John 14:31

John 14:31

Let us go hence. What was He leaving? Whither was He going? He was going to Gethsemane, to the kiss of the traitor; to the tribunals of Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate; to His shameful and bitter Cross; to the unknown agonies of His last great conflict with the prince of this world. He had a baptism to be baptized with, and He was straitened until it was accomplished.

I. He was impelled by His supreme sense of duty. No self-interest, no sentiment was ever permitted to interfere with this sense of duty. In all truly great lives the sense of duty is dominant. A man who will not, for duty's sake, do an arduous or unpleasant thing, will neither build up his own moral strength and nobility nor glorify God before men. Had he taken counsel of His own inclinations, He would not have gone from the upper room to Gethsemane, He would not have made men feel the grandeur and sacredness of His Father's service.

II. Another impulse was to produce the impression of His filial affection. Love is the inspiration of all high duty, for duty is more than the mere sense of right, it is the impulse of sympathy; a thing done with an averted face and a reluctant heart is not duty. Duty, therefore, is more than mere measured service, it is the feeling that prompts us to do all that we can do to accomplish God's purposes, to satisfy His heart. Our Lord attached great importance to the impression which His love of duty made upon men. He would have the world to see and know His love, because it would inspire love in them. The only talisman of faith is dutiful love. They who worthily love are held and ruled by love; they whose love is weaker than circumstance do not love at all. Be it ours by ever higher duty, by ever growing love, by ever greater work, to make the world know that we love the Master whom we serve. The one supreme question of every servant of Christ is not, What will most conduce to my ease? What will most please my preference? but, What will most glorify Him?

H. Allon, Christian World Pulpit,vol. viii., p. 72.

References: John 14:31. Spurgeon, My Sermon Notes: Gospels and Acts,p. 157; Christian World Pulpit,vol. ix., p. 24; Homiletic Magazine,vol. xvi., p. 225.John 15:1 F. D. Maurice, Gospel of St. John,p. 396; C. Stanford, Evening of our Lord's Ministry,p. 133. Joh 15:1, John 15:2. Philpot, Thursday Penny Pulpit,vol. iv., p. 409. John 15:1. A. Mackennal, Christian World Pulpit,vol. viii., p.. 235; Church of England Pulpit,vol. vii., p. 41; vol. xvi., p. 184.John 15:1. H. Batchelor, The Incarnation of God,p. 121; D. Fraser, Metaphors of the Gospels,p. 347; Homilist,2nd series, vol. ii., p. 311; Homiletic Quarterly,vol. i., p. 486. John 15:1. R. C. Trench, Studies in the Gospels,p. 28 3 John 1:1. Clergyman's Magazine,vol. iii., p. 80; W. Roberts, Christian World Pulpit,vol. x., p. 196. John 15:1. Clergyman's Magazine,vol. ii., p. 220. John 15:1. A. B. Bruce The Training of the Twelve,p. 415.