”I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, that you should die for me – a sinner, condemned, unclean”, but do I really appreciate the true awfulness of my sin – so awful it drove Jesus to die a horrible death on a cross to redeem me? I use the word easily, applying it to myself almost as if it is a badge of honour that qualifies me to receive Gods hard won forgiveness and to become one of His precious children.
”Words, if used often enough may lose some of the impact of their full meaning. Sin was the catalyst, the cause of the huge trouble creation is in, the huge trouble mankind in general and each one of you specifically experiences. Look around you at the suffering, disease, poverty, crime, war, floods, earthquakes, genocide, murder, rape et cetera et cetera and hang out a banner over it – a banner spelt SIN. And in the middle is I. Each one of you has this problem. Creation groans waiting for its release. Stop from time to time and remind yourself of the seriousness of that short word that lies beneath all this horror and appreciate Jesus’s death again afresh, understanding the absolute need for His awful suffering”.
We continue now by reading John14:25-31, as Jesus continues to introduce to us, the reader, the full understanding of what it means for His disciples (and us) to have a relationship with Him. Last time we met the One whom He called “the Counsellor” and saw how He was going to be the main player in building out and maintaining this supernatural relationship.
In vs 29 He closes the bracket which He opened at 13:19, where He explains the reason why He is using this time to explain these things. He is preparing them for the almost excruciating thought for them that He was soon going to leave them physically. I don’t think we can overestimate the huge sense of loss they were soon going to experience. He wanted to soften this by showing the fact that His leaving was actually going to benefit not only them but all of mankind after His death. He goes on to tell them that by telling them all these things in advance when they happened later it would greatly expand their faith in Him.
His death was going to make it possible for them to have such a close relationship with Him because the Father was going to actually give each one of them (and every believer since) the presence of His Spirit to dwell within them. And in this section He is explaining what the full significance of that will be.
In vs 26 He tells them that The Holy Spirit will continue to teach them and remind them of all the things He had said to them. We should stop there as we consider this. The key to us hearing Jesus through His word and any other way He decides to speak to us is the work of His Spirit, who is intimately bound to us every moment of the day and night. We have that supernatural connection! Friends it was the rediscovery of this that set off the Charismatic renewal. Because the Spirit is so humbly apparently quietly, working in the background He has over the years almost become lost in sight by many evangelicals. We need to be reminded of His work and rediscover the awe at the thought of His continued presence indwelling us and what that means for us as we live our Christian life.
If we are to be true witnesses for Jesus, it is the supernatural work of the Spirit that will make that possible and one of the best ways is explained in the next verse. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
Can I ask you, each one of you my beloved readers, do you know that peace? Or are your hearts deeply troubled. The presence of God’s peace in the midst of the turmoil of this world is one of the greatest witnesses to His supernatural work. Real peace (shalom) does not always come instantly, but grows as we grow in our faith and trust in His full providence over every aspect of our lives and those of our dear ones. But every true Christian should know something of this huge promise from our all powerful, all knowing Creator.
The passage ends with a reminder of the very real role of Satan in the turmoil of this world and the fact that we are warned in several places to be on our guard against His attacks, using the full armour that God has given us to resist him. It is when we are complacent towards him that we are the most vulnerable.
”Come let us leave” he ends the chapter with. So we will see next time how chapter 15 continues this revelation. God bless and take care.
Grace upon Grace! We can only have peace with our Holy Lord and Father through faith (by believing) in Christ. ” Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ” Romans 5.1. We have peace with our Holy Lord not through works or good deeds etc., but through faith in Christ alone ! I believe, that my Goly Lord and Father gave me to Christ before the foundation of the world. I belong to Christ. Therefore Christ Himself will take care that my faith will not fail. ” And those whom He predestined He also called., and those whom He called he also justified and those whom He justified He also glorified. ” Romans 8. 30. All Glory , power, dominion and authority be to our Holy Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever 🙏 Amen
Correction Holy Lord
AMEN Lilly AMEN!!