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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Disciples, Part XXVI, John 14:19-27 - Lesson 134
Read Verses John 14:18, for review: I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.
John 14:19, Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Yet a little while will include the crucifixion.
The world will see him hang on the Cross of shame but that was the last time this world saw Jesus Christ.
The world shall see him again but it will be when he comes to execute vengeance on them who know not God.
The book of Revelation tells us that every eye shall see him when he is seated on the Great White Throne to judge the wicked.
But the disciples were not of the world.
They would see him.
They saw him now, they would see him before the crucifixion, after the resurrection, and days after as he taught them.
They saw him as he was taken up in a cloud to be with the Father.
And by faith we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels.
They see him now for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
The Christian by faith always sees Jesus.
And because the disciples were in Christ they had the eternal life of Christ as do all those who trust him for salvation.
Only because he lives do we live also.
John 14:20, At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Jesus Christ here refers to that day which is the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit indwelt the disciples and all believers.
At that day he was with the Father but as promised he did not leave the disciples comfortless.
At that day they would know the truth that he was in the Father and that they were in Christ and that he was in the disciples.
He had before said to his disciples that he and his Father are one.
Now he says that he and his Father and those in him are one.
He here describes a union indissoluble.
It is a union of eternal worth.
A union that no man can break.
It is the same union enjoyed by Jesus Christ with the Father.
The Father who loves the Son also loves those who are in the Son.
John 14:21, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Oh, How I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus!
How do I know I love Jesus?
Jesus Christ does not leave me ignorant about this important matter.
He does not leave me wondering.
Love of Jesus Christ is not tested by emotional outbursts and loud, "Oh, how I love Jesus".
He tells me in this verse that I must have his commandments, that is, know them and I must keep his commandments, that is, obey them.
In other words I must have faith in his word and I must practice his word.
If I do that Jesus Christ tells me that I love him.
That is the test of my love for Jesus Christ!
He further tells me that whoever loves him shall be loved by his Father and if his Father loves then Jesus Christ also loves.
But it does not end there.
The greatest part of this promise is that Jesus Christ will manifest himself to those who love him.
This means that Jesus Christ will exhibit himself, he will disclose himself, he will declare himself, he will reveal himself, to those who keep his commandments, to those who keep his word.
But no longer will it be in the flesh as he dwelt among men.
No longer will he be seen with the physical eye as the disciples were used to seeing him.
It will not be in dreams or visions that the prophets were allowed.
But it will be by his word as revealed by the Spirit of Truth to those chosen to record his word.
It is therefore through the written word that the Word of God will manifest himself to us.
Through his word he becomes a reality to us.
Through his word we know his person.
Through his word we are comforted and supported in trials.
Through his word we have assurance that he is an ever present help and will never leave us.
But this manifestation of Christ is not given but to those who trust and obey his word.
It is not given to those who wish to know Jesus Christ apart from his word; perhaps by extra revelation or experience.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and I will manifest myself to him.
John 14:22, Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Good question, Judas (brother of James), not Iscariot!
Thank you for asking!
Notice that Judas picked up on this important implication in the teaching of Christ.
Christ only manifests himself unto his own and he does this by his word as it is conveyed by the Spirit of Truth.
But religion and the crowds of the religious right choose to ignore this teaching as it tries to press onto the world the teachings of Christ.
Religion tries to get the results that the word of God gets without the living word of God, Jesus Christ!
That is religion's business, to try to do the work of God through the power of man and not the Spirit of Truth.
Religion tries to manifest Christ in man's way.
Religion is only in the sepulcher painting business.
Religion simply involves itself in trying to fix up the outside of natural man.
But Christ does not manifest himself to religion nor does he involve himself in fixing up the outside of natural man.
Christ only manifests himself to those who have his commandments and keepeth them.
Christ only manifests himself to those who are born of the Spirit of Truth.
Look at the Christmas holiday to see this lived out.
People have sung the Christmas songs and observed the day for decades and yet do not know Christ nor does he manifest himself to them through the songs of Christmas.
Ye must be born again to have his commandments and to keep them.
