Click for the JOHN 16:5-11 PODCAST
5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. ~ John 16:5-11
According to v.5-6, the disciples were very distraught over the Lord Jesus’ leaving them. They were distraught and in great danger of being distracted by the lesser things in this life. Like us, even our most painful moments are redeemable by God.
According to v.7, the Lord Jesus addresses the disciples' sorrow. It is the Lord Jesus, Himself, not the circumstances of this life, that must navigate us to the fulfilling life He offers. The Lord Jesus is confronting His followers potential disbelief. And, in order to see this, He is convincing them that His departure is to their advantage.
Like those first followers of the Lord, we are never going to be able to truly hear the voice of God or even trust the promises God if we are locked into a myopic focus on our pain. It is not until we see our lives through His eyes that we begin to get it. And, the Holy Sprit's primary responsibility in our lives is to turn our vision to what God wants to do through our circumstances.
Interestingly enough, the Lord Jesus speaks if the Holy Spirit as coming to believers in v.7. During the course of restoration work on Leonardo da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper, the leader of the project discovered that the face of the Lord Jesus in the painting had been distorted by five hundred years of grime, glue, and plaster. Her work with high-powered microscopes, surgical scalpels, and special solvents has revealed the face of Jesus as Leonardo portrayed it.
This is what the Holy Spirit does for us. Our understanding of the Lord Jesus gets distorted, but the Holy Spirit hones for us our perspective of the Lord Jesus and what He wants to accomplish for us, in us and through us.
Now, in v.8, the Lord Jesus turns our attention to the Spirit’s relationship to the world. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of three things: sin, righteousness and judgment. He convicts the world of what it has (sin), what it doesn't have (righteousness) and the effect of what it does have and doesn't have (judgment).
The word “convict” is a legal term that means to expose guilt. This word is used here specifically in relationship to the world, not to believers. In fact, there is no example in Scripture of the use of this word “convict” with reference to believers. Therefore, the word “convict” doesn’t apply to us, because Christ took our guilt on His cross.
Believers in the Lord Jesus do not have to prosecute the world. Our responsibility is to tell people what we know about Jesus. The Holy Spirit takes care of the rest. First, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of their sin, because they don't believe in Jesus. They have rejected God. The way to God is faith in Jesus Christ. If they believed in Christ, no conviction regarding sin would be called for, because they would not be guilty of sin. Christ was condemned in place of all believers; he absorbed our guilt. But unbelievers are guilty of sin. The Holy Spirit convicts them of this guilt so that they will receive the forgiveness God offers in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Notice that the word “sin” is singular, not plural. He is putting forth the idea that mankind is innately sinful. The world is guilty before God and separated from Him because sin has separated them from Him.
The reason he says the world needs to be convicted of sin is that “they do not believe in Me.” Part of what unbelief does is deny sinfulness. The Holy Spirit exposes the sin of the world mainly through our proclamation of the gospel. In our teaching of the truth, and through our relationship with the Lord Jesus.
The Holy Spirit, also, convicts the world of righteousness. If convicting the world of sin is convincing it of something it does have, convicting the world of righteousness is convincing it of something it doesn’t have. Righteousness means right standing before God.
In addition, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of judgment, “because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” The Lord Jesus speaks of this judgment as having already been done, but it is actually going to happen the next day, when He goes to the cross to defeat Satan once and for all and judge him. His saying it has already happened simply means that it is such a sure thing that He can speak of it as done even beforehand. It’s a very common device in the literature of the day.
Some of the most effective witnesses are those who have gone through painful, trying circumstances. Those who rise above their circumstances understand that God uses every experience for good, that any situation we face is under the authority of a kind, and loving Father. Through life's circumstances, God reveals to us opportunities for impacting people with the gospel. These are often chances we wouldn’t have had apart from those trying circumstances.
