The Blessing of His Presence

Our oneness with Jesus and with other believers is thematic in this last part of John’s gospel.

Jesus stresses us being one with Him, and unified with each other, doing life together, being in community with each other. We were never meant to live this Christian life alone. And that’s the sad reality is that so many of us, MANY of us in this room right now, are going through life….feeling like we’re alone. But the reality of it is, we’re not. our union with christ, and with His Church can’t be dissolved.

This oneness with Jesus promises three blessings that go hand in hand with it.

Jesus has prepared a place for us in eternity.

vs 1-3

I want you to understand this. I want you to hear me say this; there is a place for you. God has prepared it. He’s secured it. We get a lot of things wrong here. We look over a lot of people here down below. It brings me joy that I can’t describe to be able to tell you that it won’t always be this way.

Some of us have such deep friendships and relationships, and that’s beautiful, and that’s healthy, and that’s amazing. But in the sound of my voice, there are people in here who are struggling and who feel so unseen. So alone. And I want to tell you this….you’ve never been abandoned. You’ve never been left alone. Theres is a God who sees you. Who values you, who treasures you. And He’s making sure that for all or eternity, there will be a place at the table. For you.

Jesus has laid out a path for us to know God.

vs 4-10

vs 7

English Standard Version Chapter 14

If you had known (ginosko) me, you would have known (oida) my Father also. From now on you do know (ginosko) him and have seen him

vs 9

To see Jesus is to see the full character, glory, and power of God the Father.

Heb 1:3 says

English Standard Version Chapter 1

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature

in the old testament, the way that the tabernacle was set up.

To know God is the highest goal to which anyone can aspire, and to know Jesus is to know God.

In fact I’ll say that, how you pursue anything else in life, how you experience anything else in life will be bottle necked by how deeply you experience God the Father.

Jesus has given us power to change the world.

12 - 17

vs 12 - we won’t do everything that Jesus did. But the global impact of what we do is greater than what He personally did on earth.

To pray and to operate in Jesus’ name means to be in accordance with His will.

A good way to do that, to know that you’re doing that, is to do the things He’s already told you to do.

Vs. 15

And then as you operate in the revealed will of Jesus, He will make more, and more known to you.

vs 16-17

God’s sustained presence in our lives brings ever increasing joy, closer fellowship, resurrection power, and joyful obedience.

Sometimes the greatest bottleneck to us knowing God more is putting into practice what He’s already shown us.