The Love and Obedience Partnership

Lesson #229

With this lesson we begin the next and last major section of chapter 14, defined by John 14:15 – 31. We begin this section with Jesus drawing a relationship between our love for him and our obedience to his commandments: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ESV). It is easy to say, “I love Jesus.” But what evidence is there that your statement is really true? If our love for him leads us to do his will, to love each other, to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him through good and difficult times, then we have evidence of our love for him. This is like a child who truly loves his parents will, without hesitation or complaining, do all that is required. As a child of God, no matter what opposition faces us, we will demonstrate our love by our faithful obedience.

Just how important is this love for God? How does it compare in value to faith? Consider the following: “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV). This is a very powerful statement and even relates to our salvation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8 – 9 ESV). Paul tells us we are saved by grace through faith, but Paul also said that without love I am nothing. It appears that a saving faith is to be undergirded by love that will obey his commandments after salvation. “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) and as his children his love dwells in us and must manifest its characteristics through us and one of those is obedience to him.

Following this instruction to obey his commandments, Jesus informs us that we will be given a Helper: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16 ESV). After making atonement for our sin, Jesus becomes our Mediator with God, and through his mediation and intercession will flow the blessings of his grace to us. One of those blessings is the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will come and dwell in us forever and be God’s active agent to empower us in righteous living. This active agent, the Holy Spirit, is the source from which flows that which empowers us to love and obey, but we must stay focused on Jesus Christ and deny our friendship with the world. From testimonies I hear and read, those who suffer deeply under persecution, attest to the blessings of this Helper in their lives. How desperately we as western believers need to live in a way to experience the Spirits presence, help and power in our daily lives, because this Helper will empower us in righteous living forever. We desperately need practice in this today to better understand his role in our lives for ages to come.

Prayer

Father, obeying his commandments as evidence of our love for Jesus, requires that we know his commandments. If we do not know his commandments, then how will we show any evidence that we love him? Father, in preparing this lesson, I fear that we may have a greater love for the things of the world than we do for the Lord. At least it seems much easier for believers to spend time and energy in their friendship with the world than they do with the Lord Jesus and his word. Observing a believer’s life for a while provides evidence of what or who is loved, and I am not so sure that Jesus is anywhere near the top of the list. Father, have mercy on us and encourage us to get our priorities right so that we produce the right evidence. 

Ask for Anything in My Name

Lesson #228

In the last lesson we discussed the works that we can do that are considered greater than those done by Jesus, but to try to do those works in our own strength will produce only limited results at best. We need help and Jesus now instructs his disciples where to find that help. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13 – 14 NKJV). From a quick reading of the verse, there seems to be a promise without a practical condition; Ask anything in his name and he will do it. I can think of many things I could ask in his name that he would not answer. We must find what the limiting factor is when asking in his name.

Let us look at some verses like this one that have conditions. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7 ESV). Here the condition is that we must abide in him and his words abide in us. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14 – 15 NKJV). Here the condition is that we must ask anything according to his will. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24 NKJV).  Here the condition is belief; Do you really believe you will receive what you ask for? Any doubt and the answer is no.

If we ask anything in his name, does that mean the conditions stated above do not apply? I believe they do because there is unity in the word of God. When applying something from one place in Scripture, it must be supported by other Scripture and also harmonize with the whole. Therefore, all the above conditions must be included when asking for something in his name. I believe there is also a further limitation in that the request must relate to kingdom work being done. We are not to pray for things for ourselves when our focus is reaching people with the gospel to the glory of God. We can ask for anything in his name as long as it will enhance the work we were called to do in advancing the kingdom of Christ to the glory of God.

Prayer

Father, in view of this lesson, we need to evaluate what we pray for and determine whether our focus is ourselves or kingdom work. When we experience physical pain do we pray for our comfort or do we use our pain as a prompt to pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering deep pain because of persecution? Do we pray for nicer things for ourselves or for those who have lost their jobs, their homes and so much more just because they are Christians? As people die by the thousands for not denying their faith, are we praying for boldness to live a life that sets us apart from those of the world? Father, you know what we ask for and I wonder to what extent our prayers please you. 

