April 3, 2010 (John 14-17)

I only read these three chapters today, as there is so much in them. These were Jesus' last words to His disciples, knowing that He was soon to die. They are powerful, if we really believe Him and take Him at His word.

^{John 14:3} When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

I took great comfort in this. Some day, I will always be with Him.

God wants to answer prayer - because it brings glory to Him. Here are Jesus' words about this. Again, this is one of those hard things to really believe:

¹² “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. ¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

And now for His teaching about the Holy Spirit who has come to live inside of us:

¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

I think that is the point that I/we just don't grasp. That God lives within us. That whatever we partake in, He partakes in, because He lives within us. What does He want to do? Am I 'grieving' Him because of what I do, or am I honoring Him and bringing Him glory?

Chris and I just had a conversation yesterday about my 'always living in guilt'. I have to fight that tendancy, because that is how I have operated a lot. But lately, I see this 'new way' to operate, not out of guilt, but out of 'expectation'. I want God to reveal Himself to me:

²¹ Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them.”

I think we give too much 'credance' to Satan. He has no power over Jesus:

³⁰ “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the prince of this world approaches. He has no power over me, ³¹ but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

Next Jesus uses 'gardening terminology' to explain our need of Him. He is the vine, we are the branches. Too often we try to 'produce fruit' when we are 'disconnected from the vine". Just as that is impossible in the 'physical world' (I can't imagine thinking that if I cut a branch off of my cherry tree it would still produce cherries), it is also impossible in the 'spiritual world' when we disconnect ourselves from Him. Bottom line, Jesus is everything. He always has been and always will be. Whether we believe it, or live it, it's true.

^{John 15:4} Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Here are Jesus' final words to them, before He prays for them:

^{John 16:32} But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. ³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

And then, Jesus' prayer for them and for us. If anyone had/has an audience with God, it is Jesus. Do we believe that God answers prayer?:

^{John 17:13} “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵ I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶ They do not belong to this world any more than I do. ¹⁷ Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. ¹⁹ And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. ²⁴ Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

²⁵ “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. ²⁶ I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”