Chapter 14 Jesus prepares his disciples for his soon departure by promising that he will return and teaches that he and the Father are one (14:1-14). Dont worry about my leaving you. I know you trust in God; so put your trust in me as well. There is plenty of room for everyone in my Fathers house. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And once that place is ready, you may be sure that I will come back and take you to be with me. That way, we will always be together. You know the way to the place where I am going. Somewhat confused, Thomas said, Lord, we arent sure where you are going, so how can we know the way that will take us there? I am the way, the truth, and the life, declared Jesus. No one can get to the Father without going through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him. Mount of Olives, where some feel Jesus will return Philip said, Lord, please show us the Father, and then we will be satisfied. Jesus replied, Philip, weve been together for a long time. Dont you know by now who I really am? To see me is to see the Father! So how can you say, Show us the Father? Dont you believe that I and the Father are one? I do not speak to you on my own authority. The Father who lives in me is the one who carries out the miraculous deeds you see. Believe me when I say that I and the Father are one. Or believe it to be true on the basis of the miracles you see me do. I tell you the truth, if you believe in me you will do the same things that I am doing. In fact, you will do even greater things, because I am going away to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. Jesus teaches that he will not abandon them when he leaves, but the Father will send the Holy Spirit to take his place and be a constant helper (14:15-31). Engraving of the Ark of the Covenant If you love me, you will do what I tell you to do, and I will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to you to help you and remain with you forever. He is the one who reveals the truth about God. The people of the world reject the Spirit because they neither see him nor know him. But you know him because even now he lives with you, and soon will be in your hearts. When I go, I will not leave you unprotected, on your own. But, as I promised, I will come back. In a little while the world wont be able to see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you too will live. Then it will be clear to you that the Father and I are one. Furthermore, you will be one with me and I with you. To know what I have taught, and to obey my instructions, is to prove that you love me. If you love me, you will be loved by my Father. I too will love you and reveal myself to you. The other Judas (not Judas Iscariot) spoke up and asked, Lord, I dont understand why you are going to reveal yourself to us, but not to others. Jesus replied, Those who love me will do what I say. Then my Father will love them, and he and I will come and make our home with them. Those who do not love me will not do what I say. What I am telling you is not something I thought up, but it comes from the Father who sent me. I have told you these things while I have been with you. But when I am gone, the Father will send the Holy Spirit to take my place. He will help you remember all that I have said to you, and teach you even more. I will not leave you unprotected, alone. The gift I leave with you is peace, the very peace I myself enjoy. Its not the kind of peace the world gives. So dont let your heart be troubled. Dont lose courage. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will be back. If you really loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to my Father, because he is greater than I. I have told you this ahead of time, so when it happens your faith will not fail. I cant talk with you much longer because the ruler of this world is on his way. But he has no basis for an accusation against me. I am doing exactly what the Father has told me. Thus everyone in the world will know that I love the Father. Its time to leave; lets be on our way. Chapter 15 Jesus teaches the disciples that they must maintain a vital connection with him in order to bear spiritual fruit (15:1-17). I am the real vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He trims every branch that bears fruit, so it will produce even more; but every branch that bears no fruit, he cuts off. You have already been trimmed by the words I have spoken to you. It is crucial that you remain in me and I in you. No branch can bear fruit if it is cut off from the vine.Its the same with you you an bear no fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. Only if you remain in me and I in you, will you be able to bear much fruit. If you do not remain in me, you can accomplish nothing. If you do not remain in me, you will be thrown aside like a withered branch. Branches like that are good for nothing but firewood. Engraving of grapes on vine If you remain in me and reflect on what I have taught you, then whatever you ask for in prayer will be done for you. Would you like to bring honor to my Father? Then bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples. My love for you has been the same as the love my Father has for me. Remain true to that love. If you obey my commands, you will remain true to my love, just as I obey my Fathers commands and remain true to his love. I have told you these things so that you may experience the joy that is mine. I want you to be filled with joy. My commandment is that you love one another just as I have loved you. The ultimate proof of a persons love is his willingness to sacrifice his life for a friend. You will prove your love for me if you do what I command. No longer will I call you servants, because a servant is in the dark about what his master is doing. Rather, I will call you friends, because I have shared with you everything my Father has told me. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you. I appointed you to go and bear fruit, the kind of fruit that lasts. The Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. I give you these commands so that you may love one another. Olive press The disciples will face persecution in the world because they belong to Jesus and will therefore endure the same kind of hatred as their master did (15:18-27). When you experience the hatred of the world, keep in mind that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you like one of their own. But you dont belong to the world. I chose you out of the world and that is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: A servant is not superior to his master. Since they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. They will respond to your teaching in the same way they responded to mine. The people of this world will treat youlike this because you belong to me, because they do not know the one who sent me. They would not be guilty of sin if I had not come and spoken to them. As it is, they have no excuse for their sin. To hate me is to hate my Father as well. If I had not performed miraculous deeds that no one else had ever done, they would not be guilty. But they were right there watching and chose to hate both me and my Father. All this happened so as to fulfill what was written in their Scriptures, They hated me for no reason. I will send you a Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will come from the Father. When he arrives he will speak on my behalf. You too must speak on my behalf, because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 02:30:15 +0000
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