Greater Works You Will Do

Lesson #227

In our last lesson we started the verse, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12 ESV), but we didn’t finish. We still need to gain an understanding of what these “greater works” are that we are going to be able to do. Clearly the works do not refer to miracles because how can you do more than walk on water or raise the dead?

If we read to the end of the verse, we find that these greater works are somehow related to the fact that Jesus is going to his Father by way of the cross, where he will lay down his life for his sheep (John 10:15). But death could not hold him; he rises from the dead and ascends to his Father and, as he promised, sends the Holy Spirit to reside in us so we can do the works we are called to do. Take a look at John 20:21 – 23: “. . . “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld”” (ESV). The Father sent Jesus to purchase our salvation and provide the means of forgiveness, but as the Father sent Jesus, Jesus is sending us to do the work we were called to do and to do that work we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. That work, seems to be related to the last command given by Jesus: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19 – 20 ESV).

The cross was a historical marker. In the days before the cross, forgiveness of sin was in anticipation of the death and resurrection of Jesus, while after the cross forgiveness of sin was based on his finished work. For the first time ever, after the cross we were able to go and preach forgiveness of sin based on his finished work. Then came Pentecost and we received the Holy Spirit, which empowered us to teach about forgiveness in the finished work of Jesus and lead people to the cross and to their forgiveness and new birth. As believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit and in union with Christ, we will be instruments in leading people to their salvation. Many in the world today are suffering from persecution and even giving their lives in doing this assigned work. This work of sharing the gospel, based on what Jesus accomplished for us through the cross, is, I believe, the greater work.

In lesson #226, we looked at the first part of verse 12: “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” In this lesson we looked at the last part of the verse: “greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” There is one more piece we need to consider to complete this and that is found in verse 13 and will be covered in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, looking back over this lesson and the one before it I find the works discussed in both are essentially the same. What makes the works greater in this lesson is the emphasis placed on the fact that they could only be done after the finished work Jesus completed on the cross. Before the cross, one could only point unbelievers to the cross and believe God’s promise that the purchase of our salvation would happen. After the cross we become priest who then can point unbelievers to the cross and the finished work and to their forgiveness. Father, thank you for calling us as priests, as instruments, in leading unbelievers to their salvation. Indeed, this is a greater work. 

Doing the Works Jesus Did

Lesson #226

Jesus continues to talk to his disciples and now says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12 ESV). “Whoever believes” includes all believers, not just certain ones. This phrase is followed by a promise. This is a phrase we have seen before and each time it is followed by a promise. For example, John 6:35: “. . . whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”; John 7:38: “Whoever believes in me, . . . ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”; John 11:25: “. . . Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live”; John 12:46: “. . . whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” These five promises are for these who believe; this is normal Christianity.

If we are not careful, we can get ourselves into trouble here trying to figure out what the works Jesus did that we will do. If we scroll through our previous lessons and make a list of what Jesus did, we would get a list that would include the following: He turned water into wine (John 2:1 – 11); He read the mind of the woman of Samaria (John 4:18); He healed the official’s son (John 4:46 – 54); He healed the man crippled for 38 years (John 5:1 – 9); He fed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish (John 5:1 – 14); He walked on water (John 6:19); He healed a man born blind (John 9:1 – 7); He raised Lazarus from the dead after four days in the grave (John 11:43 – 44). Does this mean we should be able to do these also and if we can’t, does that mean we don’t believe? As we think about these miracles, it becomes clear that doing these things is not what is meant by doing the works Jesus did. So what did he mean?

These works that Jesus did were for the purpose of helping people believe in him (John 14:11). Therefore, the works we do should be for the purpose of helping people believe. Look at Galatians 2:20 and see if it doesn’t help: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (ESV). When we get ourselves out of the way and allow Jesus to live in and through us, he is able to do his works through us. In this way we do the works he does because he works through us and those works are for the purpose of helping people believe. The works we do are to point people to Jesus, to bear witness of Jesus to others. These works that we are to do are the ones assigned to us as described in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (ESV). These are the works that are like his works.

