April 15, 2018
Evening Service

This morning Jesus promised us three wonderful promises in one short discourse.  It is one of the most comforting and uplifting scriptures in our Bible.  He cares when our heart is troubled and asks us to simply trust in Him.  He has gone away to prepare a place for us that is greater than we can even imagine.  He will return one day to take us there and we will be able to experience all the things He prepared for us as well as being in close fellowship with our Lord.  After Jesus told the disciples all this, Thomas then asked Him a question.

John 14:5-6 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You go, and how can we know the way?”  (6)  Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.”

·        This is the sixth “I am” statement Jesus has made in John (the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, and the resurrection and the life).  We will see one more before we are finished.

·        This is a very important doctrinal truth that we cannot compromise; it is just like He says.  He states “I am the Way” not one way.  There is no other way to find fellowship with God the Father except through Jesus.  All other religions may have some very faithful and good people, but without Jesus they are lost.  Peter said this in his sermon to the Sanhedrin.

Acts 4:12  And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

·        Jesus also said “I am the Truth” meaning He is not only true, but He is the Truth.  His ways are perfect and cannot be improved upon.  His ways are right and just and do not need to be changed or adjusted.  He is the Truth.

·        Jesus said “I am Life” meaning when we surrender our lives to His control we are complete in Him which includes having eternal life.  This is completed with the giving of the HS.

·        Some will argue that this is a very narrow path that leads to salvation.  In reality it is wide enough for the whole world to pass through if they only accept it and for what it is; truth.  There is no wiggle room in this doctrine.  Eternal life comes only through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

 

John 14:7-11 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”  (8)  Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  (9)  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father?  (10)  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The Words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works.  (11)  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very works themselves.

·        The disciples like us still had some growing to do in their knowledge and understanding of Jesus and His Father.  It was not until later when they received the Holy Spirit to teach them that they could even partly wrap their minds about what they had seen in Jesus.  Jesus understands their struggle and tells them to simply trust the works that they have seen Him do.  His works proved His words; He is God in the flesh.

 

John 14:12-14  “Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.  (13)  And whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  (14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

·        These are some scriptures that can be easily misunderstood if took out of context.  Because Jesus went to His Father, it was possible for the Holy Spirit to be sent to dwell within the believer.  These greater works began at Pentecost where 3000 people were saved and continues to this day with people still being brought into faith in Christ.  By the end the whole world will have heard the gospel message.

·        We are also given some very distinct teaching on prayer.  These “greater works” will come through our asking God in prayer and doing it in Jesus’ name.  When we ask the Father for something, it is only through our Mediator (Christ) that He hears and answers us.  Our prayers are made through Jesus and for Jesus’ sake.  They should line up with His will, character, and purpose not our own selfish ones.  As we follow Jesus and grow in Him our will is transformed to line up with His and our requests will line up with what He wants.   We will want what Jesus wants.

 

John 14:15-21 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.  (16)  And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever,  (17)  the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you.  (18)  I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.  (19)  Yet a little while and the world does not see Me any more. But you see Me. Because I live, you shall live also.  (20)  At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  (21)  He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

·        If we truly love Jesus, we will keep His commands out of love and devotion for all that He does for us.  We are in no way “paying off our debt” but simply displaying our love and devotion to Him through our obedience.  Jesus also lays the ground work to explain the coming of the Holy Spirit.

·        The Holy Spirit in our lives is our eternal life and it is the constant presence of God that is with us never leaving us alone.  Jesus comforts the disciples in this fact that even though He physically will be leaving, the Spirit will return and never leave them.  He now explains further after Judas asks a question.

 

John 14:22-26 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”  (23)  Jesus answered and said to him, “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 abode with him.  (24)  He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.  (25)  I have spoken these things to you, being present with you.  (26)  But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.

·        There are some deep rabbit holes we could go down with this scripture; looking at the Trinity of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) but also the Oneness of God but that is not for today.  The Holy Spirit we receive upon our obedience in our conversion is given to us to guide, teach, and encourage the believer.  It is the evidence that we have believed at all.  It is by the Holy Spirit’s guide that the disciples wrote their gospels recalling the exact words of Jesus without error.

·        Jesus now tries to summarize this whole discussion.

 

 John 14:27-31  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  (28)  You have heard how I said to you, I go away and I am coming to you again. If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I go to the Father, for My Father is greater than I.  (29)  And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens you might believe.  (30)  I shall no longer speak many things with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me.  (31)  But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father has given Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go away from here.

·        Jesus again addresses our troubled hearts and promises to leave us with a peace that the world cannot give.  It is a peace knowing that our past, present and future are all controlled by the One who loves us more than we will ever know.

·        Jesus also now has predicted His DBR and now when it occurs the disciples faith will be strengthened by it.  He is anticipating the battle with the ruler of this world that is coming, but knows He will be victorious in it.

 

Jesus addresses our troubled hearts and tells us not to be afraid but to trust Him for who He is.  He promises to them that He is the “Way the Truth and the Life and no man comes to the Father except through Me.”  He also promises the coming of the HS to teach, guide and abide with them.  He also promises us a peace that only He can give us knowing He is in control.

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your loving care of us and these wonderful promises that we enjoy today.