John: The Commander
Notes
Transcript
Exegetical Point:
Homiletic Point:
Intro
Intro
Do you sometimes open the Bible and feel unequipped to understand what you’re reading? Or perhaps that you would not be able to explain to someone else what it means?
Well, don’t worry, because I feel that way too sometimes.
That’s how I felt as i was approaching this passage to preach it.
It is so densely packed. I feel like I can’t get my head around it.
I feel incapable of doing God’s this passage justice. But, we are not here to hear from a mere man, we are here to hear the voice of God speak to us, as if it were from a mountaintop. We gathered here at the foot of the mountain to hear God speak from and for His glory.
Yet, we are not gathered at Sinai, to hear a law that does not bring life. Instead we are gathered as the New Creations of Christ at Zion, come to hear the Good News of your redemption proclaimed, as well as the way that we should live.
So today I will be laying down God’s law, what he requires of us, but remember, this is in light of the redemption that we have already received. It is grounded in grace already given.
Jesus is teaching His disciples how to live when he’s not around.
Discipleship intensive, under the looming threat of Jesus arrest and execution.
John records this for the benefit of Christians, who are living after Jesus death & resurrection
This is for our encouragement, understanding & obedience.
Three interlocking ideas in the passage -
Loving Obedience
The Holy Spirit
Union with God
As we move through this passage we will keep circling around these ideas. I don’t really have “main points” this morning. Rather, I have a string of applications that we will uncover as we go along.
Let’s get into it!
The first application is:
Show Love, follow Jesus’ Commands
Show Love, follow Jesus’ Commands
Crazy! Wild statement!
We rage against commands - unless of course they suit our agenda...
Now, we know that people can misuse this - like a lusty teenage boy trying to get his girlfriend to do something inappropriate: “You’d do it if you love me”.
But this is not that!
This is the King of Creation, the Head of the Church saying, the way you demonstrate love to me, is to do what I’ve told you to do. This is a good leader, with the best intentions telling his people to do what is inherently good, and what is in their best interests!
“If you love me, keep my commands.
How do you show respect to godly authority? You submit to it.
How do you show your parents you love them? You honour them (including obedience as a child).
How do you show your boyfriend or girlfriend that you love them? You do the things that you know they like.
How do you show Jesus you love him? You submit to him, you honour him, you do what he likes. You keep his commandments!
This is the resounding statement of this passage. It will be stated 4 times!
“If you Love Jesus, you will keep His commandments”
The sign that someone belongs to Jesus is that they do what he tells them to do!
Think about the opposite - someone saying “Oh yes, I love Jesus, but I don’t follow any of His instructions” - What kind of love ignores the other person in a relationship?
Now, we must point out that we are not earning God’s love, but obedience is evidence that we love Jesus.
Jesus tells us that no-one can come to God the Father unless the Father draws them.
You must be Born Again by the spirit to enter the kingdom
This is of God, not of yourselves - God will bring his people to faith. They will profess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart.
But, how can we know those who are saved? They not only SAY they love Jesus, but they actually show it by their actions.
Love is active, it is not a mere feeling of affection. If you love Jesus you will love Him actively - doing what he commands.
We are not left hanging, to full fill the commands in a spiritual vacuum. No! Jesus will send a helper.
The Spirit will be with You
The Spirit will be with You
Jesus is about to depart to die for the sins of His people. But he is not abandoning them!
One person of God is leaving, but another is coming:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—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.
Paraklete - Helper, Advocate, Counselor. Sent from God for God’s people. To guide them into truth!
Be with you - like Jesus was with them, but now not contained bodily to one location.
God is with His people
The World at large cannot accept the HS. They are blind to him. They refuse him in their natural state.
But the disciples know him, because they Know Christ. They have seen the work of the HS and he will soon live in them.
Confused - HS already in them? Breathed after the Resurrection? At Pentecost?