We are at the end of the space I have allotted for a lesson and we have the most difficult part of the verse yet to cover: “and greater works than these will he do.” We will start at this point next time. Can you think of how we can do greater works that Jesus?

Prayer

Father, each time I sit down to work on a lesson I feel like I am being nourished spiritually and as I am I sense a stronger attachment to my home in heaven. There is a greater realization that I am here on assignment and one day my work will be done and I will be home with you. Through these studies I am also realizing that in one way or another, every aspect of our assigned work relates to kingdom work. We are to be content if we have food and covering, but how much food and how elaborate of a covering is needed before it affects our kingdom work. Father, I am afraid that we have allowed working for ourselves to leave little, if any, time for doing your assigned work. Forgive us and have mercy on us. 

Jesus and the Father Are One

Lesson #225

Jesus finished his answer to the question Thomas asked about knowing the way and as we start this lesson, Philip speaks up: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8 ESV). The request Philip made is similar to the one made by Moses after God told him that he had found favor in his sight and that he knew him by name. These words of affirmation encouraged Moses to say, “Please show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18 ESV). It would have been inexcusable if Peter, James or John had made the request Philip made because they had seen the transfiguration on the mount (Matthew 17:1 – 8). What Philip was asking for was some outward and visible manifestation of God. God had manifested himself in various ways to the prophets and saints of old, and Philip desired that if such a manifestation could be made to them they would be satisfied. It was right for Philip to desire evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, but such evidence had been given in the miracles and teachings of Jesus, and that should have satisfied them.

Jesus then responds with: “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9 ESV). Two verses to support this are: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV) and “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15 NIV). Jesus is the Son of God, he is God clothed in flesh and as we learn about Jesus we learn about God. As we learn about the character of Jesus we learn about the character of God.

Jesus continues: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 14:10 ESV). There is one God, but three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the Godhead, each has a specific role, but work together in perfect harmony. Consider creation; the Father developed the design, the Son spoke it into existence by the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider our salvation; the Father had a plan, the Son came to carry out the plan by dying and the Spirit works in our hearts. Jesus was sent on assignment and does what the Father assigned to him to do. Just as the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father, so should that be with Jesus and us. As we get out of the way by being crucified with Christ, we release ourselves for Jesus to live in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Like Jesus doing what the Father instructs him to do, we should be doing what Jesus instructs us to do in the power of the Holy Spirit as we let him live his life through us. It is a mystery to the disciples that Jesus and the Father are one, as is the mystery of Christ in us the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

Jesus continues: “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:11 ESV). If they are not convinced by his words, then they should be convinced by the miracles themselves. Either way there is enough evidence for them to see this oneness between him and the Father; Jesus speaks as the Father speaks to him and he works as the Father works through him. There is perfect unity; perfect oneness; they are one God.

Prayer

Father, the gospel of John is truly amazing. As Jesus speaks and performs miracles, those of unbelief try to make sense out of it by applying it to the physical world and as they do they end up thinking Jesus is some kind of fake, but those of belief understand he is speaking about a spiritual application and they try to then understand new things. Father, since we are born physically alive but spiritually dead it is only natural for us to try to understand spiritual things from a physical perspective and end up not understanding. Lord, help us as believers to understand the spiritual applications of your word.

Jesus Is the Only Way

Lesson #224

We need to finish up John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”” (ESV). We know Jesus is the way to our Father’s house and to our Father and that Jesus, as the Word, is the absolute truth; the source from which all truth comes. As the creator of the universe and all that it contains, think about the body of truth there is in areas like science, mathematics, philosophy, theology, etc. The source of all advancements we make; all discoveries made through research, finds it source in Jesus the creator.

Jesus said he was also “the Life”, which is a repeat of John 11:25 when he claimed to be the resurrection and the life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4 NASB); he has life in himself; he is the source of eternal life (John 3:16). It is his life that gives life and light to our spirit. Without it we are spiritually dead and separated from God. Without eternal life we will spend an eternity, separated from God and under his wrath; a condition no one wants to experience.

