John 14
COMMENTARY:
: 2 In MY Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3438 “mone] means abode, dwelling, room, a hospitable area (within a house or building) where a person can remain for a period of time, or stopping place.)
When Jesus left the disciples, HE left with many promises for the future. HE was going to send the Holy Spirit to give power to the ministry of the church. HE was going to be our advocate to the Father. HE was going to come back when the Father thought it was time.
The promise in this verse is that there will be a prepared place for all those who are followers of the LORD. This prepared place is thought to be in the New Jerusalem that is going to come down from heaven after HIS second coming. There will be room for all believers to live there for eternity.
Once this project is done there will not be anything holding back HIS return to take us home to be with HIM. Our responsibility is to occupy our world with a testimony for HIM. There is a certain number of people that will be followers of the LORD and when the last one becomes a follower HE will return.
So each of us have to witness and we might be the one who has the last one who is to be saved become a believer because we told them about Jesus. Reach out and touch a life for the LORD today.
: 6 Jesus says to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. (3598 “way” [hodos] means a traveled way, journey, path, road, a coarse of conduct, way of life, route or a way of thinking, feeling, deciding.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was giving final instructions before HIS death. HE told the disciples HE was leaving to prepare a place in heaven for them. HE was telling them the truth. HE told them that they knew the road to heaven. There was a manner of life that led to heaven.
Thomas was asking the question about which road to take. He wanted to know where Jesus was going and how to follow him.
Jesus made a statement regarding the road to heaven. HE stated that HE was the road. HE was the way of life that led to eternal life. HE was giving them the path they needed to take to get to heaven.
Next, Jesus gave a message to the disciples regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit into their lives. The Holy Spirit was going to lead them down the right road. HE was another comforter like Jesus. HE was going to abide in the disciples. HE abides in all those who are followers of Jesus. HE was going to train all the followers of Jesus in the truths of the Scriptures. The Father was going to send him after Christ left the earth. The Father in Jesus name sent the Holy Spirit. Today, we have the Holy Spirit active in the lives of all those who are genuine followers of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead or Trinity. They are co-equal. They are co-eternal. They are all involved in our salvation and growth. We need to look to HIM daily for guidance. We need HIS daily strength in our lives and witness. Each day we have a choice to make. Let’s not wander off the road set before us. In the wonderful book, Pilgrim’s Progress, we have the Pilgrim leaving the right path and getting into trouble. However, he was led back to the right path by a character named Evangelist. Throughout the book we have an example of all the pitfalls of the Christian life but also we have the victories.
CHALLENGE: Read the book “Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan. There is even a pictorial version for those who don’t like to read.
: 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (1392 “glorified” [doxazo] means honor, magnify, extol, celebrate, adorn with luster, or clothe with splendor.)
DEVOTION: Prayer is very important in the life of a believer. Jesus taught HIS disciples how to pray. HE gave them an example of someone who prays. HE gives instruction regarding what kind of prayers will be answered.
How close do we watch the instructions that are given in the Bible regarding prayer? Too often we don’t even know the guidelines. Many people just pray like they feel like with no intention to give God honor if the prayer is answered. Many of our prayers are not to bring honor to the LORD.
We have a tendency to pray for what we want and if we receive the right answer we go on with our life. If we receive the wrong answer we wonder why God didn’t give us what we wanted.
Jesus makes it plain that we have to pray according to HIS will. Every answer to pray should cloth the LORD with splendor. People should stand up and take notice that we have a God who answers prayers in a mighty way.
Sometimes we are not praying for great things that the LORD wants to have happen in our life and in the life of the church. We should realize that we are able to do greater things and expect greater things.
CHALLENGE: Do we pray for miracles on a regular basis or just ask for little things from the LORD? Let us ask for miracles in our life and in the life of our churches. We don’t serve a small God!!!
: 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
DEVOTION: The Bible teaches us that there is Godhead. In this Godhead is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We learn that there is only ONE God but three persons. Theologians use the term Trinity to help us understand what this all means. It is hard to understand but it is the teaching of the Word of God.
In our verse we find all three persons of the Godhead active. The Father is going to send the Holy Spirit to help the disciples perform their ministry. They will need help to reach the world for the LORD.
Jesus states that HE doesn’t want the disciples to be comfortless. They need comfort because they are going to face many trials that seem impossible to overcome but with the help of the Holy Spirit they will be able to have victory.
Now we continue to need the help of the Holy Spirit in our life and in the life of the church. We are living in very trying times. Our world seems to be at war with our standards. They want to live without any control from the Bible.
So each day if we are faithful to the LORD we are going to face the arrows of the devil that are being fired from any sources. We can fight off these arrows with the armor of God. Each day we have to pray for the Holy Spirit to help us put that armor on before we face our present evil generation. If we see a brother or sister in the LORD losing their battle we need to come along side and share our armor with them. Jesus wants us to love one another.
We are not alone in our battle. We shouldn’t leave anyone else alone either. Our prayers are important. We might lose some battles but we know that the war is won in the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We are on the winning side. Praise the LORD.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Power of Prayer in Jesus’ nameverses 13-14
Jesus prays Father to send Holy Spiritverse 16
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Fatherverses 2, 6-13, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31
Father loves those who love Sonverses 21, 23
Father sent Sonverse 24
Father sends Holy Spiritverse 26
Father greater than Sonverse 28
Father gives commandmentsverse 31
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 5, 8, 22
Jesus verses 6, 9, 23
Wayverse 6
Truthverse 6
Lifeverse 6
Worksverse 12
Sonverse 13
Not leave disciples comfortlessverse 18
I in youverse 20
Loves the Fatherverse 31
Father gives Son commandmentsverse 31
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Another Comforterverse 16
Spirit of Truthverse 17
Comforterverse 26
Holy Ghostverse 26
Teacherverse 26
Brings things to believers memoryverse 26
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverse 1
Abode in believersverse 23
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Prince of this world [Satan]verse 30
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Worldverses 19, 22, 27, 31
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Troubledverses 1, 27
Not keeping Jesus’ sayingsverse 24
Afraidverse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Believeverses 1, 10-12, 29
Mansionverses 2, 3
Greater worksverse 12
Askverses 13, 14
Loveverses 15, 21, 23, 28
Keep commandmentsverses 15, 21, 23
Give another comforter [Holy Spirit]verses 16, 26
Give Spirit of Truth [Holy Spirit]verse 17
Indwelling Holy Spiritverse 17
Believers in Christverse 20
Manifest Christ in belieververses 21-25
Teachverse 26
Peaceverse 27
Rejoiceverse 28
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Thomasverse 5
Philipverse 8
Judas (not Iscariot)verse 22
Last Things (Future Events)
Foreververse 16
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