Milo

SEPTEMBER 8

Reading 251

JESUS’ FINAL PRAYER John 17

“I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours” (John 17:9).Our prayers reveal our priorities. In Jesus’ final prayer, He showed His concern was for all believers—present and future.

Definition of Key Terms

Glory.

The words “glory” and “glorify” occur over and over in John 17. In the secular world of the first century, glory was “the high opinion of others.” A person’s glory thus was rooted in the assessment by others of his actions or accomplishments. In Scripture, however, “glory” is not linked with human assessment. It is instead linked with the revelation of God’s majesty. God’s qualities are glorious in and of themselves. Jesus glorified God simply by doing God’s will, and thus revealing what the Father is like. How then do we glorify God? In two ways. First, by recognizing His works and praising Him for the qualities His acts reveal. And second, by “bearing fruit” (15:8). The stunning thought here is that as you and I live in intimate relationship with the Lord, He acts in and through us, thus revealing Himself to others. Like Jesus, we can glorify God by being channels through which the Lord reveals His beauty to mankind.

Overview

Jesus asked God to glorify Him, now that His mission of glorifying the Father was complete (17:1–5). Christ asked the Father to preserve His 11 disciples (vv. 6–12). He then prayed for all future believers (vv. 13–26): that we might be one with Him (vv. 13–23), see Jesus’ glory (v. 24), and love Him completely (vv. 25–26).

Understanding the Text“

Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You” John 17:1.

The prayer recorded in John 17 has been called Christ’s “High Priestly Prayer.” It is the prayer of one about to offer Himself on the altar as a sacrifice for humankind, and it’s filled with expressions of love. This prayer is also filled with expressions of Christ’s purpose in permitting Calvary. This verse states the first, and perhaps most important purpose. Jesus went to the cross to glorify the Father, and that the Father might glorify Him. In view of the New Testament meaning of “glorify” (see DEFINITION), what Jesus had in mind was the whole sequence of events that were about to take place. These events—the capture, the trial, the journey to the cross, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection—comprise the ultimate revelation of God’s unimaginable love for lost humanity. In this, the ultimate revelation of God’s love, grace, and power, these qualities of our God are fully displayed. In this ultimate revelation of the Father and the Son, Each glorified the Other, for Father and Son were united in the plan to save humankind. Today anyone who wishes to know God need only look to Calvary. There, in the cross, the love, the grace, and the glory of God burn forever bright. “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” John 17:2–3. Merrill Tenney suggests that “life is active involvement with environment; death is the cessation of involvement with the environment.” A worm has an earthly life, in that its environment is the dirt in which it lives. It has no capacity to interact with an environment of water or air. Similarly human beings have biological life that enables them to interact with the biosphere: the realm of life on earth. But human beings have no native capacity to interact with the realm of the spiritual and eternal. Unless they have come to know God through Jesus Christ, and have been given eternal life by God. What an insight into the nature of our “eternal life.” It is not simply endless. It is the capacity now to be involved with God: to speak to Him, to be guided by Him, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. We live with our feet on the ground. But our native environment now is eternity, and our primary relationship is with God. “You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word” John 17:6–8. Jesus’ prayer now focused on the 11 disciples who had been His companions through His years of ministry. What a beautiful picture John drew. The 11 were God’s gift to Jesus. And they demonstrated that fact by obeying Jesus’ word. Some would see here an interplay between predestination and human responsibility. God gives individuals to Jesus. They reveal their election by obedience. But it’s best not to be drawn into that debate. The 11 were God’s gifts to Christ. What we need to ask is, what made them valuable and beautiful gifts? The answer to that question is found in the text. To be a beautiful gift a person (1) obeys Jesus’ words (v. 6), for he accepts Jesus’ words as God’s own (v. 8); and (2) knows with certainty Jesus came from God the Father (v. 8). Jesus deserves the most beautiful gift we can possibly give Him. We can be that most beautiful of gifts ourselves, if we trust Jesus completely and obey His words. “Protect them by the power of Your name” John 17:9–12. The Greek word, tereo, when applied to persons, has the general meaning of “preserve.” Jesus was about to leave, and His disciples would seemingly be alone in a hostile world. We may be alone. But we are not unprotected! God the Father has committed His name (which means “all that He is,” and here emphasizes His omnipotence) to preserve us from harm. This is no guarantee of protection from physical suffering. Jesus Himself suffered and died. No, God’s protection is far more significant than that. What God is committed to do is to preserve the oneness relationship that exists between the believer and Jesus (v. 11). Nothing on earth can tear us away from our Lord. We are safe, for God has committed all that He is to protect and preserve our relationship with Christ. “None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction” John 17:12. There is a slight difference in the word Jesus used when speaking of His own “protection” of the Twelve. God was committed by Jesus’ prayer to preserve (tereo) the 11. Jesus when on earth defended (phylasso) them from external attack. That defense operated while 11 of the Twelve gradually found their way to full faith in Jesus—and while Judas worked his way to rejection and betrayal. While the shade of difference in the Greek words is slight, there is a vast difference between Christ’s protection of His disciples from outside attack while they were making up their minds about Him, and God’s preservation of the 11 who had achieved the certainty of their faith (cf. vv. 7–8). Don’t let Judas’ loss frighten you. No one who has a settled faith in Jesus is in danger of losing his or her eternal life. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it” John 17:16. To be “of” the world is to have our roots in the complex of motives and passions that rules sinful human society. Because of union with Christ, the Christian’s roots are in heaven. We live in the world, but our motives and our perspective on life is shaped by our relationship with God. It’s helpful to be clear on the nature of a “worldly” person. Worldliness is not a matter of do’s and don’ts, but of attitudes and perspectives. If our priorities and values are like those of non-Christians in our society, we are worldly. “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth” John 17:17. To be sanctified is to be set apart, or dedicated. It’s not enough to “just believe.” God calls all who believe to complete dedication to Him and His ways. How does a believer become sanctified? By the working of God’s Word in his or her life. Scripture is not just a statement of standards by which we are to live. It is a powerful, active agent God uses to call us closer to Him, and to guide our steps. Don’t expect your life to change if your Bible gathers dust on some shelf. “For those who will believe in Me through their message” John 17:20–26. This is the third section of Jesus’ prayer: a section whose focus is you and me. What does Jesus want most for you and me? He wants us to be one in Him (vv. 20–23, see DEVOTIONAL), He wants us to be with Him and see His glory (v. 24), and He wants us to be filled not only with love but with Christ Himself (vv. 25–26). What does it mean that Jesus prayed these things for us? It means, simply, that we have what He prayed for! It is impossible to imagine that God the Father would not answer Christ’s prayers. Thus we are sure that this prayer has been, is being, and will be answered. You and I are one with Jesus, and can experience this oneness. We will surely be with Jesus and see His glory. And Christ today is present with us, to fill our lives not only with love, but with a sense of His presence. So claim the promises that Christ’s prayer guarantees. And enjoy being a Christian.