Jesus then said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are particular places located through the world where one cannot enter without special clearance. We need special clearance to come to the Father and that clearance is obtained through Jesus Christ. The Father is holy and to enter his presence we would also have to be holy; a status that we can obtain only through coming to Jesus in obedient faith. No other perfect man has died in our place for our sin and risen from the dead. It is through that finished work, provided by Jesus that we have access to the Father. There is no other way in spite of what other religions believe. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NIV).

Jesus then concludes his answer to Thomas by saying, “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:7 ESV). Without the Spirit indwelling them I don’t think the disciples will understand this statement. We will see in the next lesson, but first some closing comments on the verse. The disciples still did not fully understand that Jesus was to die and be raised from the dead. They still saw him as a temporal earthly Messiah and did not understand the spiritual, eternal extent of what he was to accomplish. If they had understood what Jesus was sent to accomplish then they would have also understood the Father. This will all begin to take focus after the disciples meet Jesus after his resurrection, but until then there will be confusion. A good summary of this is found in Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (NIV).

Prayer

Father, it appears that eternal life can be obtained in one of two ways: A gift of God through grace or by enough good works. Our lesson makes it very clear that Jesus is the only source of life to replace our spiritual death we were born with. All life has its source in Jesus the creator of all things. No amount of work on our part will ever produce life. Most think living a good enough life on earth will be rewarded by a gift of eternal life, but if it could how would it not be a miserable extension of life like it is on earth. Father, unless a person is born again it is impossible to understand and embrace by faith the way through faith. The disciples and their lack of understanding make that clear. Thank you for providing the way through Jesus. 

The Way, the Truth and the Life

Lesson #223

At the end of the last lesson we left Thomas saying, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” In this lesson we will look at the answer Jesus gave: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”” (John 14:6 ESV). (A table of information on the seven I AM statements of Jesus can be found in Lesson #137.) Looking at what Jesus said, it probably isn’t going to help the disciples much and if we look ahead to verse 8 we see that it didn’t. For this lesson we need to stop and think about what his answer means to us. What do you think is the meaning of “I am the way?” Jesus is the way to what or to who? Remember the context of our study; Remember in verse 2 Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. Jesus is the way for them and for us to the Father’s house and that special room designed and constructed just for each of us, but there is so much more. Remember, Jesus said he was from the Father and that by way of the cross he is returning to the Father. If you were to go to visit your dad’s house would you not want to visit with your dad? That house that Jesus is the way to is our Father’s house and surely visiting with him is much, much more important that simply visiting our room.

Jesus is the way to our Father’s house where along with Jesus we will see our Father and also our special room, but that raises an important question that needs to be answered. How does Jesus provide the way for us? Jesus was sent by his Father on assignment, just as you and I as believers were chosen by the Father and sent here on assignment (Ephesians 2:10). The assignment for Jesus was to reveal the Father to us, explain that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, and then allow himself to be hung on a cross to die in payment for our sin. If we come to Jesus, believing who he claimed to be and accept his death on the cross in our place as payment for our sin, and that he can and will raise us from the dead, then we will have clearance to enter the Father’s house. This is what the disciples must eventually get their minds and hearts around; so must any unsaved person if they expect Jesus to be their way to the Father.

Probably the most important figure in the Old Testament was Moses because through him the law was given. That law was God’s instructions on proper behavior toward one another and toward God. It also described a method of sacrifice to cover one’s sins, but it was only a shadow of what was to come. When the time was right, God the Father sent his Son, the Word, to become flesh and dwell among us. He was described as being full of grace and truth and so through Jesus, grace and truth came to us. (John 1:14, 17). Since Jesus was God in flesh and since he never sinned, he became the perfect sacrifice and dying on the cross he provided justice by satisfying the law, which allowed God to forgive our sin and show us mercy and extend to us grace in the form of eternal life. Because of his death and resurrection, Jesus is the only source of God’s grace and the only way to the Father. But Jesus is also truth in that he teaches the knowledge of God and directs us in the way to the Father. As the Word he also assures us that all promises God makes will be kept and all instruction will be true and coming to Jesus, to the Word, to the truth we find freedom, because if “the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 ESV).

We need to stop here and finish this verse in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, I pray that my readers have come to understand that Jesus is the way to the Father and the source of true instruction on that way. Father, such horrendous cost in the death of Jesus to provide our way to you for those who through faith surrender themselves in obedience to Jesus. Thank you for providing the way to you through Jesus as a gift. 