I close with a slight take on something Winston Churchill once said: We will fail at being witnesses if we stop and throw stones at all the dogs that bark.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
John 16:1-4
Click here for the JOHN 16:1-4 PODCAST
1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you." ~ John 16:1-4
1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you." ~ John 16:1-4
The emphasis in these four verses is on anticipating persecution from the world. Note the usage of the word "will" in these four verses. They say, "Ninety percent of life is how we respond to the ten percent that happens to us." It is not a matter of will these things happen but when. I find it quite interesting that the word for witness is the same as the word for martyr. Perhaps our best witness is being rendered when we are being persecuted or dying to ourselves.
In v.1, the Lord Jesus tells His disciples, "All this I have told you so that you will not fall away." Literally He is saying, "so that you will not be caused to stumble." When the world expresses a measure of hatred toward us, it will cause us to stumble, preventing us from keeping our eyes on what is most important. We are caused to stumble by the world's hatred when we are overwhelmed by it.
The Lord's goal is that we will love those who persecute us. We do this by resisting the flesh and feeding the Holy Spirit who lives in our spirit. He tells us through the Apostle Paul, "All things work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purposes." Recently, I asked the Lord, "Why do you put it that way, it sounds as if we are earning the outcome that Romans 8:28 is giving?" The goal of the enemy is to get us to feed the flesh or the evil desires within us. When he gets us to do this, guaranteed corruption will come. The Lord responded to my question about Romans 8:28 by saying, "This is not a conditional promise, all things do work for your good, but if you are not loving me by giving your heart to me, you will not be positioned to see that all things work together for your good."
Recently, I spent the night with some dear friends in Savannah, Georgia. As I laid my head on the pillow that night, I had this tremendous sense of peace, not only outwardly but inwardly. I asked the Lord, "why is this home so peaceful?" The Lord said, "they do not feed the flesh."
In Galatians 6, we are told when we feed the flesh or the evil desires which remain in us, we invite corruption into our lives. The enemy wants to rob us of the Lord's pronounced presence in our lives by getting us to feed the flesh, and even though He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit til the day of our redemption, His presence and the benefits thereof can be limited to us. This is the cause of stumbling the Lord Jesus is speaking of here.
The Lord Jesus then tells his disciples, "They will put you out of the synagogue." The synagogue had become a special place for these eleven men, for the Lord Jesus had taught them how to approach the Father in that context. Due to the fact that the disciples had so fervently followed the Lord Jesus, they were looked upon as radicals by the common religious folks. Being cast out of a place of worship would be perplexing for anyone.
According to the latter part of v.2, these disciples experienced death at the hands of people who thought they were serving God. They will do this, according to v.3, "because they have not known the Father or me." They do not know God or His way of thinking and behaving. They do not know God's culture. If they did, they wouldn't do these things. If they knew the Father and Jesus, they would understand them to be their friends. They have no idea that fellowship with God is even possible. This should cause us to be compassionate toward them, and not hateful.
In v.4, the Lord Jesus speaks of the time "when their time comes." The Lord Jesus wants us to remember that He warned us about them, what they would do and why they would do it. Life consists largely of remembering what Jesus said. How easily we forget. The hatred of the world, expressing itself in various forms of persecution, is part of the normal life of faith in Him.
I turn your attention to the latter part of v.4. The Lord Jesus tells His disciples that He did not tell them about the world's hatred earlier because He was with them to shelter them from the world's hatred. Now that He will no longer be with them physically, they will feel like direct targets, and they need to know all about hatred.
Finally, He will protect us, as well, through the various stages of our journey of faith in Him, illuminating His word through the Holy Spirit in the right way at the right time so that we can withstand the hatred that comes our way. As a result, we will be armed to love them as He loved us before we came to saving faith in Him.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
John 15:26-27
Click here for the JOHN 15:26-27 PODCAST
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. ~ John 15:26-27
In the previous passage, the Lord Jesus teaches us love each other. We will value His teaching, especially when we are being hated by the world. Whatever hatred we face from the world, it is not because of who we are, it is mainly due to their emptiness. It is their emptiness which makes them respond to the Lord Jesus with hatred.
The Lord Jesus warns us about hatred so that we are enabled to identify the deeper issues and have compassion on those who treat us poorly. We do well to recognize the deeper issues behind the poor treatment people levy on us. I do not believe there are excuses for this, but there are often many explanations.
