John 14(18–31)

Introduction

We’ve been working our way through John chapters 13 and 14 for a few weeks now. The Lord and his disciples gathered together for what is known as the Last Supper. And that’s when the Lord got up from his seat and he wrapped a towel around his waist and he began to wash the feet of his disciples before resuming his seat at the table. And I explained that washing their feet was a picture of his mission to save us from our sin and misery, because just as he got up from his place at the meal and wrapped a towel around himself, as a servant would do, to wash their feet, so the Eternal Son of God took to himself the form of a servant when he came down from heaven to serve us and to give up his life on the cross to cleanse us from our guilt. And then, just as he resumed his seat at the meal after washing their feet, so the Lord Jesus has resumed his seat at his Father’s right hand side in heaven, where he rules over all things as Lord of all.

And after washing their feet, the Lord announced that one of them would betray him. He was talking about Judas, of course, who went out of from the room where they were eating to do what he was planning to do, which was to lead the soldiers to the Lord Jesus so that they could arrest him.

And after Judas left, the Lord began to teach his disciples. He taught them that he was going away to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. And when the time is right, he will come back for them so that they may be where he is.

And he taught them that he is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father in heaven except through him.

And he taught them that he is in the Father and the Father is in him, so that whoever knows him knows the Father and whoever has seen him has seen the Father. And we thought about what the theologians call perichoresis, which is a Greek word that means ‘go around’. The three persons of the Trinity go around one another. They encircle one another. They indwell one another, so that the Father is in the Son and the Spirit; and the Son is in the Father and the Spirit; and the Spirit is in the Father and the Son. They indwell one another like this, because all three persons possess one and the same divine being and they exist in one another eternally. And so, the Lord could say to his disciples that if they know him, then they know the Father as well, because the Father and the Son — and the Spirit too — are wrapped up in one another as one God.

And the Lord also taught them about the Holy Spirit, whom he will send as another Counsellor or Helper. The Lord Jesus was their helper while he was with them on the earth. Now that he’s returning to the Father, he’s sending them the Holy Spirit to help them. The unbelieving world does not know the Holy Spirit, but the Lord’s disciples will know him because the Holy Spirit will dwell in them and be with them always.

And that’s as far as we’ve got. But the Lord has many more things to teach his disciples and he continues to teach them throughout the rest of chapter 14 and into chapters 15 and 16. And then in chapter 17 he prays for his disciples and for all who will believe in him. And then from chapter 18 we read of his arrest and his trial and his death on the cross, when he offered himself to his Father in heaven as the once-for-all perfect sacrifice for sins. And then after his death and burial, there’s his resurrection from the dead.

And do you remember what John wrote near the end of his gospel? He wrote that he has recorded all of these things about the Lord Jesus so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing, we may have life in his name. John has recorded these things so that we might have eternal life in the presence of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. What we deserve for a lifetime of sin is to be condemned and sent out of God’s presence to be punished for ever. But because of God’s abounding love for sinners, what we receive from him through faith in the Lord Jesus is forgiveness and peace with God and the hope of eternal life in his presence.

Today we’re thinking about the verses we read a moment ago from verse 18 of chapter 14 to verse 31. And really there are two big themes in this passage. The first is coming and the second is going. Verses 18 to 24 are about coming: the Lord will come to his disciples. And verses 25 to 31 are about going: the Lord is going from his disciples.

Verses 18 to 24

And so, in verse 18 the Lord says to his disciples that he will not leave them as orphans, but will come to them.

So, he’s been saying to them that he’s going to leave them. He’s going somewhere where they can’t come immediately. However, he wants to make clear to them and to reassure them that he’s not going to leave them as orphans. In other words, he’s not going to abandon them or leave them weak and vulnerable and without any help or protection. Orphans have no parents to help them and the Lord will not leave his disciples like that.

