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Which part of this passage strikes you the most? Which verse is the most challenging to you?
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Day Fourteen of Steps to the Cross: John 14
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
"Come now; let us leave.
Footnotes:
a. John 14:1 Or You trust in God
b. John 14:7 Some early manuscripts If you really have known me, you will know
Hey! Where did that commentary go?
BFE writers need a break sometimes; so, during Steps to the Cross, BFE writers are taking a short 2 ½ week sabbatical from commentary. But, they'll be back!
After Easter, 50 Days to Freedom (with commentary) will begin and run up to the day of Pentecost. This series will focus on God’s meeting the people of Israel in Egypt and leading them out of slavery into freedom; paralleling it with the freedom the gospel offers us. With bold faith and the grace of God we will learn how to be freed from the bondage of sin and to walk in the freedom of being God’s children.
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1 comment:
25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
What comfort and excitement i get from this passage. Jesus spent years with these men personally teaching him with his words and actions. But they could only memorize his words as best they could and repeat his actions and hope that somehow some way hope that they became part of their lives and meant something that might please God. Their understanding was vague and cloudy at best.
This is so much like so many people in this world today who read their Bible and memorize scripture and say the right words and even do the right things, but they're confused and vague. And something vague has no power in the world, the lost arent hungry for something vague, they're like fog, it's there but it doesnt really do much but get folks lost.
But Jesus' teachings are made real and clear to them and to us when God sends His Spirit to dwell within us!!! WHAT AN AMAZING GIFT!!!! Not Only did God come to live amongst our noise and stench and filth, not only did he teach us who he trully is!!NOt only did he stoop to wash our feet!! Not only did he suffer and die on a cross for our sins and give us HOPE of eternity with HIM!! But he lives WITHIN us !!! within each and every broken one of us he offers to live fully, all we have to do is want Him to and let Him!! There trully is none like OUR GOD!
I came from a church where the Holy Spirit was chalked up to little more than a warm fuzzy feeling that somehow prompted Christians to do all those Christiany things we're suposed to do. I think they were scared of the fervor and boldness that the Holy Spirit's living within us brings. So they were largely bitter people, focused far more on gossip and back biting than worshiping God or loving one another. They were foggy, vague and alot of people were lost.
Let's face it, the Spirit of God cant possibly be a vague thing, he's never been vague!! burning bushes, pillars of fire, thunder, earthquaking power, that's not vague. Even when He comes in a still small voice that voice is clear and pure, not vague. The Holy Spirit of God gives us the right to come boldly before the throne and part of boldness is clarity of purpose. I'm a pretty confused person on my own LOL full of wonderings and musings and metaphors and creativity and songs and they tend to jumble at times into a mess that I know only the Lord can sort through. But I can have peace in life's confusion and my own internal jumble because i know the Holy Spirit brings clarity and understanding, aswell as the power boldness and purpose to do live Christ's lessons.
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