In the first three books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark and Luke, we find the Holy Spirit working in a very similar way to what we see in the Old Testament. It is also clear that just as the Lord Jesus came to fulfill the promises of God, the Holy Spirit is doing much the same. It is not until this fourth Gospel of John that we discover in detail the new way in which the Spirit of God will be training us to receive the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. This life that we are being given is not a place or a thing to be experienced in the future, it is a person to be experienced now.
Now, in v.26, the Lord Jesus informs us the Holy Spirit "will testify about me." The Holy Spirit is the witness that the Lord Jesus is alive and sovereignly involved in the believer's life. It is the Holy Spirit who lifts the veil from our understanding, enabling us to really know the Lord Jesus. We mustn't be detoured from His ability to show us the Christ and His ways.
In v.27, the Lord Jesus goes on to say, "And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." Clearly, He is referring to the apostles here, but it also applies to us. And, we testify or witness by telling others about what He has done and is doing in our lives. This is the most effective way to witness, by telling others about how He is working in our lives. The end result is to know Him and to make Him known.
As a result, the Christianity that we present to others is fresh and alive. I like what Jim Cymbala has said, "I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most." It is at this point that we discover, we do not need to be taught to be His witnesses. No, we do not need a class to be taught the proper procedures to witness. What we need is to be taught by this One who has overcome sin and death and pretentiousness.
Finally, when the Lord Jesus comes into our lives, He shows us how His kingdom is upside-down and inside out. He shows us the value in the undervalued, the overlooked and the underdog. He can handle our honesty. He embraces our cracks and brokenness. And He will love us with an undying love. This is the attractive life. This is the life we all desire. This is eternal life. A personal relationship with "the way, the truth, the life."
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. ~ John 15:26-27
In the previous passage, the Lord Jesus teaches us love each other. We will value His teaching, especially when we are being hated by the world. Whatever hatred we face from the world, it is not because of who we are, it is mainly due to their emptiness. It is their emptiness which makes them respond to the Lord Jesus with hatred.
The Lord Jesus warns us about hatred so that we are enabled to identify the deeper issues and have compassion on those who treat us poorly. We do well to recognize the deeper issues behind the poor treatment people levy on us. I do not believe there are excuses for this, but there are often many explanations.
In the first three books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark and Luke, we find the Holy Spirit working in a very similar way to what we see in the Old Testament. It is also clear that just as the Lord Jesus came to fulfill the promises of God, the Holy Spirit is doing much the same. It is not until this fourth Gospel of John that we discover in detail the new way in which the Spirit of God will be training us to receive the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. This life that we are being given is not a place or a thing to be experienced in the future, it is a person to be experienced now.
Now, in v.26, the Lord Jesus informs us the Holy Spirit "will testify about me." The Holy Spirit is the witness that the Lord Jesus is alive and sovereignly involved in the believer's life. It is the Holy Spirit who lifts the veil from our understanding, enabling us to really know the Lord Jesus. We mustn't be detoured from His ability to show us the Christ and His ways.
In v.27, the Lord Jesus goes on to say, "And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." Clearly, He is referring to the apostles here, but it also applies to us. And, we testify or witness by telling others about what He has done and is doing in our lives. This is the most effective way to witness, by telling others about how He is working in our lives. The end result is to know Him and to make Him known.
As a result, the Christianity that we present to others is fresh and alive. I like what Jim Cymbala has said, "I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most." It is at this point that we discover, we do not need to be taught to be His witnesses. No, we do not need a class to be taught the proper procedures to witness. What we need is to be taught by this One who has overcome sin and death and pretentiousness.
Finally, when the Lord Jesus comes into our lives, He shows us how His kingdom is upside-down and inside out. He shows us the value in the undervalued, the overlooked and the underdog. He can handle our honesty. He embraces our cracks and brokenness. And He will love us with an undying love. This is the attractive life. This is the life we all desire. This is eternal life. A personal relationship with "the way, the truth, the life."