Ye must be born again to know Christ!
John 14:23, Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Here Christ uses the phrase, keep my words.
He desires his own to know his words.
He desires his own to live by his word because we have been designed by our creator to live by his word and his word alone.
Adam choose to not live by his word and by his disobedience cast all of creation into death.
Jesus Christ bought us back to live again by his word.
Everything in God's universe is designed to consist by God's word.
Col 1:17 tells us that:.....he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And marvel of marvels Jesus Christ tells his disciples that the man who keeps his word will be indwelt by Jesus Christ and the Father also.
Both will come and make their mansion, their abode, with the one who loves Jesus Christ.
And the man who loves Jesus Christ will keep his words.
Obedience is the mark of love.
John 14:24, He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
He says those who love me keep my words and he says that those who do not love me don't keep my sayings.
Everything centers on the word of Jesus Christ.
This is where love is tested.
It is black and white with Jesus Christ.
You are either for Jesus Christ or you are against Jesus Christ!
There is no middle ground with shades of gray.
This is simply the difference between those to whom Christ manifests himself and those to whom it is impossible for Christ to manifest himself.
His own, versus those of the world.
And again he emphasizes the fact that he speaks not his own words but the words of the Father whom he serves.
If you keep not Jesus Christ sayings you go against the word of God Almighty himself.
If you keep not the word of Jesus Christ you do not love him and on the contrary you show that you hate God Almighty.
John 14:25,26 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
I have taken this precious time while I am with you to speak these things to you.
I know that you do not understand but I wanted to tell you these things while I was with you face to face.
The Father will send you one who will instruct you as to the things I have said.
He will come in my name.
In other words he will represent me to you and cause you to remember these words that I have said to you.
He will enlighten you as to what I have said.
He will come in my stead, in my interests, with my authority.
He shall speak of me.
Just as I have made known the Father he will make my words known to you.
Just as I have glorified the Father so will he glorify me.
John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Peace I leave with you. Because of Jesus Christ the disciples were at peace with God.
Because of Jesus Christ the war with God was over.
Because of Jesus Christ God's wrath is stayed and is no longer aimed at the disciples.
There is peace with God because of the atoning work of Christ.
Because of the work of Christ God is satisfied that the sin debt was paid.
Peace is now possible because of Jesus Christ.
And therefore he can say, Peace I leave with you.
And then he says: My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
This is the peace of God that passes all understanding.
The peace that shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The peace that is in the heart of a believer while the world tumbles down around him.
The peace that the world cannot understand!
This peace will be enjoyed through the indwelling Spirit of Truth, the Comforter that speaks of Christ.
The end of enmity with God brought one peace, the result of that peace with God is inner peace of the heart.
Therefore Jesus Christ concludes with the admonition: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Now Jesus Christ does not admonish unless he gives the wherewithal to comply with that admonishment.
Jesus Christ equips his own to have an untroubled heart and to be not be afraid.
Look back in this chapter and see that equipage!
This is why he can say: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
1) He assured them that he was going to the Father's house
2) He would make provision for their coming there.
3) When the necessary preparations were completed he would come and conduct them there.
4) He had opened the way for them, had made them aquainted with the way, and would give them the energy necessary to go along that way.
5) He would not withdraw from them the miraculous powers which he had conferred upon them, but would enable them to do still greater things.
6) Whatever they needed for the discharge of the work to which he had called them, on asking in his name, they should assuredly obtain.
7) A divine person should be sent to supply his place, acting as their instructor, guide, protector, and consoler.
8) That they should not be left orphans but he would return to them in possession of an endless life, of which they should be partakers.
9) In a soon coming day they would grasp the oneness of life, shared by the Father and the Son and the sons.
10) He would manifest himself to those who kept his commandments.
11) He who kept his word should be loved by the Father.
12) The Holy Spirit would bring back to their remembrance all things Christ had said unto them.
13) Peace he left with them.
14) His own peace he bequeathed unto them.
No wonder he could say, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"!
He had equipped us for such a heart.
If we do not have such a heart then it is obvious that we are not using the equipment that he has given us! |