Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Jn 14-17
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Hey, it's good to see you today. Welcome to our our journey through scripture. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin. And ⁓ we are in the last week of Jesus' life. In fact, we're he's about to be arrested last ⁓ we talked about ⁓ the last supper, ⁓ the ⁓ that that Passover meal, and now Jesus is moving to the the garden. ⁓ John has ⁓ some ⁓ unique discourse where Jesus spends a lot of time talking about ⁓ who he is, about ⁓ what is to come about the advocate or the helper who is the Holy Spirit that will come. And ⁓ John fourteen through seventeen is what we're gonna go through today. It's not real long, but it's there's so much there. And so I encourage you really to read through John fourteen through seventeen. ⁓ I feel like it is d has a lot of direct applications to today. I mean it always has, right? But ⁓ just very obvious ⁓ connections to to today. And so as we ⁓ get started, John chapter fourteen ⁓ starts off ⁓ it's one of a very familiar passage, but he ⁓ starts this off says, let not your hearts be troubled. Now that's really interesting that he would say that with knowing what is about to happen, in fact in just a few hours. ⁓ but he starts off, let not your hearts be troubled. ⁓ so he knows that things there's gonna be reason for your heart to be troubled, but you do not have to be. You do not have to be troubled. He's preparing them for that. Just as he's preparing all of us, he knows, guess what? Life isn't going to be perfect. You're going to go through difficult times, but let not your hearts be troubled. Says you believe in God, believe also in me. ⁓ in my father's house are many mansions. if not I would have ⁓ would have ⁓ told you. I go to prepare a place. And then Thomas asked him, Lord, ⁓ how how can we know the way? So he's asking, How do we know where you're going? How do we know the way there? And Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁓ again, the way. Jesus is the way, he's preparing the way for us. He's also the way that we should live. We should follow his example. I think it's both of those things. Not only is he the way that we ⁓ get to the Father, that we find eternal life, he's also the way that we should live our lives now. But he is also the truth. People are always questioning, well, what is truth? Well, he is truth. ⁓ we're gonna see that word thrown out a lot by Jesus in these ⁓ four chapters. that he is the truth. ⁓ that that is so vital for us to understand, especially in a world that is challenging the very existence of truth. ⁓ says, no one comes to the Father except through me. So that it he is the one that is is making the path to the Father. ⁓ he ⁓ continues to ⁓ talk about that about how he and the father are one. ⁓ he ⁓ has a conversation with with Philip that ⁓ Basically says, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. then in verse fifteen it says, If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father to the Pro Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever. The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive. There's a reason that our society now is questioning the reality of truth, because the the world cannot receive. the truth of who Jesus really is. There are so many who will refuse to open their eyes. So then they just question the truth about everything. 'Cause it's easier to do that than it is to acknowledge the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done. Says the spirit of truth who the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. So I mean We have to understand the ramifications of what Jesus is talking about is that he's acknowledging that listen, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and the and if you acknowledge me, you will know the truth, but others will not, and they're going to think you're crazy. So that kind of puts in perspective what's going on right now. the people are completely blinded to the truth. ⁓ at verse nineteen. Says a little while longer, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me, because I will I live, you will live also. ⁓ twenty one says, He who has my commandments and keeps them is he who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. So ⁓ you you again have him re reassuring them that they are not going to be alone. Again he knows what is about to come. And then as you continue in John chapter fourteen, ⁓ in ⁓ verse twenty five it says, These things I have spoken to you while being present with you, but the helper or the advocate, ⁓ the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send to my name, he will teach you all the things and bring you to remembrance all the things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, not of the world gives. ⁓ d ⁓ not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard me say, I am going away and coming back. If you love me you would rejoice because I said I am going to the Father. So he is this is a warning not to let your hearts be troubled, that there is going to be trouble coming. ⁓ Do not be afraid. So he is he is warning them of of what it is to come. And and sometimes we the way that we present the gospel ⁓ is misguided in that ⁓ w we c we can have a tendency if to to share the gospel in a way that encourages people to come to know Christ so that they will get all these benefits, right? They'll have eternal life, they will have joy, they will have peace, they will find all of this stuff. Well, that is true. But in the midst of that, what is also true is that you will have trouble, right? Like just because you come to know Christ doesn't mean that life is just going to be smooth anymore. ⁓ it's it's still going to be a challenge because we live in a fallen world. ⁓ but ⁓ you know Jesus knows that the temptation is going to be for the disciples to disperse ⁓ when he is arrested and then ultimately crucified. In verse ⁓ chapter fifteen, he talks about the true vine abiding in him, that the ⁓ a a tree that bears good fruit is connected, so that we need to stay connected with God. This is not just something that we ⁓ say we believe in and then go about ⁓ you know our day. No, it is part of of who we are. We abide in him. He is the source of our strength, he's the source of our trust. ⁓ we we seek. To live our life for him in every aspect. ⁓ it says he who does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Right? So there's this even this idea, even when you're bearing fruit, there's pruning that's going to happen. You're going to learn, you're going to still have to go through difficulty, but you will j that will lead to bearing even more fruit. ⁓ And verse eleven says, These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one in this than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you. Now the idea of a good friend back then, the two there were two ⁓ main qualific qualifications, if you will. It's loyalty and the sharing of secrets. So that a a friend was different than a servant. Like a servant, again, this is not the slavery type of servant. It's you know, you could have servants that that worked for you. A servant many times would be very loyal. And could have a very close relationship with the master. But the master may not be sharing all the secrets with the servant. Right? So friendship was more than more than