He abides

One of the greatest spiritual blessings that we have as Christians is the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.  We may not have face to face contact with Jesus as the twelve disciples had, but through the Spirit, Jesus dwells in us.  The truth that He shared, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20) is still relevant for us today.

SHOWING LOVE FOR CHRIST—John 14:15

Actions speak louder than words, especially to Jesus.  We do not pull the wool over His eyes when we worship only with our lips.  Obedience to Him shows not only loyalty but is a sign of our devotion and love for Him.  It is not enough to say, “I love Him,” if we never do anything to prove it.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15), suggests that love, like faith, cannot be separated from obedience (cf. James 2:14-26).  Part of the Christian experience is seeking to live a life of obedience to the will of God.  It is only in submission to His will that we can find contentment, peace, and joy.

Jesus, in summarizing the Ten Commandments, said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like, unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40).

Our piety (attending worship, Bible reading, prayer) is only half of what we are commanded to do.  The second half is also helping others and treating all people with dignity.  Jesus would later point out (Matt. 25:31-46) that when He returns, He will tell people that what they did or did not do to others is the same as having done or not done something for Him.

THE COMFORTER WILL COME—John 14:16-21

Our love for Jesus is not only seen from our side.  Jesus tells us that when our love is shown in obedient faith, He “will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:16).  Jesus prays for our well-being, emotional and spiritual.  He understands the grief that the disciples were facing due to His words about leaving.  This Comforter who is given by the Father is just like the Son and The Father.  The Holy Spirit, Third Person of the Trinity, was to come when Jesus physically left the earth.

Jesus declared that the “Spirit of truth” would dwell both with and in the disciples.  Jesus is the Truth, and the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth.  This means that the presence of Jesus is still very real through the work of the Holy Spirit even though Jesus is in heaven.  His words, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18), add to this by implying that His presence will truly never leave them and that He will always be there to encourage.

Jesus would depart out of sight from the disciples twice.  The first time when He was buried and the second when He ascended into heaven.  Yet the departures came with promises of His return.  Jesus did rise from the grave, and this gives hope that He will indeed return from heaven.  “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me” (John 14:19) contains both of these promises within.  Greater still is the promise that “because I live, ye shall live also.”  The fact that Jesus rose from the grave gives even greater assurance of the Holy Spirit’s coming as the Comforter, for Jesus went on to say, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (vs. 20)

Jesus gave another exhortation that our love is shown in our obedience.  “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me” (John 14:21).  He also, reminds us that “he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him.”  This love that the Father and Son have for us combined with our obedient faith in Jesus results in the Holy Spirit being “manifest” to us.

HOW THE COMFORTER WILL COME—John 14:22-24

“Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot” (14:22) begins to illustrate there is a difference between real faith and no faith.  The writer points out that there were two disciples with the name Judas, one was Judas Iscariot (who betrayed Jesus) and the Judas which could have been known as the disciple Thaddeus.  It is shown that someone may appear close to Jesus but be distant from Him because of a lack of faith.

Jesus will begin to explain this regarding the question Judas asked, “How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world” (John 14:22).  Jesus began by showing the fundamental difference in individuals.  He points out that if a person loved Him, “he will keep my words” (vs. 23). In contrast, the person “that loveth me not keepth not my sayings” (vs. 24).  These are the demonstrations of our faith in Jesus.  If we truly have placed our faith in Jesus, it will be seen by the Holy Spirit helping us to obey.

BY THE PRESENCE OF THE COMFORTER—John 14:25-26

Jesus’ presence brings peace of mind with it, and He reminded the disciples of this while He was still with them.  He wanted the disciples to take comfort in the reality that the Holy Spirit would continue that presence with them.  He would teach them all that they need to know.  The Holy Spirit brings continued growth of what Jesus starts in us by faith.