75. "A Prayer for Believers...Pt. 2, John 17

Now in Part 2 of this study, we'll pick up the traces at approximately where we left off last time. Take notice, as you (I hope) have been reading through this passage, of the deep love of Jesus for the Father, and for us who would follow Him; and second, the joy that He experienced in having been faithful to His mission; and then, that most elusive and highly-prized fruit, of peace, concerning all that He was yet to face! This is especially critical when it comes to fulfilling our own Holy Spirit-inspired, God-glorifying mission within our own families, churches, and the world-at-large. 

It's hard to miss here, the closeness of the Son to His Father, but we have seen many times already, how Jesus has spoken-of Him in previous chapters...maybe 23 times in chapt. 14 (depending on the translation you are using), 10 times in chapt. 15, 12 times in chapt. 16, and 6 times here in chapter 17! When you truly love someone, your first and last thoughts are of them; and you love to speak their name, and to hear it spoken. But Jesus and His Heavenly Father were much closer than we, in any of our own earthly relationships. And of course, Jesus had been commisioned by the Father to a sacrificial cause...for a very high purpose, on behalf-of a very lowly people, so He would have been in vital need of constant confirmation and consistent communication. 

Now when WE pray, it's partly (speaking for myself, at least) because we have sinned, and are sinners in need of God's mercy and grace and forgiveness. But not Jesus...He prayed because constant communication was one very critical aspect of the Father's will for Him...not out of a sense of shame or of guilt, like us sometimes; or because He needed a new pair of sandals, but rather, out of love, and for worship, and in acknowledgement of the Father's glory and grace, as He plodded toward the throne of His cross.    

We’ve seen from Jesus' introduction to His prayer...the first five verses, that His over-riding concern, in fact, was that the Father be glorified...in His birth, by His life and especially so, His death; and that "all who have been given (to Him) may receive the blessing of eternal life"! That is, that "...they may know the only true God, and the Christ Whom He has sent". And notice that, there in vs. 4 He says, "I have finished (the work that you gave Me to do)". You know, I find it so hard to ever really finish anything; maybe some of you are like that, but Jesus finished His terrible mission, without delay, detour, or defeat! Even when He was just a boy, we're told how He was "about His Father's business", there in the temple in Jerusalem. Then, at the end of His mission, when He was tempted in Gethsemane to abandon His calling, He still sought the will of God, for the glory of God, in complete submission to the Father's authority. And even while He was dying upon His cross, some of His very last words just before He "gave up the ghost" were, "It is finished!" 

Now when I appear before His throne, my confession will doubtless be, "I have done things I should never have done, and have left undone, things that I should have done. And have said things I should never have said, and thought thoughts that are best left undescribed. But not our Lord! When He bowed before the Father, He was able to say, "I have glorified You on earth; I have completed My mission." And with that, would sit down at the Father's right hand, having by then, been granted that "Name, which is above all Names"!

I believe that, even the church seems to have a skewed idea of what heaven will be like. We've sung that it's "a wonderful place, filled wth glory and grace", and so it is, based upon Jesus' prayer requests here. Our only concern there, upon receiving the glory that awaits us, will be for the Glorious Ones! Not our loved ones, or for our robe and crown, or the streets of gold, or the many-mansioned house of God...but just His glorious presence. Everything else will not be secondary, but inconsequential!

Then, as He states in vs. 8..."...for they (that is, those given to Him by the Father) have believed and understood that I came from You, and that You sent Me to them." And then goes on to say that, "I have "gifted" them with the very words of the Father Himself"; and He says it with the greatest authority...not, "I wanted", or "I tried", or "I wish", but, "I have"! And He has perfect confidence in the things He has done, all on behalf of those who have been given Him, by the Father (vss. 2, 6, 9, 12) since His arrival on this tired old earth! 

Jesus had indeed, done the Father's will; He had delivered the Father's message; He had demonstrated the Father's love; He had discredited the claims of Satan; He had defused the sting of death; and He would ensure that the Destroyer would be destroyed! He had put away sin, and as we read in Psalm 69.4, "He restored that which He, Himself, took not away." He had finished His work. 

Then notice that in vs. 12, Jesus has referred-to "the son of perdition"...the one called Judas Iscariot, who was deemed by Jesus to be truly lost, in order that you, Believer, might know that you are truly saved! That may seem like a strange statement, but if you would look back to Psalm 109, the first 20 verses almost seem to be a prophecy of that detestable one...the man of perdition. In fact, therein is described the very Satan and his entire tribe, whereas beginning in vs. 21, we have what seems to be a description of Jesus and His family (may His tribe increase!)..."...that they may know...that Thou has done it"! 

