Click here for the John 15:9-13 PODCAST
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ~ John 15:9-13
As we pointed out yesterday, there are four characteristics of fruitfulness found in John 15:7-11. We considered the first two yesterday: 1) the impact of answered prayer, 2) the expression of His fruitfulness through our yielded lives. Today, we will consider the next two of these, the third and fourth.
The third characteristic of fruitfulness is found in v.9-10 where we read, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love." The third characteristic of fruitfulness in the life of the believer is the realization of his belovedness in Christ.
Note the words, "As the Father has loved me."
How do we measure the Father's love for the Son? The greatest declaration of the Father's love for His Son is seen in the Son's willingness to fulfill the Father's desire to redeem mankind. Through His humiliation, His painful death, and His separation from the Father, we were given an example of what our understanding of the Father's love for us has and can do.
The kind of love the Lord Jesus speaks of here is a decision to act for the benefit of someone else no matter how you feel about him or her. The Apostle Paul tells us, "While we were yet the enemies of God, Christ died for us." His love is a decision to be kind, gracious, considerate, helpful, firm, or whatever will minister to another's benefit no matter how we feel. That is the love the Lord Jesus commands.
The Lord Jesus adds a phrase here which becomes a powerful motive to enable us to obey this command. "Love each other." And, there is also a motive provided, found in these words, "as I have loved you."
In these words of the Lord Jesus is the answer to the problem of the sense of despair and meaninglessness that many people have today. People feel insecure and in despair, because they feel worthless and rejected. The antidote to this is to realize that God loves us. Love comes naturally and flows fully out of a heart that is itself conscious of being loved.
The fourth and last evidence of fruitfulness is found in John 15:11 where we read, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." This last evidence of the believers fruitfulness is the presence of the joy of the Lord Jesus in his life.
We are told in Nehemiah "the joy of the Lord is our strength." The Hebrew for "joy" is "chedvah," meaning joy or gladness. The root word for joy in this context means to rejoice or to make glad. "Strength" is a Hebrew word meaning “a place or means of safety, protection, refuge, or stronghold.” The root word of strength means “to be strong, toprevail; to make firm, strengthen.” The joy of the Lord is a constant gladness and cause to rejoice. It stems from an inner strengthening from our relationship with Him.
The joy of the Lord is realized en route to restoration. God convicts us of sin, and often our first reaction is guilt and shame. But those feelings never come from God.
Ezra the scribe gathered all the people. He read to them from God’s book and skilled ministers explained the words and their meaning to the people. Nehemiah 8:8 says, “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”
Once the people understood, they wept. God's Word opens the eyes of the willing to the waywardness of the way which is contrary to the Lord's. Then, Nehemiah was quick to remind them of who the Lord is. They could delight in the joy of the Lord because he is a forgiving, gracious and compassionate God.
Friday, December 20, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
John 15:4-8
To listen to the John 15:4-8 PODCAST, click here
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ~ John 15:4-8
John 15 is about the fruitfulness of the believer. This is not about justification, it is about sanctification. Realizing fruitfulness for the believer in Christ is not automatic. In v.4 the Lord Jesus gives us teaching about how the believer can be Christlike. In v.4, we read, "Remain in me" which is written in the active voice, meaning "be walking with me." This is something we are expected to be doing. To be remaining in Him is to be "following and relating to Him."
The word remain comes from the Greek word meno, which means “to follow, live, stay, dwell.” Essentially, our walking with Christ receives its inertia by believing in Him. We experience eternal life by continuing to walk with Him. In John 10:10, the Lord Jesus says that He came so that we might have life abundantly.
In addition, in v.4, the Lord Jesus says, "I also will remain in you." This phrase is written in the passive voice, meaning someone outside of us is doing the action. This is not something we can produce. However, it is something that we can expect to happen to us. It takes both for the believer to be a fruitful. This does not mean that the Lord Jesus leaves us; it means He will express Himself to and through us. The trigger to this is us choosing to relate to Him.
In v.5, we read, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." This verse means without dependence on the Lord Jesus the believer will not experience the expression of His life through our lives. Believers cannot produce fruit on our own effort. Only the vine can produce fruit. Only the Lord Jesus can produce fruit in our lives.
In v.6, we read, "If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." God's desire is to produce fruit in and through His followers. But, if we refuse to abide, if we refuse to stay in fellowship with Him, then there will be no expression of God in and through our lives. Instead, we will wither up spiritually. If we ever feel withered up in our Christian life, we must make fellowship with God our top priority. Such things are like water to a dry and thirsty land.
In v.7-11, we learn of four characteristics of fruitfulness. We will only consider today the first two of these.
The first characteristic of our fruitfulness is seen in v.7 where we read, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." The first evidence of a fruitful life is the impact of answered prayer. We become effective in our prayer life. The work we are seeking to do accomplishes something. We ask whatever we will need for that work, and it is granted. Notice the Lord Jesus links this closely to "His words," not the word "logos," which means the whole of the Bible, but the word "rhema," which means the specific promises of the Bible.
Prayer and promises are linked together. Prayer is not a way of getting God to do what we want Him to do. Rather, it is asking Him to do what He has promised to do. We pray according to His promises. So if we want our prayers to be effective, we must read and pray the promises of God. When we do, we will pray according to the mind and will of God. And, as the Lord Jesus has said, whatever you ask will be done.
The second characteristic of our fruitfulness is seen in v.8 where we read, "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." This is actually His fruitfulness through our yielded lives.
The Apostle John is describing a believer who is being used by the Lord Jesus to point others to the Him. This is a major part of the believers sanctification. Many believe our sanctification is about our improvement; it is not. Our sanctification is about being involved in others coming to know the Lord Jesus for themselves. God is training us to die to our flesh, that is the selfish and evil desires that we know to be in us. As we die to ourselves and allow Him the freedom to reveal Himself to us and through us, we are realizing His sanctification in and through our lives.
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4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ~ John 15:4-8
John 15 is about the fruitfulness of the believer. This is not about justification, it is about sanctification. Realizing fruitfulness for the believer in Christ is not automatic. In v.4 the Lord Jesus gives us teaching about how the believer can be Christlike. In v.4, we read, "Remain in me" which is written in the active voice, meaning "be walking with me." This is something we are expected to be doing. To be remaining in Him is to be "following and relating to Him."
The word remain comes from the Greek word meno, which means “to follow, live, stay, dwell.” Essentially, our walking with Christ receives its inertia by believing in Him. We experience eternal life by continuing to walk with Him. In John 10:10, the Lord Jesus says that He came so that we might have life abundantly.
In addition, in v.4, the Lord Jesus says, "I also will remain in you." This phrase is written in the passive voice, meaning someone outside of us is doing the action. This is not something we can produce. However, it is something that we can expect to happen to us. It takes both for the believer to be a fruitful. This does not mean that the Lord Jesus leaves us; it means He will express Himself to and through us. The trigger to this is us choosing to relate to Him.
In v.5, we read, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." This verse means without dependence on the Lord Jesus the believer will not experience the expression of His life through our lives. Believers cannot produce fruit on our own effort. Only the vine can produce fruit. Only the Lord Jesus can produce fruit in our lives.
In v.6, we read, "If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." God's desire is to produce fruit in and through His followers. But, if we refuse to abide, if we refuse to stay in fellowship with Him, then there will be no expression of God in and through our lives. Instead, we will wither up spiritually. If we ever feel withered up in our Christian life, we must make fellowship with God our top priority. Such things are like water to a dry and thirsty land.
