By Nicole McLeod
We’ve been studying the powerful teachings that Jesus gave to His disciples on the dark night before arrest, and crucifixion recorded for us in Johns gospel chapters 13-17. As they gathered with Jesus in the Upper Room, for a special and final Passover meal, Jesus ministered to their troubled heart as difficult times lay ahead. John chapter 14 begins and closes with the Lord saying to His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” He told them to believe in God, and to rest their hope firmly on Him too. He would depart from them, but He assures them they will not be left orphans. Help will be sent, and this is what we will learn about in the verses we will study today.
Let’s begin by reading John 14:15-26.Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper , that He may abide with you forever— 17the 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. 18I 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. 20At that day you will know that I amin My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21He 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.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23Jesus 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. 24He 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“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.
Let’s pause here and pray: Lord, it’s good to be here this morning, and take these teachings to heart. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will help us and teach us. You know each one of us intimately… so minister to us exactly what we need to hear from You today, in Jesus name.
Message outline:
1. (15-17) A Holy “Helper” - the Holy Spirit
2. (18-19) A Holy life – The life of Christ in us the hope of glory
3. (20-25) A Holy oneness - with the Father and the Son
4. (26) A Holy and permanent Teacher – the Spirit of Truth
5. (27-31) A Holy peace – a precious gift from Jesus
Vs.15,“ If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Did you notice that Jesus repeats this important teaching 5 times in our 16 verses - in vs . 15, 21, 23 and 24, and 31 . The apostle John who was there at this last supper, also included this teaching in his epistles at least 5 times, (1 John 2:3; 3:22,24; 5:3, 2 John 2:5-6).
So far, in the upper room discourse, Jesus has given three commands:
1. In our first study, we saw that He commands us to follow His example of humble loving service, John 13:14-15. This demonstrates to the world that God’s love is real and is at work in our lives.
2. In our second study, we saw that He commands us to love one another, after the pattern of His love for His disciples. John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is evidence of God’s divine love at work in our hearts and again is a good witness to the world.
3. In our third study, we saw that He commands us to put our faith in God the Father and in Jesus Himself. John 14:1b “Believe in God; believe also in me.” God is glorified in us, when we believe, love God + love others.
Keeping Jesus’ commands lead us to a life of Christian love, faith and service.
If you love me …When we love Jesus, we treasure His Word and live by it. As we learn it, apply it, pray and step out in faith and do what He says, we find an ever-deepening relationship with our Lord. We learn for ourselves His ways are truly best and bring about blessings. Love is powerful, but in itself is invisible. So how is it seen in a Christians life? The answer is here in vs. 15, 21, 23 and 24. It is seen as real as we keep Jesus commands; the way of life, the way of love that He lays out for His followers in all of His teachings.
The Greek word here for love is agapao – God’s form of love that gives unconditionally and sacrificially, seeking the highest good of another. It is the word that describes God’s love in John 3:16-17.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ”
John Phillips - agapaō, We tend to think of love primarily in terms of emotions. That is natural because we are most conscious of love in the realm of emotions. God, however, relates love to the will rather than to emotions. He commands us to love. He commands us to love Him and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. He commands us to love one another as He has loved us. That is because God is love. Love is the greatest revelation of God. "God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Obviously if love can be commanded, it does not belong solely to the realm of emotions... The word agapē refers to love as a principle.”
You will keep my commandments. The Greek word for keep/obey is Tereo . A word that means to attend to carefully, to take care of, guard and observe with watchful care.
And what is a commandment? It’s a divine rule, a moral or religious precept given by Jesus. His commandments are here in His Word, and they keep us living in a right way with Him, in an attitude of love.
When asked what is the greatest of all the commandments,
*Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
If we love someone, we don't have difficulty doing the things we know they want. Christ’s commands are good, they are not burdensome, and they are written from His heart of Agape love. They teach us how to live in faith, love and in fellowship with Him and with one another in the Spirit.
1 John 3:23 sums this up so well. “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
A quotation attributed to St. Augustine puts it this way: "Love God and do whatever you please, for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."
Jesus is our best example of loving obedience. Look at John 14:31, where He said, “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. We know Jesus loved His Father, and He obeyed Him sacrificially dying on the cross for our highest good, all for Agape love. “as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do”He said . Was this an easy obedience? No. But His obedience showsthe worldHis love forthe Father,and the Father’s love for us.