If you've ever wondered why Satan rebelled and was cast down from heaven, it could very well have been, in order to ensure the completion of God's eternal plan for the salvation of all who would believe and receive, because-of the betraying ways of the archetypical Satan...Judas, the man of perdition! So we can understand Jesus' confidence, as recorded there, when He states, "I have kept, in Your Name, those You have given Me." And we can find assurance in the fact that He has drawn a line under it, for eternity to come!

Our prayer should be that the Father would be pleased to also honour us by fitting us in the here-and-now, to a life fully committed-to glorifying Him! You know, in the 107th Psalm, the Psalmist declares in four different places..."Oh that men would praise the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men!" So why wait...take a moment, right now, with me..."I give You all glory, dear Lord, for Your blessing on me!!"

74. "A Prayer for Believers, from the very Heart of God!", John 17...Part 1

We're beginning today, our study of chapter 17, where we have the inspired record of our Lord's great prayer for His church-to-be, and I  believe I can safely say that what Jesus is recorded as saying here, compares with nothing else that's written anywhere in God's good Book. It's the longest prayer the Saviour Jesus ever offered, as recorded anywhere in the Gospel record, and it's interesting to note that this most passionate prayer immediately follows His most passionate recorded plea, perhaps the greatest message ever preached in all the annals of recorded time! In fact, some have referred-to it as "the real Lord's prayer", or more to the point perhaps, "the Lord's real prayer", and nothing is any more instructive, and comforting, and spiritual than the words that are therein recorded.                                 

The entire chapter is unique, because what is written for our edification are the very words spoken by the very Son of God, intended for the ear of God, on behalf of the very people of God! And although the veil is not yet "rent in twain", it is certainly parted for a brief glimpse into the throne room of the heavenlies...the "secret place of the tabernacle of the Most High"...the "Holy of Holies"! Those disciples were on holy ground, and although we're not told, they should have been bowed low before their great and mighty God! This record, indeed, stands alone in scripture as a perfect example of the Perfect Son's communion with His Father, being offered up, right there in the presence of the remaining eleven! 

Now if you wish to think of this prayer as a model, feel free, but it is not recorded for that purpose at all. This was, and is, Jesus' prayer alone,  offered as the High Priest of heaven, both on behalf of Himself, as well as His disciples, both at that time, and til the end of time. So I think we should turn our minds in that direction for a moment in order to focus more clearly upon this most beautiful prayer of our Lord. To Him, prayer was not "hit or miss"...not "a pity party", and not a wish list, but a matter of worship and final determination of the will of the Father. 

Notice the urgency with which He prays..."the hour is come...". This is the seventh and last time that Jesus would refer to this long-awaited "hour", in John's gospel record, beginning in chapt. 2.4..."My hour is not yet come." In every "man's" life, the hour eventually comes when he looks back on his successes and his failures, his joys and regrets, and his loves and his losses, before he closes his eyes for the last time. And for Jesus, this was soon to be the hour of the culmination of "the greatest story ever told"...the hour in which He would finally be "made sin" for His people. But also, "the hour of power", for Satan, when He would "bruise the heel of the seed of the woman"...the hour of fulfillment of centuries of prophecy, and the hour in which the earth should wobble on its axis while the host of heaven cried for joy...quite an hour indeed!

This was to be the hour that Jesus would spend, with His eyes lifted toward heaven, pleading His cause...and our cause, before the Father..."Father, glorify Thy Son, that I may glorify Thee!" And throughout the next verses, there is no plea for support as He suffered the cruel shame of His cross, or the hours in His tomb, or during His last days upon earth, but for glory at the Lord's right hand in eternity-to-come. There's the connection between grief and relief...the knowledge of victory-to-come! Not to focus on the things that are seen, but the things that are yet unseen, and that's exactly Jesus' position in this moment, as He lifted His eyes toward heaven. 

Now in verses 2 and 3 we have another critical request of God...this time, on behalf-of His disciples, as well as the masses that have been destined to receive the gift of salvation. Yes, that's correct...to all who have been given to Him. This is one of those foundational scriptures that many Believers tend to disbelieve, but bless their hearts, does not affect their destiny! And I, for one, am not offended by it at all! We need to accept that God-speak is the final word, and you don't need to choose sides when it comes to God's word. There are many scriptures that make the point clear, but note one taken from a particularly favourite passage in Hebrews 2, "For He Who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why He is not ashamed to call (us) brothers, saying, "I will tell of Your Name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise." And again, "I will put My trust in Him." And again, "Behold, I and the children God has given Me.”"