DEVOTIONAL

Being One(John 17:20–23)

I learned a new word the other day playing a game called Balderdash. The word was “Martext.” It describes a preacher with poor delivery and fuzzy thought processes. When you think about it, it’s easy to see where the word came from. Such a preacher would mar any text he preached from! I suspect that John 17:22 has been marred by preachers as much as any text in the Bible. It records Jesus’ prayer that all believers “may be one as We are One.” Many preachers have taken this text as a call for Christian unity. I have no statistics on how often this text has been used when denominational groups meet to consider merger, but I’d bet it’s served as a proof text about 99.9 percent of such times. The only problem is, Jesus wasn’t praying for Christians to be one with each other. He wasn’t asking for organizational or even experiential unity in the body of Christ. What Jesus asked is that all believers be one with Him! We know this from the passage itself. Jesus’ relationship with the Father is the model of the oneness Christ prayed for. Jesus is in the Father, and the Father in Him (v. 21). They are bound together: by shared nature, by mutual love, by oneness of purpose, by a single, harmonious will. Jesus lived His life on earth in union with God the Father, and His actions here revealed God to us all. And now, wonder of wonders, Jesus asked that we may have the kind of relationship with Him that He has had with the Father! Jesus asked that we might be bound to Him: given a new nature that is like His, a capacity to love that reflects His own, a place in God’s plan and purpose, and knowledge of God’s will. Equipped with these gifts, found in Him in the same way He is in the Father, you and I like Jesus can display God’s glory to the world. We can be channels through which God reveals Himself to other men. What’s wonderful is that this prayer has been answered. We are one with Jesus, our lives bound up in His. Christ’s desire for us, now that we are one, is that we might “be brought to complete unity” experientially, that through us “the world [may] know” that Jesus is the Father’s Son.

Personal Application

Being one with Christ means you and I can live our lives on earth in union with God.

Quotable

“Christ is my form, my furniture and perfection, adorning and beautifying my faith as the colour, the clear light, or the whiteness do garnish and beautify the wall. We cannot spiritually conceive that Christ is so nearly joined and united unto us, as the colour or whiteness are unto the wall. Christ therefore, saith He, thus joined and united unto me and abiding in me, liveth this life in me which I now live; yes Christ Himself is this life which now I live. Wherefore Christ and I in this behalf are both one.”—Martin Luther

SEPTEMBER 7

Reading 250

THE SPIRIT’S WORK John 16“It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).The Holy Spirit is alive and present with each believer today!

Overview

Jesus warned of the world’s hostility (16:1–4), but promised to send the Holy Spirit to convict the world (vv. 5–11). The Holy Spirit will also guide believers into all truth (vv. 12–16). Jesus promised that soon after His departure (death) the disciples would see Him again (in resurrection), and know joy (vv. 17–24). God loves and hears the prayers of those who believe in Jesus (vv. 25–28). Even imperfect faith is an avenue to peace (vv. 29–33).

