scripture

Continuing our journey through John

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one.

12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus prays for his disciples.  You would think that any deity, power figure, superstar would have it the other way around; people ought to be concerned, praying for, and serving him instead.

We find in Jesus’ prayer here that his heart is with his people.

He banks his glory on imperfect broken people.

Not only that he asks that they continue to do his work in his name.  Jesus states that he sanctifies himself for others.

It seems to make no sense but Jesus wraps his identity into us, as he and the Father are one.

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Continuing our journey though John

17 Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”

18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’?20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.

30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “You believe at last!” Jesus answered.

32 “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

There is tremendous pain before a child is born.  There is grief and joy, mourning and dancing.  It seems like suffering is often the gateway towards joy and contentment.

The potential for rejoicing doesn’t negate the reality of our tragedies.  However, what’s tragic is when we allow pain to overcome us to the point where we’re never able to see the joy when it’s time.

Jesus doesn’t say that he will remove us from all troubles in this world.  Instead he declares that he himself has overcome it, and because of that we can have peace in the midst of trouble.

Is this possible? Have you ever experienced it in your own life?

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Continuing our journey through John:

1 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.

4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;

11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

Christ had no ego or control issues.  If anything you would imagine he had a huge mandate to accomplish and yet he was able to leave.  He wasn’t concerned with what people would think of him, or how it would look, or if things messed up.

He just trusted that the Spirit of God would speak into the hearts of his people.

Can we trust the Spirit as Christ does?

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Continuing our journey through john

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunest so that it will be even more fruitful.3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command.15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.17 This is my command: Love each other.

v2 – ‘He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit’ – Could it be that there are elements of Christ that bear no fruit?  Is this blasphemous?  Or could he be talking about us, those of us within Christ?  Is it okay to have parts that don’t bear fruit?

v8 – To God’s glory – that we bear fruit – that we manifest ourselves as disciples of Christ – even if there are areas that don’t produce fruit in our lives, our mandate is to produce, to create, to model and exemplify Christ

v11 – we can have joy, but there is a greater joy that only Christ can complete

v12 – what’s Christ’s command?  That we love each other as he has loved us.  - Does this get any clearer?

Let us learn how to love each other.

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Continuing our exploration of the book of John

15 “If you love me, keep my commands.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the 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.18 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.20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus replied, ”Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.24 Anyone 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.26 But the Advocate, 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.

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.29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,

31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.

What does it mean to love Jesus?  Really?  What kind of God appeals to us to follow him, not simply because he is mighty, but out of our own love for him?

You don’t see Jesus trying to get people to love him in this passage.  It’s more of a question of what do you do, and how do you show that love you already have.

What does it mean for Christ to reside within us?  Is it a binary condition?

Judas asks quite a simple and poignant question – Why does Christ not show himself to the entire world?  Jesus doesn’t seem to even remote answer him.  Could there be a possibility that somewhere in this passage, in the thrust of obeying his teaching, and doing as Christ did – Christ is revealing himself to the entire world?

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