The HS was at work always, from the creation of the world. But as Jesus left, he came as the presence of God with his people in a new way, to accomplish the redemption of Jesus by applying it to the hearts of His people.
HS in you (if you belong to Jesus and not to the world).
You are united to God! Which is what Jesus will talk about more...
You can be United to God
You can be United to God
Disciples didn’t understand the mission. Partly hidden.
Jesus has been telling them that he has to go away.
But, he wasn’t “leaving” them. God will still be with his people!
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
The world will not see Jesus physical body, but his disciples will still “see” him.
They will see Him in his post-resurrection appearances, and they will see him by faith.
He will live, even after death.
The resurrection appearance will make all the pieces come together - then they will understand - the mission, and their union with God!
I’m in the father, you are in me, I am in you - the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ!
But a reminder, the way love is demonstrated to God, is by obedience. Anyone can “say” they love God while walking contrary to him, like the Israelites of old.
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
The one who Loves Jesus, will be loved by God the father (again, not earning his love) but we can have confidence as disciples that if we confess Christ and walk in his commands, that we belong to God, and are loved by him!
In fact, if this is our reality, Jesus himself will reveal himself to us.
God will live with You
God will live with You
Judas (not Iscariot) is doing the math, why can we see you while the world can’t?
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone 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.
God will reveal himself to his own people, and come live with them. This builds on what Jesus said before, he’s going to prepare a home with the Father, then he will take all his disciples to live there!
Those who don’t belong to God, those who don’t love Him, will not live with God. In a real sense, God give you want you want - If you love Him, He will give you himself, if you reject Him, He will reject you.
The sign that you don’t Love Jesus? You don’t obey - stated in the negative.
This is the Fathers message - Jesus is a faithful messenger.
The Spirit will Teach You
The Spirit will Teach You
Jesus has taught them much, but this teaching will not end with His departure.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, 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.
The Spirit will teach you Jesus commands.
That’s Good, because that’s part of our job, to disciple the world by teaching them to obey Jesus!
The HS
Misunderstanding the HS. Like Jesus - can do the miraculous, but not here for that purpose. Here to continue Christ’s work! Teach, convict, lead, reveal God, revive hearts etc.
Be at Peace
Be at Peace
All these words of Jesus and HS who is coming, should lead the disciples to peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Knowing what’s coming shouldn’t lead them to fear.
Know what is coming shouldn’t lead US to fear!
Do not be afraid!
Jesus Shows Love by following Commands
Jesus Shows Love by following Commands
Jesus circles back to his imminent departure.
“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. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.
This is not a sad time, but they should rejoice at His return to the Father.
But he is preparing them for what is coming so they know it’s not a fluke, accident etc. But a good part of Jesus mission.
When Jesus predictions all play out as he promised, this will confirm their faith, even while they may be sad he is gone.
The prophecies of Old should also confirm our faith.
The prophecies of Jesus RE persecution should confirm our faith. As we suffer we know that Christ’s Word is steadfast.
I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.
The devil is coming. He is a real “prince of this world” but Jesus was about to subvert his plans.
He comes “so that” the world may know that Jesus loves. Wait what?
Jesus to demonstrates his love by obedience, just like he calls us to do! He does EXACTLY what God that father says!
He did this out of love!
He laid down his life for us!
Let us leave? Preparing to leave the supper (soon).
So What?
So What?
Obey Jesus! Do what he commands as a sign of love!
But, obedience will not earn you a place with God, it comes from
You can’t follow commands unless the HS is in you! You need to be born again.
Show Love, follow Jesus’ Commands
The Spirit will be with You
You can be United to God
God will live with You
The Spirit will Teach You
Be at Peace
Jesus Shows Love by following Commands
References:
Carson’s Pillar Commentary on John.
Hutcheson’s commentary on John
Hendrickson’s commentary on John
Sermons by Richard D. Philips,
Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005.
Phillips, Richard D. John. Edited by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani. 1st ed. Vol. 1 & 2 of Reformed Expository Commentary. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014.