Jesus' role was to "conduct many sons to glory", but sadly, also, to close the gates of Hell upon the innumerable lost. We must remember that, although He has power over all flesh, He has been commisioned only, to fulfill the Devine's design...to execute the immutable will of Father God...to provide both the way, and the means to those the Father has given Him! All other aspects of universal being and doing are under His authority, other than this very one, which remains soley and wholly, according-to the Father's prerogitve. 

That's a mighty, mighty thought to end this aspect of our study, but I sense that these were the thoughts that were spilling from the heart of our Lord, as He prepared to leave the upper room for the place of His arrest. We'll join Him there, along with the faithful few, when we pick up "the Book of books", next time.

                                                               

                  

73. "Believe It or Not, Joy...", John 16.15-33 cont'd

Before concluding our study of John 16, I would like to emphasize again, the not-so-insignificant matter of the joy of Jesus, fulfilled in us...as I've previously noted, the second in the list of nine spiritual fruit, following immediately after that most necessary fruit, of love, and just before that most elusive and highly-prized fruit, of peace. And I also want to emphasize that that exact, same nine-fold yield applies to every Believer in Jesus, both for the benefit of the family, the church, and the world-at-large, to the glory of our Lord. That is critical when it comes to the fulfillment of the joy of Christ Jesus in us, and it should be evidenced in each of our lives. 

Now we've seen in our last lesson, the joy that comes from obedience, and that's the joy that Jesus has been speaking-of throughout the last few verses of the chapter...the joy of knowing that He has finished the Father's work; the joy that comes from a clear conscience; and the joy that comes from knowing that He will soon be reunited with the Father. That truly is the basis of the joy that Jesus, by Holy Spirit, desires to see developing in those who are firmly connected to Him!

Now remember here, that Jesus is staring His cross square in the face, and He doesn't waver. Oh, He had offered to God in prayer, the opportunity to provide another sacrifice for our sin, as had been the case with Abraham and Isaac...but that was not to be, and He knew it! He had long before determined that "what'ere befall", He would be faithful to the eternal will of the Father...that is, in His just and holy providential plan for the redemption of His creation. As recorded of Jesus in the letter to the Hebrew peoples, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a Body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin You took no pleasure. Then I said,'Behold, I have come...in the volume of the Book it is written of Me...To do Your will, O God'"! And also, "...for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"! 

Now some Believers find that joy is hard to come-by, but you know, as I've pointed out, there can be no-such'a-thing as a "joyless" (fruitless) Christian. In fact, a joyless Believer must hardly be a Believer at all; at the very least, He must be out of fellowship with His God; or other concerns are concerning him; or he's not walking in the "shadow of the Almighty"; or he's consumed with the things of the world, and he's forgotten his Holy Spirit-anointing, thereby losing "the joy of his salvation". And there really is only one remedy...to look to the Author and Finisher of his faith, confess his condition, worship "in Spirit and in Truth", and turn your focus, though difficult it may be, to living and loving in the Lord.

This really is the blessing that Saviour Jesus wishes for His people, and He has made full provision for us. But every barrier must be removed from between us and God, where we are invited to "draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith", as John has recorded in his first letter to the churches, and, "...these things I write to you, that your joy may be full!" And always remember, even our joy is for the very purposes of God, as well as for His own personal glory.

Jesus has put it just so plainly in the last verse of the chapter...vs. 33, "These things I have spoken to you, that you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world"! So, bless you, that though you may bear the ugly scars of earthly conflict, your joy may be made beautifully complete, in Him.

72. "Believe It or Not, Your Sorrow Will Turn to Joy!", John 16.15-33

You know...this is one of the most closely held, and jealously-guarded promises in all of scripture! That whatever is your experience today, "in that day" (verses 23,26), all that Jesus has (vs. 15), will be available to you (vs. 23), and what joy that will be for us!  

Now, up to this point in this chapter, Jesus had been dealing with some pretty lofty doctrine...the sending of Holy Spirit; but now, He's getting right down to where those discples were; right down to their spiritual weakness and their earthly sorrow. But do you know, those misunderstanding and unbelieving eleven, still could not fathom the depths of Jesus' promises. Even Jesus admits, in vs. 25, that He has been speaking spiritual truth in the form of proverbs.                                                                      

Why, do you suppose? Well take a peek at what He says to them in 13.31-33, and Peter's demanding response in vs. 36, "But Lord, where are You going?!" Then, in chapt. 14, when Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for them, Thomas questions... "But Lord, how will we know the way?" They were completely in the fog concerning the whole subject of the Kingdom of God. And the same haze is present here in chapt. 16...they were a sorry lot! But I guess we can relate a little, to how they felt. If we were to lose our closest companion, and teacher and mentor, we would feel pretty lost ourselves, and Jesus is sympathetic to that sorrow, as we see from vs. 19. But again, His disciples appeared to be unresponsive. 