Understanding the Text

“You will remember that I warned you” John 16:1–4. The reason for the warning? “So that you will not go astray” (v. 1). We all have a powerful desire to be accepted by others. Sometimes the desire stimulates relatively harmless behavior: kids want to wear what other children wear, and to have the same kind of school notebook. And businessmen dress as clones. But a need to fit in can be dangerous. A teen takes a drink, or tries a drug, because the gang urges him to. A teenage girl abandons her values in search of popularity. An adult violates his integrity for the approval of a boss or coworkers. Our need of acceptance is strong—and costly. If you or I ever assume that our faith is compatible with acceptance from the world, we’re in real danger of going astray. Jesus wants us to know ahead of time that when society asks, “Goin’ my way?” it is not inviting us to go His! The world lacks an accurate concept of God and of godliness (v. 3). Jesus said the world was hostile to and actually “hated” Him (15:18). To avoid the danger of being led astray by the world, we have to make a firm commitment to the Lord. So don’t make it your goal to please people. Love and serve others. But seek to please only the Lord. “It is for your good that I am going away” John 16:7. We can understand why the disciples were filled with grief at the thought of losing Jesus. Why would He “go away” and desert them? Christ tried to help His friends understand that His apparent desertion was for their benefit. Today we do understand: Christ left, but sent the Holy Spirit, who is a living presence within every believer. While Jesus was here on earth, He could only be present with a few of His own at a time. Yet note Christ’s sensitivity, and the disciples’ mistaken grief. Jesus knew and cared about how the 11 felt, even though their feelings were based in part on a misunderstanding of the situation. Sometimes you and I feel deserted and alone too. We wonder why God seems so far off, and why our prayers go unheeded. Jesus cares about our feelings of loneliness—even though such situations too are “for your good.” How close we can feel to Jesus when trials come. He is near, and He cares. He is at work even in our tragedies to bring us good. “If I go, I will send Him to you” John 16:7. In God’s wondrous plan, the Holy Spirit is the Person of the Godhead who bonds us to Jesus, and who lives within us as an endless source of spiritual strength and vitality. Christ took His bodily presence from earth for a time, and in return granted us His spiritual presence, in the person of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the most exciting consequences of the Resurrection. A risen Jesus was free to pour out the Spirit on His followers. You and I aren’t alone. The Holy Spirit of God is with us, always. “He will convict the world” John 16:8–11. Jesus had warned of an essential conflict between Himself and the world. He went on to explore the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the world. The word “convict” is elencho, a legal term that means to pronounce a guilty verdict, thus defining justice and fixing responsibility. While the Spirit convicts the world, He does so by working through us. We are the channels through which the guilty verdict is announced. Earlier Jesus warned that the world is hostile to Christ and to believers. He told the disciples to expect animosity, and not to be “led astray” when the world demands we conform to its values and standards. Now Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world through us. It is not enough to go quietly about our business. We are to make a stand, and by standing enable the Spirit of God to speak to the world. “In regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” John 16:8–11. How are we to understand these three ministries of the Holy Spirit to the world? In regard to sin: the essence of sin is unbelief (v. 9). Our steadfast trust in Jesus stands in contrast to the world’s rejection of Him, and confirms its guilt. In regard to righteousness: the ultimate standard of righteousness is God Himself, expressed in Jesus, whose claims have been vindicated by His return to the Father’s side (v. 10). Though men see Jesus no longer, His character is displayed in believers’ Christlike lives. We continually exhibit the gap that exists between sinners and the Lord. In regard to judgment: the Cross and Resurrection—the reality of which are seen in the believer who lives his life in Jesus’ resurrection power (Rom. 8:11), proves unequivocally that Satan is a defeated foe. Thus the world system he dominates is an empty sham. There is nothing you and I can do to convict the world we live in. It is our lives, infused by the Spirit’s power and displaying heaven’s grace, that boldly proclaim the judgment of our God. “He will guide you into all truth” John 16:12–13. The Spirit has a ministry to believers as well as to the world. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and apply God’s truth to our lives as we grow in Him. The primary application of this teaching is to the 11 disciples, who later came to new and deeper understanding of what Jesus said and did. This deeper understanding is reflected in the epistles and other writings of the New Testament. Even so, we can see something similar happening in us. As young Christians we struggle to understand what seems obscure and puzzling. Then as we grow in our Christian experience, what was hidden becomes clear. When we are eager to know Jesus and to please Him, the Holy Spirit will surely guide us nearer and nearer to our Lord (see DEVOTIONAL). “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and you will rejoice” John 16:17–22. Jesus most probably was speaking of His resurrection and the sudden, joyous knowledge that He was alive that would drive away His disciples’ tears. Yet there is again application to you and me. Life on earth isn’t easy; in many ways this is our time of grief. But we too look forward to a return of Jesus Christ. When He comes, we will rejoice, and no one will ever take away that joy (v. 24). “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” John 16:23–28. There are two meanings of “ask” in this passage. The first “ask” in verse 23, means to “ask a question.” The disciples decided that there was no need to question Christ further. They thought they understood. Later, all He had taught would in fact become clear. The second meaning of “ask” is to “ask a favor.” Knowing Jesus lives, and that we are His, we now come freely to God to make our requests. People have a saying, “It’s not how much you know, it’s who you know.” All that means is that if you want to get an interview for a job, it sure helps if someone high in the company will give you a letter of recommendation! If the person is high enough—the boss himself, perhaps—then the endorsement almost certainly means you’ve got the job. Some folks think that “asking in Jesus’ name” is like asking for Jesus to endorse our request. It isn’t. Asking in Jesus’ name means we identify with Christ’s values and goals so that what we ask reflects His will. We don’t need His endorsement! “I am not saying I will ask the Father for you,” He said. “No, the Father Himself loves you” (vv. 26–27). What an amazing thing! We don’t need a go-between in our dealings with God, because God loves us for ourselves. This is what’s wrong with the notion in some Christian traditions that we should ask dead saints to intercede. God loves Mary so much, so the reasoning goes, that He would certainly honor her request. So let’s ask Mary—or St. Francis, or whomever—to intercede for us. But, wonder of wonders, we’ve no need to seek a go-between! God loves you so much He is eager to honor your request. To ask some saint to intercede for you is to question the reality of God’s love—and Jesus’ assurance of that love. “That in Me you may have peace” John 16:29–33. Jesus’ instruction satisfied His disciples’ curiosity. And they thought they understood. They didn’t—and within a few hours they would scatter and leave Jesus to His fate. But even their imperfect faith was enough to win peace. Looking back the disciples would realize that there is no security, no basis for confidence, in themselves. But in Christ, and in Him alone, they would find peace. As the Resurrection demonstrates, Jesus is the Victor over this world. In Him and in His victory we have peace.