Maybe there a difficult step of obedience that God is calling you to. Maybe it involves stepping out in faith, or forgiving someone who has offended you, or giving up something that is hindering your walk with Jesus. Maybe it involves remaining faithful in a difficult situation. If you are struggling to obey Him, help is available. We all need help, and as we see next here in vs. 16, 17 and 26, Jesus will introduce The Helper.
A Holy “Helper”the Holy Spirit
(15-18)“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 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. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit as “The Helper” who abides withus forever. The word Helper is Parakletos in the Greek. It means a person called alongside to one’s aid. It also refers to a legal advocate, a mediator, or an intercessor. It has such rich meaning that Bible translators have used the words, Helper, Comforter, Counsellor, Intercessor and Advocate …to express who He is – and He is all of this to the believer, and so much more!
Jesus gives us six facts about the Holy Spirit in these verses:
· First, we learn that he will be a gift from the Father to true believers.
· Second, He will be "another," a separate but similar Holy Person
· Third, He will be "with you forever."
· Fourth, He is the Spirit of Truth and will be a revealer of truth.
· Fifth, The world cannot receive him - it neither sees him nor knows him.
· Sixth: The Spirit will dwell in you.
1. The Holy Spirit is the Father’s gift to you in Christ (vs 16). He indwells everyone who comes to saving faith in Jesus Christ, those who love and keep His commandments, (the mark of a true Christian). The Holy Spirit was in the world before Pentecost, and we see mention of Him throughout the Bible, from Genesis 1:2 – Revelation 22… but from the day of Pentecost on into our day, He indwells and empowers believers, and this is the age in which we live.
2.Jesus calls Himanother Helper. The word “ another” is the Greek word allen, meaning “another of the same kind” – another just like Jesus. When Jesus was with the disciples, He strengthened them; counseled them; He ministered to them, and the Holy Spirit will be their comforter.
3.that He may abide with you forever.He will never leave or forsake them.
4.Jesus calls Him the “Spirit of Truth”. God’s Word is Truth (John17:17). The Spirit of Truth uses the Word of Truth to teach and lead the disciples to a greater understanding of the gospel truth.
5. The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him . Paul wrote: 1 Cor 2: 14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
“The Spirit of truth is not popular in an age of lies. The Spirit of holiness doesn’t fit in a world of unholiness.” The same world that does not know or receive Jesus, does not understand or receive the Spirit.
6. The world does not know Him, John 14:17b “but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you .The Holy Spirit had been with them, as Jesus was with them, and will be (future tense) in them.
The Bible tells us that Holy Spirit relates to believers in three distinct ways: He is with them before they come to faith, He is in them upon receiving Christ, and thirdly, He comes upon (Epi) to empower them for ministry and witness.
Having the Holy Spirit living in you is the greatest blessing you could ever have from God. He is the one who empowers us to live the Christian life, and love and keep Christ’s commands and He is the way to live a victorious Christian life. One of the greatest prayers you can pray as a Christian, is for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to fill you every day and help you live to glorify God,
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
It takes little effort to follow our sinful desires, but it takes a determined effort to live a life led by God’s Word and Holy Spirit. At times we grieve the Spirit or quench the Spirit, but He will not leave us. He may correct us, disciple or discipline us and work with us. We quench the Holy Spirit by what we refuse to let Him do through us. We grieve the Spirit by doing what He tells us not to do. But He will be with us forever to help us.
At the end of vs. 18, Jesus promises,I will come to you.This was fulfilled by His post-resurrection appearances to them, in His coming to them in the person of the Holy Spirit, and in the promise of His return to this earth.
A Holy life -Christ in us the hope of glory
(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”.The Christian life is His life in us. This is our salvation. There is a new vitality with Christ in our life.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians, (Ephesians 3:17)prayed a beautiful prayer for us all asking that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” That word dwell means, " settle down and make himself at home in your heart." Has He made His home in your heart? I have this book called My Heart Christ’s Home which pictures what this is like for the believer when Jesus moves into the house and makes Himself at home. I recommend it highly.
A Holy oneness - with the Father and the Son.
These next verses, 20-24,contain some of the most significant teachings on knowing and experiencing Christ’s love and presence in our lives that I know of. And they set apart Christianity from all other world religions as they picture the Holy oneness and unity we have when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and Jesus and the Father make their home with us.