In just a few hours, now, Jesus would be arrested in the Garden, and that would be the point where they would lose sight of Him, both physically, and spiritually, and their faith in Him as the Promised One, would really be put to the test! 

In Luke 24.21, on the road to Emmaeus, we read the record of their thoughts..."But we trusted that it woud be He, who would redeem Israel!" That was the true state of their hearts...they weren't looking for Messiah through the eye of faith. If they had been listening with their hearts, they would have known by now that after three long days, He would re-appear, after which He would leave them again, for another "little while". But it would then only be "a little while", and they would never lose sight of Him again, as after His ascension, and the falling and filling of Holy Spirit, they would see Him again for the very first time, in a way they had never imagined possible. In Hebrews 10.37 we read, "For yet a little while, He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry!" As we know, today, when Jesus went, He went to the Father to receive His reward for a life of obedience, as "the First Fruit of those who sleep". 

Obviously, those disciples didn't know their scriptures, or at least interpret their scriptures in the way that Jesus could. There was no "no room" in their theology for the prospect of Jesus returning to the Father. And yet, if they believed Him to be Who He claimed to be, they would have remembered the prophets...especially Isaiah, the greatest of the great, "For a small moment I have forsaken thee, but with mercies will I gather thee..."; or, "Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of My hands..."; and, "Sing oh heavens, and be joyful, oh earth, and break forth into singing oh mountains; for the Lord has comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted!" Now those are promises for disciples in any age! 

They wouldn't ask Him outright, as we see from vs. 18, but Jesus could hear their most private of conversations, along with their very thoughts. Why, do you suppose, we're so slow to take our issues with Him, to Him? We really do need to walk closer to Jesus, in order to learn of Jesus, and to focus on Jesus, that He might give us peace, when we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. We can't find the hidden things of God, when we fill ourselves with the "bread" of this world, rather than "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

As Jesus goes on to say in vs. 20, "You shall weep and you shall sorrow and you shall travail, but your lamentaions will turn to joy!" That was all the explaination they were to get, but it's plain to see that Jesus had far more than His present companions in mind...we'll examine that more closely, later on. For now, the fact of the matter was, that regardless of their present pain, that pain would be forgotten once they began to experience that "joy unspeakable, and full of glory", as Peter would later describe it! 

Just think, that the very cause of their present grief would be the vehicle by which that unspeakable joy would fill them up...the cross, the grave, and then the joy! Not exactly the sequence you might expect, from what we know about discipleship, but Holy Spirit would make new men of them, as He can, and did, of us. The apostle Paul certainly had a handle on it, as he wrote to the Galatians, chapt. 6.14, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ!"

You know, every Believer will experience this same truth, that, "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!" Think of the truth recorded here in vs. 21...the symbolism there is perfect, and Jesus admitted in vs. 25 that He is was speaking to them figuratively...that the pain, the fear, and the anger, would soon turn to deliverance and joy! And every one of us understands the force of that figure. Each and every sorrow, although it may leave a disfiguring scar down here, is really, just another passing life event. Joy, on the other hand (the second of the fruit of the Spirit, by-the-by), will fill our hearts for good and for ever, in eternity-to-come!

  

71. "There is a Comforter, and He has Come!", John 15.26-16.15

Now this next lesson gives John's account of the promise of the coming of Holy Spirit...the Comforter...the Helper...the Spirit of Truth, and I don't think we should take a break along the way! In fact, Jesus has abruptly changed gears in His teaching, from a long-ish warning of anticipated trouble for disciples, to a very clear and comforting promise from the Father, of One Who would, through them, "...convict the world of sin, demonstrate to the world true righteousness...and pronounce judgement upon the world...because the ruler of this world is already judged!" 

Sometimes I have to wonder just how the scribes of the Word of God were ever able to keep up with Holy Spirit, as He inspired them with the high thoughts of the Father! In fact, right there in Chapt. 15, John has recorded a regular hodgepodge of topics, from the teaching of our Lord. Remember, Jesus' earthly visit was coming to a bitter end, and He had much to say to those disciples before His persecutors had their way with Him. 

