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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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GOSPEL OF JOHN Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert B. Upper Room Discourse
13:31–16:33 [19 - (Jn 14:1-31)] 1. Jesus
Prepares Heaven for Believers (1‑6) a) The Upper
Room Discourse actually began as soon as Judas left the room (13:26‑27).
Everything was now put into place for the Son of God to be crucified. Jesus
had His last opportunity to instruct and comfort His disciples. b) The hearts of the disciples would be
troubled (tarassō ‑ shaken,
frightened, stirred, Jn 5:7, 11:33; 13:21) when Jesus would be crucified
and later ascend to the Father. However, Jesus told them not to let their
heart be troubled because His death on the cross was the purpose for which He
came. They were to have faith (present imperative of pisteuō
‑ keep on believing on) in the Father and the Son. c) Another reason they should not be
troubled was that Jesus was going to prepare heaven for believers. He
promised that they would have “dwelling places” (monê
‑ abiding place, abode, or home), not necessarily “mansions” (KJV),
but “places for wandering pilgrims finally to dwell” (Kent). d) Jesus promised that if He goes to heaven,
having made atonement through His death, then He would come again for them in
the Rapture (3). Believers would be with Jesus in heaven. e) Jesus told them that they knew the way (4).
However, without grasping what Jesus was saying, Thomas asked the way (5).
Jesus took this opportunity to reaffirm His deity and declare His sixth “I
AM” statement (Bread of life” (6:35,41,48,51), Light
of the world” (8:12), Door of the sheep” (10:7,9), Good Shepherd” (10:11,14),
Resurrection and the Life” (11:25). Actually there are three metaphors that
Jesus applied to Himself; the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As the Way (odos), salvation is only found in and through
Christ, not anyone or anything else. As the Truth (alêtheia),
all others are false messiahs and false religions. As the Life (zoê), all hope for eternal life is found in Christ
alone (6). 2. Believers
have Unity with the Father (7‑14) a) The
disciples knew the way to eternal life because they knew Jesus “the Way.”
They also knew the Father because they knew Jesus. In fact, because they have
seen the Son, they have also seen God. Jesus is God the Son and therefore is
the exact representation of the invisible God (He 1:3). b) However, because Philip did not grasp all
that Jesus was saying, he asked the Lord to show them the Father (8). Because
Jesus had just explained it to them and because He had been with the
disciples for so long, He lovingly reproved them with His answer (9). They
should have known by now that the He was in the Father and the Father in Him.
All of Jesus’ words and works were from the Father and therefore when they
saw the Son, they saw the Father to (10). They should have believed this
truth simply by the works that Jesus performed (11). For His works proved
that He was the Christ and the Son of God (cp. Jn 20:31). c) Jesus told the disciples that because
they believed in Him, they would do greater works. This did not refer to His
work on the cross or greater miracles, but the extent of spiritual works
through the Holy Spirit (12). They would also be able to do greater works
because as they asked anything in His name and according to His will, the Son
would answer their prayer. The fact that Jesus claimed to answer their prayer
proves that He was deity, for only God can answer prayer. 3. The Holy
Spirit will be the Believer’s Paraclete (15‑26) a) The real
litmus test for proving that a believer loves (agapáō)
Christ is by his obedience to Christ’s word. If the believer obeys Christ’s
commandments, then he will ask what is in accordance with Christ’s will (15). b) Jesus will request of the Father that
believers will receive a “Helper.” The Helper refers to the Holy Spirit (cf.
14:17, 26; 15:26). He is the believer’s Paraclete (parakletos ‑ called alongside or to aid,
cp. Jn 7:39; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7; Ro 8:26; 1Jo 2:1). Jesus was “with” the
disciples as their Paraclete until He ascended and
sent “another” (allos ‑ another of
the same kind; i.e. Divine) Paraclete (Holy
Spirit) to “live” in them (14:23 cp. 14:25 cp. 1:33 “spiritual baptism” cp.
1Co 12:13). The Holy Spirit will be with believers forever (16b), but not be
the world (17b). He is also called the “Spirit of truth” (17a). c) Though Jesus’ earthly ministry was coming
to an end, He was not leaving believers as orphans (18), but would come to
them in His resurrection and also give them the Holy Spirit. Even though
Jesus would be leaving this world, they would be resurrected and have eternal
life because Jesus would be resurrected (19). When Jesus’ disciples receive
the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (BKC, Kent), they would know that
Jesus was in the Father, in believers, and believers in Him (20). d) One of the evidences that a person is a
true believer and possesses the Holy Spirit is that they love the Lord. Jesus
explains that to love the Lord is to keep His Word (21). The fact that Jesus
calls it “His Word” in place of God’s Word is another declaration that He is
God. A believer then is loved by the Father and has the Person and Work of
Christ “disclosed” (emphanizō ‑
manifest) through the illumination of the Word by the Holy Spirit (cp. Jn
15:26). e) Judas, “not Iscariot,” (was perhaps
Thaddaeus, Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18, who was also called Judas) asked why only
disciples will have Christ revealed (22). Jesus answers by explaining the
special relation that the Son, the Father, and believers possess. Once again,
the answer revolves around the believer’s love and obedience to Son and the
Father. Believers can only have love and obedience because the Father and the
Son indwell the believer through the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16; 6:19; Ep 2:22). f) The Holy Spirit will teach all things to
the disciples and bring to their remembrance the things that Jesus taught
them. This the Spirit will do through the process of “inspiration” (2Pe 1:20‑21). 4. Jesus
Leaves His Peace for Believers (27‑31) a) “Peace” (eirếnê) is a disposition characterized by
inner rest and harmony. This can only come from a right relationship with the
Father through the Son. Jesus said that He would give His peace to His
disciples, which was completely different from the peace of the world. He
commands believers not to let their hearts be troubled or fearful (present
imperatives). He would give His peace to believers through the indwelling
Holy Spirit. As long as believers are in fellowship with God and do not let
their hearts be troubled, they will have Christ’s peace. b) Jesus said that His disciples should
rejoice that He was going to the Father after He accomplished salvation on
the cross. Jesus said that His Father was greater than He was, not in the
sense of deity, but in the sense of Christ’s humiliation by becoming a man.
When Jesus returns to glory with His Father, his humiliation will be over and
will share the Father’s glory equally. c) Jesus told these things before they
happened so that His disciples would believe and be comforted (29). He also
shared that His time was limited because the “ruler of this world” (Jn 12:31;
16:11 cp. Ep 2:2) was coming to place Him on the cross. However, Satan has no
charge against Christ because the Son loved the Father and had complete
obedience. Therefore Satan could not keep Him in the grave (30‑31). It
appeared that after this they left the Upper Room and walked toward the
Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives while Jesus continued to teach. 5. Applications a) When a
sinner places His faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, he is immediately
and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit. b) Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, the
believer is: (1) “born
again” (regenerated, Jn 3:6‑7), (2) baptized into Christ (Ro 6:3), (3) in personal and
permanent unity with the Father and Son (Jn 14:20; Ep 1:13; 4:30). (4) taught in the Scriptures (Jn 14:26; 1Jn
2:27) (5) encouraged and comforted (Jn 14:16, 26;
15:26; 16:7) |
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