In v.7-11, we learn of four characteristics of fruitfulness. We will only consider today the first two of these.
The first characteristic of our fruitfulness is seen in v.7 where we read, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." The first evidence of a fruitful life is the impact of answered prayer. We become effective in our prayer life. The work we are seeking to do accomplishes something. We ask whatever we will need for that work, and it is granted. Notice the Lord Jesus links this closely to "His words," not the word "logos," which means the whole of the Bible, but the word "rhema," which means the specific promises of the Bible.
Prayer and promises are linked together. Prayer is not a way of getting God to do what we want Him to do. Rather, it is asking Him to do what He has promised to do. We pray according to His promises. So if we want our prayers to be effective, we must read and pray the promises of God. When we do, we will pray according to the mind and will of God. And, as the Lord Jesus has said, whatever you ask will be done.
The second characteristic of our fruitfulness is seen in v.8 where we read, "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." This is actually His fruitfulness through our yielded lives.
The Apostle John is describing a believer who is being used by the Lord Jesus to point others to the Him. This is a major part of the believers sanctification. Many believe our sanctification is about our improvement; it is not. Our sanctification is about being involved in others coming to know the Lord Jesus for themselves. God is training us to die to our flesh, that is the selfish and evil desires that we know to be in us. As we die to ourselves and allow Him the freedom to reveal Himself to us and through us, we are realizing His sanctification in and through our lives.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2019
John 15:1-3
Click here for the JOHN 15:1-3 PODCAST
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ~ John 15:1-3
John 14 closed with the Lord Jesus saying to His disciples. “Come now; let us leave." Then they left the Upper Room, situated in the southwest corner of Jerusalem, making their way through the vineyards that grew around Jerusalem toward the Garden of Gethsemane.
In v.1 we read, "I am the true vine." A vine is the delivery source of sustenance for the rest of the plant or tree. As the Lord Jesus is walking with His disciples toward the Garden of Gethsemane, they’re passing by vineyards. It is the optimum time for Him to use the scenery around Him to illustrate the lesson that He wants the disciples to learn.
To be the "true vine", the Lord Jesus is saying He is the source of that which is needed for the branch to realize its purpose. He is connected to that which is life, real life. He is saying He is the source for all of our needs, and we can trust Him to have our best interest at heart. We must receive from Him all that is needed to experience Zoe, eternal life, the life with the touch of eternity on it.
In v.1, the Lord Jesus identifies the Father as the Gardener. The Lord Jesus uses the Greek word georgos for the word Father, which means "earth worker." This word tells us the Father takes care of the vineyard and He is ultimately responsible for the fruitfulness of the believer.
In v.2, we learn of the work of the Father as the Gardener: "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." Every fruitless branch "He cuts off." That phrase is one word in the Greek and is better translated, ''He lifts up."
It was common for these branches or little vines to fall between the cracks and crevices of the terrain. And, at certain times, the Gardener would have to lift up the fallen branch so that it would be in the direct rays of the sun and therefore would be able to yield fruit.
In addition, the Gardener would "prune" those branches that were yielding fruit so that they would be more fruitful. This is what Gardeners do, they cut back the branches, so that the branches will bear more fruit. I have found that no matter how much I have grown, there will always be things in my life that He must prune away in order to make my yielded life more fruitful. These things may be faulty ways of thinking or anxieties, or faulty ways of living.
Most often, it is His word that He uses to prune us most. Sorrow, disappointment, failure, a sense of weakness or some passing experience of life, He often uses to prune us. Yet, having walked with Him for years, we must realize these prunings are necessary for our fulfillment and important for our usefulness in His kingdom.
Now, you probably recognized the Lord Jesus does not identify the fruit that He was speaking of directly. Probably, the best scripture to go to for these fruits is found in Galatians 5:22, where the Apostle Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control." These nine qualities are what the Father is now laboring to produce in our lives.
Finally, the Lord Jesus draws attention to the fact that He is not talking about justification or being made right with God through believing in the saving work of the Lord Jesus. No, He reminds the disciples that they are already clean by the word He has spoken to them. He is talking about our sanctification, and the end goal of our sanctification is His expression through our lives by the expression of His fruit. As He expresses Himself through our yielded lives, others are drawn to Him. This is our purpose in our lives and the purpose of our sanctification.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ~ John 15:1-3
John 14 closed with the Lord Jesus saying to His disciples. “Come now; let us leave." Then they left the Upper Room, situated in the southwest corner of Jerusalem, making their way through the vineyards that grew around Jerusalem toward the Garden of Gethsemane.
In v.1 we read, "I am the true vine." A vine is the delivery source of sustenance for the rest of the plant or tree. As the Lord Jesus is walking with His disciples toward the Garden of Gethsemane, they’re passing by vineyards. It is the optimum time for Him to use the scenery around Him to illustrate the lesson that He wants the disciples to learn.
To be the "true vine", the Lord Jesus is saying He is the source of that which is needed for the branch to realize its purpose. He is connected to that which is life, real life. He is saying He is the source for all of our needs, and we can trust Him to have our best interest at heart. We must receive from Him all that is needed to experience Zoe, eternal life, the life with the touch of eternity on it.
In v.1, the Lord Jesus identifies the Father as the Gardener. The Lord Jesus uses the Greek word georgos for the word Father, which means "earth worker." This word tells us the Father takes care of the vineyard and He is ultimately responsible for the fruitfulness of the believer.
In v.2, we learn of the work of the Father as the Gardener: "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." Every fruitless branch "He cuts off." That phrase is one word in the Greek and is better translated, ''He lifts up."
It was common for these branches or little vines to fall between the cracks and crevices of the terrain. And, at certain times, the Gardener would have to lift up the fallen branch so that it would be in the direct rays of the sun and therefore would be able to yield fruit.
In addition, the Gardener would "prune" those branches that were yielding fruit so that they would be more fruitful. This is what Gardeners do, they cut back the branches, so that the branches will bear more fruit. I have found that no matter how much I have grown, there will always be things in my life that He must prune away in order to make my yielded life more fruitful. These things may be faulty ways of thinking or anxieties, or faulty ways of living.
Most often, it is His word that He uses to prune us most. Sorrow, disappointment, failure, a sense of weakness or some passing experience of life, He often uses to prune us. Yet, having walked with Him for years, we must realize these prunings are necessary for our fulfillment and important for our usefulness in His kingdom.
Now, you probably recognized the Lord Jesus does not identify the fruit that He was speaking of directly. Probably, the best scripture to go to for these fruits is found in Galatians 5:22, where the Apostle Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control." These nine qualities are what the Father is now laboring to produce in our lives.
Finally, the Lord Jesus draws attention to the fact that He is not talking about justification or being made right with God through believing in the saving work of the Lord Jesus. No, He reminds the disciples that they are already clean by the word He has spoken to them. He is talking about our sanctification, and the end goal of our sanctification is His expression through our lives by the expression of His fruit. As He expresses Himself through our yielded lives, others are drawn to Him. This is our purpose in our lives and the purpose of our sanctification.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
John 14:25-31
Click here for the JOHN 14:25-31 PODCAST
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. ~ John 14:25-31
Just a few hours before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus was concerned for the faith and peace of His followers. According to v.25-26, the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father to teach and remind the disciples of the many things the Lord Jesus had taught them. But, He had to die a brutal death before the Holy Spirit would be sent.