He had been speaking to them in Vine-speak...of their love walk, and of stumbling stones and road blocks; but also, and most importantly, their Comfort zone. It's a very spiritual progression, from your relationships in the world, to your relationship with Jesus, to your relationship with other Believers, and to your relationships in the world again. Then, that beautiful promise given by our Lord, there in the last two verses of chapt. 15.26-27, "When the Comforter is come...He will bear witness, and you will testify..." of the Truth that is Jesus, the truth of Heavenly Father, and the truth about eternity-to-come. 

If you recall, the Lord had just been warning the eleven of the opposition they would meet from many enemies within the princedom of Satan. And He did-so in order that they might not be caught by surprise, or offended at being cut off from their Jewish roots, and so they needed advance notice of that time to come. The need, from Jesus' perspective, was the promise for their eternal comfort, and not only for those times of persecution such as has been recorded from early in their natural history...see Judges 3.9-11, for example.

Now I know that you are probably well versed in the teaching of Holy Spirit and His ministry, but to simplify it, we could say that His role is to demonstrate the very power of the risen Christ, in and through Believers. I've made reference to the Comforter's work in the Old Testament, and in fact the very first reference to Him in scripture is found in Genesis 1.2... "...and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters." And the very first reference to His work of prophecy is found in Numbers 11.25, where we read that... "...the Lord took of the Spirit that was upon (Moses), and placed upon the seventy elders, so that they prophesied...". But here in John 15 and 16, Jesus Himself prophesied of the coming "Comforter", the only reference in scripture, of such a One. 

Believers are, and have been from the time of Jesus' return to His glory, comforted by this unseen, but certainly felt, presence of Our Lord, without shape or form. And not for a momentary blessing either, such as with those seventy elders...rather, a moment-by-moment blessing, administered throughout a lifetime of faith! The fact is, while the world was preparing to cast Jesus out, Jesus was preparing for a gifting of inner comfort and security for His people, never, ever before experienced. What a contrast with what those disciples were feeling, even as Jesus spoke so reassuringly to them. You had better believe that they were worried for their very lives, as we read later on, in 16.15, how they questioned among themselves about Jesus' strange behaviour. But Jesus was thinking nothing but love thoughts, as He planned for their future without Him.  

You see, Jesus is all about truth...that even His going away would be expedient for them...first of all, because His way was the way of the cross; and secondly, His way for them (and us), was the provision of a quality of comfort and peace and reassurance that, in His bodily presence He had never been able to provide. And they had never once, even thought to ask the all-important question, as recorded in vs. 5... "But where are You going Lord?!"

It's now known, and is an undeniable fact, that this Comforter would give believing disciples the same grace-revealing light that Jesus-in-the-flesh had broadcast. And not only, but the same God-revealing righteousness, along with a revelation of future judgement. That is the certain consequence of God in the Spirit, as chapt. 9.39 records, "...that they which see not, might see...and that they which see, might be made blind"! Jesus' physical presence had provided those disciples plenty of doctrine, more doubt, and eventually, much despair, and at this stage in His ministry to them, Jesus was concerned much more for their spiritual security, than the physical. 

So the greatest consequence of His "going away", as is recorded there in 16.7, is the loss of His physical presence, and they would be lost without Him. They had no inkling that His "going" would institute Holy Spirit's "coming". And what a Presence that would be! They no longer had to be where He was, because from that time, into eternity, He would be where they were...individually or all together.

Now as I've said, nowhere has our Lord given such complete teaching concernng the Person, and the work of Holy Spirit. Throughout this passage (you'll see them if you're looking!), He has given us at least, a six-part description of His role in the life of the Believer. First, that He is the Spirit of Truth; second, that He will guide us into all truth; then, He will only speak what He hears from the Father; and that He will reveal things to come; and that He would glorify Christ; and finally, He will reveal the things of Christ, to us. And it's plain all throughout this passage of scripture, that He and Holy Spirit are on the same track for ministry, and share the same goal for our lives.

Now remember, the presence of Holy Spirit would depend entirely upon the absence of Jesus. But Holy Spirit's presence would result in a far greater blessing for the church-to-be, than those eleven could ever imagine...fitting us to receive even deeper truths, character, works and blessing. And although they would be totally unprepared for Jesus' miraculous departure, they would soon be totally and eternally thankful for the great and wonderful Gift that Holy Spirit would prove Himself to be...God, not only for them, but in them, by His constant, comforting Presence...what a game-changer!

