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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Disciples, Part XVI, John 13:37- 14:2 - Lesson 124
John 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
John 13:37, Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
How simple if Peter simply trusted the Lord's word!
Simple trust and submission would have kept him from such vain boasting.
Upon what did he base his claim to lay down his life for the Lord?
His own perceived strength!
Strength that he found in his heart and not by faith in the Lord.
But as we see from his reaction to the taking and crucifixion of Jesus Christ he had no strength.
The strength he desired was only available through trust in the strength of God.
How we are apt to think more highly of our love, our courage, our strength, our wisdom, our every good quality, than we ought to think!
John 13:38, Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Peter laid down his boats and his nets to follow Jesus but laying down his life was another thing.
Jesus knew Peter and questioned his boast.
Are you sure Peter?
Will you really do that for me Peter?
Nay Peter, on the contrary, instead you will deny me utterly three times even before I permit the cock to crow.
Instead of bravery for Jesus Christ, Peter was to show cowardice in the face of opposition.
He had three opportunities to stand up for Christ and to validate his boast but Peter utterly fell three times.
Yet Christ was gracious to Peter and used him mightily in spite of his repeated lapse of loyalty to the Lord.
Peter is reported saying no more during the rest of this discourse of Christ.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Remember the context of this verse.
Jesus Christ has just told his disciples that he was about to leave them and they could not come with him.
He has just told Peter and the disciples that Peter would deny him three times even before the cock crowed.
John knew that Judas was to betray Christ and perhaps others were told in whispers around the table.
The humanity of the disciples was being displayed and Jesus Christ addresses the troubled spirit of his disciples.
Psa 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
How often have these words brought comfort to the disciples of Christ in every age as troubles mount in every life.
Jesus says: Disciples, don't permit your heart to be agitated, don't allow your will to yield yourself to trouble.
I ask you, to believe and trust in God, and to do the same in me.
You will be able to conquer a troubled heart by only believing and trusting in me.
Without that trust your heart will be troubled.
Remember the healing of the sick, the calming of the storm, the raising of the dead.
I will do nothing but that which benefits you.
You may lean to your own understanding but that is an understanding of your own heart's making.
Lean to my word and accept my word.
Let God be your strength in the time of trouble!
John 14:2 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.
What comfort he introduces at this point.
He points the disciples to their ultimate home.
He points them to his Father's house.
He points them to their home.
Get your mind on where you are going and not on perceived troubles.
If you trust in God and in me your trouble will vanish away because you now see my Father's house.
I am to lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.
I want you to think about the places of abode that I am preparing for you.
There are many places in my Father's house.
There are many rooms or abiding places and I go there now to prepare a place personally for each one of you.
It will be a place exactly suited to each and every one of you.
A personalized place to meet your need.
It is not a pilgrim's place, a temporary place that withers and decays but it is an abiding place.
No repairs or maintenance required!
No leaky pipes, no peeling paint, no rotten wood or rusted metal.
A permanent abiding place prepared by Jesus Christ.
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I want you to be heavenly minded because I tell you the truth about my Father's house.
I want you to have these hopes because what I say is truth.
I came to bear witness unto the truth! |