Lord, We Don’t Know the Way

Lesson #222

Now that we know that Jesus is preparing a place for us, we come back to the disciple’s question of where he was going. At this point in the conversation, Jesus said, “And you know the way to where I am going.”” (John 14:4 ESV). After what Jesus had taught them about the Father sending him to prepare the way for them through his suffering on the cross and his laying down his life as a ransom for many and then taking it up again, they should have some idea how he was going to get to where he was going. He was going back to his Father by way of the cross and his resurrection. When Jesus raised Lazarus, he demonstrated that he was the resurrection and the life. When those who are born again physically die, Jesus will raise them up to be with him. Jesus has spent three years with them and by now they should know more than their questions reveal. Jesus saying, “You know the way” implies that they by now should know the way, but they don’t. Their ignorance is further revealed by what Thomas says next.

“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”” (John 14:5 ESV). This question from Thomas will draw from Jesus that he was going to the Father and that his death was their way as well as his way there. Thomas seems to be a rather anxious, intellectual who is striving after truth and reality. He seems to have a fear of issues which he could not grasp and I believe out of great love for Jesus, he asks his question. I understand their dilemma. Each Sunday morning, I sit under a gifted Bible teacher who is currently teaching verse by verse through 1 Peter. He will often at the end of a short passage stop and ask for a few words to summarize the main point. I struggle at times trying to find the summary he wants, but his training is so helpful for my study and writing these lessons. How I feel at times is similar to how the disciples must have felt. Jesus expects them to know the way by summarizing three years of teaching. They don’t and he knows it and in the next two verse he will give them a summary in his answer to Thomas.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”” (John 14:6 – 7 ESV). This should have helped, but we will see in the next lesson that it doesn’t. It simply raised more questions, revealing their lack of understanding of what Jesus was sent to accomplish. We must stop here and spend a lesson or more on verses 6 through 7.

Prayer

Father, we must be careful how we judge the disciples. What Jesus was teaching was radically different than anything they knew up to that point and to further complicate their understanding, they did not yet have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Their understanding grew when they met Jesus after his resurrection and then it grew tremendously after Pentecost. Just as the disciples were struggling to understand then, there are times, as you well know if you are a regular reader, that I struggle in trying to understand some portion of Scripture. Father, thank you for the Spirit that helps give us understanding.

A Place Prepared for Us

Lesson #221

What a meaningful verse we covered in the last lesson: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1 ESV). When we find ourselves in those times of “trouble” let’s then think about what Jesus next told his disciples: “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2 ESV). Many translations replace “many rooms” with “many mansions,” which does not fit well with the eastern context from which this is written. As believers, we make up the bride of Christ and when a son prepares to bring his bride home he first prepares a place for him at his father’s house. A room is added to the original house for her. As each son brings back his bride, there is a room added for her. In this context, Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms,” but for each one of us who are born again, he will add a room. During the past 2000 years Jesus Christ has been busy adding rooms to his Father’s house for his bride. I don’t believe we can begin to imagine what the Father’s house is like or what our room will be like. How important this concept is, especially for believers who have little covering to protect them from their current harsh living conditions. In any kind of trial, let us not forget the “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 2:4 – 6 ESV).

“If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” The truth of our personal room in the Father’s house is established on who Jesus is; the Son of God. Jesus will, in verse 6, enforce the truth of this statement by referring to himself as “the truth.” Jesus is trying to soften the blow of his announcement of his leaving the disciples behind by giving them a reason for his going away; he is going to his Father’s house to prepare a wonderful place for them. Here is where all believers will be gathered together with Jesus. Now our focus is on this future personal dwelling place, but nothing has yet been said about how we will spend our time in heaven. Here we are introduced to our place of residence, but we have yet to learn much about the fullness of life there. We can’t stop here, but must press on to the next verse.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3 ESV). Jesus is going to prepare a place and now he makes the promise that he will come again to take us there because that is where he will be. Let us not be discouraged by our suffering, even if it should lead to death because as we think about what lies ahead we need to be of good courage because it is better to be away from our body and be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). How important it is for us to study the Scriptures and know what lies on the outer side of death and to draw closer to Jesus Christ to know what living with him for an eternity will be like. How easy it is to get sidetracked in our preparation, by life in this world, and not be prepared for life in eternity and to be encouraged by what lies beyond our difficult time here. What hope and encouragement these two verses give us when we face difficult times and our hearts become troubled.