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
John 15:18-25
Click here for the JOHN 15:18-25 PODCAST
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’"
John 15:18-25
Persecution happens, especially to the Christian. It depends upon what part of the globe we find ourselves, but persecution happens in varying forms everywhere we go. In our text, the Lord Jesus helps us understand the bristling nature of the world's hatred toward the believer.
The word world, kosmos in the Greek, basically means “the evil fallen.” Literally, “fallen and falling,” because the human race is not through falling. It fell in Genesis 3, but it’s been falling ever since. Evil men are growing worse. The world, the system of humanity, governed by evil, is still falling. The world is the evil, fallen, and the falling system of unregenerate people is controlled by Satan who is referred to by God as "the god of this world" in 1 Corinthians 4:4.
In John 15:18-25, the Lord Jesus accentuates certain things about persecution. The first is: He was first persecuted. Note that in v.18, He says, "It hated me first." He experienced it, and He was perfect. Much, if not all, of our adversity comes from the unseen forces which wage war against us on a daily basis. It is a reminder that we are engaged in the age old battle between God and Satan. Same Satan, same demons, same kingdom of darkness, same hatred of God, of righteousness, goodness, truth exists.
In addition, the Lord Jesus states that persecution will come because we are simply different than we were before we came into a personal relationship with Him. Notice v.19, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." With the introduction of the Holy Spirit into our lives, our appetites have changed.
When we became followers of the Lord Jesus, our eyes were opened. We began to see life differently. We now see life from the eternal point of view and we see the difference between that which is good as opposed to that which is evil. We now see that it is evil because it is harmful to us and our testimony. It is dumb to ignore the Lord on any subject.
In v.20-21, the Lord Jesus reminds us that persecution cannot be avoided: "20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me."' Due to the fact that I hate rejection, I have been know to compromise. When this has happened, I knew immediately that I was being defined by the lesser. The ignorance displayed is always unnerving.
At the end of v.21, the Lord Jesus identifies the basic cause of godlessness. He says, "they do not know the one who sent me." The people He was referring to were the religious leaders of the day. These were supposed men of God, who prided themselves on their knowledge of God. But the Lord Jesus said they did not know the real God. They thought they were worshipping the real God but they were not.
These heard the words of the giver of life and they saw His miracles. And, they threw out a welcome mat in front of their hearts to the father of lies. They did not understand that the Devil was made "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). When we are exposed to the truth and we reject it, our condemnation is double. We manifest our hatred of His Father by rejecting truth. This was a fulfillment of prophecy found in Psalms 35:19, 69:4.
The rejection of Christ’s words and works had nothing to do with any imperfection with Christ. It is due to the fact that men do not want the Lord Jesus to be God over them. Coupled with the fact that they have no clue of His heart for them, they give in to their own wickedness and hardness of heart. The heart of the matter is really the matter of the heart.
Finally, on the campus of Columbia International University, down one of the long hallways, there are framed pictures of former students who have been killed somewhere in the world for the cause of Christ. This is unique ... you ask why? Because most universities have pictures hanging on the walls of those who know nothing about persecution. Of course, it is likely, they know nothing of God's great heart for them either.
To contribute to BYM, click here
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’"
John 15:18-25
Persecution happens, especially to the Christian. It depends upon what part of the globe we find ourselves, but persecution happens in varying forms everywhere we go. In our text, the Lord Jesus helps us understand the bristling nature of the world's hatred toward the believer.
The word world, kosmos in the Greek, basically means “the evil fallen.” Literally, “fallen and falling,” because the human race is not through falling. It fell in Genesis 3, but it’s been falling ever since. Evil men are growing worse. The world, the system of humanity, governed by evil, is still falling. The world is the evil, fallen, and the falling system of unregenerate people is controlled by Satan who is referred to by God as "the god of this world" in 1 Corinthians 4:4.
