Love and Peace

 What does it mean to love Jesus? During the 1990's LA riots, a radio reporter was interviewing looters. He stopped a man coming out of a record store. He was carrying a number of cassette tapes. "What did you steal?" "Gospel tapes. I love Jesus." Did he really? Pastor Jeff Strite says a man once talked with him about Jesus. The man went on & on about his beliefs about Jesus, God, & other doctrines. Some of it was ok. Some was a bit off. As conversation continued, Jeff asked where he went to church. He didn't. Jeff soon realized why he didn't go. The man was more concerned with his opinions than with people. He wouldn't go to any church that didn't agree with all he believed. If they didn't, he thought they weren't worthy of his presence. Did that man love Jesus? And, without Jesus, how could either man have peace? Today's verses explain. After the Last Supper, Jesus & His disciples are still at table. Jesus says He's leaving. The disciples are dismayed. He tries to keep teaching. But they're stuck. He's leaving! In Jn 14:2-3, Jesus explains why He's leaving. 2I'm going to my Father's house to prepare a place for you... 3I'll come back & take you to be with me... He teaches a bit more. In Jn 14:21, He tries to wrap it up. 21Whoever obeys my commands, loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him & show myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) sees a problem. 22"But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us & not to the world?" In Jn 14:23-27, Jesus answers. 23a"If anyone loves me, he'll obey my teaching. His teaching-the Sermon on the Mount? Something else? Jesus explained it to His disciples back in Jn 7:16. 16a"My teaching is not my own. The Greek here isn't just teaching. Literally, He says 16"My 'The Teaching' is not my own. It comes from him who sent me." Jesus doesn't mean just His teaching, but His Father's. Want to obey Jesus? If so, we need to obey the Father's revealed teaching. All of it! We need to obey all that the whole Bible teaches! How are we doing? Are we trying to obey Jesus' teaching? Be careful. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn't relax the Bible's teaching. Just the opposite. It went far beyond what His hearers imagined. Anger = murder. Lust = adultery. Forgive even our enemies. Remember how Jesus summarized His teaching? Love God. Love neighbor. That's what the Law & the Prophets taught. It also shows the scope of our problem. To fully love God & neighbor, it takes all Scripture to help us know what to do! Now, how are we doing on obedience? Do we obey Jesus' teaching? Do we love Him? He says the proof of love is if we obey. I don't like how well I'm doing. I want to do better. Maybe you feel the same way. Why don't we do any better? Maybe an answer is in this 1950's story. On their 20th anniversary, husband & wife had a heated discussion. Husband said, "Don't you remember promising to love, honor & obey me?" Wife said, "Of course. What else could I say? I didn't want to make a scene in church." She didn't want to promise. (I'm not sure a wife should promise to obey anyone but the Lord.) However much we want to obey God, our sin nature doesn't. And sometimes, that sin nature wins out. But whenever we're loving Jesus by obeying Him, there's a blessing. 23bMy Father will love him. Love the Son, get the Father. If we obey the Son, Son & Father will both love us. And if God loves us, 23cWe'll also come to him & make our home with him. It isn't just the Holy Spirit in us. It's the Son & the Father as well. All 3 persons of the Trinity, our One, Triune God, will make their home in us. Obey God, love Him, & He'll love us & dwell in us. The flip side is also true. 24aHe who doesn't love me won't obey my teaching. The test of loving God is obedience. Do we obey Him? If so, we love Him. If we don't, we don't love Him. It's that simple. And that hard. One more thing. This isn't just Jesus' opinion. 24bThese words you hear aren't my own. They belong to the Father who sent me. God if we love Him, we'll obey. If we don't obey, we don't love Him. This raises an issue. Is our obedience a salvation issue? Jesus doesn't say it is. This teaching is for believers, & all believers are already saved. Jesus must be getting at something else. But what? He's saying obedience determines whether we'll experience God's presence. Sin separates us from God. But, love Jesus by obeying Him, & 23cFather & Son will come & make their home [lit., dwelling place] with us! Room / dwelling place occurs only once more in the Bible. In Jn 14:2-3, Jesus said, "2In my Father's house are many rooms (dwelling places). I'm going there to prepare a place for you... I'll come back & take you where I am." In other words, someday Jesus will take us to our dwelling place in heaven. Now look at v. 23c, below. 23cFather & Son will come & make their home [dwelling place] with us! When we love & obey Jesus, our heavenly dwelling place comes to us-now! As we obey Jesus, Father, Son, & Holy Spirit come & make their dwelling place (our eternal dwelling place) in us! Our heavenly home starts now in us as we obey! Christ's disciples are not orphans. Never will be. Do the disciples understand? Not likely. Jesus goes on anyway. 25"All this I've spoken while still with you. He's tried to make them understand But until the Resurrection, they just can't. Who could? If we hadn't had 2,000 years to reflect, we couldn't either. Jesus understands. And He'll help. 26aThe Father will send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, in my name. How is He the Counselor? The Greek is Paraclete. It's more than just our advisor, which He is. The Holy Spirit is our Heavenly Counselor, our legal advocate against the accuser. He's also our Helper, the power in all our prayers. And He's our Intercessor, praying for & with us-whether or not we have words. He has one more crucial role. He's our Teacher. 26bHe'll teach you all things & remind you of everything I've said to you. Two roles. Teacher & Reminder of all things, all Jesus said. That's a lot more than we may think. As the Lord, Jesus is the author of all Scripture. The point? As Teacher, the Holy Spirit opens Scripture so we can understand it. As Reminder, the Holy Spirit brings to mind the right Scripture at the right time. Just when we need it-for ourselves or for others. The Holy Spirit is the pearl beyond price, the heavenly Treasure that's poured into our leaky earthen vessels. It's the best gift of all to anyone or anything in Creation. And Jesus gives Him freely when He makes His home in us. All because we love (obey) Him. That'd be enough. But Jesus has one more gift. 27aPeace I leave with you. This isn't the absence of conflict. Without Christ, there is no lasting peace-not with individuals or with nations. The peace Jesus gives isn't even the world's peace. The world does offer peace of a sort. Come hungry, leave happy (peace). But the world's peace lasts only until you get hungry again. The peace Jesus gives is far better. 27bMy peace I give you. Jesus gives us His own peace! Is there anything we can do to upset or disturb it? No. Is there anything the world can do to take it away? No. Jesus gives us that peace. It isn't just inner peace, though that's included. It isn't just the possibility of peace with each other, which never lasts apart from Jesus. It's the same peace He has with the Father because He's perfect. Jesus gives us peace with God, as well as the inner peace that passes understanding. 27cI don't give to you as the world gives. If Jesus has made His home in us, He brings & keeps that peace with Him, in us. As He's in us, and we in Him, what can the world do to us? Even death has no power over us! Best of all, nothing can separate us from His love. Since that's the case, 27dDon't let your hearts be troubled & don't be afraid. There's no need. Ever. All this comes with the Holy Spirit. And He comes freely as we fall in love with Jesus & from love obey Him as best we can. Love and Peace - John 14:23-27 Page 1 of 1