When Jesus used these words to comfort his disciples shortly before his crucifixion, he was introducing a topic that they had not, yet, really understood. \u00a0I have, recently, been working on a very detailed study of exactly who Jesus claimed to be and who his contemporaries thought him to be. \u00a0I will be posting some of that personal study here in the coming weeks. \u00a0I pray that you will find it useful and that it will help you to grow closer to Jesus.<\/p>\n
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Before I begin, I want to ask a favor of you. \u00a0I put a lot of time and effort into the studies I post on this blog. \u00a0Most of what I put here, I use personally in my own life. \u00a0If you find these posts to be a blessing to you in some way, please share them with others who may learn something from them. \u00a0Feel free to send me a note letting me know that you were blessed by what I share as well. \u00a0You have no idea just how uplifting it is to hear that what God shows me is a blessing to others. \u00a0Thank you in advance and now, without further ado, let’s study together.<\/p>\n
In John 13, John is sharing what happened at what we call “The Last Supper” or “The Lord’s Supper”. \u00a0In that chapter, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. \u00a0He also, shared with them that one of their number would betray him. \u00a0Also, Jesus told Simon Peter that he would deny him before the morning came. \u00a0It was after these troubling things that Jesus began a teaching that is among my favorite passages in all of John’s writing. \u00a0John 14-16 is where Jesus provides his final teachings to his disciples. \u00a0He finishes this teaching with a prayer for them (and us) in chapter 17.<\/p>\n
In this article, I will focus on chapter 14 and what we can learn about Jesus from Jesus himself. \u00a0Jesus began this way in verses 1-4<\/p>\n
Right off the bat, Jesus wants us to understand that he is in control. \u00a0“Do not let your heart be troubled.<\/strong>” \u00a0Jesus came to the earth in order to seek and save the lost. \u00a0He was born to die. \u00a0Even so, it is his desire for us to know that his death is not the end. \u00a0While he knew what was about to happen, the disciples did not. \u00a0Even before they experienced what was about to cause their hearts to be troubled, he wanted them to be comforted. \u00a0He let them know that what was about to happen, MUST happen in order for him to complete his purpose on earth. \u00a0This is an important lesson for us as well. \u00a0Whatever our current circumstance, Jesus already knows and is not surprised by what happens in our lives. \u00a0Even if we are responsible for the “bad things” we experience, Jesus says to us, “Do not let your heart be troubled.<\/strong>” \u00a0 It is important to understand that the reason we can be comforted in these situations is because we can believe that He is still in control. \u00a0Jesus said, “Believe in God, believe also in me.<\/strong>” \u00a0He is not leaving us alone in our trouble, but there is a purpose and a hope. \u00a0That hope is spelled out in no uncertain terms when Jesus said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.<\/strong>” \u00a0In other words, whatever “bad” we may see, it is not the end. \u00a0We WILL be with Jesus in the end and that is a hope that we all share. \u00a0Thank you, Jesus!<\/p>\n In verse 5, Thomas asked a question.<\/p>\n In case you were wondering, this is the same Thomas that later doubts the resurrection. \u00a0Here, Thomas isn’t questioning Jesus because he doubted. \u00a0Rather, he is speaking out of a lack of understanding of exactly who Jesus is. \u00a0The answer that Jesus gives him is one that is often misunderstood. \u00a0Here is Jesus answer (verses 6-7):<\/p>\n Perhaps better than any other phrase in the entire book of John, this summarizes all of John’s thoughts concerning what he wanted to share about Jesus. \u00a0The Jews (who Jesus was speaking to) knew that God alone<\/em> IS truth and life<\/em>. \u00a0Jesus here lays claim to both. \u00a0The old testament \u201cway\u201d to God was given by the law. \u00a0Jesus is saying here that he is MUCH more than just a prophet pointing toward God. \u00a0He is saying that he is himself<\/em> the way. \u00a0He is saying that he is himself<\/em> truth. \u00a0He is saying that he is himself<\/em> life. \u00a0He is not here to simply convey truth and impart life from God. \u00a0He IS the way, the truth and the life<\/em>. \u00a0Furthermore,\u00a0in verse 7, Jesus makes this statement: \u201cIf you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.<\/strong>\u201d \u00a0Jesus statement here is a clear claim to the fact that he is, himself, God in the flesh. \u00a0This is followed by Philip saying \u201cLord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.<\/strong>\u201d \u00a0I find it interesting that this statement immediately followed Jesus words in verse 7. \u00a0The words translated as \u201cfrom now on..\u201d (verse 7) may be better translated as \u201cnow already\u201d or “from this moment” -(original language is \u201cap’ arti\u201d). \u00a0So if you translate that statement of Jesus as \u201cIf you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; NOW ALREADY you know Him, and have seen Him.<\/strong><\/em>\u201d it clarifies what Philip was responding to. \u00a0In my mind, this was not really a \u201cnew\u201d teaching to the disciples, but it was new in the sense that they did not understand (yet) precisely who Jesus was. \u00a0This is abundantly clear throughout this portion of scripture. \u00a0If you read what Jesus said, \u201cIf you had known me…<\/em>\u201d, this is apparent. \u00a0Jesus response is pretty clear. \u00a0Jesus explains to the disciples that he is not merely an \u201cagent\u201d of God. \u00a0Rather, his relationship with the father is much more intimate than that. \u00a0There is a mutual indwelling. \u00a0In Verse 10, Jesus says, \u201cDo you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?<\/strong>\u201d \u00a0Jesus is teaching here that HE is the one they are seeking. \u00a0He is presenting himself to them not only as a representative of the Father, but as one in such unity with the Father that his words are the words of the Father. \u00a0The latter part of verse 10 \u00a0reads, \u201cThe words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.