At the earliest, the disciples wrote of the things the Lord Jesus did and said was ten years after the events. In the case of John, it was up to fifty years later before he got around to writing these things down. This would result in the compilation of the New Testament, thus bolstering the faith of His followers, for it is always His word that creates faith in the believer.
It is through a bolstered faith that the believer accesses the peace of the Lord Jesus. If our faith is weak or misdirected, His peace will not reign in our lives.
In v.27, the Lord Jesus said, "My peace I give to you." You and I can access His peace under any circumstance, because He does not give "as the world gives." The world's peace wears off and we find ourselves right back where we were before. The world's peace is escapism, off to the mountains, watching a ball game or getting wrapped up in some activity.
His peace, on the other hand, "passes all understanding." It is internal, produced not by us or our circumstances. It is not subject to the external. Produced by Him, He imparts to the believer a consciousness that the One who indwells us is able to handle our problems and we are at peace because of that.
At the end of v.28 we read, "the Father is greater than I. From all eternity the Father has been the one who is behind the Son. This means His nature has an “exact imprint” in the Son. As a result, the Father and the Son are equally God, of the same divine nature, but different in roles, and the Lord Jesus says that because of the Father’s unique role He is greater.
In essence, in v.28-29, the Lord Jesus is saying, "You ought to rejoice that I go back to the Father because my limitations will be over. At that moment, I will do what I have always wanted to do. When the Spirit comes, I will be able to do what I never could do in the days of my flesh."
In v.30-31, the Lord Jesus is serving the disciples' faith. This is what enables the disciple to access His peace. The Lord Jesus is anticipating the most terrible power clash ever, when He will confront the enemy of humanity head-on and deal with the shame, humiliation and weakness of sin and death. Because of this, He can give us His peace, because He Himself will have conquered the ruler of this world, sin and death.
At the end of v.30, we read, “He has no hold over me.” Literally, He is saying, “he has nothing on me.” That is, "he can accuse me of no sin." With that said, "He who had never been guilty of sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
As a result, Satan is really not the explanation behind the cross, the obedience of the Lord Jesus explains the cross. In v.31, we read, “so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” The Lord Jesus is saying, "I am not controlled by the lies of the devil, I am controlled by my love for my Father."
The cross was not at root the coercion of evil; it was the compliance of the love of the Lord Jesus for the Father. The roots of the cross reach back before creation into the eternal Godhead where God the Son has always infinitely loved God the Father. He loved the Father therefore He loved us. And, as a result, we love Him.
For the believer in Christ this life of faith is so contrary to what is natural for us. In fact, it can be down right hard. It is so hard that we want to give up and go back to the pleasures of our old life. But, we know our old life isn't worth the investment. No, we press on in our walk with the Lord Jesus. Only then will we experience His peace in the context of all of the hardships which come as servants to us in our walk with the Lord.
Perfect peace comes when our focus is off the problem, and increasingly on the Lord Jesus. As Isaiah 26:3 reads, "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You."
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. ~ John 14:25-31
Just a few hours before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus was concerned for the faith and peace of His followers. According to v.25-26, the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father to teach and remind the disciples of the many things the Lord Jesus had taught them. But, He had to die a brutal death before the Holy Spirit would be sent.
At the earliest, the disciples wrote of the things the Lord Jesus did and said was ten years after the events. In the case of John, it was up to fifty years later before he got around to writing these things down. This would result in the compilation of the New Testament, thus bolstering the faith of His followers, for it is always His word that creates faith in the believer.
It is through a bolstered faith that the believer accesses the peace of the Lord Jesus. If our faith is weak or misdirected, His peace will not reign in our lives.
In v.27, the Lord Jesus said, "My peace I give to you." You and I can access His peace under any circumstance, because He does not give "as the world gives." The world's peace wears off and we find ourselves right back where we were before. The world's peace is escapism, off to the mountains, watching a ball game or getting wrapped up in some activity.
His peace, on the other hand, "passes all understanding." It is internal, produced not by us or our circumstances. It is not subject to the external. Produced by Him, He imparts to the believer a consciousness that the One who indwells us is able to handle our problems and we are at peace because of that.
At the end of v.28 we read, "the Father is greater than I. From all eternity the Father has been the one who is behind the Son. This means His nature has an “exact imprint” in the Son. As a result, the Father and the Son are equally God, of the same divine nature, but different in roles, and the Lord Jesus says that because of the Father’s unique role He is greater.
In essence, in v.28-29, the Lord Jesus is saying, "You ought to rejoice that I go back to the Father because my limitations will be over. At that moment, I will do what I have always wanted to do. When the Spirit comes, I will be able to do what I never could do in the days of my flesh."
In v.30-31, the Lord Jesus is serving the disciples' faith. This is what enables the disciple to access His peace. The Lord Jesus is anticipating the most terrible power clash ever, when He will confront the enemy of humanity head-on and deal with the shame, humiliation and weakness of sin and death. Because of this, He can give us His peace, because He Himself will have conquered the ruler of this world, sin and death.
At the end of v.30, we read, “He has no hold over me.” Literally, He is saying, “he has nothing on me.” That is, "he can accuse me of no sin." With that said, "He who had never been guilty of sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
As a result, Satan is really not the explanation behind the cross, the obedience of the Lord Jesus explains the cross. In v.31, we read, “so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” The Lord Jesus is saying, "I am not controlled by the lies of the devil, I am controlled by my love for my Father."
The cross was not at root the coercion of evil; it was the compliance of the love of the Lord Jesus for the Father. The roots of the cross reach back before creation into the eternal Godhead where God the Son has always infinitely loved God the Father. He loved the Father therefore He loved us. And, as a result, we love Him.
For the believer in Christ this life of faith is so contrary to what is natural for us. In fact, it can be down right hard. It is so hard that we want to give up and go back to the pleasures of our old life. But, we know our old life isn't worth the investment. No, we press on in our walk with the Lord Jesus. Only then will we experience His peace in the context of all of the hardships which come as servants to us in our walk with the Lord.
Perfect peace comes when our focus is off the problem, and increasingly on the Lord Jesus. As Isaiah 26:3 reads, "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You."
Monday, December 16, 2019
John 14:18-24
Click here for the John 14:18-24 PODCAST
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. ~ John 14:18-24
The God of the Bible is the Father of all mankind. However, in the garden mankind became orphaned when we chose to ignore God's definition of things. We, in essence, ran away from home, only to discover we unknowingly locked the door for reentry. And, we can't unlock this door.
In Psalm 68:5, we learn of God as the, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows.” We can only be children of the Father through believing in His Son and receiving His free gift of forgiveness procured through His death on the cross.
In John 14:18, we read the One whom the disciples had learned to love and trust promised not to leave them as orphans. He explained that He would return to them after His death, and send the Holy Spirit to live in each of them. Of course, as recorded at the end of the Gospels and in the book of Acts, the Lord Jesus returned to them after His resurrection. And, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to live in those who had believed on the Lord Jesus.
With that, the primary work of the Holy Spirit is to make the Lord Jesus real to the believer. The mark of the Spirit-filled life is an ever-deepening consciousness of the reality of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer.