And another thing...look again at verse 12. Jesus had so much more to teach those doubting disciples, if He only had more time. But not only did He not have time, He didn't have their full attention (it's mirror-time folks); nor did they, at this stage, have the capacity to receive, anyway. They just weren't yet fully tuned in to His frequency...there was just too much static in the atmosphere in those last days together. But the Spirit of Truth...when He would come, ears would be opened and eyes would be opened, and hearts would be opened to all Truth. And that's exactly what God has always intended for His people...to know and to be, a souurce of glory to Him. 

Just think of what we know of Him from other passages of God's word...John 5.21, He quickens us; 1 Corinthians 6.19, He indwells us; Romans 8.14, He leads us; 8.16, He confirms us; 8.26, He intercedes for us; and Ephesians 4.30, He seals us. Now that's a pretty full itenerary, and I can't think why we would ever "grieve Him", knowing the important part He plays out through the lives of believing saints! Nor why we would not wish, with all our hearts and minds, to make ourselves fully available to His fullness and Power! 

But remember, the disciples still had their hearts and minds set on establishing a new kingdom of Israel, right there in Judea, with Jesus on their throne. They couldn't tolerate the idea of Jesus leaving them helpless and hopeless. But the truth of the matter was (and is!), Israel had rejected Him, and the result of that rejection was to be pretty bitter. They had rejected Him, so (as so clearly taught by the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans) God would reject them, allowing Holy Spirit to take a path that would result in the offer of salvation to all of mankind! 

The Old Covenant would be put to rest, and the New Covenant would be established in, and written upon the heart; and the Law would be fulfilled, and a new Kingdom would be established. That's what was on the Saviour's mind on His way to His cross, and His disciples could not bear it. They were in no condition, either emotionally or spiritually, even to hear it.

So, what about us...who, or what have we been conditioned-by? Are we conditioned to hear and to heed what the Lord has to say? We need to have much wisdom and spiritual discernment to hear and to receive what the Lord speaks, in season, and out of season. 

Remember...sorrow had filled the hearts of those first of all disciples, and their thoughts had been far from the thoughts of God. May you-disciple and me-disciple have a mind and a heart for Him today, and may "the Helper" be your Guide, in your journey of faith! 

70. "Not of This World", John 15.18-25, 16.1-4

Do you really realize today, how much this world hates Jesus? And that it even hates any testimony of Him? And that it hates those who testify? Well if you, as a Believer, have never thought of yourself in those terms, that's the testimony of Jesus here in the last paragraphs of John chapt. 15.

Last time, we finished with a spin-off from that second-greatest of commandments related by our Lord for would be, true disciples, "...Love one another, as I have loved you!" And He had been teaching them of the critical nature of the love relationship between Him and God-the-Father, between Him and His Church, and between brothers and sisters of like-faith...Vine-speak!

Now, beginning in vs. 18, Jesus begins to focus on His enemies. He had testified of His love for the remaining faithful, but now He begins to focus on His enemies...upon the world's hatred...quite a contrast with vs. 13! This is the reason that Believers need to unite and to be united, with one mind, in Christ...because we, along with Jesus, have a common enemy. So here the Lord is preparing His students for the difficulties to come. And we can see from John's first letter, ch 3.13, that the lesson was well-learned... "Marvel not, my brothers, that the world hate you...". There was a storm coming, and anyone close to Jesus would be swept away in the very vortex! They had been given the mission, and they had heard the message, and they had been given miraculous powers, but none of that would keep them from certain, and bitter disappointment. And so, this short primer on the only help available...for them, and for us as well, when the world would have its way with us.

Now up to this point in our study, there has been no evidence of persecution against the disciples of Jesus; in fact, quite the opposite. When the seventy were sent out, they came back rejoicing..."...even the demons were subject to us, in the Name of Jesus!" And when the religionists were offended because of their eating with unwashed hands, or picking grain to eat on the Sabbath, it was Jesus who had to bear their anger. And when the Lord was arrested in the Garden, He asked that His men be allowed to leave, unmolested. But He knew that after His resurrection and ascension, the spotlight would be directly upon them.

But do you know what? We fail today, to train new Believers in the fact that life will not be easy on the outside, and as a result, when they face persecution from their families or friends or fellow employees, they think that they are to be blamed...that they all-of-a-sudden, have a mark on their foreheads! 

