John 14 thru 16

A Legacy of Peace

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.—John 14:27

Richard Doctor

Knowing you are walking into a trap does not feel right. Knowing one you love at that very moment is set on betraying you does not feel right. Knowing that Satan has nearly "sifted" out another friend does not feel right. Knowing that your evening meal only proceeded unmolested because you had secretly arranged for a surprise location does not feel right. Knowing your most trusted companions, those whom you have mentored for over three years are unprepared, immature, and undependable does not feel right. Beyond all this, knowing your death is at hand does not feel right.

Jesus carried a heavy prayer burden.

Mary alone sensed the danger and the turmoil of Jesus’ heart. And she alone had the wisdom and foresight to plan for a show of love. It was she who anointed him with precious spikenard. Did the clinging perfume later help Judas to betray his victim in the dark confusion of the garden?

Despite his inner turmoil of heart, what beauty and peace resonates from this sweet dialogue of Jesus with the apostles as the supper ended and they prepared to leave for the garden. His first words: "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1). What leadership! His sheep needed his care and he tended to them though his heart was troubled. His prayers soon to flow in the garden were to be intense and physically exhausting.

But then came the most unwelcome word of all, "I go."

Clearly this was no metaphor. Now the disciples recognized the seriousness of the circumstances. Silenced was the foolish bickering about who was to enjoy the pre-eminence in the kingdom. In its wake were grave uncertainties and unanswered questions. The gospel of John records five questions asked of Jesus between this closing of the dinner and when he took his last unfettered steps on the road to Gethsemane. Here, the disciples set the agenda.

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life"

"How can we know the way?" asks Thomas. The answer, never captured in an earlier sermon, stands as an unwavering assertion that Jesus indeed was the Messiah upon whom the hopes of Israel rested: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)

It always will be true that we need to follow Jesus. Yet, the gospel of John focuses on this challenge of intimate identification with Jesus that speaks of something deeper. Once again, the profundity of commitment that must consume our consecrated life confronts us. We learn that ultimately, our lives must be devoted to going beyond our Savior’s earlier calls of "follow me" (John 1:43; 10:27; 12:26). We must be "in" Jesus as the way.

Early in his ministry, many were stumbled at the thought of "eating" and becoming part of Jesus and he of us; "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him" (John 6:56). At that time many turned away and walked with Jesus no more (John 6:66). Here the challenge of intimate identification with the one we love opens up a new view of our relationship. We are to go beyond following. We are to be "in" him as "the way," in him as "the truth," and in him as "the life." Being "in" Jesus is a process. For this reason it is properly declared a "way" that moves us from where we are to where we long to be. Through this process of being "in" Jesus we are assured that we are in "the truth" and in "the life."

"Show Us the Father"

Philip, fully assured that Jesus was the prophet like unto Moses (Acts 3:22), asked if Jesus would show the awesome power of Jehovah as Moses did at Mount Sinai. At the meeting between Jehovah and Israel, the ground shook and thick clouds and darkness made all the people tremble. "Lord, show us the Father, weask no more" (John 14:8, NEB). But the time for such testimony was yet future. For thepresent the Father was seeking those who would worship him in spirit and in truth. The greater-than-Moses was not seeking for worship grounded in the sort of terror that gripped Israel (John 4:23).

Again Jesus returned to the theme of the indwelling of those in him: "He that has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Surely, this was not because Jesus was himself the Father. Rather we here learn that the theme of "indwelling" now is enlarged to include the Father.

"Ye shall know that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you" (John 14:20). Here the closeness of God’s intimate family is presented in language that could and has been confused as a Trinitarian confession until Jesus adds the phrase, "and I in you." How much greater would the blessing be for those hearts touched by our Savior’s words if they were to abandon the confusion of non-biblical dogma as the Trinity and seek only for the oneness of the "indwelling" Christ.

For the first time the gift of the holy spirit is announced. Jesus would pray, and the "comforter" who is to abide with the church forever would come (John 14:16). What a blessed promise to the troubled disciples walking with Jesus on the road.

"If a Man Love Me,He will Keep My Words"

Judas—the faithful apostle—next asks: " How is it you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 14:22).

We are told that this manifestation will be to those who keep the words of Jesus, and that the Father and Jesus would make their abode with him. Again the promise of the holy spirit is repeated, but now for the first time, the promise that the comforter would both teach and recall to remembrance the words of Jesus (John 14:26).

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you."