In v.19, we read, "Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. " The Lord Jesus is referring to His post-resurrection appearances. In a 40 day period, the Lord Jesus appeared to those who had left all to follow Him. In addition, the Holy Spirit enables the believer to see the Lord Jesus more deeply. The Holy Spirit makes the Lord Jesus more real to the believer.
More than that, the Lord Jesus continues, "Because I live, you also will live." The Greek word used here for "live" is Zoe which means eternal life. This is the type of life which gives us God's perspective on our lives. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer permanently. While the believer still sins and grieves the Spirit, the Spirit will never leave the believer.
In v.20, we read these four words, "you are in me." This is our first experience when we come to Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who makes us alive to God and His culture. We, now, are children of God. We have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of his love.
Notice the last four words in v.20, "I am in you." The Christian life is not about what we can do for God. No, it is about what He does for us, in us and through us! It is a personal relationship with God whereby we are getting to know His heart of love for us and others. And, as we get to know Him, we will naturally want others to know Him. This is His desire, not only for us but also for others.
Obedience is not too difficult for those who know His love. The key to obedience is not the demands of the Law, the key to obedience is our response to His love. According to 1 John 4:19 our love for God is our response to His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us.Click here for the JOHN 14;18-24 PODCAST
As a result, having experienced His love for us, we teach people of His love for mankind. We show them how much He has already loved us and them, and obedience is the natural response of the impacted human heart.
Note what the Lord Jesus says in v.21, "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." As we grow in our understanding of His love for us, a greater intimacy ensues. Note the word "show" which is "emphanisō" in the Greek. This is one of ten times in the New Testament that this word is used. The more vulnerable we are with God, the more vulnerable He becomes with us.
At this point Judas (not Iscariot) enters into the conversation in v.22. This Judas is not the Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord Jesus; he is another disciple whose name was Judas. He asks, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" The opposite of ignorance is not knowledge, but obedience, responding to the revelation of Himself He has given. It is not merely filling our heads with knowledge and facts. It is becoming more and more vulnerable and therefore intimate with God. Since the world does not know the Lord Jesus, and does not obey Him, they will not know intimacy with God.
In v.23-24, we learn that the Lord Jesus and His Father's word are synonymous. When we love His word, we love Him and vice versa. The result is a continuing, familiar comfort in His presence. Also, He will enjoy a continuing, familiar comfort in our presence. We will be at home with Him and He will be at home with us.
When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. The orphans have returned home and are growing familiar with their Father.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. ~ John 14:18-24
The God of the Bible is the Father of all mankind. However, in the garden mankind became orphaned when we chose to ignore God's definition of things. We, in essence, ran away from home, only to discover we unknowingly locked the door for reentry. And, we can't unlock this door.
In Psalm 68:5, we learn of God as the, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows.” We can only be children of the Father through believing in His Son and receiving His free gift of forgiveness procured through His death on the cross.
In John 14:18, we read the One whom the disciples had learned to love and trust promised not to leave them as orphans. He explained that He would return to them after His death, and send the Holy Spirit to live in each of them. Of course, as recorded at the end of the Gospels and in the book of Acts, the Lord Jesus returned to them after His resurrection. And, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to live in those who had believed on the Lord Jesus.
With that, the primary work of the Holy Spirit is to make the Lord Jesus real to the believer. The mark of the Spirit-filled life is an ever-deepening consciousness of the reality of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer.
In v.19, we read, "Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. " The Lord Jesus is referring to His post-resurrection appearances. In a 40 day period, the Lord Jesus appeared to those who had left all to follow Him. In addition, the Holy Spirit enables the believer to see the Lord Jesus more deeply. The Holy Spirit makes the Lord Jesus more real to the believer.
More than that, the Lord Jesus continues, "Because I live, you also will live." The Greek word used here for "live" is Zoe which means eternal life. This is the type of life which gives us God's perspective on our lives. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer permanently. While the believer still sins and grieves the Spirit, the Spirit will never leave the believer.
In v.20, we read these four words, "you are in me." This is our first experience when we come to Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who makes us alive to God and His culture. We, now, are children of God. We have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of his love.
Notice the last four words in v.20, "I am in you." The Christian life is not about what we can do for God. No, it is about what He does for us, in us and through us! It is a personal relationship with God whereby we are getting to know His heart of love for us and others. And, as we get to know Him, we will naturally want others to know Him. This is His desire, not only for us but also for others.
Obedience is not too difficult for those who know His love. The key to obedience is not the demands of the Law, the key to obedience is our response to His love. According to 1 John 4:19 our love for God is our response to His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us.Click here for the JOHN 14;18-24 PODCAST
As a result, having experienced His love for us, we teach people of His love for mankind. We show them how much He has already loved us and them, and obedience is the natural response of the impacted human heart.
Note what the Lord Jesus says in v.21, "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." As we grow in our understanding of His love for us, a greater intimacy ensues. Note the word "show" which is "emphanisō" in the Greek. This is one of ten times in the New Testament that this word is used. The more vulnerable we are with God, the more vulnerable He becomes with us.
At this point Judas (not Iscariot) enters into the conversation in v.22. This Judas is not the Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord Jesus; he is another disciple whose name was Judas. He asks, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" The opposite of ignorance is not knowledge, but obedience, responding to the revelation of Himself He has given. It is not merely filling our heads with knowledge and facts. It is becoming more and more vulnerable and therefore intimate with God. Since the world does not know the Lord Jesus, and does not obey Him, they will not know intimacy with God.
In v.23-24, we learn that the Lord Jesus and His Father's word are synonymous. When we love His word, we love Him and vice versa. The result is a continuing, familiar comfort in His presence. Also, He will enjoy a continuing, familiar comfort in our presence. We will be at home with Him and He will be at home with us.
When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. The orphans have returned home and are growing familiar with their Father.
Friday, December 13, 2019
John 14:15-17
To access the JOHN 14:15-17 PODCAST, click here
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ~ John 14:15-17
In v.15, we discover the logic of love, and, it is irresistible. If I love God, I will obey Him. Obeying God is smart. The alternative is not too smart. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 6, the alternative, feeding the flesh, brings with it corruption and death.
In addition, obeying God without loving God results in joyless legalism. Work minus the engagement of our hearts magnifies our will power not God's worth. If we try to do things for God without delighting in Him, we bring dishonor upon God.
The Lord Jesus is not saying that love and keeping God's commands are the same thing. Some say that keeping the commandments of the Lord Jesus is the definition of loving Him. But consider a similar sentence: "If you take this medicine, you will get well." Is taking the medicine the same as getting well? No. Getting well is one thing and taking the medicine is another thing. The one leads to the other, and in fact brings about the other. Loving Him brings about obeying His commandments.
In our text, the Lord Jesus introduces "another advocate" who will "help you and be with you forever." According to v.16, the Holy Spirit is "another" separate Person to the Lord Jesus. Here is a clear reference to the mystery of the Trinity; three persons in one, Father, Son and Spirit, all distinct, separate one from another, yet forming One.
The Greek work translated "advocate" is parakletos, which literally means, "One called alongside." The reason for one being called alongside is to give aid and help. So its literal meaning is, "one called alongside you to give aid to help."
The word in Greek contains a heavy emphasis on judicial advocacy, as in a court. You have someone who is there to argue on your behalf. This is why, in many places, and many Bibles, the term parakletos is translated as "Advocate." If you have an advocate in court, it is someone who speaks for you in the trial. We know them just as lawyers these days. But, that is what an advocate is—one who speaks in your place for you, on your behalf, for your defense.
