John 14:28-31 “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. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but 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.”
 
SEE Jesus’ sure commitment to his disciples.
   Jesus commits to their grief. He knows how troubled and sad they are as he speaks of leaving them. He then points to their love for him as a reason they can be glad he is going. After all, the Son of God is going home to his Father! Jesus has graciously come to befriend these men and to offer to them a way to heaven. It’s now time to go. Often our grief, too, becomes joy when we truly know our loved ones have joined the Savior in place he has prepared for them.
   Jesus commits to their faith. Telling them what will happen, Jesus demonstrates the sovereign God is at work. God prophesies. Events happen as he foretells. When God speaks of past, present or future, he tells us the truth. These 11 disciples will learn one more time the Lord does as he says: Jeremiah 40:3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. He promises judgment. It has and will happen. He promised resurrection. It has and will happen: Matthew 28:6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. And from 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Faithfully know the Lord is committed to your eternal life.
    Jesus commits to victory. “The prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me.”  Our Savior is about to suffer because of evil’s savage attack on God and his creation. Yet, Jesus will rise from the suffering to win the war. Satan cannot hold the Savior. The Lord Jesus triumphs. Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. The Lord is committed to a perfect new heaven and earth.
   Jesus commits to the Father. Once more, John writes of Jesus’ complete, unrelenting passion to live into the Father’s purpose. He does not go to the right or left of the Father’s commands. He is precisely true to the Father.
   The Lord Jesus has spoken his commitment to you. How will your respond?
 
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I commit my life to you. Amen.

John 14:25-27 ‘“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But 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. 27 Peace 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.’”
 
SOME criticize the Bible because they do not believe the gospel writers, for example, would remember Jesus’ exact words to quote him as they do. Critics reject the notion of inspired writing – words and memory the Holy Spirit gives to God’s anointed Bible authors.
    Here, though, is proof of the Bible’s inspired author. The Holy Spirit ‘“will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’” How essential is the truth! The Spirit teaches, so we can teach. When we read Scripture or quote Jesus, we can confidently say, ‘“The Word of the Lord says…’” ‘“The Lord tells us …’” ‘“The Lord promises …’”
    Then following this promise of God’s true teaching comes Jesus’ remarkable peace promise. God’s true Word leads to God’s true peace.
    Who needs peace? We all do. How distressing it is to listen to people who rage against one another. Is it not heart-troubling, too, to hear people criticize others or even constantly tease and diminish others? Where is their peace in such language?
    And we know how upset our hearts become when we hear bad news about a loved one. Peace is far away when arguments rage over minor incidents. Pride, too, disturbs our peace as we try to always be “right” in every argument. Impatience quickly disrupts peace, too. It seems the world is disrupted with a constant exploding volcano of anger, jealousy, unforgiveness and retribution rage against one another.
    Who can help us? Of course, it is the Helper – the Counselor – the Spirit of truth. He will teach us Jesus’ words. In Jesus’ words, when we believe in Jesus and believe Jesus, we will have a peace that transcends all conflict, pain and sorrow because we know who is Lord of all:
    Psalms 46:1-4 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells…10 “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I thank you for your teaching of Jesus’ words. I pray his peace is in my heart in all circumstances. Amen.
 
 
Bob James
Working Every Day for the King of Kings
One With God
www.onewithgod.website
 

John 14:18-19 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”
 
JESUS’ promises abound, don’t they? John records these fourth and fifth pledges our Savior affirms to his disciples in the span of seven verses.
   What joy to know he will not leave us as orphans! Consider an orphan’s circumstances. An orphaned child is without parents and has no sure home. There is no one to model good behavior and true obedience. An orphan can be aimless, very uncertain of her place in the world. Orphans often feel unloved because they are. They experience loneliness and have no purpose. Easily an orphan is often victimized for another’s gain.
   I was talking with a neighbor here in our Tennessee town, and she told me of having to suddenly help a 12-year-old girl whose mother had died. Because her mother had been sick for a long time, the girl had received no proper parenting. The girl knew nothing about right and wrong, social manners or essential self-care. She needed a helper to teach her right living. That is the role my neighbor fulfilled for the child. As you can imagine, the child’s life was transformed when her helper, her counselor taught her.
   Do you follow Christ? You need the Helper. Know he is with you. How sad it is in the church and as Christians that we often act as if God has left us alone to struggle on our own. We think God is “up there”, and we are down here. Even though Jesus’ promises are clear, we reject them. And we reject the Holy Spirit’s help. Our minds cannot fully grasp the Helper is with us to move our lives toward God. We wander aimlessly, without purpose. God becomes more distant. Our lives and our churches are led into the abyss of the world’s lies.
   Church of Christ, be assured in Jesus’ promise. You are never alone. The Holy Spirit – Jesus’ Helper – makes you alive in the Lord. That’s why Jesus graciously offers his fourth promise: “You will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” Receiving Jesus as Savior, the Spirit is alive in you. You are alive in Jesus. Live in this truth. Seek the Lord’s counsel. Find purpose and strength in your Savior.
   I pray your faith is a living faith to truly know your Father in heaven, his Son, Jesus Christ, and his Holy Spirit are with you always. Let the Holy Trinity guide, lead, admonish, forgive and love you constantly. Believe Jesus’ promises. The Helper is with you. You are with him. See Jesus. See the Father. Know God loves you. No Christian is an orphan.
 
