College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
John 14 - Introduction
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Chapter fourteen has been read, quoted and preached for nearly two thousand years at times of sorrow, stress and bereavement. It has been a constant source of strength and consolation. This is exactly the purpose it was intended to serve when Jesus uttered it.
These are words of tenderness from a loving Father to His soon-to-be bereaved children. He is about to leave them, suffering a shameful and agonizing death and they will be scattered like lambs. The tenderness of Jesus is revealed here as nowhere else. Although He knows that they will soon desert and deny Him, He very patiently and tenderly explains that in His going He will not leave them desolate, but He will send the Strengthener. He explains that even in His leaving them He is going to prepare a place for them.
The whole theme of this chapter is My Departure Will Bring Blessingnot Grief. In fact, Jesus plainly tells the disciples that if their faith be strong enough they can rejoice at His return to the Father! One notices throughout this discourse Jesus concentrating on what His going will mean for the disciples and not for Himself. Even within the very shadow of the cross His heart goes out to His little children.
There is a great deal of most important teaching by our Lord Himself concerning the Holy Spirit in this chapter. Jesus explains plainly Who He ishow He is receivedwhat He does. We must be careful, however, in our exegesis of Christ's promises here lest we expect to receive that which He promised exclusively to the apostles. Some of His promises in this fourteenth chapter are for the apostles onlywhile other promises apply to all believers of the Christian age.
Keeping the themea purposeful departurein sight, we have outlined the fourteenth chapter thusly:
III.
The Word Manifested to The Disciples and Their Acceptance of Him, John 13:1, John 20:31.
A.
Private Instructions and Encouragements, John 13:1, John 17:26 (continued)
2.
His Going Will Bless All Men, John 14:1-31
a.
He's going to Prepare a Place, John 14:1-7
b.
He's going to Make the Disciples Co-Laborers With The Father, John 14:8-14
c.
He's going to Send the Holy Spirit as The Strengthener and Revealer, John 14:15-24
d.
He's going to Leave Men a Peace That Overcomes the World, John 14:25-31
EXPOSITORY SERMON FOURTEEN
A HAPPY GOODBYE!
Introduction
I.
BACKGROUND
A.
Jesus had just spoken of going away where the disciples could not then follow (John 13:36-38).
1.
They were perplexed.
2.
They were ready to die for him in a physical battle (cf. also John 11:16).
3.
They did not know what was about to come to them at His dark hour of Calvary.
B.
Jesus knew that they needed to be strengthened and warned.
1.
There is a deep pathos underlying the words of Jesusthe reader of these three Chapter s (14-15-16), may almost feel the urgency and tenderness of Jesus.
2.
Jesus desires to prepare them for the shock of what is soon to follow.
a.
Due to their dullness He cannot speak too bluntly and plainly.
C.
Jesus also knew that His going would bring eventual joy to the disciples.
II.
PREACHING OF THIS NATURE NEEDED TODAY
A.
Christian people need to be encouraged and strengthened.
B.
Paul wrote to the people of Thessalonicacomfort (strengthen) one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
C.
Some preaching on the present ministry of Christ as High Priest and Preparer needs to be done today.
D.
Christian people need to be taught the Biblical doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Not just about Him, but instructions as to how He may be allowed to dwell in them and how they may be filled with Him more fully.
Discussion
I.
HE GOES TO PREPARE A PLACE OF PERMANENT REST FOR HIS LOVED ONES
A.
This prepared place is not necessarily a mansion as we think of mansions today.
1.
The Greek word monai (used also in John 14:23) is better translated, dwelling place, abiding place, resting place.
2.
The kingdom of God (whether on earth or in Heaven) is a dwelling place of rest.
a.
The kingdom of Christ (the church) is figuratively spoken of as a place of rest, peace, security (Isaiah 9:1-21; Isaiah 11:1-16, etc.)
b.
The new dispensation is spoken of in the epistle to the Hebrews as the fulfillment of the rest which God had planned and typified in Joshua and did not fulfill in David (Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16).
c.
Jesus spoke of giving rest (Matthew 11:28-30).
d.
Heaven, of course, is the ultimate abode of rest (Revelation 14:13).
3.
Jesus, in His going (death, resurrection and ascension) prepared a resting place both temporal (the church) and eternal (Heaven).
B.
Jesus, Himself, is the Way.
1.
He does not merely show the Way, He is the Way.
2.
By His personal, meritorious work we are saved.
3.
This Way was prophecied (Isaiah 35:8) and finds its fulfillment in Hebrews 10:19-25.
4.
He is the Truth and the Life (see our comments on this verse).
II.
HE GOES TO MAKE THE DISCIPLES CO-LABORERS WITH GOD
A.
He has the authority to do so.
1.
He and the Father are One.
2.
He has revealed unto the disciples the Father.
B.
He promises these eleven disciples that they will do the great works which He has done while on earth.
1.
Speaking the. words of God through the Holy Spirit.
2.
Performing miracles.
