Jesus Final Instruction

Day 9

John 14

How would you address those close to you if you knew you were going to be leaving this earth today?  That is exactly what Jesus was doing with His disciples here in John 14. It pays us to take heed to His farewell. This is the message the disciples were going to relay to those around them, and would be passed down to every generation from those who were careful to carry it.  It is a message for us to carry, not to keep to oneself.

Jesus is telling his disciples to not let him leaving them trouble them because He was going to His Father's house to prepare a place for them.  And He was reassuring them when He had prepared a place for them, He assuredly would be coming back for them as well. 

He tells them that the place He is going has many rooms (in KJV it says mansions), how awesome is that!

He tells the disciples that they know the way to the place where He is going, but at least one of the disciples didn't quite agree.  Thomas told Him that he didn't know where he was going, so how could he know the way.  And I believe one of the most important statements is when Jesus declares the way to His Father's house.  He tells them, "I (Jesus) am the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

There is only ONE WAY to HEAVEN...and that is through believing in Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:12 (NKJV)
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

He also goes on to tell them that if they have seen Him, they have seen the Father.  I like how the Quest explains that. It says, "He was saying that he spoke and acted for God because He was in God and God was in Him."  I think John 1:1-5,14-18 clarifies this statement.

John 1:1 (KJV)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made . 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

1 John 1:14-18 (KJV)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried , saying , This was he of whom I spake , He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received , and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Jesus tells the disciples in verse 13, that whatever they ask in His name, He would do, so that He, the Son of God, could bring the Father glory.  Jesus' always obeyed the Father and brought glory to His name while on earth, why would He do any less when He has returned to heaven, seated on the right hand of His Father.  Our natural minds cannot conceive this, but it by the Spirit, that we can understand.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

How do we know if we love Jesus?  What is the litmus test? Quite simply!  If we obey Him!  That is a good question to ask ourselves.  Are we obeying all that we know that Jesus has asked us to do?  It is good to gives ourselves a "Love Jesus Checkup" to make sure we have not drifted away from His Word and are walking in the light of His Word. 

2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV)
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble

Phillipians 2:12 (KJV)
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed , not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

In the Quest Bible, it asks what comes first, obedience or love?  And this is their answer: "Love and obedience are accompanied by one another.  Loving God and obeying Him are a single package---to love him is to obey him, and to obey him is to love him.  Properly practiced, each demonstrates the other.

Jesus gives the disciples a promise.  He told them when He leaves them, He wouldn't leave them as orphans, but He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit.  He said if anyone loves Him (Jesus) and obeys Him, then the Father would love them too, and they would come and make their homes in their hearts. 

While Jesus was on this earth, He was limited to the amount of people He could be with at one time.  Jesus tells the disciples that it was good for Him to go away, because if He went away, the Father would send the Comforter, the Counselor, which NIV states.


John 14:26 (KJV)
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance , whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 14:26 (NIV)
But 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.

The Holy Spirit could be everywhere, living in the hearts of those who believed and obeyed Jesus, but Jesus was limited to walking physically with the disciples, not living in them on His time here on earth.

Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and would remind them of everything He had said to them.  He for the second time admonishes them to not let their hearts be troubled and not to be afraid.  He was telling them before it happened in preparation in what they were going to be facing in the coming days.

One of the questions the Quest Bible  asks is, "How can we be sure that a teaching is from the Holy Spirit?"  Their answer is:
Spirit led teachings are recognizable because:
1.  They reinforce all the things Jesus taught (John 14:26)
2. They are grounded in the written Word of God, which itself is a work inspired and directed by the Spirit  (2 Tim 3:15-17)
3. They promote righteousness and convict us of sin. (John 16:8)
4. They bring glory to Jesus (John 16:14)
5. They recognize the deity of Jesus (1 John 4:2)

So it behooves us to be like the Bereans:

Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so.

Joy and Blessings to you today.  May your heart be challenged and your mind renewed by the Word of God.