The Resurrection Inaugurates the New Covenant
Notes
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15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
We’re peering into this intimate scene in which Christ is teaching the eleven the depths of His love for them.
He’s preparing them for His death.
He doesn’t want them to be alarmed/overwhelmed.
He doesn’t want them to feel abandoned.
He wants them to know and rest in the promises that He is giving them that are based upon His finished work…
—> Which must include His death, resurrection, and ascension.
Last week, we looked at Another Helper that Jesus promises to send…
—> the Spirit of Truth.
This morning we continue in this teaching, as we read…
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
The Spirit is for Believers
The Spirit is for Believers
Jesus lets us know that the world…
world meaning the whole of the unbelieving world.
The world cannot receive the HS
Because the world cannot see Him…
Nor does the world know Him.
The world is dead to true spiritual things. (Paul to Ephesians)
The world cannot understand/perceive spiritual things unless they are born again of the HS. (Jesus to Nicodemus)
So, unless the HS makes Himself known to us, we cannot know Him.
The disciples, Jesus says, “know Him”
The HS makes Himself known to us through His work of regeneration.
Then, the HS makes Himself continually known to us through the communication to us of truth.
The disciples are probably unaware of their already existing relationship with the HS.
But, Jesus is teaching them that they already know the HS.
And, He will build upon this truth as we continue through the gospel of John.
This promise of presence is still true today, as the NT teaches:
The HS is among us as the people of Christ.
The HS dwells within us individually, as believers.
Not Mysticism
Not Mysticism
I want to stress that being familiar with the HS, communicating with the HS, letting the HS guide you…
Is not some type of mystical phenomena where your trying to use the force…
Where you get in the car and ask the HS to take the steering wheel.
Rather, it is an understanding and applying the truth of Scripture to your life and the circumstances that arise as we live each moment.
Our problem is not the lack of the HS’s presence.
Our problem is a lack of understanding His work, especially after conversion.
Our problem is a lack of acknowledgement of the HS’s proper work in our life.
We need to have the element of praise in our prayer life…
Part of that praise is the work of the HS in our life:
Communicating God’s Word to us.
Convincing us of our being children of God.
Comforting us with the benefits of Christ we enjoy in the NC.
Now, I want you to remember…
In this same intimate gathering, after Judas Iscariot left them to go betray Jesus, back in Chapter 13…
Jesus calls the eleven His little children.
But, He’s telling them He’s going to leave them.
But, He says to them…
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Not Orphans
Not Orphans
They will not be like parentless children.
They will not be without His love and His presence.
Now, first let’s look at…
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
The first comfort Jesus teaches starts with the truth that His death will bring into fruition something glorious.
Yes, His death will cause them to not see Him for a short while.
But, they need to understand His promise to them.
They need not worry.
They need not be anxious.
They need to understand the benefits of His death.
—> They will see Him again.
So, in these verses, we see that Jesus is telling them…
The Resurrection will Bring Great Comfort
The Resurrection will Bring Great Comfort
The Comfort of His Presence
The Comfort of His Presence
If we fast forward to John 20…
Once Mary realized that the gardener wasn’t a gardener at all…
—> It was Jesus.
Mary clung to Him at the empty tomb.
This cling was a cling that represented a desire to never be absent of the presence of Christ.
This was a cling that spoke to Jesus being her greatest treasure.
Later that evening, in John 20, the disciples being in a room locked out of fear of the Jews…
Jesus walks through the locked doors and said to them…
Peace be with you, and showed them His pierced hands…
And, we are told then the disciples were glad.
Imagine the fear, doubts, sadness…
Maybe even abandoned a bit.
And, then Jesus appears.
He came to them just like He said…
And, they were glad…
glad meaning rejoicing, being in a state of well-being.
That’s what Jesus brings.
That’s what knowing He is with you brings.
That’s what union with Christ…
And, the everlasting presence of Christ brings…
Rejoicing and being in a state of well-being.
And, when we don’t feel it…
Like the disciples who hid themselves in a locked room.
Not only does Christ call us to believe over and against our feelings…
But, He ministers to us in the midst of our doubts…
To help our unbelief.
The Comfort of the Truth of Christ’s Personhood
The Comfort of the Truth of Christ’s Personhood
20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
What Jesus is saying is the moment you realize the truth and reality of my resurrection…
You will be convinced of my union with the Father.
You will be convinced of the Oneness of the Godhead, 3 in1.
You will be convinced of your union with Me.