DEVOTIONAL

He Will Guide You into All Truth(John 16:1–15)

Of all the ministries of the Holy Spirit, this may be the least understood. We see the misunderstanding in the complaint that Christians are divided over doctrine. Some immerse for baptism, and some say sprinkling is enough. Some argue for predestination, others for free will. Some say Christians should speak in tongues today, others disagree. There are Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Pentecostals, and multiplied other Christian brands. It seems that if the Holy Spirit were sent to guide us into all truth, He surely has fallen down on the job! The problem is our view of “truth.” To many folks, “truth” is “doctrine.” It’s beliefs or ideas about God. For these folk, the differences in Christian belief are deeply troubling. But biblically “truth” is not found in a harmony of ideas, but in the harmony of experience with reality. Both Hebrew and Greek words translated “true” mean “in complete harmony with reality.” Something is true because it penetrates the fog of human opinion and unveils reality as God alone knows it. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to guide you and me into “all truth.” His mission is to help us experience reality: to know Jesus as He is, to live a life in accord with true holiness, and to build relationships rooted in real love. The Bible never guarantees Christians will agree on every belief or doctrine. But the Bible does promise that as you and I live in fellowship with our Lord, God the Holy Spirit will take our hand, and conduct us step by step. We will know God’s truth, and our experience of that truth will set us free (8:32).

Personal Application

The Spirit doesn’t supervise disputes. He guides our experience.

Quotable

“I find that doing the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.”—George MacDonald

SEPTEMBER 6

Reading 249

THREE RELATIONSHIPS John 15“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4).Christianity is not just a religion of beliefs: it is a religion of relationships.

Overview

Jesus’ people are branches, He is the Vine (15:1–4). As we remain in His love, we produce fruit (vv. 5–10). Jesus’ people are to love one another (vv. 11–13), and serve Jesus as friends rather than servants (vv. 14–17). And Jesus’ people are to expect persecution in a hostile world (vv. 18–25), but continue to testify about Him (vv. 26–27).

Understanding the Text

“I am the true vine” John 15:1.

