February 23, 2025
Morning Service

In Chapter 13, Jesus had revealed to the disciples that He would be leaving them soon and that very night one of them would betray Him, Peter would deny Him, and all of them would be scattered.  We saw the reaction as they found it impossible to imagine just how much their world was getting turned upside down.  Chapter 14 had been Jesus comforting them (and us) when the future is uncertain or when life gets difficult.

John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2)  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

            To overcome the disciples troubled hearts, Jesus gave them this directive; “Believe in Me.”  He has repeated that three more times so far in this chapter showing the importance of it to us.  In verse 6 He makes things very simple for us as He tells us:

 

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

            Jesus speaks very straight forward here for us as He tells us to keep our eyes on Him.  Follow Him, He is the Way.  Trust Him, He is the Truth.  He is the only way to Life, because He is the Life.  As we begin today, He adds another command to us to start off with.

 

John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

            As we come to love Jesus for all that He has done for us and promises us, we may ask “how can I show Him that I love Him?”  The answer is so simple “Keep My commandments.”  To successfully follow Jesus, we must desire to do what He asks us to do; to obey the commands He lays out for us in His teachings.  It is through our obedience that God changes us to be more like Jesus.  Notice also that it is our love that motivates us to do this, not a sense of duty or burden.  I love Him, therefore I want to obey Him and become all that He created me to be.  Obedience is our act of worship showing our Lord we do love and appreciate the new life He has made possible for us.  Jesus now shows us that despite His leaving us, He will not leave us alone but will send us a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit.

 

John 14:16-21 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  (18)  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.  (19)  "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.  (20)  At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  (21)  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

            Remember how Jesus described the moving of the Spirit to Nicodemus.  He compared the Spirit to the wind as we cannot see it but we know it is there by feeling it, hearing it, and observing what it does.  Jesus shows us several more things right here.  The plan for when He leaves is that God will send the Holy Spirit to us which is described here as our Helper and is other translations as our Counselor, Comforter, and Encourager.  By those names we know He is coming to aid us along our journey of following Jesus. 

Next, Jesus says in verse 17, “He who dwells with you and will be in you.”  This is something new as in the OT the prophets had the Spirit with them and now we are blessed to have the Spirit IN us.  When we become followers of Jesus and go sincerely through the process of hearing, receiving, repenting, and enter into the waters of baptism, we are promised that we “shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:3) and He will dwell with us forever (verse 16).  God is with us always never leaving us or forsaking us.

  In verse 20, Jesus again emphasizes the close relationship He has with His Father and then incredibly includes me into that relationship. (read).  Think about that, Jesus not only offers me forgiveness for my sins and hope of eternal life, but invites me to enjoy a close, intimate relationship with Him and His Father through the Spirit that dwells in me.  He does not call us to be His servants or slaves, but to be His children! (Jn. 1:12-13) More on this is chapter 15.  In verse 21, He again shows us that obedience is the key to our putting our love for God on display.  Notice Jesus promises us that He will reward our obedience as we show our love through our actions, He will love us back and manifest Himself to us; allowing our faith to grow deeper.

 

John 14:22-24 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"  (23)  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  (24)  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Fathers who sent Me.

            Judas is asking if Jesus will reveal Himself to everyone eventually.  Jesus answers that this message will soon be available to all, but not all will accept it. Only those who truly seek after God, love Him, and obey Him will become His family.  Not everyone will receive a trophy in this case, only those who choose the narrow gate and difficult path which leads to life.  Salvation is a free gift, but we must believe and make the choice and commitment to follow Him.  Again in verse 24, it is the third time today Jesus emphasizes that if we love Him, we will keep His Word (must be important).  He now returns to explain the Holy Spirit more in depth.

 

Joh 14:25-26 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  (26)  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  

            The Holy Spirt will teach us all things and will help us to retain and remember all that Jesus commands us.  John wrote this gospel through the guidance of the Spirit, as was all scripture written.  The Spirit is like our internet connection to God.  Through Him, God can speak to us teaching and empowering us to retain God’s Word in our hearts.  John explained the Spirit this way later in his writings:

 

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

            The anointing is the receiving of the Holy Spirit in our lives and He reiterates that He will “abide in you, teach you, and leads you to truth.”  With the help of the Spirit each of us can read the scriptures and grasp the truth that is there.  He also will cry out within us when we hear false teaching guiding us to discern between what is from God and what is not.  What a comfort that is for us!  God is with us each and every moment of our lives guiding us to stay on course as we follow Jesus.  By reading the Word and praying we learn to listen to His guidance and trust Him to go with us into the uncertainties and difficulties of life.  The Holy Spirit is our Helper, Comforter, Counselor, and Encourager!  Jesus closes out this chapter of comfort with more powerful words:

 

 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 Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.  (29)  "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.  (30)  I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.  (31)  But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

            Jesus leaves me with His peace, not a short-lived peace that this world can offer, but a deep peace that settles inside of my soul that no matter what happens, I know God is with me and for me.  Though my circumstances change and things become difficult Jesus comforts me to “let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  How can I do that when my world seems to fall apart?  By the power of the Holy Spirit within us and by keeping our eyes upon Jesus.  “I am going away and coming back to you.”  Trust in this promise Jesus gives us here.  Believe in Him.  Let that peace He gives give you rest and comfort in times of trouble.  Learn to listen to the Holy Spirit who guides, encourages us and empowers us to follow faithfully.

1Jn 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.