Daily Bread 2010 - John 14
Daily Bread 2010 – John 14
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The next set of chapters 14-17, records some of the richest teaching of Jesus, known as the Upper Room Discourse. Jesus shares some of his most poignant lessons with the disciples. At the beginning of chapter 14, Jesus tells the disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. He promises that He goes to the Father, and will prepare a place for them and take them back to where He will go.
Thomas, ever the inquisitive one, asks Him how they will know the way. Jesus replies, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Some see this as a very narrow and exclusive claim. And it is. And yet, in another way, since Jesus makes this way known to all and since His real purpose is for every one to hear and believe and follow Him, it is a very broad and inclusive way. In fact, most of the stories we have seen in John is Jesus reaching out to those who would not necessarily have been the most likely candidates to receive the gift of grace. This communicates God’s love for all people.
Then, in this passage, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. He is called also the “Advocate”, or in this case, “Counselor”. Specifically this Counselor would help the disciples to remember all that Jesus taught. He would also be a conduit of the peace that Jesus sought to give to the world. Jesus saw all the unrest and anxiety around him, and wanted the disciples to walk in peace not stress.
But in the end, He knew that there would peace for His disciples in this world. He gave them a promise of it in the next world, but for now they would need the guidance, work and power of the Holy Spirit. Two of the greatest gifts God has given us through Jesus Christ are: the gift of forgiveness, and then the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The gift of forgiveness helps us to leave our old life behind, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is the assurance of God’s presence and that one day all that Jesus taught will come true. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said, and assures us that we are sons and daughters of God. When we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us, but also upon confession and repentance reminds us we are forgiven because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Come Holy Spirit fill our hearts with Jesus’ presence and love. Remind us of what you taught and empower us to obey what your will is for our lives. Forgive us of the things we have done wrong and help us to be freed from the bondage of the sinful nature and in the freedom of eternal life which is promised to us through Christ, Amen.
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The next set of chapters 14-17, records some of the richest teaching of Jesus, known as the Upper Room Discourse. Jesus shares some of his most poignant lessons with the disciples. At the beginning of chapter 14, Jesus tells the disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. He promises that He goes to the Father, and will prepare a place for them and take them back to where He will go.
Thomas, ever the inquisitive one, asks Him how they will know the way. Jesus replies, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Some see this as a very narrow and exclusive claim. And it is. And yet, in another way, since Jesus makes this way known to all and since His real purpose is for every one to hear and believe and follow Him, it is a very broad and inclusive way. In fact, most of the stories we have seen in John is Jesus reaching out to those who would not necessarily have been the most likely candidates to receive the gift of grace. This communicates God’s love for all people.
Then, in this passage, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. He is called also the “Advocate”, or in this case, “Counselor”. Specifically this Counselor would help the disciples to remember all that Jesus taught. He would also be a conduit of the peace that Jesus sought to give to the world. Jesus saw all the unrest and anxiety around him, and wanted the disciples to walk in peace not stress.
But in the end, He knew that there would peace for His disciples in this world. He gave them a promise of it in the next world, but for now they would need the guidance, work and power of the Holy Spirit. Two of the greatest gifts God has given us through Jesus Christ are: the gift of forgiveness, and then the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The gift of forgiveness helps us to leave our old life behind, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is the assurance of God’s presence and that one day all that Jesus taught will come true. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said, and assures us that we are sons and daughters of God. When we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us, but also upon confession and repentance reminds us we are forgiven because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Come Holy Spirit fill our hearts with Jesus’ presence and love. Remind us of what you taught and empower us to obey what your will is for our lives. Forgive us of the things we have done wrong and help us to be freed from the bondage of the sinful nature and in the freedom of eternal life which is promised to us through Christ, Amen.
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