Whereas the Lord Jesus had been with the disciples physically for three plus years, the Holy Spirit, now, will abide in the believer, forever. In Hebrews 13:5, we read, "'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." The strongest negative in the Greek language is used meaning here, "I will never, under any circumstances, ever leave you nor forsake you." The believer who has been "born again" can never lose his right standing before God because God has made him holy through His abiding presence in his life.
The Lord Jesus, in v.17, refers to the Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of Truth." This means we can trust Him, and He will not contradict God's word. He will never tell us to do something which is not consistent with His written word.
In addition, according to v.17, the Lord informs us, "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him." The Holy Spirit is only accessible to those who have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. This explains why there are times when we find ourselves wondering to ourselves why people do not recognize God's involvement in this world. "Many will say to Him in that day, 'Lord.' And He will say to them, 'I never knew you.'" Notice He doesn't;t say, "you never knew me."
In addition, according to v.17, the Lord Jesus discloses the Holy Spirit will be a resource that is available within the believer. "You know him," He says, "for he lives with you and will be in you." Old Testament believers had the Spirit dwell "with" them but not "in" them. When the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost He came to dwell in the believer and we do not find that relationship in the Old Testament. And, "He will never leave us nor forsake us."
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ~ John 14:15-17
In v.15, we discover the logic of love, and, it is irresistible. If I love God, I will obey Him. Obeying God is smart. The alternative is not too smart. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 6, the alternative, feeding the flesh, brings with it corruption and death.
In addition, obeying God without loving God results in joyless legalism. Work minus the engagement of our hearts magnifies our will power not God's worth. If we try to do things for God without delighting in Him, we bring dishonor upon God.
The Lord Jesus is not saying that love and keeping God's commands are the same thing. Some say that keeping the commandments of the Lord Jesus is the definition of loving Him. But consider a similar sentence: "If you take this medicine, you will get well." Is taking the medicine the same as getting well? No. Getting well is one thing and taking the medicine is another thing. The one leads to the other, and in fact brings about the other. Loving Him brings about obeying His commandments.
In our text, the Lord Jesus introduces "another advocate" who will "help you and be with you forever." According to v.16, the Holy Spirit is "another" separate Person to the Lord Jesus. Here is a clear reference to the mystery of the Trinity; three persons in one, Father, Son and Spirit, all distinct, separate one from another, yet forming One.
The Greek work translated "advocate" is parakletos, which literally means, "One called alongside." The reason for one being called alongside is to give aid and help. So its literal meaning is, "one called alongside you to give aid to help."
The word in Greek contains a heavy emphasis on judicial advocacy, as in a court. You have someone who is there to argue on your behalf. This is why, in many places, and many Bibles, the term parakletos is translated as "Advocate." If you have an advocate in court, it is someone who speaks for you in the trial. We know them just as lawyers these days. But, that is what an advocate is—one who speaks in your place for you, on your behalf, for your defense.
Whereas the Lord Jesus had been with the disciples physically for three plus years, the Holy Spirit, now, will abide in the believer, forever. In Hebrews 13:5, we read, "'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." The strongest negative in the Greek language is used meaning here, "I will never, under any circumstances, ever leave you nor forsake you." The believer who has been "born again" can never lose his right standing before God because God has made him holy through His abiding presence in his life.
The Lord Jesus, in v.17, refers to the Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of Truth." This means we can trust Him, and He will not contradict God's word. He will never tell us to do something which is not consistent with His written word.
In addition, according to v.17, the Lord informs us, "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him." The Holy Spirit is only accessible to those who have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. This explains why there are times when we find ourselves wondering to ourselves why people do not recognize God's involvement in this world. "Many will say to Him in that day, 'Lord.' And He will say to them, 'I never knew you.'" Notice He doesn't;t say, "you never knew me."
In addition, according to v.17, the Lord Jesus discloses the Holy Spirit will be a resource that is available within the believer. "You know him," He says, "for he lives with you and will be in you." Old Testament believers had the Spirit dwell "with" them but not "in" them. When the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost He came to dwell in the believer and we do not find that relationship in the Old Testament. And, "He will never leave us nor forsake us."
Thursday, December 12, 2019
John 14:11-14
To access the JOHN 14:11-14 PODCAST, click here
11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ~ John 14:11-14
The Lord Jesus was not only having to convince the religious leaders of His identity, He also is having to still convince His disciples. This opens a can of reality we know to exist in our souls. We, at varying times, struggle with believing in the Lord Jesus. This life of faith in the Lord Jesus is hard.
Part of the reason living by faith in the God of the Bible is so difficult is this: doubt is involved. We think doubt is our enemy, yet it is the shadow cast by faith. Where there is certainty there is no room for faith. The flip side of this is: uncertainty welcomes faith. I have discovered even failure has been known to be an important ingredient in the growth of our faith in Him.
As we jump back into John 14, the disciples are now struggling with their faith and their future. On the heals of this, in v.12 we have the greatest promise the Lord Jesus ever made. "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." Literally, the Lord Jesus says, "Whoever is believing in me." To a group of men who had left everything to follow Him, He says these words.
"Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." In the book of Acts these words were literally fulfilled: Peter and John healed a man who was lame from birth: Peter raised Dorcas from the dead; Paul delivered people from demonic oppression and healed the sick. Even the very shadow of Peter walking through the streets healed people.
But he goes on to a second promise, "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." No one can perform greater miracles than the miracles the Lord Jesus performed. What could be greater than raising a man who had been dead four days, healing someone who had been ill for 38 years, or restoring instant sight to blind eyes? So, when the Lord Jesus speaks of "greater things" He meant "greater" in a spiritual dimension.
Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, our works of love and our message of life will aid people in believing in the risen Son of God. The impact of eternity is much greater than the impact of the temporal. This will be greater than the Lord Jesus’ earthly miracles because this is what He came to accomplish by His death, burial and resurrection.
On the day of Pentecost, forty days after the Lord Jesus said the words, Peter preached and 3,000 became followers of the Lord Jesus, in one day. That never happened during Jesus' ministry. This was the "greater things" that the Lord Jesus promised in today's text.
At the end of v.12, the Lord Jesus says, "because I am going to the Father. " After He ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers. You and I are benefactors of this great phenomena, and it is the indwelling Holy Spirit who works these greater things.
In v.13 the Lord Jesus connects all of this to prayer. When we pray in His name, when we ask in concert with God's will, what the Father wants, the Lord Jesus says, "I will do it." Twice He says this. Whatever you ask. "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
Some time ago, I was having breakfast with a guy who considered himself an Atheist. As the conversation moved along, I felt more and more like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. We came to a point when my friend made an excellent point, and I quickly asked the Lord to give me an answer. Just then an answer came to my mind and I shared it with my friend. Months later, my friend told me the answer I gave him was the turning point in his life of faith.
By the way, you're probably wondering what the answer from the Lord that I gave my friend. The answer was, "what is love?" My friend answered, "it's a chemical reaction in the brain." I said, "seriously, it's a chemical reaction in the brain?" I then told him, "there must be an ultimate source for love, and I believe that the ultimate source for love is God."