Prayer

Father, I reminded to pray for my brothers and sisters who face serious persecution and are not sure how soon before death might come; I also think of others who face persecution from family members or others who make life nearly unbearable; I think of those going through difficult health issues, difficult relational issues, or many other various trials that stir up life; I see the importance of what Jesus said in these two verses that we need to focus on instead of on how bad our circumstances are now. I pray for these and I pray that my readers will also pray for them and for each other. Lord, thank you for going to prepare a place for us and your promise to return to get us.

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

Lesson #220

With this lesson we will start chapter 14. The ESV translation that I usually work from divides the chapter into two major sections: I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14:1 – 14) and Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit (John 14:15 – 31). The first section is further divided up into three paragraphs, but I think we will start at verse 1 and work our way to the end of the section, not worrying about subsections.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1 ESV). Chapter divisions can cloud the context of a verse. When you read “Let not your hearts be troubled,” did you think of your own heart or did you immediately go back to the end of chapter 13 and the trouble the disciples were then experiencing? Maybe you even memorized John 14:1 as applied to your heart, which is what we should do, but we must stay focused on the story John is unfolding. We must first understand the context of the verses before we make personal application of them. This “out of context” is done often in sermons, Bible studies and especially in devotionals where one or two verses are selected and then a thought is developed that relates to the verse(s), but not truly in the context setting. There are times I slip back into old habits and do the same thing when I teach on single verses in My Faith Notes blog.

Jesus was not speaking to you when he said, “let not your hearts be troubled,” but to his disciples. He knew they were troubled by their facial expressions and by their comments. Much had just happened with the realization that Judas was a betrayer, that Peter was going to deny him, that Jesus was going to leave them and they must continue on without him, and that Jesus is going to suffer and die and they feared for themselves. They now understood that the physical kingdom on earth wasn’t going to happen and they sure didn’t understand the spiritual kingdom yet. It seemed that all was lost and ending in horrible failure, but to this Jesus, probably with some sternness, said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” Now with the disciples, we are ready to apply his statement to us also. When everything seems to be falling apart and anxiety is escalating, we need to be still and wait on God and believe in him for the way to proceed. As we continue with our studies we will see that God is in control, as he has been in the past, and is working from his master plan. The plan is not clear to the disciples and at first the plan is not clear to us when we enter that valley of darkness. It is like looking at the back side of a cross-stitch where the threads of various colors run here and there and look rather disorganized and unattractive, but if you could see the other side you would see something of beauty. During times of trouble we see the back side of life while God is at work creating the beauty of Christ-likeness on the front side.

Notice that it is not just God the disciples were to believe in; He said, “believe also in me.” Jesus is the source of what we need. We have seen this in past studies when we looked at the statements Jesus made about himself: “I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the door,” I am the good shepherd,” “I am the resurrection and the life,” and in this chapter he will say “I am the way, the truth and the life,” and then in chapter 15 he will say “I am the vine.” All that, which we need, comes to us from God, but has its source in Jesus Christ. Through our relationship with Jesus we have our connection to our Father and then from our source in Jesus our needs are supplied through the Spirit that indwells us. When, like the disciples, we are troubled, believe in God; believe also in Jesus as he is the key; the source of what we need.

Prayer

Father, I pray for my readers for your provision for them. If any are currently in that place of trouble, like the disciples were, I pray that you would quiet their hearts and assure them that you are in control. I pray that they will turn their focus from their troubles to you and as you work things out for them they will experience your love, your grace, and your hand of provision through Jesus Christ. Father, have mercy on them and guide them with your wisdom I pray in Jesus Name. 