And so, he will come to them. Now, the Lord is said to come in four ways in the Bible. Firstly, he came into the world at his incarnation when he became flesh. Secondly, he will come to his disciples after his resurrection from the dead. He will come and make clear to them that he’s alive and not dead. Thirdly, he will come to them in a spiritual way. The Lord is present with his people in every generation by his Spirit, whom he has sent in his name. And fourthly, he will come in glory and with power at the end of the age to raise the dead and to bring his people into the new heavens and earth.

So, the Lord is said to come in four ways. When he says to his disciples in verse 18 that he will not leave them as orphans, but will come to them, which of the four ways does he mean? Clearly, it’s now the first way, because the first way he came to us was at his incarnation when he became flesh. And it’s unlikely that he’s referring to the fourth way, which is his second coming at the end of the age. So, many of the commentators think he’s referring to the second way. That is to say, he will come to them after his resurrection to make clear to them that he has risen physically for the dead. And they think that’s what he means, because he goes on to say in verse 19 that before long the unbelieving world will not see him, but his disciples will see him. And sure enough, after his resurrection, he appeared to his disciples on several occasions, but as far as we know he did not appear to unbelievers. And he then goes on to say that because he lives, his disciples will also live. He’s clearly referring there to his resurrection when he was raised from the dead to live for ever. And then in verse 20, he refers to ‘that day’. So, on that day, when he is raised from the dead, he will come to his disciples and they will see him.

And so, it sounds as if he’s talking about the way he will come to them after his resurrection. He will come to them in a physical or bodily way to make clear to them that he has risen from the dead.

However, I’m inclined to think that he’s not just talking about that kind of coming. He’s not just talking about the way he appeared to them after his resurrection. There’s no need to look it up now, but in John 20 the Lord appeared to his disciples after his resurrection. And he showed them his hands and side to make clear that it really is him and it’s not someone who looks like him. It really is him, because looks at the marks on his hands where they nailed him to the cross and on his side where they pierced him. It really is him and he’s alive! And then John tells us that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ And so, on the day the Lord came to them after his resurrection, he sent the Holy Spirit into them. From that time on, the Holy Spirit was with them.

And I think that’s why the Lord could say to them that he will not leave them as orphans. He won’t leave them weak and vulnerable, with no one to help or protect them. He will not abandon them, because he will come to them and will give them his Spirit to be with them.

And so, when he says in verse 18 he will come to them, I think we should combine the second and third ways of coming. So, he’s going to come to them in a physical or bodily way after his resurrection. However, he’s also coming to them in a spiritual way by the Holy Spirit who will be with them from that time on.

And he says to them in verse 20 that on that day — so on the day he comes to them in person and sends the Holy Spirit on them — they will realise that he is in the Father. They will come to understand that the Father and the Son — and the Spirit — indwell one another as one God. They indwell one another as one God because all three Persons of the Trinity possess one and the same divine being.

And then the Lord says that on that day they will realise, not only that the Father and Son indwell one another, but that his disciples are in the Son and that the Son is in them. Do you see that in verse 20? So, when he sends his Spirit on the disciples, they will realise that not only do the Father and Son indwell one another as one God, but that the Son and his people indwell one another as well. And if you jump down to verse 23 you’ll see that not only does the Son indwell us, but the Father does as well. He says that the Father loves his people and that he and the Father will come to them and make their home in them.

So, the Father and the Son indwell their people. And so does the Holy Spirit, because the Lord Jesus sends his Spirit into all his people.

This is really remarkable, isn’t it? The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit indwell one another as one God. They are wrapped up in one another eternally as one God. But wonderfully, we are wrapped up in God as well.

However, there’s a difference, isn’t there? After all, we’re not wrapped up in God in the same way as the Father and the Son and the Spirit are wrapped up in one another. They are wrapped up in one another eternally because they possess one and the same divine being. And we can’t be wrapped up in God in the same way, because we will never possess one and the same divine being with God.

And so, how are we wrapped up in God? How are we united to him? We’re united to God by love, aren’t we? In verse 21 the Lord Jesus talks about how he and the Father love those who love him. So, the Son loves us and the Father loves us and we love them. And in verse 23 he refers again to our love for the Son and to the Father’s love for us. And as a result of the Father’s love for us, the Father and Son come and make their home in us.