The promise in v.13-14 is to all believers. There is no exclusion here if you are a Christian. It is not only for pastors, mature Christians, or highly spiritual Christians, or missionaries, or elders, or evangelists, or highly gifted Christians. No, “whoever believes in me.” Will you enter into the realm that matters for eternity in the lives of people who are not yet ready to spend eternity in heaven?
11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ~ John 14:11-14
The Lord Jesus was not only having to convince the religious leaders of His identity, He also is having to still convince His disciples. This opens a can of reality we know to exist in our souls. We, at varying times, struggle with believing in the Lord Jesus. This life of faith in the Lord Jesus is hard.
Part of the reason living by faith in the God of the Bible is so difficult is this: doubt is involved. We think doubt is our enemy, yet it is the shadow cast by faith. Where there is certainty there is no room for faith. The flip side of this is: uncertainty welcomes faith. I have discovered even failure has been known to be an important ingredient in the growth of our faith in Him.
As we jump back into John 14, the disciples are now struggling with their faith and their future. On the heals of this, in v.12 we have the greatest promise the Lord Jesus ever made. "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." Literally, the Lord Jesus says, "Whoever is believing in me." To a group of men who had left everything to follow Him, He says these words.
"Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." In the book of Acts these words were literally fulfilled: Peter and John healed a man who was lame from birth: Peter raised Dorcas from the dead; Paul delivered people from demonic oppression and healed the sick. Even the very shadow of Peter walking through the streets healed people.
But he goes on to a second promise, "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." No one can perform greater miracles than the miracles the Lord Jesus performed. What could be greater than raising a man who had been dead four days, healing someone who had been ill for 38 years, or restoring instant sight to blind eyes? So, when the Lord Jesus speaks of "greater things" He meant "greater" in a spiritual dimension.
Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, our works of love and our message of life will aid people in believing in the risen Son of God. The impact of eternity is much greater than the impact of the temporal. This will be greater than the Lord Jesus’ earthly miracles because this is what He came to accomplish by His death, burial and resurrection.
On the day of Pentecost, forty days after the Lord Jesus said the words, Peter preached and 3,000 became followers of the Lord Jesus, in one day. That never happened during Jesus' ministry. This was the "greater things" that the Lord Jesus promised in today's text.
At the end of v.12, the Lord Jesus says, "because I am going to the Father. " After He ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers. You and I are benefactors of this great phenomena, and it is the indwelling Holy Spirit who works these greater things.
In v.13 the Lord Jesus connects all of this to prayer. When we pray in His name, when we ask in concert with God's will, what the Father wants, the Lord Jesus says, "I will do it." Twice He says this. Whatever you ask. "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
Some time ago, I was having breakfast with a guy who considered himself an Atheist. As the conversation moved along, I felt more and more like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. We came to a point when my friend made an excellent point, and I quickly asked the Lord to give me an answer. Just then an answer came to my mind and I shared it with my friend. Months later, my friend told me the answer I gave him was the turning point in his life of faith.
By the way, you're probably wondering what the answer from the Lord that I gave my friend. The answer was, "what is love?" My friend answered, "it's a chemical reaction in the brain." I said, "seriously, it's a chemical reaction in the brain?" I then told him, "there must be an ultimate source for love, and I believe that the ultimate source for love is God."
The promise in v.13-14 is to all believers. There is no exclusion here if you are a Christian. It is not only for pastors, mature Christians, or highly spiritual Christians, or missionaries, or elders, or evangelists, or highly gifted Christians. No, “whoever believes in me.” Will you enter into the realm that matters for eternity in the lives of people who are not yet ready to spend eternity in heaven?
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
John 14:5-10
Click here for the JOHN 14:5-10 PODCAST
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ~ John 14:5-10
The disciple commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" enters the discussion. A better name for him would be, "Honest Thomas." He is as authentic as they come. He is the type of guy who would not pull the wool over anyone's eyes. From this oft questioned man, we learn a valuable lesson: the greatest heights of despair is not being who you actually are.
Thomas honestly makes it known to the Lord Jesus that he is not getting what He is saying. In response, the Lord Jesus replies with the greatest revelation that we are given in the Gospel of John. It is found in v.6, where we read, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." Unlike all of the other "leaders" of "religions" He did not say, "I will show you the way." No, He said, "I am the way."
In v.7, we read, "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.." Thomas did not realized that one knows the Father by knowing the Lord Jesus. As the Lord Jesus points out in v.7 "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well." The Lord Jesus, with these words, encourages Thomas, he does not discourage his honest seeking.
In v.8 Philip interrupts the Lord Jesus by saying, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Philip was not known for being verbose, he hardly ever said anything. His request echoes the cry for God in every human heart, yet it shows that Philip was not satisfied with what he saw in the Lord Jesus, nor with what He had received in Him.
Like Philip, we are not convinced Jesus is enough sometimes. This is the crux of all of my problems. Granted, it is hard to trust someone you have never shaken hands with, but there is a deeper level we often miss. And, this is the point behind spirituality ... learning to believe without seeing.
We often see life situations with “unsaved” instead of “saved” eyes! There are many situations in life that we are like Phillip and can only see the “impossibility of the situation.” For most of us the natural laws of this world are so firmly implanted in our minds that we can’t see the truth that God’s providence has no boundaries and, as such, through His power we can do anything He asks of us!
In v.9, the Lord Jesus responds by saying, "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" Of course, the Lord Jesus knew the answer before Philip verbalized it. He asks Philip the question to get Philip to probe deeper. This is the Lord Jesus fueling the desire of this brother.
In addition, the Lord Jesus points out here that He has been with all of them for a long time. It has been about three years since He first began His public ministry and began to call them to follow Him. The correction here is for Philip who has not yet understood what Jesus had taught about the relationship He had with the Father.
Notice the Lord Jesus twice says, "I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me." The Lord Jesus addresses Philip directly that He is in the Father and that the Father is in Him. From this point on the Lord Jesus expands to address all of the disciples and not just Philip. Here He asserts that what He has said to them has not come from Himself, but rather from the Father who abides in Him and who does His work through Jesus.
In v.10, we read, "The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." The very words the Lord Jesus had been speaking to His disciples supports what He has been saying about the oneness that He enjoyed with His Father. This oneness translated into the bowing of His will to the Father, as indicated in this verse. And, like us, when good comes through us, it is the performance of the Lord Himself. This is the key to seeing His kingdom: oneness resulting from an intimacy produced through the bowing of our will to Him.
Note that the word "know" is used through today's text. In fact six times. When Thomas uses know in v.5, he uses the Greek word oida which is the greek for seeing and recognizing something or someone. The Lord Jesus uses the Greek word gnosko which is experiential knowledge, a knowledge involving the heart. With oida, we see then we believe. With gnosko, we believe then we see.
Subtly, the Lord Jesus is taking these disciples deeper into their experience with Him, and what they will see, is He will be closer to them when He is gone from their presence. The shaken of the heart is necessary for this. Through the Holy Spirit, we discover He is closer. Learning to practice His presence in this way is critical for our intimacy with Him.
A quote from Mike Yaconelli will suffice as I close: "It's not about perfection; it's about our intimacy with God, or our connection, our relationship with God. Once we get through that, once we realize that we can be imperfect, flawed, broken; those kinds of things are the ingredients of spirituality."
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ~ John 14:5-10
The disciple commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" enters the discussion. A better name for him would be, "Honest Thomas." He is as authentic as they come. He is the type of guy who would not pull the wool over anyone's eyes. From this oft questioned man, we learn a valuable lesson: the greatest heights of despair is not being who you actually are.
