Bible in one year 2/8/2022 John 14-16
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts
& Gospel music; pastoral ministry & counseling
John chapter 14:1-31 Jesus prepared His departure, unveiled
His dead and resurrection –
Jesus going through death and Christ coming in
resurrection to bring the believers into the Father
Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust
also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms if it were not so, I would have
told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may
be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. (John14:1-4)
The book of John has two main sections. The first section, chs1-13, points out how Christ, as the eternal Word, came through incarnation to bring God into man that He might be the life an life supply to man. The second section, chs14-21, unveils how Christ, as the man Jesus, went through death and resurrection to bring man into God for the building of God’s habitation, which is the building of the church (Matt.16:18) and which is related to the building of the New Jerusalem (Heb.11:10; Rev.21:2). In the entire universe God has only one building, this is, the building of His living habitation with His redeemed people.
In view
of His departure from them, Christ gave the disciples (in this chapter)
specific encouragements. These include the provision in the Father’s house (v.2),
the promise to return (v.3), the prospect of doing greater works (v.12), the
promise of answered prayer (v.14), the coming of the Holy Spirit (v.16), and
the legacy of peace (v.27).
My father’s house refers to the temple, the body of Christ, as God’s dwelling place. First the body of Christ was only His individual body, but through Christ’s death and resurrection, the body of Christ has increased to be His corporate Body, which is the church, including all His believers, who have been regenerated through His resurrection (1Pet.1:3). In Christ’s resurrection the church is the Body of Christ, which is the house of God (1Tim.3:15;1Pet2:5; Heb.3:6), God’s habitation (Eph.2:21-22), God’s temple (Cor.3:16-17).
Verse 3
If I go…I will come back proves
that the Lord’s going (through His death and resurrection ) was His coming (to
His disciples –vv.18,28). He came in the flesh (1:14) and was among His
disciples, but He could not enter into them while He was in the flesh. He had
to take the further step of passing through death and resurrection in order to
be transfigured from the flesh into the Spirit that He might come into the
disciples and dwell in them, as revealed in vv.17-20. After His resurrection He
did come to breathe Himself as the Holy Spirit into the disciples.(20:19-22).
The
Lord’s intention in this chapter was to bring man into God for the building of
His dwelling place. But between man and God there were many obstacles, such as
sin, sins, death, the world, the flesh, the self, the old man, and Satan. For
the Lord to bring man into God, He had to solve all these problems. Therefore,
He had to go to the cross to accomplish redemption that He might open the way
and make a standing for man, that man
might enter into God. This standing in God, being enlarged, becomes the
standing in the Body of Christ. Anyone who does not have a standing, a place,
in God does not have a place in the Body of Christ, which is God’s dwelling
place. Hence, the Lord’s going in order to accomplish redemption was to prepare
a place in His body for the disciples.
The
Lord is in the Father (vv.10-11) He wanted His disciples also to be in the
Father, as revealed in 17:21. Through His death and resurrection He brought His
disciples into Himself. Since He is in the Father, they are in the Father by
being in Him. Hence, where He is, the disciples are also.
The Triune God dispensing Himself into the believers- the
Father embodied in the Son seen among the believers
Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John14:6-7)
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and
that will be enough for us.” (v.8)
Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me Philip, even after I
have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?”(v.9) don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the
Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is
the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (v.10).
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in
me; or at least believe
on the evidence of the miracles themselves. (v.11) I tell you the truth, anyone
who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater
things then these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory
to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. (vv.12-14)
Verse 6
the way for man to enter into God is
the Lord Himself. Since the way is a living person, the place to which the Lord
brings man must also be a person, God the Father Himself. The Lord Himself is
the living way by which man is brought into God the Father, the living place.
The way needs the reality, and the reality needs the life. The Lord Himself is
the life to us. This life brings us the reality, and the reality becomes the
way by which we enter into the enjoyment of God the Father.
Verse 7 this chapter unveils
the way God dispenses Himself into man. In the dispensing of Himself into us,
God is triune. He is one, yet He is three, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
The Son is the embodiment and expression of the Father (vv.7-11), and the
Spirit is the reality and realization of the Son (vv.17-20). In the Son (the Son is even called the Father –Isa.9:6)
the Fatehr is expressed and seen, and as the Spirit (2Cor.3:17) the Son is
revealed and realized. The Father in the Son is expressed among the believers,
and the Son as the Spirit is realized in the believers. God the Father is
hidden, God the Son is manifested among men, and God the Spirit enters into man
to be his life, his life supply, and his everything. Hence, this Triune God
–the Father in the Son and the Son as the Spirit-dispenses Himself into us to
be our portion that we may enjoy Him as our everything in His divine trinity.
Verse
12 the Lord came from the Father to bring God into man through His incarnation.
Here, He is going to the Father to bring man into God through His death and
resurrection.