The vine is a frequent illustration in the Old Testament of God’s people. Psalm 80:8 speaks of Israel as “a vine brought out of Egypt.” The clearest use of the image is found in Isaiah 5. There the prophet says: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. And he explains, The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight. (Isa. 5:1–2, 7) But Israel failed to produce the fruit of righteousness and justice that God looked for. And so Christ came, as the “true Vine,” that in and through Him believers might produce the fruit of true goodness (cf. Gal. 5:22–23). Only through relationship with Jesus Christ, the “true [authentic] Vine,” can the moral qualities that God seeks in human beings be produced. Personal relationship with Jesus is the essence of Christianity. “He cuts off . . . he trims clean” John 15:2. The gardener who prunes his vine works with extreme care. There is no threat here in the picture of God as the gardener who prunes His vines. There is no warning to “produce, or else.” Instead we’re assured that God, the gardener, actively tending His vineyard, is fully committed to bring us to maximum fruitfulness. God’s pruning work benefits us; it doesn’t threaten us. “Remain in Me” John 15:4–9. The dW¸ says, “Abide in Me.” The same point is made by both words: live in intimate union with Jesus. The analogy itself tells us why. A branch draws its vital juices from the vine to which it is united. In the same way we draw the spiritual vitality that enables us to produce fruit from Jesus. Thus Jesus says clearly, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” The Christian life is a supernatural life, flowing from Jesus to us. It can be experienced only as we live in intimate fellowship with our Lord. “If you obey My commands” John 15:10. Jesus also made it clear how we “remain in” Him. Jesus kept close to the Father by being responsive to His will: by obeying Him. In the same way we keep close to Jesus by being responsive to Christ’s will: by obeying our Lord (see DEVOTIONAL). Jesus never abandons us. Any failure to abide in Him is our choice. “He is like a branch that is thrown away” John 15:6. The wood of the grapevine is stringy and twisted. It can’t be cut into lumber. It can’t be shaped into furniture or utensils. It has value only when it lives in the vine, bearing fruit. So Jesus’ picture of the branch, thrown away and burned, is intended to emphasize uselessness of a branch that is not producing fruit. Note that Jesus did not say the believer is thrown away and burned. He said that the believer who fails to produce fruit is like a discarded branch. You and I have been chosen by God, and called into relationship with Christ, that we might produce the fruit of true goodness, and display God’s character in our world. If we fail to abide in Jesus, the penalty is an empty and useless life—not abandonment by the Lord. “That your joy may be complete” John 15:7–11. God is glorified by the Christian’s fruitfulness. But, as in all things, that which glorifies God benefits the disciple. Note the benefits you and I experience when we stay close to Jesus. We produce “much fruit,” and thus find a sense of satisfaction in fulfilling our destiny (v. 5). We gain power in prayer, asking “whatever you wish” (v. 7). We demonstrate our discipleship, showing the reality of our link with Jesus (v. 8). We remain in Jesus’ love, detecting a sense of closeness (v. 10). And, we experience a joy that bubbles up within us, despite difficult circumstances (v. 11). Yes, God calls us to abide in His Son. But that calling is an expression of His great love; His desire that we might know fulfillment and joy. “Love each other as I have loved you” John 15:12–17. The second great relationship that John 15 draws attention to is our relationship with one another. We are called to remain in Christ, and to live with each other in love. Why the emphasis on community? Because how we relate to each other has such a tremendous impact on how we relate to Jesus. If our relationship with other Christians is marked by rivalry, suspicion, and selfishness, it will be hard to maintain an intimate, responsive relationship with the Lord. On the other hand, an experience of belonging, trust, and caring in the Christian community encourages our trust in and responsiveness to the Lord. You and I can’t be solely responsible for how others in Christ’s church behave. But we can be responsible for our own relationships with our fellow Christians. We can set the tone of active love that Christ commands, and thus help others draw nearer to our Lord. “If the world hates you” John 15:18–27. This is the third relationship explored in John 15. We have a relationship with “the world.” The “world” in John’s writings is most often that complex of values, attitudes, and behaviors that shapes sinful human society. In his first letter John wrote that love of the Father and love of the world are in conflict: We cannot love both God’s ways and the ways of sinful man (1 John 2:15–17). Because the world is hostile to God we can expect to experience persecution in it. A world which has no understanding of God (John 15:21) hated Jesus, because His life and character rebuked it. There was no real cause for antipathy to Jesus, for Christ came to cleanse mankind from sin. Yet in the process His very presence exposes sin. Those unwilling to acknowledge their sin and trust Christ for cleansing become hostile. They are angry at being exposed as sinners. There are times when Christians who live truly good and loving lives are hated for exactly the same reason. Their very goodness exposes the wickedness of those around them, and creates hostility. But don’t stop doing and being good. The Holy Spirit is testifying through us—and our calling is to show others, as well as tell others, about Jesus.

DEVOTIONAL

Friend Jesus(John 15:9–17)

I haven’t noticed it in any theology books. But that word, “friend,” is one of the most significant in Scripture to help us understand the Christian life. The significance is seen in Christ’s analogy. A lord or master has the right to give his servants or slaves orders. It is none of their business why the master gives a command. Slaves are responsible only to obey—and they must obey, or else! While Jesus is Lord, and thus has the right to give commands which must be obeyed, He has chosen to call His followers friends. This means first that He shares His purposes and motives with us when telling us His will. And it means, second, that we are given a choice not available to slaves. A friend may respond to a friend out of affection. But a friend does not have to obey! Our Sarah is taking piano lessons. It’s her first year, and all too often we hear, “I hate the piano!” Pouting and miserable, she heads off to practice, but only because we tell her she has to. My two nephews, Stephen and David, are accomplished violinists. And they love to practice! Even their summer vacations are dedicated to playing in some orchestra, or heading off to a succession of music camps. What a difference between having to practice and wanting to. It’s just this difference that Jesus implied—and that is the key to a successful Christian life. God doesn’t want Christians to go out, pouting and miserable, to obey Jesus because they have to. God wants Christians to be Jesus’ friends: to eagerly respond to His wishes and commands because we want to please Him. We show that we are Jesus’ friends when we do what He commands. For God will not force us. Instead Jesus invites us to respond to Him, out of love.

Personal Application

Love God and do what you please. Love God, and pleasing Him is what you’ll want!

Quotable

“It is not a question of how much we know, how clever we are, nor even how good; it all depends upon the heart’s love. External actions are the results of love, the fruit it bears; but the source, the root, is in the deep of the heart.”—Francois Fenelon

SEPTEMBER 5

Reading 248

TROUBLED HEARTS John 14

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me” (John 14:1).Jesus’ words of comfort and encouragement continue to relieve our troubled hearts.

Background

The Holy Spirit.

These chapters, which contain the Last-Supper dialogue of Jesus, are filled with teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Christians understand the Holy Spirit not as an influence or force, but as a Person, who with God the Father and the Son are united in Scripture’s one God. Here in John 14 the Spirit is given a personal name: Counselor. What ministries does the Holy Spirit have in our day? (1) He is the Source of believers’ spiritual power (John 14:16–17; 16:5–15; Acts 1:8). (2) He bonds us to Christ and to each other, making us one church and one family of God (1 Cor. 12:13). (3) He enables us to know God’s will and to control our sinful natures (Rom. 8:5–11). (4) He transforms our character and makes us more Christlike (Gal. 5:22–23; 2 Cor. 3:18). (5) He equips us for ministry, distributing spiritual gifts that enable us to contribute to the salvation and growth of others (1 Cor. 12–14; Rom. 12). In a very real sense, the vitality of our Christian lives depends on the Holy Spirit, whose ministries Christ introduces in this and the next few chapters of John’s Gospel.

