John Chapter 14 Verses 18-24
Jesus continued to teach the disciples at their Passover Seder in the hours before His arrest and crucifixion. Verses 18-21 read,
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
The words Jesus spoke hold great joy and hope. But the disciples couldn’t understand it all because they didn’t realize He was about to sacrifice His life and they didn’t completely understand the resurrection that would take place after. You and I have the benefit of knowing what was about to happen and we have the Holy Spirit, who reveals the truths to us.
Jesus was going to die, but that wasn’t the end of the story. The disciples wouldn’t be without Him. The lost world would think Jesus was gone and that was that. But even after His death, resurrection and ascension, those who followed and loved Jesus would know He is still with them. Do you now that Jesus is with you? Do you know God is always with you? What a wonderful comfort.
Jesus reminded the disciples again that it is by obeying His commandments that we prove our love. In demonstrating our love for God by demonstrating His love for humanity we get to know Jesus more. The Son is in the Father, and you are in Him and He is in you. Meditate on the awesomeness of that. Truly consider it. You are in God and God is in you, and Jesus makes Himself known to you. Then follow that thought and realize that Jesus is the exact image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) and if He is making Himself known to you, He is making the Father known to you.
The disciples didn’t understand but wanted to. They had been with Jesus as His closest friends, students, and followers for a couple of years but without the Holy Spirit they couldn’t grasp the depth of the mystery that Jesus revealed. Verses 22-24 read,
“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 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 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”
Notice, that Jesus repeated what He has said several times, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” But look what else He says, “and my Father will love him.” He doesn’t mean the Father doesn’t love people who do not love Jesus. He means that the Father has a relationship with those who love Jesus. His love becomes an active relational love in which He interacts and communes with us. Do you get what a big deal it is that you can have a friendship with God? It is awesome in the truest sense of the word. It’s better than being friends with Billy Graham or the President. You can be intimate friends the Creator, the Lord God of Hosts.
And God makes His Home with you. The Father’s house has many rooms. Jesus went to the Father to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2-3). And that place, that home is with you! Believer, God is with you. You are not alone. You are never alone. Jesus didn’t walk the earth, then sacrifice Himself, resurrect and ascend to leave you alone. He did all that so that you could always be with Him. There is no long bridge from here to Heaven. There is no need for a staircase. Jesus brought eternity to you. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). God (Father, Son and Spirit) are with you here and now. There is no need to be anxious, worried, or afraid. God is with you and within you. Jesus did a marvelous thing for you. He gave His life so that you could live in a relationship with God.
Jesus continued to teach the disciples at their Passover Seder in the hours before His arrest and crucifixion. Verses 18-21 read,
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
The words Jesus spoke hold great joy and hope. But the disciples couldn’t understand it all because they didn’t realize He was about to sacrifice His life and they didn’t completely understand the resurrection that would take place after. You and I have the benefit of knowing what was about to happen and we have the Holy Spirit, who reveals the truths to us.
Jesus was going to die, but that wasn’t the end of the story. The disciples wouldn’t be without Him. The lost world would think Jesus was gone and that was that. But even after His death, resurrection and ascension, those who followed and loved Jesus would know He is still with them. Do you now that Jesus is with you? Do you know God is always with you? What a wonderful comfort.
Jesus reminded the disciples again that it is by obeying His commandments that we prove our love. In demonstrating our love for God by demonstrating His love for humanity we get to know Jesus more. The Son is in the Father, and you are in Him and He is in you. Meditate on the awesomeness of that. Truly consider it. You are in God and God is in you, and Jesus makes Himself known to you. Then follow that thought and realize that Jesus is the exact image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) and if He is making Himself known to you, He is making the Father known to you.
The disciples didn’t understand but wanted to. They had been with Jesus as His closest friends, students, and followers for a couple of years but without the Holy Spirit they couldn’t grasp the depth of the mystery that Jesus revealed. Verses 22-24 read,
“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 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 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”
Notice, that Jesus repeated what He has said several times, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” But look what else He says, “and my Father will love him.” He doesn’t mean the Father doesn’t love people who do not love Jesus. He means that the Father has a relationship with those who love Jesus. His love becomes an active relational love in which He interacts and communes with us. Do you get what a big deal it is that you can have a friendship with God? It is awesome in the truest sense of the word. It’s better than being friends with Billy Graham or the President. You can be intimate friends the Creator, the Lord God of Hosts.
And God makes His Home with you. The Father’s house has many rooms. Jesus went to the Father to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2-3). And that place, that home is with you! Believer, God is with you. You are not alone. You are never alone. Jesus didn’t walk the earth, then sacrifice Himself, resurrect and ascend to leave you alone. He did all that so that you could always be with Him. There is no long bridge from here to Heaven. There is no need for a staircase. Jesus brought eternity to you. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). God (Father, Son and Spirit) are with you here and now. There is no need to be anxious, worried, or afraid. God is with you and within you. Jesus did a marvelous thing for you. He gave His life so that you could live in a relationship with God.
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