So be warned that Jesus is not teaching us that humility and Christlikeness will prevent us from experiencing the hatred of the world toward Believers...in fact, the opposite is true. The more obviously we are His, the more likely we are to be antagonized and shunned. In fact, we read of Him as being, "...despised and rejected of men". Now, when the purest of love and the most righteous of goodness brought about such a respnse, why should "the Jesus people" expect to be admired and respected in the world? When, of course, they are truly faithful to their faith. Remember that we have been, "...chosen out of the world...because of the world's hatred".

Remember that James, in Holy Spirit wisdom, recognized the truth of the principle, "...whoever would be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God"! Are you looking for certain confirmation of your salvation? Well that would be it! The apostle Paul would say, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed...", Romans 12.2. And, "Be kindly affectioned to one another." Or, "...keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Or, "...love one another with a pure heart, fervently." And, "...forgive one another, as Christ forgave you."                                                            

But, see what The Saviour shares in vs. 18, "If the world hates you, it hated Me first"! That they would suffer, and their suffering would be a reflection of Jesus' own; that He had not only suffered conflict here on earth, during His earthly lifetime, but when you think of it...really, from the time of the uprising of Satan; from the time of his original infection of mankind. And He goes on to state that Satan's hatred of Him is just a reflection of the hatred he has for the entire Godhead! And this had to be, as He states, "...to fulfill the word of the Law, that, they hated Me without cause." Faithfulness to the Lord guarantess us life eternal, but also...and don't forget this...also a life of conflict and suffering...for genuine Believers. And that's not my own personal opinion; it's truth from the lips of Our Lord. 

You know, there's a song, "I walked today where Jesus walked...", and I often think and speak of walking in the way and the will of the Lord. And the scriptures speak of "the path of Life", and that "path" will take us in the same directions and through the same conditions as Jesus Himself, for better and for worse. And that sometimes places us in the midst of adversity, but always remember, it's not just the fact that we belong to Jesus, but because of Jesus, Himself! That's the world's nature, to hate the God-nature. But as Jesus is quoted in vs. 19, remember that we are not of the world, and that's a truth that we should cling-to! 

69. "For the Love of Christ", John 15.9-17

"Love is a many splendored thing!" And, "Where there is love, there is life". And, "Love makes the world go 'round". But seriously, "The greatest of these is love!" And, "His banner over me is love!" And the first verse of our scripture for this lesson, "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you..."! And, "Hereby you are seen to be My disciples"...by bearing fruit and abiding in Jesus, but also by loving and being loved. This is a longish lesson, but it's a critical lesson concerning Jesus, and God and us...in love together.

Really, do you have any idea, Brother or Sister in Christ, of Heavenly Father's love for the Son; or of the Son's love for you? We really don't, do we? But here we have, in verses 9-12 and beyond, a comprehensive teaching on the love relationship of God with us through Jesus, and through us, out into the world. Remember, this is Vine-talk!

This is the very essence of love flowing up from the Root, through the Vine, and to the branch, right out into the world-sphere as a spiritual blessing upon those we meet in our day-by-day. You know, we may be living in the information age, but Believers seem to be missing the message! I guess we need to post it on the Church bulletin board, because for many of us, Holy Spirit seems to be drawing a blank! He's using the best possible ammunition, but Believers keep dodging the bullet...we must be, because if the Fruit of the Spirit is love, there are an awful lot of "tinkling symbols" in the church today (1 Corinthians 13)! God loves His Son from everlasting to everlasting, with a high, broad, and endless love, and that's just the way Jesus loves His Church. And as we will see from vs. 12, we are to love one another...as He loves us!

Now many folks would ask, "What is love?" And the philosophers and the playwrights and the novelists and poets down through all the ages past, have tried, and failed to explain it. And do you know why? It's because we've been asking the wrong question. The question is not at all, "What is love?", but rather, "How is love?". Well to begin with, love is not something you fall into; it's how you be...how you are. And that is, with your full and endless attention focused-on and reserved-for "That One". In God's case, His Son Jesus; in Jesus' case, His Body of believing saints, and in our case...well, you see where this is headed!

We know how fickle human love can sometimes be...coming and going like the seasons...warm and full of promise in May, and growing cold and barren in October! But do you know what? Jesus' love for His Church is given with an eternal guarantee...unchangeable, if you believe what is written in these verses. So when we might find ourselves sliding into a cold and barren state, it's because of our failure to abide, as we've been reading so much about. That's exactly the point, when in a spiritually-faltering state...that we must go back to the Source when we realize we've started bearing bitter fruit, and step deeper into Jesus' love-shadow! We must become more occupied with dwelling-upon, and abiding-in His love, by which we attract others to our love-shadow...and so, to Him. These few verses, just as did the previous eight, are all so closely entwined, building in an interlocking pattern, upon the solid foudation of God's love for the Faithful. 