Overview

Jesus encouraged His disciples to trust (14:1–4), calling Himself the “way, the truth, and the life” (vv. 5–7). Jesus had fully revealed God the Father in His own person (vv. 8–11): He would enable believers (v. 12) and would answer prayer (vv. 13–14). He would also give the Holy Spirit (vv. 15–20), and those who obey Him out of love will experience God’s presence (vv. 21–24). The Spirit, who would come after Jesus left, would bring believers peace (vv. 25–31).

Understanding the Text

“Do not let your hearts be troubled” John 14:1. The disciples seem to have had reason to be troubled! The leaders in Jerusalem were plotting Jesus’ death (10:31; 11:45–53). Jesus Himself predicted He would die (12:23–28). Jesus had just said one of them would betray Him (13:21), and that Peter would disown Him (v. 38). It was undoubtedly a troubled group of disciples that huddled around Christ. But Jesus had a solution for them—and for us. “Trust in God and in Me” (14:1). However grim the circumstances that threaten us, trust in God and Jesus has the power to quiet the troubled heart, and bring us peace. “In My Father’s house are many rooms” John 14:2–3. The image is in stark contrast to the “many mansions” of the dW¸ translators, who pictured manor houses on a hilltop, where aristocratic landowners lived in splendid isolation. In the Oriental house there were instead many rooms, frequently constructed around a central courtyard. There the entire family—the father, all his sons and their wives and their children—lived together. This is an image of the experience that awaits us when Jesus returns. Not splendid isolation, but the warmth of intimate fellowship, gathering together as a family to share endless joys. Whatever troubles us these days, Paul says, is “not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). This is one defense of the troubled heart. We can look ahead, sense what lies beyond our experience in this world, and find comfort. Yet as Jesus went on, He showed His disciples other sources of comfort for the believer: comfort here and now. “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:5–7 Thomas is the disciple we all recognize: the pessimist. He saw the dark side of everything, and was sure to point it out! Yet before we criticize Thomas, we need to remember that even when he was sure Jesus and all His disciples would be killed if they returned to Judea to help Lazarus, Thomas said to the rest, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (11:16). One of my good friends, the pastor of a church I attended for many years, is very much like Thomas. He can always be counted on to see, and to feel deeply, the dark side of things. Yet he is one of the few men I know who despite premonitions of doom is always ready to “also go” in any direction God leads. How I admire the pessimist who sees danger everywhere, yet loyally follows where Christ leads. If you’ve been dismissed as a pessimist—and the pessimist is often criticized in our churches—take comfort. Thomas, a pessimist who remained totally loyal, provides an example you can follow. Seeing difficulties is not the measure of a man. Being obedient despite them, is. “Lord, show us the Father” John 14:8–11. The remarks of both Thomas and Philip seem to be interruptions that cause Jesus to digress from His main line of teaching. Yet Jesus’ answer to each disciple adds important truth. Jesus told Thomas that if he realized fully who Jesus was he would know the Father also (v. 7). Philip’s question led Jesus to expand on this thought. “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (v. 9). Jesus so perfectly expresses the very person of God that to know Jesus is to know the Father. The individual who wonders what God is “really like” need only to look at Jesus Christ, and he or she will know. “He will do even greater things than these” John 14:12. This is another of those puzzling verses of Scripture. How can a mere human being, even though he or she believes in Jesus, do “greater things” than Jesus did here on earth? One suggestion is rooted in the observation that Peter, in preaching just one sermon (Acts 2), won more converts than Jesus did in His years of ministry! I think, however, that something more significant is implied. The works Jesus did here on earth were in accordance with the will of the Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. They were special—but not amazing. After all, Jesus is God the Son and as God, not only knows but is in full harmony with the Father’s will, and is always receptive to the Spirit’s leading. You and I on the other hand are mere creatures, and sinful creatures at that. It is a far more amazing and wonderful thing when we act in full harmony with the Father’s will, and are receptive to the Spirit’s leading and His power. Our “greater works” are greater in wonder—in the awesome realization that God can use weak, sinful creatures like us to accomplish His purposes in our world. “Whatever you ask in My name” John 14:13–14. The Christian’s power to do “greater works” is clearly rooted in prayer. We are not able to perform them: it is Christ in us who “will do” whatever we ask. But note that we ask “in My name.” This means more than tacking “in Jesus’ name” to the end of every petition. In Hebrew thought the “name” expresses the essential character of the thing or person named. To pray “in Jesus’ name” is to make requests that are in fullest harmony with Christ’s character and His purposes. When we pray in this way, we can be sure our prayers will be answered, and that God’s power will flow. “Another Counselor to be with you forever” John 14:16. Jesus would soon leave His disciples. Yet He would not leave them alone. The word translated “counselor,” parakletos, means “a person summoned to one’s aid.” The word translated “another,” allos, means “another of the same kind,” in distinction to another of a different kind. Jesus would leave, but God the Father would send the Holy Spirit, who like the Son is God, to be present for our aid and comfort. This Counselor is with us now, and forever. “I too will love him and show Myself to him” John 14:21–24. These verses contain one of the most significant teachings on the Christian life. How do we experience the presence of Christ? No one can see Him, and yet in some mystic sense believers through the ages have known His real presence. The principle Jesus laid down was: Love and obey. And the linkage between the two is that love stimulates obedience. In fact, the two are linked in an endless spiral. As love moves us to obey, obedience brings us closer to Jesus, which stimulates even more love. But a lack of love will lead to disobedience and a sense of unreality in our faith. If Jesus seems unreal to you, look first to your love, then to your obedience. “[He] will teach you all things” John 14:26. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what we have learned. The person who has made no effort to study and understand what Jesus has said will have nothing to be reminded of! “My peace I give you” John 14:27. At best the world knows an uneasy peace, for the world’s peace depends on circumstances. An earthquake, an outbreak of war, the loss of a job, a sickness—these are just a few of the things that destroy the world’s peace. In contrast Christ’s peace is independent of circumstances. It is rooted in the knowledge that God is our Father, Christ our Saviour, and heaven our home. Nothing that happens in this world can affect these realities.