3.
Even raising the dead.
C.
But they, and those who should later believe in Him, would do greater works even than Jesus.
1.
They would preach the gospel to the whole world.
2.
They would exercise, in the gospel, a power far greater than power over nature.
a.
To convert men, possessed of the freedom of choice, is to do a greater work than walking on the water.
3.
Preaching the gospel is the greatest work in the world.
D.
Jesus sets up the power lines through which the believer may receive power to do this greatest work.
1.
If we ask anything IN HIS NAME, we shall have it.
2.
We believe this to be a promise to all Christians conditional upon the requests being IN HIS NAME.
a.
(See our comments on this verse.)
b.
(cf. 1 John 5:14-15.)
III.
HE GOES TO COME AGAIN IN THE SPIRIT
A.
Keeping His commandments is reiterated as a condition necessary for the sending of the Spirit.
B.
He will be a Strengthener and Helper and will not leave them orphans.
C.
He will be the Spirit of Truth.
l.
The world cannot receive Him because it refuses to have God in its knowledge.
2.
Worldlings will not believe because God's Word tells them the truth (John 8:44-45).
D.
He will dwell in all believers (John 14:21; John 14:23).
1.
All believers will not receive the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.
2.
But His personality will dwell in men and women through His will as expressed in His word (see our special comments on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, pages).
3.
THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND ERRONEOUS TEACHING ON THIS SUBJECT.
a.
As a result many millions of Christians are not availing themselves of the POWER of the Holy Spirit for their daily lives by partaking of the Spirit (John 6:63).
b.
Too many people are waiting for the Holy Spirit to do some irresistible work upon them apart from the revealed will of the Spirit in the written word. They want to be compelled to be good without any effort or surrender on their part!
c.
The only dependable agency available to man by which he may be certain that he knows the Holy Spirit or feels Him or that He controls him is obedience to the written
will of the Holy Spirit in His word, which is the Bible!
IV.
HE GOES TO BRING PEACE
A.
The Holy Spirit will come and lead them into all truth.
1.
This will bring the final, complete revelation of God concerning man's redemption: this will bring the kingdom of Peace (Isaiah 9:1-21).
B.
This will be a Peace quite unlike any peace the world knows or seeks.
1.
The foolish world rejects the Prince of Peace when it seeks even its temporal peace.
2.
There can never be lasting peace on earth among nations and men as long as there are men at enmity with God, unregenerate and unsaved.
C.
Christ's peace is twofold, one aspect of it absolutely necessary to cause the other.
1.
First, mankind had to be reconciled to God. Man the sinner becomes an enemy of God when he transgresses God's law.
a.
Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God to suffer man's penalty.
b.
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
c.
He was our peace, breaking down the barrier of sin and law (Ephesians 2:14-15) (cf. also Colossians 1:20).
d.
Man, however, must exercise faith and obedience in order to avail himself of this peace (Romans 5:1-2).
2.
When man has thus availed himself of this peace through the access of faith it brings that peace of mind and soul which is subjective and inner.
a.
It is a perfect (complete) peace (Isaiah 26:3).
b.
It brings cheer (John 16:33).
c.
It passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).
d.
It rules our hearts (Colossians 3:15).
e.
It is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
3.
Both aspects of it to be preached (Acts 10:36).
Conclusion
I.
ALTHOUGH HE MUST SAY GOODBYE FOR AWHILE, IT IS A DEPARTURE THAT BRINGS HAPPINESS, FRUITFULNESS, PEACE
A.
He does not leave His disciples as orphans.
1.
They are not fatherless, for their Father came and manifested Himself to themdemonstrated His love and care for them.
2.
They are not homeless because their Master is preparing a dwelling place for them of permanent rest.
3.
They are not lost for they are walking in Him, the Light, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
4.
They are not deserted for they have a divine Helper.
B.
All who do not believe and obey Christ are the most pathetic orphans the world has ever known.
1.
They have no Heavenly Fathertheir father is the devil.
2.
They have no home but must face eternal unrest and torment in the hellish abyss.
3.
They are even now lost and are wandering as blind men in the darkness.
4.
They have no Helper.
II.
HIS GOODBYE WILL RESULT IN THEIR CARRYING ON THE WORK WHICH HE BEGAN
A,
They, and all believers, will become co-laborers with God in the redemption of the world.
B.
They, and all believers, will be crowned with the victor's reward for faithful service.
III.
HIS GOODBYE MEANS THE SPIRIT WILL COME AND TAKE RESIDENCE IN ALL WHO BELIEVE AND DESIRE HIM
A.
He will bring joy and fruitfulness into men's lives.
B.
He will make the hidden wisdom of God known to men through the apostles.
IV.
HIS GOODBYE MEANS PEACE FOR ALL MEN WHO WILL ACCEPT IT BY FAITH
A,
A peace more wonderful than anything the world can ever offer.
B.
A peace which passes all understanding.
C.
A peace and calm which overcomes all the storms of this life.