<\/strong> \u201c \u00a0Jesus is saying that his works are the work of the Father, who is the agent at work through the person of Jesus. \u00a0He (Jesus) is not the Father. \u00a0There is a distinction between Jesus and the Father, just as there is a distinction between these two and the Holy Spirit (the \u201cparaclete\u201d whom Jesus \u00a0will introduce momentarily in verses 16 and 26). \u00a0Jesus is all at once, both \u201cone\u201d with the Father and still distinct from the Father. \u00a0While this may be a difficult concept to grasp, it is clearly stated in this passage and teaching from Jesus toward his disciples. \u00a0It is worth noting that the language Jesus uses here includes not only unity between himself and the Father, but also the helper, whom Jesus here calls the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n One role of the Holy Spirit is defined in verse 26 as \u201c…he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you…<\/strong>\u201d \u00a0It is important to recognize that the word \u201cremembrance\u201d here is more than just a recollection. \u00a0It is as much about that as it is about understanding. \u00a0In other words, the Holy Spirit was to be one who revealed God, just as Jesus did. \u00a0Note in verse 16, that Jesus says that the Father will give you \u201cANOTHER Helper<\/strong>\u201d (emphasis mine). \u00a0This implies, in some ways, that Jesus himself is \u201cthe Paraclete\u201d, but distinct from the one who will be sent. \u00a0The word \u201cparaclete\u201d and it’s various forms are often translated as \u201ccounselor\u201d, \u201cadvocate\u201d and \u201ccomforter\u201d in the New Testament. \u00a0 \u00a0These are other functions of the Holy Spirit in our lives. \u00a0When Jesus was physically present on the earth, HE was the paraclete, but when he ascended back to heaven, he sent \u201canother\u201d to fill that role in our lives. \u00a0In these verses, Jesus teaches his disciples, that the paraclete (helper, Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth) will point back to HIM. \u00a0Notable here, is that Jesus has just laid claim to be \u201cthe truth\u201d and that the \u201cSpirit of truth\u201dwould soon come to be with them forever and that He (yes, a person, not a \u201cthing\u201d or \u201cforce\u201d) will be with us to bring us to remembrance and understanding of Jesus words.<\/p>\n Jesus begins to wrap up this portion of his teaching with these words from verse 27-28:<\/p>\n What an amazing gift Jesus is offering here. \u00a0His peace is beyond understanding. \u00a0It is not something I can explain. \u00a0Even Paul, who was, perhaps, the best teacher of God’s word than anyone who has ever lived, said in Philippians 4:7:<\/p>\n This peace that Jesus left for us is simply something that you must experience for yourself in order to even begin to comprehend. \u00a0Verse 28 reads, \u201cYou heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.<\/strong>\u201d There is a LOT here, but let’s dig in. Jesus says \u201cIf you loved Me…<\/strong>\u201d as though they did not, yet, love him. I believe that he was saying to them that their love was still a little too self-focused. They should have been joyful for Jesus, as he was returning to the Father, but they were not, yet, able to love him in this way. This was a result of their fear (in this case, a sinful fear). This reality is made clear by Jesus rebuke in verse 27 that they \u201cDo not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.<\/strong>\u201d As Jesus entire life and all that he has done is clearly focused on the Father, it is expected that the prospect of returning to His presence would fill him with great joy. Jesus is teaching the disciples here that their focus is not the same as His, or they would share in this joy.<\/p>\n There are many who take the latter part of this verse to prove that Jesus is not divine. The problem with that idea, is that it is not compatible with even statements within this very gospel writing. From the very first verse, it is clear that John teaches that the Son is one with God, but is still distinct from God. John 1:1 reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.<\/strong>” \u00a0Verse 14 of chapter 1 reads, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of\u00a0the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.<\/strong>” \u00a0This is a VERY clear teaching that Jesus is God in the flesh. \u00a0Throughout the first chapter, John declares the deity of Christ and continues that through the rest of his gospel.<\/p>\n The conclusion of this chapter 14 of John reads:<\/p>\n As Jesus concludes this portion of his teaching, he reminds his disciples of WHY he is taking this time to teach them about what is coming. \u00a0He reminds them that his time with them is short. \u00a0I don’t believe they fully understood what was about to happen (the crucifixion of Jesus) at this time, but in order for them to believe in exactly who Jesus was claiming to be, he told them in advance.<\/p>\n It is my prayer that this short overview of John 14 will bless you as much as it has me. \u00a0If so, please share this with your friends. \u00a0Feel free to leave me a note of encouragement. \u00a0And may\u00a0the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Jesus used these words to comfort his disciples shortly before his crucifixion, he was introducing a topic that they had not, yet, really understood. \u00a0I have, recently, been working on a very detailed study of exactly who Jesus claimed to be and who his contemporaries thought him to be. \u00a0I will be posting some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"I Am The Way, And The Truth, And The Life","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,33],"tags":[36,31,14,20,19],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible","category-christian-living","tag-bible","tag-christian-living","tag-god","tag-jesus","tag-salvation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/download.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Mji6-3F","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions\/229"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/musings.butchevans.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}