the ruler of the world is coming. This is not an oblique reference to Judas, but rather refers to Christ's approaching confrontation with Satan on the cross. The language is interesting, especially the word "coming". Great ones come to do battle and here Satan comes to do battle with Christ. There are many such comings, but they are not all from the dark side, some are from the light. Divine comings are fearful indeed. Note also Satan's designation as "the ruler of the world", a description that should give us a slight chill up the back when next we sing "he's got the whole world in his hand."
      kai en emoi ouk ecei ouden "he has no hold on me" - and in me he does not have anything. Because Satan is the ruler of this world and Jesus is not of this world, Satan has no claim over Jesus. As a consequence, Satan has no claim over those who are in Christ, which fact further eliminates fear.