And so, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit indwell God’s people by love: he loves us and we love him and he comes and dwells in us. Think of a young couple who love one another so much that they can’t bear to be apart. And so, they decide to be married so that they they can live together for the rest of their lives. They are wrapped up together in love, bound together in love. And God and his people are wrapped up together in love. Because God and his people love one another, they remain united together and God promises to live with his people for ever.

But how do we know that we love God? How do we know that our love for God is real? Well, we demonstrate our love by the things we do. So, God demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son to die for us. And we demonstrate our love for him by obeying his commands. We display our love for him by doing his will here on earth. That’s how we know our love is real. We know our love is real when we want to obey the Lord.

That’s what the Lord is saying in these verses. The one who loves him is the one who has his commands and obeys them. And if anyone loves him, he will obey the Lord’s teaching. On the other hand, he who does not love him will not obey him. So, we know our love is real when we want to obey the Lord. And because of God’s love for us, he draws us to himself and dwells within us.

And so, the first part of today’s passage is about the Lord’s coming to his disciples. He came to them after his resurrection. And he came to them after his resurrection to give them his Spirit. And on that day they realised that the Father and the Son — and the Spirit too — indwell one another as one God. And on that day they also realised that God reaches out to us to draw us into his abounding love for us.

And so, we are not on our own. He does not leave us like orphans. He does not leave us to face the troubles and trials of life on our own. He is with us to help us.

Furthermore, our life here on earth as believers should be a life of love, because we are loved by God and we’re to love God in return. And loving God means obeying his commands. And his command to his people is for us to love the people around us. As Christ has loved us, so we’re to love one another. As he loved us humbly and sacrificially, so we’re to love one another with a humble, servant-like, sacrificial heart. As he came not to be served, but to serve, so we’re to serve one another. And in this way, we demonstrate our love for God, who draws us into his abounding love for us.

Verses 25 to 31

So, verses 18 to 24 are about the Lord’s coming to his disciples. Verses 25 to 31 are about his leaving them.

The Lord says to his disciples in verse 25 that he has said all this to them ‘while still with you’. And the words ‘while still with you’ imply that he will soon be leaving them. And, in fact, he already said several times before that he will soon be leaving them. And he meant he will soon be leaving them, because his work on earth is nearly finished.

However, when he leaves them, his Father will send them the Counsellor. He’s talking again about the Holy Spirit. And I explained last time that the Greek word translated Counsellor in the NIV is sometimes translated Comforter or Helper or Advocate. It’s a word which referred in those days to a friend who would help you if you were taken to court. He would help you to face your accuser and he’d speak in your defence and he’d offer advice and encouragement. He’d help you cope in difficult circumstances. And therefore the Lord Jesus is saying to his disciples that after he leaves them God the Father will send them the Holy Spirit to help them in his absence.

And one of the things the Holy Spirit will do to help them is there in verse 26. He will teach them all things and will remind them of everything the Lord said to them. We need to note carefully that the Lord is talking here to his disciples: to the men who will serve him as his apostles after his resurrection and ascension. So, the Lord is talking to them in particular and he’s saying to them that one of the ways the Holy Spirit will help them is by helping them to remember and to understand everything the Lord Jesus has taught them.

The Lord has taught them many things. How can they remember everything he said? Well, the Holy Spirit will help them remember. And we’ve already seen as we’ve read through John’s gospel that often the disciples did not understand what the Lord was saying to them. So, how could they hope to understand his words after he’s gone? Well, the Holy Spirit will help them. He’s the Spirit of Truth and he’s therefore able to lead them into all the truth they need to know about the Saviour.

And this is important for us to know because it means we can read the gospels with confidence. People might wonder how they can be sure that the disciples were able to remember what the Lord said. How can they be sure that they understood his words? Many times people tell me things and I forget what they said to me or I misunderstand their words. Perhaps the disciples misremembered what the Lord said? Perhaps they misunderstood? The gospel are based on eye-witness accounts. But maybe those eye-witness accounts are wrong?