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

Lesson #219

With this lesson we will cover the last section of chapter 13, defined by John 13:36 – 38, in which Jesus foretells Peter’s denial. Just as Jesus told the Jews, he tells the disciples that they cannot come with him. Peter wants to know more about where Jesus is going and “. . . said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”” (John 13:36 ESV). It is easy to read this verse and pass on to the next without thinking about the impact on John and Peter. As I sat before my computer screen looking at this simple verse the thought struck me about the different focus between John and Peter and about what was covered in the last lesson. Jesus spoke about leaving them in a little while and that they would not be able to come with him. He also spoke about a new commandment that they were to love one another just as he loved them. John was so impressed by his statement on love that he writes about it in 1 John, but Peter was impressed by the statement of not being able to go with Jesus and as we will shortly see, is willing to suffer and die to go with him. This idea of suffering with Jesus comes out in the two letters Peter wrote. The only response Jesus gives to Peter’s question is that he cannot follow now, but will be able to follow “afterward.” I don’t think Peter was helped by that answer and in fact was probably now more confused because of what “afterward” meant; after what?

“Peter, [not being satisfied], said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”” (John 13:37 ESV). Peter had experienced the glory of the Transfiguration and the majesty of Christ’s power, and the depth of his uttermost love, and he probably thought he was ready to die in his stand with Jesus, but he was missing at least one important thing, the love that had taken a grip on John. Paul speaks about this in 1 Corinthians 13:1 – 3: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (ESV). Without this love Peter was not ready to die. Jesus knew that he was not ready and that when the time came to live out his commitment, he would fail.

“Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times” (John 13:38 NKJV). There is a difficulty here with timing that we have encountered before in how John writes. John seems more intent to follow a line of thinking than he is in laying events out in a time order. When did this dialog actually take place and how many times did the roster actually crow is uncertain. Mark speaks of the roster crowing twice. Having grown up on a farm, I have no problem with this. During the early morning hours, Peter denied the Lord three times and by that time it was light enough for the roster to crow and he crowed twice in a short time frame. John refers to this as the roster crowing once.

In hindsight of this chapter, be careful when trying to fit events into a strict time frame, because you can’t. Instead, think about the thoughts John is presenting and learn from them.

Prayer

Father, this has been an interesting chapter to write about. There were several things that stood out for me: The importance of humility as demonstrated in the washing of the disciple’s feet; How Jesus used the idea of washing the disciple’s feet to introduce the idea of needing to be clean on the inside also; How Jesus related to the enemy within the group by protecting him by not revealing to others what his evil deeds were, allowing him the chance to believe; The attitude of Jesus as he approaches a horrible time of suffering. There is so much we need to learn from these topics that were introduced in this chapter. Lord, teach us and show us mercy as we learn. 

A New Commandment

Lesson #218

With this lesson we will finish this section. In our last lesson, Jesus referred to the disciples as “little children.” This expression must have meant very much to John because of his frequent use of it when he wrote the letter of 1 John. Another interesting link to 1 John is found in our next verse: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34 ESV). In 1 John we find: “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:7 – 8 ESV). John is pointing out that the “new commandment” is really not new, but an old commandment with something added to it. We need to determine what that addition is.

The old commandment being referred to is found in Leviticus 19:18: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (NKJV). Look at both carefully. In Leviticus we find, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” and here is John it is, “Love one another: just as I have loved you.” See the difference in how we are to love. In Leviticus we are to love as we love ourselves, but in John we are to love as Jesus loved us. Jesus not only loved his neighbor as himself, but he loved him more than himself, for he laid down his life for the neighbor and for everyone else. This new commandment contains the added idea of a sacrifice for the benefit of the one being loved; a sacrifice to the extent of laying down our life if needed. Never before has this kind of love been prescribed; a love so pure and disinterested in self when compared to the one being loved. Jesus has indeed set a very high standard. Not only are we to lay down our lives for each other, but we are to also love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Love is important because, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV). Peter tells us to “. . . have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8 ESV) toward one another. The fruit of the Spirit is love and the characteristics of that love is “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22 – 23 ESV). We could also look at 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7) for additional aspects of love, but Jesus adds the premium part and that is to be willing to sacrifice for the benefit of the one being loved, even if it requires your life. This intensity of love; this willingness to sacrifice for another is the mark that is to set apart those who are disciples of Jesus from the rest of the population. I find it difficult to give examples of this love being displayed today. We do have endless examples of this sacrificial love for the Lord Jesus by those under persecution giving their lives before they will deny him. Their stand in the face of persecution; their love of the persecutor and their forgiveness of the suffering they are receiving from them; their willingness to lay down their lives before they will deny their faith is an indication that these are disciples of Jesus.