(20) “At that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. At that day – We are living in that day, which began at Pentecost and continues on. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us, this is our salvation. It is a holy union and oneness we have in Him. Next week, we will study Ch. 15, where Jesus uses the picture of the Vine and branches to illustrate this oneness. Christ living and dwelling in us is one of the most profound truths in the Bible
It’s also beautiful here to see the reality of the Triune nature of God woven into the fabric of Jesus’ teaching. He didn’t need to give a complicated lecture on the Trinity; He simply spoke of how the three Persons of the Trinity work for the good of God’s people and His plan of salvation. The Trinity is a divine truth that is easier to see and embrace than it is to explain with words.
(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.”
To ‘have’ commandments is a little different wording, meaning to make the commandments one’s own, to take them into one’s inner being. Here again is vs 15, but in reverse, Keeping His commands, shows that we truly love Him.It’s God’s love initiates love in us and brings out our obedience to His teachings – our obedience to His teachings does not bring us God’s love.
As we loveJesusandkeepHis commands, He manifests Himself to us, and we experience the oneness of fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit we see described in vs. 21-24.
God is love, and it’s what binds us all together with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and one another is faith and love. Obedience is like our love language to God. It is how we experience Christ’s presence in our lives and fellowship with one another.
(22) “Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
The disciples felt they could interrupt and ask Jesus questions while He was teaching them. Peter, Thomas and Phillip have already asked their questions, and we see the friendship and the approachability of Jesus. He did not treat them as interruptions or with impatience. This Judas (not Iscariot) is likely the disciple also known as Thaddaeus. He asked a good question! Didn’t Messiah come to stand in glory before all people? How is this then, that He will reveal Himself to those who love Him, but 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.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word”
What are some ways we “keep” His Word? Make a priority of daily prayer and Bible reading. Pray before you read and after. ... Read out loud. ... Keep a journal. ... memorize it (hide it in your heart), share it with others.
(24-25) 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. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.”
Those who love Jesus keep His word, those who do not love Him, don’t. We know the heart of God is to reach the lost with the gospel, so let’s keep praying for the lost, and reaching out in His love with the gospel.
A Holy Teacher – The Spirit of Truth
(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.
Here Jesus tells us the most important truth about the Holy Spirit, that He is Holy – as the Father and the Son are Holy, so is the Spirit. Jesus also tells us He is our teacher and brings to remembrance the Words and teachings of Jesus. It was by the Holy Spirit that the disciples were able to remember and accurately record the detailed teachings and events we have in the gospels in the New Testament scriptures. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to guide us into the will of God and the work of God. He is our teacher and brings truths to our remembrance to help us and speak to us. (We will learn more about this in John chapter 16)
A Holy peace– a precious gift from Jesus
(27-29) “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
What a fitting legacy and gift to troubled disciples, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. This peace is the fruit of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. He is our peace. In Christ we are given both peace with God and the peace of God.
*Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote: *Phil 4:6-7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(27b) Not as the world gives do I give to you:
The peace of this world is often based on a temporary lack of conflict– and is something people hope for or work for, but a hurricane, a terror attack, a major storm, a sudden loss… and the peace of the world is gone. It is an external and unstable peace.
In contrast, the peace of Christ is a wonderful gift from God, which is independent of circumstances and is rooted in the knowledge, that God is our Father, Christ is our Savior and Heaven is our home forever and promises we stand on.
27c-29) “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming backto you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.”
Jesus was returning to the Father and to glory, if they had understood, they would have rejoiced, but they were overcome by the thought of Him leaving. But from our perspective, today, we do rejoice. We have a great High Priest in heaven interceding for us. We have the Spirit within us, the Savior above us, and the word before us and heaven awaiting us. Let not our hearts be troubled.
“My Father is greater than I.” During the days of His earthly life, the Father was “greater” in position, but not in essence or being. If a cult comes knocking at your door with this, do not fall for it. This phrase has been mis-used, to support unbiblical teaching.
(29-30) And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” Time was running out,andthe enemy was advancing, but Satan wasn’t in charge, as Jesus said, He has nothing in Me . Jesus didn’t return to heaven until He’d settled the sin question, once for all, and made it possible for us to be at peace with God.
(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 and His disciples slowly began to make their way toward Gethsemane, but Jesus has more to say so come next week when we will continue this upper room discourse.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for Your word – we love it and help us live it. I pray you will fill us every day with your Holy Spirit so we may more deeply love and follow you, so that the World may come to know You. Be glorified among us, with us and in us, In Jesus name