Prayer: I rejoice, Jesus, in your miraculous promises. Spirit of God fill my heart with love for my God, who has done this great work in me. Amen.

John 14:15-17 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.
  
HERE is a third promise (Please see John 14:12-14 from previous three lessons.). It is another wonderful comfort Jesus lovingly gives to his disciples as he prepares to leave them. A new chapter in the disciples’ lives and God’s kingdom is about to begin. They need to know God’s story will continue.
   Jesus’ teaching has ended. Unknown to the disciples, they are about to witness their Master die a horrible death. Profound doubt and stifling fear will crush the disciples’ spirits. Surely, they will wonder how the Miracle Worker could allow this to happen. Jesus’ friends will, “What happened to his kingdom promises?”
   Jesus urgently and lovingly prepares them with promises of mission, strength and support. In summary, the Lord has promised, “You’ll do much more than I have done. Evangelize, and you will lead people to faith in me. Pray, and I will give you what you need. You will never be alone. My Helper to support and empower you in all I command you to do.”
   Remember, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have anointed the disciples to citizenship in heaven. The Lord promises his disciples this is forever. The disciples’ eternal life began the day Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me.” For some three years they have walked with him on earth in his presence. He has prepared them to walk for him throughout the earth in his physical absence. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, will come from Jesus to do the Father’s will until the day the Father calls them home to be with Jesus again.
   Has Jesus said to you through the Helper, “Come follow me”? If so, rejoice and know the Lord God has anointed you to eternal life. A citizen of heaven, you can believe and trust the Holy Spirit is constantly with you to Help you faithfully seek the Lord’s will. Understand deep in your soul, “Jesus is risen. He is ascended. He will come again.” Believe in your heart you are his forever.
   When you do believe, fear, doubt, and loneliness will disappear. Faith will grow. Love will strengthen your footsteps. The Helper will help you tell the world, “Jesus saves.”  
 
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for your loving promises. I love you. I love being your disciple. You are my joy and my peace. In your name, I live my life to help people know the power of your resurrection. Amen.
  

John 14:12-14 “I 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. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
 
THIS is the third look at Jesus’ two promises here. Our previous two lessons were understanding Jesus’ first promise here that “anyone who has faith in me will…do even greater things than these (things I have done).  We considered how his disciples – you and I included – would do the work of evangelizing, leading people to Christ and healing. This has occurred throughout the church as the Spirit has empowered faithful people to do more than Jesus did in three years on earth.
    Then we looked at our Lord’s second promise, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” To truly understand this is “the truth”, we understand how this kind of prayer response comes to us when we are in a close, Spirit-empowered relationship with our Lord. We pray in all circumstances as Jesus would.
    Now, I want to give you a testimony from a pastor in Africa. He testifies to the truth of Jesus’ words, the power of God’s Word to do God’s will on earth: “Thanks man of God. I believe so (as you have written, and the Bible declares). These are my prayers, too. Yes, i have experienced that miracle in the ongoing gospel crusades we are doing now. Marvelous healings, demons fleeing in Jesus’ name. We are celebrating the name of the Lord of what God is doing by miracles. Please prayer for more souls to saved. We are in the outer ministries (remote regions of northeastern Kenya) until June in the whole country. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Yours Bishop, John Bitan.”
    This is the power of God alive in his church and his people. I pray it is so with all of us.
 
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, may your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May I be an instrument of your will, Father, that people will know you are my God. Amen.