That’s what we might think and it might worry us. How can we trust the gospels? But here’s the Lord Jesus assuring us that the disciples will receive the help of the Holy Spirit to remember his words accurately and to understand his teaching accurately. What we read in the gospels is true, because God the Father sent the Holy Spirit to ensure the disciples would record the Lord’s teaching accurately. And he sent his Spirit to ensure that everything written in the Old and New Testaments is indeed God’s word to us and it’s true.

And so, the Lord may be leaving them, but they will receive his Spirit to help them.

And the Lord may be leaving them, but he’s going to leave them with peace. Do you see that in verse 27? He says there that he will leave them with peace. In fact he will give them his own peace. And so, he won’t give them the kind of peace the world gives. Now, people in Paul’s day spoke about the pax Romana or Roman peace. And the Romans were able to establish and maintain peace throughout their empire by destroying their enemies with the sword. But that’s not the peace which Christ gives his people, because the peace he gives us is peace with God which he accomplished for us by his death on the cross to pay for our sins. He did not come to kill, but to be killed so that we can have peace with God.

And when we have peace with God — when we know that God is on our side, that he’s for us and not against us, that he loves us with an abounding love — then we need not be afraid or troubled ever. We need not be afraid or troubled, because we know that the Most High God, who rules over all things in heaven and on earth, is on our side to help us. We can always count on him and in his super-abundant love for his people.

And so, the Lord Jesus might be leaving his disciples, but they have the Holy Spirit to help them and they have peace with God which Christ has won for them. And so, they have the assurance that God is on their side. And he’s on your side as well so long as you’re trusting in Christ for peace with God.

And then the Lord said to his disciples that since they love him, they should be glad that he’s going away from them to the Father. They should be glad that he’s going, because the Father is greater than he is.

Now, since the Son and the Father possess one and the same divine being, then the Father and the Son — and the Spirit — are equal to one another. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. One is not greater than the others. They are equally divine. And so, when the Lord says that the Father is greater than he is he can’t mean the Father is greater than he is as God. He must mean the Father is greater than he is as one of us. As God, he is the same as the Father, but as one of us, the Father is greater than he is.

And it’s good that he will soon be going to the Father, because that means that his work on earth is almost finished. Very soon he will have done everything the Father has sent him to do and he will be able to return to his Father in heaven in triumph, because he’s about to conquer sin and satan and the grave on our behalf. And so, he’ll be able to return to his Father in heaven as one of us to sit enthroned at God’s right hand on our behalf, having done all things necessary to accomplish our salvation. We should be glad that our Saviour has returned to the Father, because that means he has finished the work his Father sent him to do, which was to save us from destruction and to obtain for us eternal life in God’s presence.

And the final thing to note are his words in verses 30 and 31. He knows the prince of this world is coming. He’s talking about the devil, who has already entered Judas’s heart to tempt Judas to betray the Lord Jesus. And the devil is now coming to try to destroy the Lord Jesus. He wanted to overthrow Christ’s kingdom and set up his own kingdom of darkness on the earth. The devil is coming.

But the devil has no hold on the Lord Jesus. He has no claim on Christ. And so, when Christ suffered and died on the cross, it was not because the devil had the right or authority or power to cause him to suffer. No, Christ suffered and died on the cross because of his love for his Father in heaven. Because he loves his Father in heaven, he was ready to do whatever the Father commands. And what the Father commanded him to do was to give up his perfect, sinless life on the cross to pay for our sins, so that everyone who believes in Christ as the only Saviour of the world receives forgiveness and peace with God and the hope of everlasting life in God’s presence.

Because of the Son’s love for the Father, he gave up his life for us in accordance with his Father’s will. And God draws us into his love for us and promises to live in us for ever. And we’ve to love him by keeping his commands. And so, once again, our life here on earth should be a life of love, because God has drawn us into his love for us and he commands us to love the people around us as he has loved us.