just loyalty. It was also that you confided in them. So Jesus is saying, You are no longer servants. You don't just do what I say because you're loyal. No, I'm actually telling you the plan. I'm telling you what God has in store. I'm letting you in. You we are equals in this. ⁓ that that that's a pretty powerful as and that's of course in in Jesus' earthly realm. He is also creator God. We are not equal with with him in that sense. But God is ⁓ a send ⁓ condescending, if you will, coming down to our level, inviting us into a relationship with him that is, yes, has loyalty, but also that that God shares with us what he desires, who he is. ⁓ this is a it's a powerful statement that the ⁓ disciples ⁓ would have would have really been amazed at that ⁓ here ⁓ the Messiah is calling us friends. then it it continues verse eighteen again it's so important as you read through this know in just a few hours ⁓ Jesus is going to be arrested and then ultimately crucified. Says if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. ⁓ if you are of the world, the world will love its own. We are seeing that more and more, right? If if ⁓ if you do not go along with the world, ⁓ you it's you're starting to be alienated more and more. And that's just going to continue. ⁓ as our society becomes moves further and further away from God, ⁓ it is it's going to cause more and more alienation. ⁓ if you truly decide to follow and believe ⁓ in who Jesus is and in the truth that He gives. the world is not going to like that. ⁓ that's that that's that's a tough thing, but I would rather Jesus be honest with us ⁓ than us think everybody's gonna accept us because we believe in him. ⁓ it he talks about again how the ⁓ the spirit of truth will be with you, the advocate, the Holy Spirit, verse twenty six, but when the helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify and also bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. Says These things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble. In other words, he's not trying to give them some false idea that everything's gonna be great. He doesn't want them to stumble. ⁓ he wants them to know, hey, even though I'm about to be arrested and I'm going to go to ⁓ the cross, ⁓ still keep your trust in me. I I promise that it's going to be okay. That's something that we need to keep in mind whenever life is making us stumble, that no, he's he's still with us. ⁓ he he is still going to be with us. Even as the world hates us, even as we have troubles in this world. Says they will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. So that things are going to get so messed up that the people who think that they are the ones that are loving and caring are the ones who are actually persecuting ⁓ those who stand up for what is right. ⁓ and these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things I have told you that when the time comes you may remember what I have told you. He talks about the the work of the Holy Spirit, ⁓ verse six ⁓ of chapter sixteen. But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart, nevertheless I tell you the truth. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, and sometimes the truth hurts a little bit. ⁓ but he's he's Told them the truth. And he says, It is to your advantage that I go away, because the helper will then come. He says verse eight, and when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness, and of judgment of sin. Because they do not believe in me, of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you see me no more, of judgment, because the ruler of the world is judged. So this the Holy Spirit is going to hold ⁓ the the world accountable, ⁓ that that ⁓ to to sin, to righteousness, to judgment. ⁓ in verse twelve, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you i into all truth. It's amazing how many times ⁓ truth keeps getting ⁓ brought up here. which this is why I I and I talk a lot about ⁓ kind of some of the stuff that's going on in our world today and one of the big ones that we're seeing ⁓ is the ⁓ the transgender that you c you can you know a a man can be a woman and a woman can be a man and I I know there's some nuance ⁓ there ⁓ but that is just that that is just an attack on truth. that that doesn't mean that that leads to an attack on people who are confused ⁓ and who who believe in a different truth. We're not we don't attack them. But this whole movement is an attack on truth. If they can convince people to believe things that are not true, ⁓ it is much easier to keep them separated from God. ⁓ Verse twenty says, Most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. ⁓ at verse twenty-four, until now you have asked nothing in my name, ask and you will receive that your joy may be made full. ⁓ He desires for us to have joy, but we have joy in the midst of sorrow because we know that He has overcome the world. again we have to have this right perspective. Joy is not necessarily that everything is going the way you want it to go. ⁓ we can have joy in the midst of difficult circumstances because we know that he has ultimately overcome. It doesn't actually mean that our circumstances are great. ⁓ Then it talks about how he has overcome the world, verse thirty three, These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Then chapter seventeen, Jesus is plunk praying. He prays for himself, that he has done what he has been called to do. Then he prays for his disciples. He says, I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me. That's seventeen, verse nine. Then verse fourteen, it says, I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world. But that you should keep them from the evil one. I think this is a good s so many times, and I I've done this myself, said Lord, just it's it's time for you just to come back. That's it. No, God has a purpose for you where you are right now. And even if you feel like you're overwhelmed by your the present circumstances, ⁓ God we shouldn't pray that God takes us out of the world, but rather that He gives us wisdom to know how to battle the evil one. while we are here. ⁓ I think that's that's an important perspective ⁓ to have. And verse 17 it says, Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Again, what what gets us through these difficult times when we're battling the evil one is truth. Truth that comes from God and God alone. And it says, And for their sakes I sanctify myself and that they may also be sanctified by again the truth. So I I love these four ver ⁓ chapters. I encourage you to read through them. ⁓ they really do speak to us. It it it's it's hard because it acknowledges the challenges that we face. ⁓ but it is true. And I I hope that that those words speak to you just as they would have spoken to the disciples. And literally in just a few hours ⁓ later, the disciples' world would be turned upside down. ⁓ but yet we know. that he overcame the world for us. All right. So next ⁓ we'll be reading in Matthew twenty-six, Mark fourteen, Luke twenty-two, the ends of those, ⁓ John eighteen as well. And we'll probably go ahead and get into Matthew twenty seven, Mark fifteen, and Luke twenty three. so so Matthew twenty six and twenty seven, the end of twenty six and beginning of twenty seven, Mark the end of fourteen and end of fifteen, Luke the end of twenty two and into twenty three, and John eighteen. All right, we'll see you on the