In John 15:18-25, the Lord Jesus accentuates certain things about persecution. The first is: He was first persecuted. Note that in v.18, He says, "It hated me first." He experienced it, and He was perfect. Much, if not all, of our adversity comes from the unseen forces which wage war against us on a daily basis. It is a reminder that we are engaged in the age old battle between God and Satan. Same Satan, same demons, same kingdom of darkness, same hatred of God, of righteousness, goodness, truth exists.
In addition, the Lord Jesus states that persecution will come because we are simply different than we were before we came into a personal relationship with Him. Notice v.19, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." With the introduction of the Holy Spirit into our lives, our appetites have changed.
When we became followers of the Lord Jesus, our eyes were opened. We began to see life differently. We now see life from the eternal point of view and we see the difference between that which is good as opposed to that which is evil. We now see that it is evil because it is harmful to us and our testimony. It is dumb to ignore the Lord on any subject.
In v.20-21, the Lord Jesus reminds us that persecution cannot be avoided: "20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me."' Due to the fact that I hate rejection, I have been know to compromise. When this has happened, I knew immediately that I was being defined by the lesser. The ignorance displayed is always unnerving.
At the end of v.21, the Lord Jesus identifies the basic cause of godlessness. He says, "they do not know the one who sent me." The people He was referring to were the religious leaders of the day. These were supposed men of God, who prided themselves on their knowledge of God. But the Lord Jesus said they did not know the real God. They thought they were worshipping the real God but they were not.
These heard the words of the giver of life and they saw His miracles. And, they threw out a welcome mat in front of their hearts to the father of lies. They did not understand that the Devil was made "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). When we are exposed to the truth and we reject it, our condemnation is double. We manifest our hatred of His Father by rejecting truth. This was a fulfillment of prophecy found in Psalms 35:19, 69:4.
The rejection of Christ’s words and works had nothing to do with any imperfection with Christ. It is due to the fact that men do not want the Lord Jesus to be God over them. Coupled with the fact that they have no clue of His heart for them, they give in to their own wickedness and hardness of heart. The heart of the matter is really the matter of the heart.
Finally, on the campus of Columbia International University, down one of the long hallways, there are framed pictures of former students who have been killed somewhere in the world for the cause of Christ. This is unique ... you ask why? Because most universities have pictures hanging on the walls of those who know nothing about persecution. Of course, it is likely, they know nothing of God's great heart for them either.
To contribute to BYM, click here
Monday, December 23, 2019
John 15:14-17
Click here for the John 15:14-17 Podcast
14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. ~ John 15:14-17
In John 15:14-17, the Lord Jesus underlines the fact that His disciples are His friends. In v.14, the Lord Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do what I command." These words seem conditional, as if Jesus were telling them they are His friends only if they obey His commands. But, a careful reading of v.16 makes it plain that "if" is descriptive of their condition, for the Lord Jesus said in v.16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit." The Lord Jesus initiated their friendship long before the disciples obeyed. Their obedience was always in response to the friendship the Lord Jesus forged with them.
Now, the disciples are His friends, and He is laying down His life for them. Before we can love, we must be defined by the fact that Christ has deemed us His friends. When the Lord Jesus laid down His life for the disciples, they lacked understanding. After His resurrection, His plan came more and more into view. This act of their friend changed everything. His death now began to define them and they began to understand the nature of ministry, which is to in turn lay down our lives for our friends. This new way is so transformational. It works because people do not care what we know until they know that we care.
Further in v.15, we read, "for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." The disciples were fearful because He had told them He was leaving. The Lord Jesus is saying, "since you are worried about what’s going to happen when I’m gone, just keep doing the things that we did when we were together." The Lord Jesus had given His disciples a whole new way to live. He tells them that when they live that way, when they do the things that He taught them to do, then they will stay in fellowship with Him, despite the fact that He is going back to heaven.
When we obey the Lord Jesus, we are demonstrating our fellowship with Him. Remember, our relationship with Him is based solely on His work on the cross, but our fellowship with Him is largely based on us abiding in and walking with Him. When we understand His love for us, we make tangible that which the Lord Jesus has taught us. Obeying the Lord Jesus makes our love for Him tangible.