DEVOTIONAL

Don’t Miss the Way(John 14:1–6)

As my dad got older, his eyesight began to betray him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t see. It was just that he didn’t see as well—or respond as well to what he saw. I’ll never forget the reaction of my two sons, Paul and Tim, after they took a rather wild ride with Dad in northern Wisconsin. He drove his camper—equipped truck along a narrow dirt road, tree branches whipping at its sides, as my two teens gripped whatever they could hold on to in the cab. “I’m not going to ride with Grandpa again!” they later announced. I could understand. Whenever I flew into Detroit, I always arranged to drive the car home when Dad picked me up. It really is dangerous when people can’t see that way. It’s dangerous spiritually too when people assume that there are many roads to God, and set off blithely down one of them, confident that it will ultimately lead them to Him. Jesus made it unequivocally clear that there is just one way that leads to God, and that He is the way. His words, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” stake out Christianity’s most exclusive claim. Other religions offer paths to follow. Others exhibit moral insight. Others hint at a life after death. But only in the person of Jesus Christ can anyone find THE way to God, THE truth about the universe, and THE life that is eternal. Only through Jesus can anyone approach God. My teens were right about not wanting to take a ride with my dad. And we’re right in trusting ourselves to no one except Jesus. Everyone else has missed the way.

Life Application

The road to God really is marked with “One Way” signs.

Quotable

You, my son, Have shown me God. Your kiss upon my cheek Has made me feel the gentle touch of Him who leads us on. The memory of your smile, when young, Reveals His face, As mellowing years come on apace. And when you went before, You left the gates of heaven ajar That I might glimpse, Approaching from afar, The glories of His grace. Hold, my son, my hand, Guide me along the path, That, coming, I may stumble not, Nor roam, Nor fail to show the way Which leads us home. -Grace Coolidge

SEPTEMBER 4

Reading 247

A NEW COMMANDMENT John 13

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another” (John 13:34–35).Love isn’t an option. It’s a commandment, and the mark of Christ’s new community.

Overview

Jesus shared a final meal with His disciples, at which He washed their feet (13:1–11). He required His disciples to follow His example of humble service (vv. 12–17). Jesus predicted His betrayal, and Judas left (vv. 18–30). Christ then gave His “new commandment” to love one another (vv. 31–35), and predicted Peter’s betrayal (vv. 36–38).