Verse
13 to be in the Lord’s name here and in v.14 means to be one with the Lord, to
live by the Lord, and to let the Lord live in us. The Lord came and did things
in the Father’s name (5:43;10:25), meaning that He was one with the
Father(10:30), that He lived because of the Father (6:57), and that the Father
worked in Him (v.10). In the Gospels the Lord as the expression of the Father
did things in the Father’s name. In the Acts the disciples as the expression of
the Lord did even greater things (v.12) in the Lord’s name.
Concerning the Holy Spirit, the Son as the Spirit to
abide in the believers (vv.15-20)
If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask Father,
and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-(vv.15-16). The
Spirit of truth, the world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him
nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (v.17). I will not leave you as
orphans; I will come to you, (v.18). Before long, the world will not see me
anymore, but you will see me. Because
I live, you also will live. (v.19) on that day you will realize that I am in my
Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (v.20) whoever has my
commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will
beloved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (v.21)
Verse16 another Counselor- The Holy Spirit is called the Counselor, or helper (
Greek: paraclete, ) in the root of this word are the ideas of advising,
exhorting, comforting, strengthening, interceding, and encouraging. Means advocate, one alongside who takes care
of our cause, our affairs. The Greek word for Comforter is the same as that for
Advocate in 1 John2:1. applied to Christ and translated “One who speaks to the
Father in our defense.” Here and in the other passages in John cited above,
Christ teaches that the Holy Spirit (1) will indwell Christians (vv.16-17); (2)
will help the disciples recall the events of His life (14:26); (3) will
convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (16:7-11); (4) will
teach believers the truth (15:26;16:13-15). Today we have both the Lord Jesus
in the heavens and the Spirit (the Comforter) within us as our Advocate, who
takes care of our case.
Verse
17 The Spirit promised here was referred to in 7:39. This Spirit is the Spirit
of life (Rom.8:2), and the promise of the Lord’s was fulfilled on the day of
the Lord’s resurrection, when the Spirit as the breath of life was breathed
into the disciples (20:22). The Lord’s promise here is different from the
promise of the Father concerning the Spirit of power in Luke24:49. That promise
was fulfilled fifty days after the Lord’s resurrection, on the day of
Pentecost, when the Spirit as the mighty wind blew upon the disciples
(Acts2:1-4). In this verse the Spirit of life is called “the Spirit of truth”.
This Spirit of truth is Christ (v.6); Hence, the Spirit of truth is the Spirit
of Christ (Rom.8:9). This Spirit is also the reality of Christ (1John5:6, 20) that Christ may be realized in those who
believe into Him, as their life and life supply.
The
very “He” who is the Spirit of truth in this verse becomes the very “ I” who is
the Lord Himself in v.18. This means that the Christ who was in the flesh went
through death and resurrection to become the life-giving Spirit, the pneuatie
Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:45 confirms this. In dealing with the matter of
resurrection, that verse says, “The last Adam Christ in the
flesh became a life giving Spirit.”
Verse
18 this coming was fulfilled on the day of His resurrection (20:19-22). After
His resurrection the Lord came back to His disciples to be with them forever,
thus not leaving them as orphans.
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do
you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My
Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you
hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me. (vv.23-24) All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy
Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will
remind you of everything I have said to you. (v.25-26)
Concerning peace 14:27-31
not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.(v.27) You heard me say, “ I am going away and I am coming back to you. If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (v.28). I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this would is coming. He has no hold one me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Come now; let us leave.
Verse 26 The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, was to be sent by the Father in the Son’s name. Therefore, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and also by the Son. Thus, the Holy Spirit comes not only from the Father but also from the Father but also from the Son, and He is the reality not only of the Father but also of the Son. Hence, when we call on the name of the Son, we get the Spirit. (1Cor.12:3) The Father being in the Son’s name is equivalent to the Father being the Son. Therefore, the Father’s sending of the Holy Spirit in the Son’s name is the Son’s sending of the Holy Spirit from the Father (15:26). The Son and the Father are one (10:30). Hence, the Spirit who is sent comes not only out of the Father but also out of the Son. Moreover, when the Spirit comes, He comes with the Father and the Son. This proves that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one God, the Triune God, who reaches us and is working, that is, dispensing, Himself into us in His divine trinity to be out life and everything.
Verse
26 in my name In 5:43 we are told that the Son came in the Father’s
name, and here that the Father sent the Holy Spirit in the Son’s name. This proves
not only that the Son and the Father are one (10:30) but also that the Holy
Spirit is one with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit, who is sent by the Father in the Son’s name, is not
only the truth (reality) that comes from the Father but also the reality that
comes from the Son. This is the Triune God
-the Father, the Son, and the Spirit who reaches man eventually as the
Spirit.
John chapter 15 Concerning fruitfulness –the vine and the branches (John 15:1-17)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. (v.1) He cuts off every branch in
me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.(v.2) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.(v.3) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (v.4) I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, He will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (v.5). If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.(v.6) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.(v.7)
Chapter 15 and
16 contain the second Fare will Discourse. In 15 are the themes of fruit
bearing
and the hatred of the world for Christ’s disciples. The theme of persecution is
continued in chapter 16 along with teaching concerning the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. Father is the gardener, the source, the author, the planner, the
planter, and everything to the vine. The Son as the vine is the center of God’s
economy and embodiment of all the riches of the Father. The Father, by
cultivating the Son, works Himself with all His riches into the vine, and
eventually the vine expresses the Father in a corporate way through its
branches.