Thomas honestly makes it known to the Lord Jesus that he is not getting what He is saying. In response, the Lord Jesus replies with the greatest revelation that we are given in the Gospel of John. It is found in v.6, where we read, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." Unlike all of the other "leaders" of "religions" He did not say, "I will show you the way." No, He said, "I am the way."
In v.7, we read, "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.." Thomas did not realized that one knows the Father by knowing the Lord Jesus. As the Lord Jesus points out in v.7 "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well." The Lord Jesus, with these words, encourages Thomas, he does not discourage his honest seeking.
In v.8 Philip interrupts the Lord Jesus by saying, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Philip was not known for being verbose, he hardly ever said anything. His request echoes the cry for God in every human heart, yet it shows that Philip was not satisfied with what he saw in the Lord Jesus, nor with what He had received in Him.
Like Philip, we are not convinced Jesus is enough sometimes. This is the crux of all of my problems. Granted, it is hard to trust someone you have never shaken hands with, but there is a deeper level we often miss. And, this is the point behind spirituality ... learning to believe without seeing.
We often see life situations with “unsaved” instead of “saved” eyes! There are many situations in life that we are like Phillip and can only see the “impossibility of the situation.” For most of us the natural laws of this world are so firmly implanted in our minds that we can’t see the truth that God’s providence has no boundaries and, as such, through His power we can do anything He asks of us!
In v.9, the Lord Jesus responds by saying, "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" Of course, the Lord Jesus knew the answer before Philip verbalized it. He asks Philip the question to get Philip to probe deeper. This is the Lord Jesus fueling the desire of this brother.
In addition, the Lord Jesus points out here that He has been with all of them for a long time. It has been about three years since He first began His public ministry and began to call them to follow Him. The correction here is for Philip who has not yet understood what Jesus had taught about the relationship He had with the Father.
Notice the Lord Jesus twice says, "I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me." The Lord Jesus addresses Philip directly that He is in the Father and that the Father is in Him. From this point on the Lord Jesus expands to address all of the disciples and not just Philip. Here He asserts that what He has said to them has not come from Himself, but rather from the Father who abides in Him and who does His work through Jesus.
In v.10, we read, "The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." The very words the Lord Jesus had been speaking to His disciples supports what He has been saying about the oneness that He enjoyed with His Father. This oneness translated into the bowing of His will to the Father, as indicated in this verse. And, like us, when good comes through us, it is the performance of the Lord Himself. This is the key to seeing His kingdom: oneness resulting from an intimacy produced through the bowing of our will to Him.
Note that the word "know" is used through today's text. In fact six times. When Thomas uses know in v.5, he uses the Greek word oida which is the greek for seeing and recognizing something or someone. The Lord Jesus uses the Greek word gnosko which is experiential knowledge, a knowledge involving the heart. With oida, we see then we believe. With gnosko, we believe then we see.
Subtly, the Lord Jesus is taking these disciples deeper into their experience with Him, and what they will see, is He will be closer to them when He is gone from their presence. The shaken of the heart is necessary for this. Through the Holy Spirit, we discover He is closer. Learning to practice His presence in this way is critical for our intimacy with Him.
A quote from Mike Yaconelli will suffice as I close: "It's not about perfection; it's about our intimacy with God, or our connection, our relationship with God. Once we get through that, once we realize that we can be imperfect, flawed, broken; those kinds of things are the ingredients of spirituality."
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
John 14:1-4
For the JOHN 14:1-4 PODCAST, click here
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” ~ John 14:1-4
The Apostle Peter vowed to love Jesus to death, and the Lord Jesus knew that Peter would fail at his attempt. As a result, Peter learned that with God, failure isn't the opposite of success.
Aware that the religious community wanted to kill the Lord Jesus, the disciples were troubled. This is why the Lord Jesus says in v.1, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."
The disciples were confused and discouraged by the sudden exodus of Judas. More than that, they were petrified of losing the Lord Jesus.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled." These words were not just for the first disciples, there are meant for you and me. There are times when the Lord's will includes some scary moments for us. It is during these times that our faith is shaken, which is a good thing, because this is part of the process of the development of our heart's ability to see and trust God.
On the heels of such, our vision of the Lord is honed and developed. And, as a result, we discover that we can trust in the darkest of moments in a God who is true to His promises. We discover that we have no need to fear, for the Lord will deliver us from all that frightens us. Think of it, what option do we have but to trust Him.
We are told that the number one mental disorder for women and the number two for men in the U.S. is linked to anxiety. Some say the United States is now the most anxious nation in the world. Stress-related ailments are at an all time high. Yet, there is a positive side to this reality.
When fear has gripped us, we are in the position to turn to the Lord Jesus, much as it did these early disciples. They had left all to follow the Lord Jesus, and now, it looks pretty disheartening. The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. They say, "Ninety percent of life is how we respond to the ten percent that happens to us." The trials are inevitable, but we do not have to be shackled by them. Trials are the green lights of life which God allows or causes to get us to run to Him. The question is, "Do we run to Him and do we stay with Him?" One day, we will be relieved of this choice.
In John 14:1, the Lord Jesus places Himself on an equal plane with our Father in heaven. And, in v.2, He begins to reveal to His disciples the things that had been kept secret since the foundation of the world. The Lord Jesus is saying, "I have come to correct the erroneous concepts, the false thinking that have held you hostage. There are many rooms in my Father's house and they are being built for you."
The word in Greek for "rooms" appears but twice in the New Testament, here and in v.23, where we read, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Each room will be the dwelling place of God.
Yeah, I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that, too. He is saying, "we will never be alone, and that which we have frantically been trying to find to satisfy us all of our lives, His presence, will be with us for eternity." God desires to be our dwelling place. And, one day, will come this reality. On that day, there will be no separation. And, our anxieties will puff into inexistence.
In v.3, we read, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." The Lord Jesus is comforting these, His first followers, knowing that He is about to die. His death will not be the end, just the beginning, because He did return and He will forever indwell His followers through the work of His Holy Spirit.
Finally, in v.4, the Lord Jesus says, "You know the way to the place where I am going." In our text today, we have seen contrasted what we once thought was the way: Our good efforts earning God's favor. Good luck with that! As this passage so subtly shows, the way is the Lord Jesus, Himself. It is by His life, death, burial, and resurrection that we are made right before our all righteous God. The Lord Jesus is our way to God.
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” ~ John 14:1-4
The Apostle Peter vowed to love Jesus to death, and the Lord Jesus knew that Peter would fail at his attempt. As a result, Peter learned that with God, failure isn't the opposite of success.
Aware that the religious community wanted to kill the Lord Jesus, the disciples were troubled. This is why the Lord Jesus says in v.1, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."
The disciples were confused and discouraged by the sudden exodus of Judas. More than that, they were petrified of losing the Lord Jesus.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled." These words were not just for the first disciples, there are meant for you and me. There are times when the Lord's will includes some scary moments for us. It is during these times that our faith is shaken, which is a good thing, because this is part of the process of the development of our heart's ability to see and trust God.
On the heels of such, our vision of the Lord is honed and developed. And, as a result, we discover that we can trust in the darkest of moments in a God who is true to His promises. We discover that we have no need to fear, for the Lord will deliver us from all that frightens us. Think of it, what option do we have but to trust Him.