Understanding the Text

“He now showed them the full extent of His love” John 13:1. This chapter begins John’s treatment of Christ’s final hours before His crucifixion. In one sense, it is the journey Jesus now took to the cross that unveiled the “full extent” of His love. But probably John has in mind here what Jesus did and said at the Last Supper. The act of foot-washing related in this chapter, Christ’s teaching on the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14; 16), His revelation of a Vine/branches relationship with Him (John 15), and His prayer for our sanctification (John 17), all uniquely unveil the extent of Christ’s love in the great salvation His death has won for us. This first-century basin features a raised footrest in the center. A guest placed his foot on the rest, as a slave poured water on it to wash away the dust of travel. The task was assigned to the lowest menial. That Jesus, their Lord and Master, should stoop to wash the disciples’ feet, was a stunning example of humility (13:4–5). “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power” John 13:2–5. John added, Jesus knew that “He had come from God and was returning to God.” And then John inserts a strange little word: “so.” “So” Jesus got up, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water in a basin, and began to wash His disciples’ feet. Why the “so”? Because only a person who is truly secure in his identity can afford to take the role of a servant. Jesus knew who He was. He was the Son of God, and He could not be diminished by humbling Himself to serve His disciples. It’s true for us today too. In the world people struggle to gain every social advantage, and to appear great. Insecure and aware of their vulnerability, they prop themselves up by pride of accomplishment. Many Christians are like this—competing with others to appear important. But the Christian who realizes the significance of his sonship, and of being deeply loved by God, will have none of the insecurity that generates competition. You and I can stoop to serve others. The humblest of roles cannot diminish us. “You shall never wash my feet” John 13:6–11. Peter was shocked by the inappropriateness of it. The One he called Lord, serving him! It just wasn’t right. Peter should serve Jesus, not the other way around. John pointed out that Peter did not understand the symbolism of the act, or its power as an example of servanthood. Jesus must “wash” His followers, not just to make them socially acceptable, but to make them acceptable for the kingdom of God. Many have suggested that here the “bath” (v. 10) represents the total cleansing of a person from sin that takes place when we put our trust in Jesus as Saviour. Foot-washing represents the cleansing of sins that we commit as believers—sins analogous to the dust a person would pick up after bathing, while walking home through a dusty Judean street. We have been washed clean by faith in Jesus. But we stand in continual need of cleansing from the sins we still commit. “You also should wash one another’s feet” John 13:12–17. Luke 22:24 tells us that as the disciples entered the room where the Last Supper was to be held, they were arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This bit of background from Luke helps us sense the significance of Jesus’ question, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” If Jesus, their Lord and Master, could stoop to serve, the disciples should not compete for greatness, but rather concentrate on servanthood. “I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done for you.” In a few Christian traditions literal foot-washing is practiced. But Christ’s concern is not for the act, but for the attitude it displays. Humility and servanthood are necessary elements of Christian discipleship. If we are followers of Jesus, we must certainly follow this example. “Jesus was troubled in spirit” John 13:18–30. It would be wrong to suppose that Jesus did not love Judas. The psalm Jesus quoted (v. 18) was a psalm of David, that laments the defection of a friend. A similar lament is found in Psalm 55:12–14, which captures the pain of a friend’s betrayal: If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God. If you have been abandoned by a friend, or betrayed by someone you loved, never doubt for a moment that Jesus understands. “As soon as Judas took the bread Satan entered into him” John 13:27. The phrase does not mean that Satan took control of Judas against his will. Just the opposite! When Jesus offered Judas a bit of bread with meat from the main dish on it, Judas knew without a doubt that Christ knew Judas intended to betray Him. The other disciples did not understand, but Judas did. This was the crucial moment. No one knew but Jesus. At that moment Judas could have changed his mind. Instead he took the morsel that Christ held out to him, in effect announcing his intent to complete his bargain with the priests. It was when Judas made his irrevocable commitment that “Satan entered him.” In deciding to abandon Christ, Judas had opened wide the door of his personality to the control of an evil, spiritual force. No one who makes such an irrevocable commitment against Christ finds freedom. He or she has simply exchanged submission to good for submission to evil. Submission to God for submission to Satan. And eternal life for eternal damnation. “And it was night” John 13:30. Perhaps as Judas opened the door and went out John caught a glimpse of Jerusalem, lying in the deep shadows of Palestine’s sudden nightfall. All we know is that darkness closes in at this point—and that a dark, somber hue colors the subsequent events that lead inexorably to the cross. The pale of night now lies over Jerusalem, and will not be dispelled until Resurrection Day. “I will lay down my life for You” John 13:36–38. Peter must have been a comfort to Jesus. Judas plotted to betray Him. But faithful Peter, ever eager and willing, truly was committed to his Lord. Even though Jesus knew that before many hours passed Peter would deny Him, Peter’s love still must have been a comfort. It’s hard for us to realize that the people who love us are often as weak as well-intentioned Peter. People who love us don’t want to hurt us, any more than we want to hurt them. But we human beings are so weak. I suspect that this is what we are to learn from Peter’s betrayal. Each of us is weak. And motives, while important, are no guarantee that we will not fall. How good to know that Jesus understands our weakness, and accepts us anyway. How necessary that we understand each other’s weaknesses, and be ready to forgive.

DEVOTIONAL

So What’s New?(John 13:31–35)

That’s the problem with Jesus’ “new commandment.” Love? What’s new about that? The other Gospel writers inform us that Jesus identified love as the greatest of the Old Testament’s commands: Love God with all your heart, He’d said, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 19:19; 22:37–39; Mark 12:30–33; Luke 10:27). Whatever we can say about love, we can’t say it’s “new.” Love for God and others is woven into the whole of the Old Testament revelation! The answer lies in the Greek word here, kainen. It does not imply “recent,” or even “different.” What it suggests is that there is something fresh and new in the love that Jesus commanded. And, looking closely at the text, we can see what that is! First, the freshness is found in the new relationships Jesus creates (John 13:34). The Old Testament said, “Love your neighbor” (Lev. 19:18). Jesus was about to establish a new community, in which believers will be brothers and sisters—family, not merely neighbors. Love takes on fresh new meaning in the intimacy possible for members of the family of God. Second, the freshness is found in the new standard Jesus applies. The Old Testament said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to love “as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Just as Jesus’ love was self-sacrificial, and put our benefit before His own well-being, so we now have the opportunity to express, and receive, truly selfless love. The next verse adds one more dimension to the love Jesus commanded. There is a fresh, new impact on the world, worked by Jesus’ kind of love. “All men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” The most compelling evidence we can present of the reality of Jesus Christ is our love for one another. When Christians love one another as Jesus loves us, all do know that we follow Him, and that He lives.

Personal Application

Love isn’t Jesus’ “new suggestion.” It is His “new commandment.”

Quotable

“People don’t go where the action is, they go where the love is.”—Jess Moody