Do you realize the difference...probly the most important...between human, fallible love and the love we experience by and through Holy Spirit? It's this...that you and I, in our earthly relationships, tend to "fall" in, and out of love, so Jesus calls us to perform a thoughtful and tangible act of the will...to "keep His commandments". I think I've said it before, but it bears repeating...our love is embodied in our obedience. There's nothing fluffy about our love-relationship with Jesus...rather, a literal lifestyle of not only faith, but of faithfulness. 

Now we must all agree that we're living today, in a time and a society where sin abounds more and more... sinsubordination, sintolerance, sincorrigibility, and sinhumanity; not to mention sinactivity, sindecisevness, sincivility, and need I continue?! We all know of many a professing Believer who outright refuses to tolerate the commands of Jesus, for obedience. You see, Satan is a snake, and a sly old fox..."the ruler of this world", and "the prince of the power of the air", and he has a toolbox of "devices" to keep us from a willful, loving obedience to the Saviour...constantly reminding us of every burden of the conscience. But love is the true satis-fier of God and man alike...our Spirit-inspired love lives! 

And then, Jesus goes on to say in vs. 10, "...I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love"! Jesus doesn't even give Himself a break...yes, He was more than a man, but He still bled when He was pierced, and He still agonized when He was in doubt, and He still died when His time came to die. In fact, even Jesus could not "abide in God" if He had not been obedient, even unto death, to His Father's will. 

Jesus walked in the Father's way, and not as the world walks. So how should we walk, as recipients of His grace? Unlike us, for Jesus there was never any question of "ommission or commission" when it concerned obedience to His Father's will, so how is it that so many churchmen seem to "continue in sin"...that grace may abound? Has the Church never been taught that we we are "living stones", and "a royal priesthood", and "a holy nation"; who "were once not a people, but now, the people of God"? 

In The Revelation, and the letters to the seven churches, there is the repeated reference to overcoming...a purposeful, intentional act of the will...no accidents there; no ommission of disciple-deeds for the overcomer! And why, you ask? Well as we read in vs. 11 of our scripture, it's in order that He might find His joy in us, following in the way He has prepared. But also, "that (our own) joy might be full"...the joy of having been obedient to Him, and of knowing that the cares of this world will be erased from our hearts and minds as we fall before His throne! But our joy evades us when we turn aside...from our families, from our friends, from our responsibilities, and sadly but ultimately, from our Lord. Joy can be, and often is, a "fleeting thing"...almost as fickle as love can be. That is surely why Paul encourages the church to consciously and willfully "...rejoice in the Lord, always".

But Jesus must leave nothing to chance with these eleven bewildered disciples, along their way to Gethsemane...vs. 12, "This, I command you...love one another..."! There's no way around it...love is the one most important feature, of life on the Jesus-Vine. It's supreme, just as the Father's love is supreme; and it's foremost, just as the Father's love is foremost; and it's eternal. And it cannot coexist with our selfishness and pride...the big two, among the many fruits of sin...Vine-speak, "Love one another, as I have loved you! 

Finally, beginning in vs. 13 we find Jesus upping the ante, and giving His disciples a couple of pretty radical examples of how a truly serious love relationship might look! The first is the most obvious to us, and the most critical as well...the laying-down and the offering up of His very life...the Supreme Sacrifice, out of Supreme Love.

Do you realize what this means for us? It means that love has no bounds...no limitations, with no questions and with no conditions...love without end! It means that we are the recipients of the highest and deepest and most intimate love that we could never imagine...the Church being His very Bride! No longer seen from on high as slaves of sin, but rather, heirs of the most gracious grace ever dispensed at any time, any where...that of Father God Himself, by His indwelling Holy Spirit! I'm not sure whether that is enough exclaimation marks! The Apostle Paul has recorded in his letter to the Ephesian church that, "The love of Christ even surpasses our understanding". And what an understatement that is!

And then, perhaps, a largely untaught principle, one that is largely avoided, and oft rejected by many churches today. Jesus had shared His wisdom many times before, but those eleven had only scratched their heads in confusion. But in vs. 16 He told them, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you...", (and you, and you, and you). To those disciples, it may have felt that "Vine-talk" signalled the end of their disciple-careers, but to Jesus, it was the beginning of life, like they had never imagined, chosen by our great God, from eternity past! 

So..."Here (again) is My commandment...love one another"! And don't ever forget it!