Verse 2 cut off. The word may mean this
literally as “take away” in 11:39. And would therefore be a reference to the
physical death of fruitless Christians (1Cor.11:30); or it may mean lift up as
“picked up” in 8:59, which would indicate that the vinedresser encourages and
makes it easier for the fruitless believer, hoping he will respond and begin to
bear fruit. Prunes. This is done
through the Word of God, which cleans the life (same root word as clean in
v.3).
Verse 4 remain (or abide) in me. John
explains what this means when he uses the same word in 1 John3:24. (Abiding
depends on keeping Christ’s commandments (15:10).
Verse 6 burned. This refers to the works of
the believer. The Christian who does not abide in Christ cannot do what pleases
God; therefore, his works will be burned at the judgment seat of Christ, though
he himself will be saved. (1 Cor.3:11-15)
Verse 7 when we abide in the Lord and let His words
abide in us, we actually are one with Him, and He works within us.
Then, when we ask in prayer for whatever we will, it is not only we who are
praying; He too is praying. This kind of prayer is related to fruit-bearing.
(v. 8 ) and will surely be answered.
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.(vv.8-9). If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. (v.10) I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and
that your joy may be complete. (v.11) My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.(v.12) Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know His master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.(vv.13-15) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.(v.16) Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.(v.17)
Verse 8 by answered prayer. Note the
progression: the step from fruit to more fruit involves pruning (cleansing)
through the Word of God (v.2), and the step from more fruit to much fruit
involves a life of answered prayer.
Verse 10 when we abide in the Lord, He speaks
His instant words within us. These words are His commandments to us. If we keep
those command to us. If we keep those commandments, it shows that we love Him;
it is thus that we will abide in His love.
Verse 11 being braches of the divine vine and
bearing fruit to express the divine life are matters of joy, and they also
issue in a joyful life.
Verse 16 we were wild braches, and through faith we have been grafted into Christ. Here the Lord said that He set us. This fits the thought of grafting. The Greek word for go forth means to depart, implying to leave for another place; hence, it is rendered go forth. It is the same Greek word as that for go in 14:4 and 16:5. The fruit borne by going forth in this way does not denote the virtues of the fruit-bearer’s character, such as the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s living, mentioned in Gal.5:22-23, but it denotes the believers produced by the fruit-bearer. This corresponds with the subject of this section,12: 20-17:26, which is Christ’ multiplication. The virtues we possess through our abiding in the Lord cannot be counted as Christ’s multiplication. Only the believers that we produce in the Lord are the tangible multiplication of Christ. The Father’s house in ch.14, the true vine in this chapter, and the man-child in ch.16 are all related to the multiplication of Christ.
Verse
16 Bear fruit (v.16) after we go forth to produce believers in the Lord, we
need to care for them. The best way is to set up meetings in their homes to
cover and protect them that they may be cared for by being nourished and
taught, and may become the remaining fruit, living in the branches of the true vine,
that is, in the Body or Christ, to be
Christ’s increase. To ask
in my name (v.16), to ask in the Lord’s name requires us to
abide in the Lord and allow Him and His words to abide in us that we may
actually be one with Him.
The vine and the branches, being hated and persecuted and
separated from the World (John15:18-27)
If the
world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged
to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the
world. But I have chosen you out of the world. This is why the world hates you.
Remember the words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his
master.” if they persecuted me, they will persecute
you also. If they obey my teaching, they will obey yours also. They treat you
this way because of my name, for
they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come
and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no
excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done
among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they
have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But
this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: “They hated me without reason.” (vv.1-25)
When the Counselor comes,
whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from
the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have
been with me from the beginning. (vv.26-27)
Verse
25 The reference is to Ps.35:19; 69:4 . In this section Christ statesL1) the world hates Me(v.18) (2) My followers are aliens
in the world (v.19); (3) the world will persecute you because you are My
followers (v.20); (4) the persecutors do not know God (v.21); (5) My words
(v.22) and My works (v.24) rebuke them. These arguments are found in many early
Christian writings, as instruction to the faithful and as warning to pagans and
Jews.
Verse
26 Counselor. Who goes out from the Father. The mission of the Spirit is
from the Father; the Spirit’s witness, therefore, is also that of the Father
Himself. The Spirit of reality, who is sent by the Son from the Father, comes not
only from the Father but also with the Father. The Father is the source. When this
Spirit comes from the source, He does not leave the source but comes with the source.
This Spirit, sent by the Son and coming with the Father, testifies concerning the
Son. Therefore, His testimony concerning the Son is a matter of the Triune God.
Bibliography,
Lee,
Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry,
1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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