"Arise, Let Us Go Hence"

O to be with our Lord on the road to Gethsemane! Once outside, as Jesus answered their questions, each word, even those whispered, easily pierced the cool evening air and found its mark. Possibly the vineyards on the route offered the suggestion for the lesson of the vine and its branches. How powerfully the lesson of abiding in Christ is once again taught.

The Lord announced himself as the true vine, his Father as the true husbandman who planted the true vine, and his followers as the true branches of that vine. What a clear picture of the relationship between God, Christ, and the Church.

Let us consider carefully the "true vine" and our relationship as branches of it. Let us treasure the character of the fruit that the greathusbandman expects, that this last of ourLord’s parables may greatly profit us, strengthen us, encourage us, and assist us as we walk with Christ. Each apostle was united in heart, in faith, in hope, in love, in devotion to the Lord himself. In the true vine the branches are not sects, nor the parties that inevitably arise in human institutions. And so we should not join even the apostles, nor say, I am of Paul, I am of Peter, etc. Each should individually join the Lord as a member, as a branch; each must have the sap of the vine if it would bear fruit. Sectarian sap is of no value inproducing the real fruitage that the Lord desires—it is only a hindrance—"The Lord knoweth them that are his."

"Bear more Fruit"

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth [pruneth] it, that it may bear more fruit." Everything in the Scriptures teaches us that our salvation and our relationship to the Lord are an individual and personal matter. Nevertheless, our Lord’s declaration that where two or three of his disciples are met together in his name they constitute a church or body of Christ, and he, as the head, leads us to conclude that all the blessings of branches and all the privileges of fruit bearing likewise belong to such companies.

Sometimes a healthy, strong branch develops from a good stock and root but it has no fruit-bearing qualities. The husbandman with a trained eye discerns between buds that would bring forth grape clusters and the buds that would produce only leaves. Those that do not have the fruit buds are known as "suckers," because they merely suck the juices of the vine and bring forth no fruitage such as the husbandman seeks. These are pruned or cut off so that the strength of the vine may not be wasted in such merely outward splendor, but may be conserved for its purpose of fruit bearing.

There are branches which bear fruit buds but will never bring the fruit to a good ripe development if allowed to take their own course. Hence the wise husbandman, noting the bud, is pleased with it, and pinches off the sprout of the vine beyond the bud, not to injure the branch but to make it more fruitful. So withus who have not only joined the Lord by faithand consecration and been accepted as branches, but who as branches desire to bring forth good fruitage, which the Lord seeks in us—we need the husbandman’s care so that we may bring forth much fruit.

The spirit of the vine must permeate all the branches, and the fruit of the vine must be inevery branch. These fruits of the spirit are enumerated: meekness, gentleness, patience, longsuffering, brotherly kindness, love; if these things be in us and abound, says the apostle, they make us to be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. These fruits are all one in some particulars for the essence of proper Christian patience is love; the essence of hope and faith and joy is love for our Father, and our confidence in his love, as expressed in his promises to us. So the name of all these fruits and graces of the spirit is expressed in the one word, Love.

At the same time, Jesus shared a most soberwarning—perhaps as the road passed a brush pile of winter die-back. These branches were gathered for burning so that the healthy growthshould not be infected with pests or disease. The declaration that those who will not bear the fruit of the vine will be cut off from being branches and will wither and ultimately be burned. Burned seems to imply the second death, the utter destruction of the class indicated. This is not the worldly class, for those of the world were never united to Christ, never were branches in the vine that could be cast off. It refers only to those who have gone the lengths of making a full consecration to the Lord, a full union with him, a thorough consecration and begetting of the holy spirit.

"That Your Joy Might be Full"

Our Lord concluded this portion of the lesson, not on a warning of judgment, but on a word of encouragement: "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be filled full. This is my commandment that ye love one another even as I have loved you" (John 15:11,12).

What wonderful words of life are these! How they have helped to cheer and encourage so many of the Lord’s followers. As we consider the walk to Gethsemane and the further lessons—lessons of endurance; lessons of the promise of prayer answered; the prayer of Jesus for our unity—let us be filled with his joy, as he promised. His joy is an increasing joy which day by day and year by year becomes more nearly complete. But it is a joy which will not be absolute until that which is perfect shall come and that which is in part shall be done away, until in the resurrected condition we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known. Then we shall experience in full the joys of our Lord, hearing his welcome invitation for those who have walked the road to Gethsemane with Jesus: "Enter thou into the joys of thy Lord."