We are told that the number one mental disorder for women and the number two for men in the U.S. is linked to anxiety. Some say the United States is now the most anxious nation in the world. Stress-related ailments are at an all time high. Yet, there is a positive side to this reality.
When fear has gripped us, we are in the position to turn to the Lord Jesus, much as it did these early disciples. They had left all to follow the Lord Jesus, and now, it looks pretty disheartening. The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. They say, "Ninety percent of life is how we respond to the ten percent that happens to us." The trials are inevitable, but we do not have to be shackled by them. Trials are the green lights of life which God allows or causes to get us to run to Him. The question is, "Do we run to Him and do we stay with Him?" One day, we will be relieved of this choice.
In John 14:1, the Lord Jesus places Himself on an equal plane with our Father in heaven. And, in v.2, He begins to reveal to His disciples the things that had been kept secret since the foundation of the world. The Lord Jesus is saying, "I have come to correct the erroneous concepts, the false thinking that have held you hostage. There are many rooms in my Father's house and they are being built for you."
The word in Greek for "rooms" appears but twice in the New Testament, here and in v.23, where we read, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Each room will be the dwelling place of God.
Yeah, I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that, too. He is saying, "we will never be alone, and that which we have frantically been trying to find to satisfy us all of our lives, His presence, will be with us for eternity." God desires to be our dwelling place. And, one day, will come this reality. On that day, there will be no separation. And, our anxieties will puff into inexistence.
In v.3, we read, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." The Lord Jesus is comforting these, His first followers, knowing that He is about to die. His death will not be the end, just the beginning, because He did return and He will forever indwell His followers through the work of His Holy Spirit.
Finally, in v.4, the Lord Jesus says, "You know the way to the place where I am going." In our text today, we have seen contrasted what we once thought was the way: Our good efforts earning God's favor. Good luck with that! As this passage so subtly shows, the way is the Lord Jesus, Himself. It is by His life, death, burial, and resurrection that we are made right before our all righteous God. The Lord Jesus is our way to God.
Monday, December 09, 2019
John 13:31-38
Click here for the John 13:31-38 PODCAST
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! ~ John 13:31-38
And now, in v.31, we read some of the most important words ever spoken: "Now the Son of Man is glorified." The Lord Jesus did not say this until Judas had decided to betray Him. How painful that must have been, to have a friend betray Him with a kiss. Further, in v.32, the Lord Jesus says "God is glorified in him" which is a reference to the fact that Judas' rejection of Him would begin the process ending at the cross.
In v.33, the Lord Jesus addresses the remaining eleven disciples by a new name: "My children." It was traditional then for the father to act as the host for the family and invite the children to ask questions that revealed the meaning of what was going on during the Passover meal. The youngest child was the one who began by asking, "What do these things mean?" and the father explained. This is what the Lord Jesus is doing here. He is the head of the family and the disciples are the children.
Then, in v.33, we read, "Where I am going, you can not come." Within twelve hours He will be hanging on a cross. Less than twenty hours from this He will be dead in the grave. This, then, is a time for some last instructions.
The disciples could not follow Jesus that night because they were unable to die for the forgiveness of mankind's sins. Only the Lord Jesus could do that. Jesus is telling us that we cannot glorify God by paying the penalty for anyone’s sin. No one gets to heaven by assisting the Lord Jesus in any way or by imitating Him. We only go to heaven through the Lord Jesus performance on our behalf. Our eternity is solely dependent on His death, burial and resurrection.
In v.34-35, He says, 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The Greek word used for "love" is agape. This is commitment love, the type of love which causes us to lay down our lives for another. Everyone has always agreed that this is exactly what we need to do to solve mankind's problems.
It is most difficult to love unlovely people. "As I have loved you," the Lord Jesus says in v.34. As in many places in Scripture, the word "as" here can better be translated "since": "Since I have loved you in order that you might love one another." His love for us, first and foremost, must define us. As a result, we discover that when His love defines us, we are positioned to feel loved. Then, we are stimulated by His love to be others minded. Essentially, in that context, He enables us to love others, despite our inefficient ability to love others.
His love is without respect of persons, and He loves unconditionally. His love chooses to love the unlovely, the rejected, the difficult to love. His love loves us who are unlovely, rejected, and difficult to love. It is those who learn to enjoy and be defined by His love are the ones who are able to pass it on to others regardless of whether they respond in kind or not.
In v.36-38, there is an exchange between Peter and the Lord Jesus. Peter's words prove that he thought he was thoroughly committed to the Lord Jesus. Peter believed he would lay down his life for the Lord Jesus who knew that Peter would fail miserably. The Lord Jesus knew that Peter was full of brotherly affection for Him, but brotherly affection is not the type of love which causes us to die for the Lord Jesus.
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! ~ John 13:31-38
And now, in v.31, we read some of the most important words ever spoken: "Now the Son of Man is glorified." The Lord Jesus did not say this until Judas had decided to betray Him. How painful that must have been, to have a friend betray Him with a kiss. Further, in v.32, the Lord Jesus says "God is glorified in him" which is a reference to the fact that Judas' rejection of Him would begin the process ending at the cross.
In v.33, the Lord Jesus addresses the remaining eleven disciples by a new name: "My children." It was traditional then for the father to act as the host for the family and invite the children to ask questions that revealed the meaning of what was going on during the Passover meal. The youngest child was the one who began by asking, "What do these things mean?" and the father explained. This is what the Lord Jesus is doing here. He is the head of the family and the disciples are the children.
Then, in v.33, we read, "Where I am going, you can not come." Within twelve hours He will be hanging on a cross. Less than twenty hours from this He will be dead in the grave. This, then, is a time for some last instructions.
The disciples could not follow Jesus that night because they were unable to die for the forgiveness of mankind's sins. Only the Lord Jesus could do that. Jesus is telling us that we cannot glorify God by paying the penalty for anyone’s sin. No one gets to heaven by assisting the Lord Jesus in any way or by imitating Him. We only go to heaven through the Lord Jesus performance on our behalf. Our eternity is solely dependent on His death, burial and resurrection.
In v.34-35, He says, 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The Greek word used for "love" is agape. This is commitment love, the type of love which causes us to lay down our lives for another. Everyone has always agreed that this is exactly what we need to do to solve mankind's problems.
It is most difficult to love unlovely people. "As I have loved you," the Lord Jesus says in v.34. As in many places in Scripture, the word "as" here can better be translated "since": "Since I have loved you in order that you might love one another." His love for us, first and foremost, must define us. As a result, we discover that when His love defines us, we are positioned to feel loved. Then, we are stimulated by His love to be others minded. Essentially, in that context, He enables us to love others, despite our inefficient ability to love others.
His love is without respect of persons, and He loves unconditionally. His love chooses to love the unlovely, the rejected, the difficult to love. His love loves us who are unlovely, rejected, and difficult to love. It is those who learn to enjoy and be defined by His love are the ones who are able to pass it on to others regardless of whether they respond in kind or not.
In v.36-38, there is an exchange between Peter and the Lord Jesus. Peter's words prove that he thought he was thoroughly committed to the Lord Jesus. Peter believed he would lay down his life for the Lord Jesus who knew that Peter would fail miserably. The Lord Jesus knew that Peter was full of brotherly affection for Him, but brotherly affection is not the type of love which causes us to die for the Lord Jesus.
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