You will be convinced of my union with you.
How does the resurrection of Christ prove these truths?
#1 - Because Christ taught these truths.
#1 - Because Christ taught these truths.
If Christ taught these truths and He conquered the grave…
It proves the authenticity of His teaching…
Otherwise He could not conquer the grave.
Only a righteous, sinless person could conquer the grave.
# 2 - It proves the OT promises of God to save a people unto Himself.
# 2 - It proves the OT promises of God to save a people unto Himself.
The OT speaks of God dwelling among His people and saving them.
The OT, in the same passages, speak of a virgin born person doing this work.
Christ taught He was both.
And, He conquered the grave.
#3 – If Christ conquered the grave, and we are united to Christ, we will conquer the grave through our union w/Him.
#3 – If Christ conquered the grave, and we are united to Christ, we will conquer the grave through our union w/Him.
Christ conquering the grave is the assurance of our victory in and through Him.
Christ did not incarnate to conquer the grave for Himself, but for His people.
Christ conquered the grave to restore our relationship with God.
The resurrection confirms this statement…
19 …Because I live, you also will live.
We have a promise from Christ that because He conquered the grave…
We will conquer the grave unto everlasting life with Him in heaven, forevermore.
Now, we read…
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
The Resurrection Secures Our Obedience
The Resurrection Secures Our Obedience
The victory of Christ on the cross secures all the benefits of the NC for the people of God.
The love of God in the covenant of redemption…
—> Worked out in the covenant of grace…
Brings us into the NC with Christ, by faith alone in Christ alone.
In John’s epistle, he tells us…
We love Him (God) because He first loved us…
And, that love of God applied to us in the regenerating work of the HS…produces obedience in every single believer.
What kind of obedience?
Not an earning obedience, but an obedience out of love and gratitude for our Savior…
And, out of a respect for who He is…the omnipotent God.
And, that omnipotent God, is our loving Father…
Because of our union with Christ.
Now, look at what Christ says…
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
This is not some benefit exclusive to the Apostles.
The Love of God Communicated to Each Believer
The Love of God Communicated to Each Believer
Let’s look at these phrases…
Whoever has my commandments
This is speaking of someone who has made Christ’s commands his/her own.
It is an internalized reality of loving whatever Christ commands.
Who can this be?
33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
In speaking of the NC benefits and the NC people…
God tells Jeremiah that He will put His law within them and write it on our hearts.
So, when Jesus says…
Whoever has my commandments
He’s speaking of those who are in the NC.
They are the ones whom the HS has put God’s law within them.
And, written them on our hearts…
Which is language for a heart that loves God’s commands.
Then we read…
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.
whoever is in the NC, has God’s law written on their heart…
—> Also love Christ.
You cannot love the Law of God…
—> Without loving God, Himself.
Then Christ adds…
And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Now, at first glance it seems like being loved by the Father is a reaction due to the love one has for Christ…
However, what will be loved by My Father is actually indicating is not a reaction from God…
Rather a continuous action of God.
So, it is more like this…
And he who loves Me will never lose the love of the Father.
The Father’s love will never depart that person.
This is security.
This is assurance of eternal life.
This is assurance of never being exiled.
This is the assurance, that in Christ, we can never be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
This is part of the work of the HS.
Given to us by Christ:
The constant communication of Christ’s love for us.
The constant guiding us into all truth regarding the gospel.
The constant reminding us of the person/work of JC.
And, all of it for the benefit of Christ’s little children.
Who will never be abandoned.
Who always have His presence and company.
Who are always being looked out for by Christ.
Let’s think about this...
Let’s think about this...
What do we have to fear?
The resurrection is our hope.
It is the assurance of the ever presence of God with us.
It’s the assurance of an eternity with God, our Father.
With Christ, our King.
What can life throw at us that will take away our assurance?
—> Nothing.
If we are believing His word, let us hear it…
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Death can only do one thing to us…
—> Carry us into the everlasting, physical presence of Jesus.
I know that as long as we are in this world:
We will have troubles.
We will have tribulations.
We will have sorrows.
We will give into temptations.
And, all those things lead us into doubts of the reality of God and His goodness to us in Christ.
When you doubt the love of God for you…
When you doubt the presence of God with you…
When you doubt the promises of God for you…
When you doubt the future of glory awaiting you…
Look to the Cross to see the love of God for you.
And, that love for you…has been ACCOMPLISHED!
What a salvation!
What a Savior!
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
