Farewell Discourse: Don't be troubled

Introduction

When we started this series we spoke about how the obscure passages should be interpreted in light of the plain and straight-forward passages. You might remember this slide that includes the foundation of the Gospels, with the letters resting on them and the apocalyptical visions at the top.

We have now covered the account of the Olivet Discourse in the three synoptic gospels. As a part of this discussion that Yeshua has with his talmidim, we also looked at the series of parables that Yeshua used to describe the end times.

Today we will begin to look at the farewell discussion that Yeshua told his talmidim as recorded by John.

The Father’s House

John writes his gospel in the same way that an eye-witness would write who has already heard all the other eye-witnesses testimony. What do I mean by that? As far as we can tell, John wrote much later in life, after he had already read the other letters and gospels. John, therefore, fills in gaps, includes miracles that none of the other talmidim included, and records discussions that the others had glossed over. The farewell discourse recorded in John 14 to 17 is one such example. We will be looking at some of this discussion in the light of end-time teaching, and as before, we will see if there are timeline events and principles that we are to put into practice.

We will start by looking at John 14:1-3

John 14:1–3 TLV

“Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be.

When Yeshua spoke this, it was only a few days later after the discussion on the Mount of Olives. Yeshua starts out with a very familiar principle, “Do not let your heart be troubled!” This aligns with many other commands of Yeshua that we have already covered. Why do you think that Yeshua had to tell is talmidim this so many times? Do you think that we might need it? I think that we need to be reminded many time to trust in God, and in Yeshua.

Yeshua then tells his talmidim that the Father has a “big, big house, with lots and lots of rooms.” He then tells his talmidim that he will come again, and bring them to himself. This passage might be used by some to prove that Yeshua does not come back and rule for 1000 years, but instead takes us all to himself in heaven for that time. But that is not what this passage says. However, right now, all of the talmidim (excluding Judas who betrayed him) are with Yeshua, in the Father’s house.

In fact, after the 1000 year reign, there is going to be a new heaven and a new earth, and that big house will come down and be located on the new earth. Rev. 21:10

Revelation 21:10 TLV

Then he carried me away in the Ruach to a great and high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

The Believer’s Helper

In the next section of Yeshua’s farewell address, He shares in detail who the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) is, what He does, and how He will help the believers through the following hardship. In John 14:27 Yeshua provides a second book-end. Yeshua had started the section with the statement, John 14:1 ““Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” and he closes out this section by stating:

John 14:27 TLV

“Shalom I leave you, My shalom I give to you; but not as the world gives! Do not let your heart be troubled or afraid.

I would encourage you all, if you are finding the events of the world troubling, or you find yourself afraid, this chapter of John 14 is for you. Yeshua knew that his talmidim were about to go through the worst time in their lives, and here he encourages them to set their eyes on the Father’s home, beyond the grave, and realize that the Ruach HaKodesh is with them

The World Hates God’s Own

Since Yeshua ascended into heaven, his followers have been persecuted. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but always there has been some sort of resistance. Yeshua explains in John 15:18-25

John 15:18–25 TLV

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But you are not of the world, since I have chosen you out of the world; therefore the world hates you. “Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for the sake of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. “He who hates Me also hates My Father. If I had not done works among them that no one else did, they would have no sin. But now they have seen and have hated both Me and My Father. So is fulfilled the word written in their Scripture, ‘They hated Me for no reason.’

We have covered many times over the last few weeks, how persecution of the followers of Yeshua is an expected part of the end-times. When we act as salt and light, we expose sin and brokenness in the lives of those around us. We do not do this to be obnoxious, but it is a by-product of who we have become through Yeshua.

There are many people who claim that they love the teaching of Yeshua, but if you bring up the statement that he spoke to the talmidim in John 14:6 then all of a sudden rejection and opposition surface. Yeshua was not rejected because he did good deeds, but because he said things like the following:

John 14:6 TLV

Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Yeshua points out the the good works he did, testify that He is from Adonai. These works then created a platform for him to declare who he is, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Yeshua’s point in sharing these things with his talmidim was to prepare them for the times to come. In fact, Yeshua continues in John 16:1-4

John 16:1–4 TLV

“I have spoken these things to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will throw you out of the synagogues. Yes, an hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they have never known the Father or Me. But I have spoken these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.”

Story of the Parachute

Consider the following scenario.

Two men are seated in a plane. The first is given a parachute and told to put it on because it will improve his flight. He is a little skeptical at first; he cannot see how wearing a parachute on board a plane could possibly improve his flight.

After some time, he decides to experiment and see if the claims are true. As he straps the apparatus to his back, he notices the weight of it on his shoulders and he finds he now has difficulty sitting upright. However, he consoles himself with the flight attendant’s promise that the parachute will improve his flight, and he decides to give it a little time.

As the flight progresses, he notices that some of the other passengers are laughing at him because he is wearing a parachute inside the plane. He begins to feel somewhat humiliated. As they continue to laugh and point at him, he can stand it no longer. He sinks in his seat, unstraps the parachute, and throws it to the floor. Disillusionment and bitterness fills his heart because as far as he is concerned, he was told an outright lie.

The second man is also given a parachute, but listen to what he is told. He is told to put it on because at any moment he will have to jump out of the plane at 25,000 feet. He gratefully puts the parachute on. He does not notice the weight of it upon his shoulders, nor is he concerned that he cannot sit upright. His mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he jumped without the parachute.

Let’s now analyze the motive and the result of each passenger’s experience. The first man’s motive for putting on the parachute was solely to improve his flight. The result of his experience was that he was humiliated by the other passengers, disillusioned, and somewhat embittered against those who gave him the parachute. As far as he is concerned, it will be a long time before anyone gets one of those things on his back again.

The second man put on the parachute solely to survive the jump to come. And because of his knowledge of what would happen to him if he jumped without it, he has a deep-rooted joy and peace in his heart, knowing that he has been saved from certain death. This knowledge gives him the ability to withstand the mockery of the other passengers. His attitude toward those who gave him the parachute is one of heartfelt gratitude.

...Instead of preaching that Jesus will “improve the flight,” we should be warning sinners that one day they will have to jump out of the plane. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Ray Comfort, God Has A Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message (Bellflower, CA: Living Waters Publications, 2010), 69-71.

Yeshua is warning his talmidim so that when the persecution comes we will be wisely hold on tighter to him, press into the Ruach HaKodesh and bury the Scriptures deep in our souls.

Prayer for all believers

In John 17 Yeshua prays for the talmidim and then he prays for all of us. We are going to wrap up by reading this prayer in John 17:20-26

John 17:20–26 TLV

“I pray not on behalf of these only, but also for those who believe in Me through their message, that they all may be one. Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory that You have given to Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one— I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them as You loved Me. “Father, I also want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory—the glory You gave Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world did not know You, but I knew You; and these knew that You sent Me. I made your Name known to them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Summary

Let us summarize and have another look at the Summary slide and the Timeline.