Prayer

Father, for many today, love is all about feeling and not about sacrifice. In so many cases, if the feeling is gone then it seems to be time for a spouse trade in. If we were willing to love as Jesus loves us and sacrifice for the benefit of others we would have lasting marriages, stable families and a stronger country. When we make life about us and not about our Lord and others, that is when strife begins to take hold of our relationships. Father, forgive us for our selfishness and have mercy on us as you work in our hearts. Lord, help us get our focus off from us and our desires and onto you and your will.

The Love of Jesus for His Disciples

Lesson #217

With this lesson we will start the next short section, defined by John 13:31 – 35, which introduces a new commandment that we are to consider. Our last lesson ended with Jesus going out into the night: “When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him”” (John 13:31 ESV). Judas has left on his devilish mission, leaving Jesus with the true disciples and thus greater freedom to have conversation with them about his suffering and death. There is so much yet to explain to his disciples about their future conduct and behavior.

Let us stop and think for a moment. Peter motioned to John, who was leaning next to Jesus, to ask him who the betrayer was. John must have been stunned when he learned it was Judas and then things began to come together in his mind. Remember when Mary took the expensive ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus and Judas got upset over this as a waste. He thought the ointment should be sold for 300 denarii and the money given to Jesus to give to the poor. As the one in charge of the moneybag, John now realized that Judas was a thief all along, helping himself to the money (John 12:3 – 6). As Judas leaves the meal, being sent out by Jesus, John is trying to process this new information that there has been a devil living in their midst and now he is probably out doing some evil work. Knowing that Judas is a betrayer, John now hears Jesus say, “Now is the Son of Man glorified.” “Now” set the beginning of the journey Jesus will make to the cross. As the Son of Man, his death in our place for our sin is his accomplished work and speaks of his present glory. The brightness of what Jesus is about to accomplish, troubles his spirit, but it over-powers all thought of the darkness along the path to the cross. The work the Son was doing was the Father’s work also, because the glory of the Son of Man in the redemption of the world was the glory of God, who gave His only-begotten Son, that by Him the world might be saved. We see this in the next verse: “If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once” (John 13:32 ESV).

What is probably one of the most emotionally charged moments of John’s life, he next hears Jesus say, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’”” (John 13:33 ESV). “Little children” or beloved children is an expression which implies great tenderness and affection, like you would find with a mother toward her beloved children. With Judas no longer with the group, Jesus is free to use this expression of tenderness.

Jesus made it clear that the end of his life was at hand by saying, “Yet a little while I am with you.” Judas is gone to carry out his treason plans, leaving Jesus a short while to express his tenderness for them and that he was going to leave them in this cold and unfeeling world. Imagine that you were dying and had your loved ones around you. How would you feel if they were your children? What would you say to encourage them; to prepare them for your absence? This is what Jesus was doing with his disciples. Jesus knew they would miss him and express this by saying, “You will seek me”; an expression of longing for his presence. Jesus was going to the cross to die and for now the disciples cannot come because they must stay behind and complete the work left for them to do. In 13:36, Jesus assures them that the time without him would be temporary and short.

Prayer

Father, as I think about how to close this lesson with prayer, a verse in 1 Peter comes to mind: “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8 NKJV). Father, Jesus expressed how he loved his disciples and in 1 Peter, Peter instructs those to follow him with words of unity, compassion or sympathy, love, tenderhearted and courteous. If we were to live these out, seeing Jesus as our example, how different Christianity would be today. Father, as I look at these terms I realize they cannot exist in a proud and arrogant heart. Jesus referred to his disciples as little children. Father, I am afraid we have fallen short of having unity of mind, and showing sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart with a humble mind toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. Father, forgive us and help us live out Galatians 2:20.