John 14:12-14 “I 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. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
 
OUR previous lesson was understanding Jesus’ first promise here that “anyone who has faith in me will…do even greater things than these (things I have done). Now we look at our Lord’s second promise, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” How do we know this is “the truth”? Do we not ask in our hearts, “Will the Lord do this?”
   To truly pray in Jesus’ name means you are in a faithful relationship to act as God’s representative on earth. This is as an ambassador of a country speaks in the name of his country’s leader. To be God’s true ambassador on earth is the essence of discipleship. You are one with Jesus, united with the Master in your thoughts, words and actions in the same way Jesus is one with the Father. Such a unity will give you the means to live with his power and authority. You will honor the Son to follow his purposes in all we do.
   Thus, to pray in Jesus’ name, does not mean you live as you desire, then suddenly pray, “In Jesus’ name, grant me this prayer.” It means you pray to the Father in the same way Jesus would pray in any given circumstance.
   “Our prayers in Jesus’ name must: (1) reflect Jesus’ character and be consistent with his desires and purposes; (2) demonstrate faith in him and his authority; (3) reveal a sincere desire to honor both the Father and the Son.
   “Prayers offered with this attitude and awareness will build faith and provide peace that God is in control and will do what is best for us. Jesus will answer any prayer that he would have prayed himself – that is perfectly in line with his purposes. There is no limit to the power of prayer when it is addressed to Jesus or the Father with sincere faith and according to his desire: Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ (an illustration of faithful prayer’s power) and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  (from Fire Bible™: Global Study Edition, Copyright © 2009 by Life Publishers International.)
   Will the Lord grant anything you ask? He will as it is true to the Father’s will. Jesus’ words, then, are true for a faithful disciple. As mentioned in the preceding lesson, you will be a faithful participant in God’s work on earth to do the great things of evangelizing, leading and doing miracles. You will pray with the mind of Christ, knowing the Father’s pleasure in the Spirit’s power.
 
Prayer: Father in heaven, may your will be done in my heart, mind and soul. I pray I am as you are more and more each day, so I will faithfully pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

John 14:12-14 “I 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. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” 
 
WITH sure teaching, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth.” The God of the universe has spoken to mankind to reveal two life-giving faith promises here: First, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing…even greater things than these.” And second, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
   Do you believe these promises? I think most of us react with, “Do you mean that, Lord? I can do greater things than what you did on earth? And, what about the ‘No.’ I’ve heard too many times when I prayed? You didn’t do what I asked, Jesus. Are you telling me the truth?”
   Does this sound familiar? Those have been my thoughts; I suspect you have felt the same way. How do we move through our doubt, our lack of trust in Jesus’ truth to believe the Lord Jesus’ truth?
   First, his promise, “Everyone will do greater things than these (things I have done).” is about a true life as his disciple in three ways. They are: 1) evangelizing, which is to tell the gospel to all 2) leading people to confess Jesus as Lord 3) performing miracles as Jesus did. I know, this third one may seem impossible to most of us. But let’s remember. True discipleship is only possible when the Holy Spirit empowers one to faithfully follow Jesus.
   The 12 apostles demonstrate this to us. There is evangelism in: Acts 8:25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
The apostles led people to confess Jesus: Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They did miracles: Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.
   Through Jesus’ disciples then and throughout the ages since, a far greater number of people have come to Christ. Countless people have been born again into a living faith. Untold numbers of sick have been healed in the Spirit’s power than in Jesus’ three years of ministry. Indeed, Jesus’ faithful disciples have done greater things on earth over time because the Lord has empowered us – yes, you, me and all you say, “I believe Jesus is Lord.”
   When you are faithfully walking in Jesus’ commands, the Holy Spirit will gift you to the work of Christ.
   We’ll continue with Jesus’ second promise in our next lesson.
 
Prayer: Empower me, Holy Spirit, to do the work of Christ on earth. I rejoice in your gifts to tell the world, “Jesus saves.” Amen.

John 14:7-11 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus 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’? 10 Don’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. 11 Believe 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.”  
 
JESUS tells Philip, the disciples, all Jews and us today that he is God in the flesh. “In the Father”, defines Jesus’ essence. He is God and is from God. This is one of John’s main topic statements to begin his gospel: John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Then the gospel writer records John the Baptist’s testimony to deepen this truth: John 1:15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”
   Jesus is the eternal Son. He ministered on earth in the Father’s permission and power. Everything he said and did on earth is a true extension of the Father to purely show the Creator to his world.
   You can see Philip as a typical Jew of John’s day, some 60 years after Jesus’ ascension. Most Jews still demanded of the early church, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” As the Pharisees did not believe Jesus, too many Jews continued to deny the evidence of such apostles and evangelists as recorded in Acts. Some Jews became Christians. But many rejected Jesus was God’s divine Messiah. Defining and defending, “Jesus is God.” was the church’s task then, and it is our task now.
   In about 53 days from this recorded conversation the risen Jesus would ascend to heaven. Philip’s and the disciples’ minds would truly know, “Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in him.” Fully faithful, they would enter an unbelieving world to confidently preach such words Paul wrote in Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  
   Consider this: “How faithful and effective is the church that fully believes Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in him?”
 
Prayer: Jesus, I pray your church would faithfully proclaim you to all people of the world who need to know their creator who so loved the world he sent his only Son that whoever believes in him will be saved (John 3:16). Amen.