Now, love is something that grows. It develops. And, our obedience to the Lord Jesus will grow and develop and deepen over time. He is about to leave His disciples, they will be without His physical presence. So, He wants to set them on a path where they can express their love for Him. This activity gives them something to do and something to grow in so that their fellowship with the Lord Jesus doesn’t stop when He is gone.
Also, in v.15, we learn up to this point the disciples were servants in relationship to the Lord Jesus. This graduation to friendship commenced when the Lord Jesus identified Himself as their servant by washing their feet. Following this He brought them into the inner circle, sharing with them the intimate inter-relationships of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, into which they would soon be initiated.
According to v.16, the Lord Jesus says, "chose and appointed us to bear fruit." The Lord Jesus is saying, “I’m disclosing to you all of what the Father has taught me. I’m expanding your understanding of who God is, who I am, and what God is doing in the world. You will access this knowledge and experience by obeying me.”
That’s what fruit has been doing since the beginning of time. Dying to bring life. The Lord Jesus says that when we are His friends, we will yield "fruit that will last." We will love others like He loves because it is His fruit that we bare. Friendship with the Lord Jesus results in the expression of His love to us, and then to others.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. ~ John 15:14-17
In John 15:14-17, the Lord Jesus underlines the fact that His disciples are His friends. In v.14, the Lord Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do what I command." These words seem conditional, as if Jesus were telling them they are His friends only if they obey His commands. But, a careful reading of v.16 makes it plain that "if" is descriptive of their condition, for the Lord Jesus said in v.16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit." The Lord Jesus initiated their friendship long before the disciples obeyed. Their obedience was always in response to the friendship the Lord Jesus forged with them.
Now, the disciples are His friends, and He is laying down His life for them. Before we can love, we must be defined by the fact that Christ has deemed us His friends. When the Lord Jesus laid down His life for the disciples, they lacked understanding. After His resurrection, His plan came more and more into view. This act of their friend changed everything. His death now began to define them and they began to understand the nature of ministry, which is to in turn lay down our lives for our friends. This new way is so transformational. It works because people do not care what we know until they know that we care.
Further in v.15, we read, "for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." The disciples were fearful because He had told them He was leaving. The Lord Jesus is saying, "since you are worried about what’s going to happen when I’m gone, just keep doing the things that we did when we were together." The Lord Jesus had given His disciples a whole new way to live. He tells them that when they live that way, when they do the things that He taught them to do, then they will stay in fellowship with Him, despite the fact that He is going back to heaven.
When we obey the Lord Jesus, we are demonstrating our fellowship with Him. Remember, our relationship with Him is based solely on His work on the cross, but our fellowship with Him is largely based on us abiding in and walking with Him. When we understand His love for us, we make tangible that which the Lord Jesus has taught us. Obeying the Lord Jesus makes our love for Him tangible.
Now, love is something that grows. It develops. And, our obedience to the Lord Jesus will grow and develop and deepen over time. He is about to leave His disciples, they will be without His physical presence. So, He wants to set them on a path where they can express their love for Him. This activity gives them something to do and something to grow in so that their fellowship with the Lord Jesus doesn’t stop when He is gone.
Also, in v.15, we learn up to this point the disciples were servants in relationship to the Lord Jesus. This graduation to friendship commenced when the Lord Jesus identified Himself as their servant by washing their feet. Following this He brought them into the inner circle, sharing with them the intimate inter-relationships of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, into which they would soon be initiated.
According to v.16, the Lord Jesus says, "chose and appointed us to bear fruit." The Lord Jesus is saying, “I’m disclosing to you all of what the Father has taught me. I’m expanding your understanding of who God is, who I am, and what God is doing in the world. You will access this knowledge and experience by obeying me.”
That’s what fruit has been doing since the beginning of time. Dying to bring life. The Lord Jesus says that when we are His friends, we will yield "fruit that will last." We will love others like He loves because it is His fruit that we bare. Friendship with the Lord Jesus results in the expression of His love to us, and then to others.
Friday, December 20, 2019
John 15:9-13
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.
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.
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 "emphanisÅ" 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 "emphanisÅ" 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.
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