What is the significance of Jesus saying, “Believe also in me” in John 14:1?

In the Gospel of John, the Farewell Discourse marks a pivotal moment in the ministry of Jesus, as He prepares the disciples for His imminent departure (John 13—17). In John 14:1, Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (ESV). In this statement, Jesus takes away fear and replaces it with faith.

To grasp the significance of believe also in me, we must situate it within the context of the Farewell Discourse. In the preceding chapters, Jesus predicts His betrayal and death, and, understandably, the disciples become distressed. As a result, the atmosphere is filled with tension and uncertainty.

So, Jesus takes a moment to comfort His disciples, urging them not to let their hearts be troubled. The disciples are encouraged to maintain unwavering trust both in God the Father and in Jesus. The emphasis on belief is a recurring theme in the Gospel of John (John 1:12–13; 3:16; 17:20; 20:27). In fact, it is the purpose for which the Gospel was written: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31, ESV).

The directive to “believe in God; believe also in me” highlights the oneness of the Father and the Son (see John 10:30). This link is more than an abstract concept; rather, it prompts believers to anchor their faith in the person of Christ (Hebrews 6:19).

Jesus is more than a teacher and prophet. He is, as John declared, “the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV). The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command” (Hebrews 1:3, NLT). Part of believing in Christ, then, is to trust that He and the Father are one.

The inclusion of the word also (John 14:1) adds depth to Jesus’ directive. By saying, “Believe also in me,” Jesus establishes equality between Himself and the Father. To the Jewish leaders, this was blasphemy (see John 5:18); their hardness of heart would not allow them to accept the one who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Children of God, however, trust in Christ with the same vigor that they trust in God.

No genuine believer can place God and Jesus into separate categories. To do so would be a failure to acknowledge the foundational doctrine of the deity of Christ. Jesus is more than a good moral teacher. He was, is, and will always be “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15, ESV). And He deserves to be worshiped as such (Philippians 2:10).

The directive to believe in Jesus in the same way we believe in God has profound implications for discipleship. To believe in Christ means that we surrender ourselves to His lordship and entrust our lives to Him alone. Our faith in Him equips us to face any and every challenge. Faith overcomes fear.