JOHN 14:15–24 JESUS SAID IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS

John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.  16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

 In this section of Scripture Jesus defines a true Christian as one who keeps His commandments.  He is very clear; those who do not obey Jesus are not really saved no matter how much they go to church or know their Bible, or how many good deeds they do.  This cannot be any more clear.  How many today will say they are going to Heaven but do not live in any way that looks like what a Christian is supposed to be according to the Bible?  Jesus does not say we get to Heaven by doing good works, but that if we are saved we will do them.  Look at James 2:14-17 and Ephesians 2:8-10.  They both say we are saved by faith, but the faith that saves is never alone, it is always accompanied by good works which are the evidence of salvation.  Jesus says this four different times in this passage.  I think he wants us to know that the way we know someone is saved is if they keep His word which is His commandments.  He also tells us that He will send the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us forever.  He will take Jesus place as our encourager and helper in this world.  He also tells us that if we keep His commandments the Father will love us too and He and the Father will come to us and live with us forever since they are coming to make their home with us.

 15 ¶ "If you love Me, keep My commandments. Joh 14:21, 23; 15:10, 14; 1Jo 5:3

V 15-17 Packed into that paragraph are six remarkable facts centering about the person of this other Counselor: First, we learn that he will be a gift from the Father to true believers. I put it that way because our Lord identifies loving obedience as the mark of a true believer. A true believer is one who has been drawn to Christ by love and is ready to obey what he says.

The second thing Jesus says is that this Spirit will be "another," a separate but similar Person to himself.

The third fact Jesus announces is that the Spirit will be a continually abiding presence: He will be "with you forever." That means that the Spirit only comes once into our lives. He does not come again and again. He comes to abide, to dwell with us.

The fourth fact is that the Spirit will be a revealer of truth.

The fifth thing, Jesus says, is that this remarkable new resource is unavailable to the world. "The world cannot receive him because it neither sees him or knows him."

The sixth fact Jesus discloses is that this will be a resource that is available from within. "You know him," he says to these disciples, "for he dwells with you, and will be in you."

There is only one test of love that is valid and that is the test of obedience.

This connection seems designed to teach that the proper temple for the indwelling Spirit of Jesus is a heart filled with that love to Him which lives actively for Him, and so this was the fitting preparation for the promised gift.

 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--

Joh 15:26; 16:7; Ro 8:15,26

Now, really there's kind of a pun here, and there are a lot of puns in the New Testament, if you know the Greek language, this is one of them. Jesus here makes a beautiful play on words because He chooses the word paraklētŏs. The word can mean helper and it can mean Comforter. They need a comforter...right? Because they're all torn ... in turmoil. They need to be comforted. That's the point of the whole chapter. So, Jesus says   I'm going to send a Comforter. They need a helper, a power source. He says   I'm going to send a helper. And the pun is He uses the same word for both, paraklētŏs.

There are two words in the Greek for another. One word is heteros ... that means another similar. It doesn't really matter. If I said to you   Give me another pair of glasses, and I use the word heteros, you could give me any¬thing. You could give me sunglasses, motorcycle glasses; you could give me women's glasses, any kind of glasses. It wouldn't make a bit of difference cause heteros means another of any kind. From which we get our word heterodox which means mixed.

But then they had another word. They had a word allŏs which also meant another and it meant another of the exact, identical, specific kind without one single variation. And that's exactly the word used here ... allŏs. Now if I said to you   Give me something allŏs you would have to give every little single detail exactly the same as these are, without one variation. That's the meaning of the word allŏs. And Jesus said to them   When I go away I'm not going to grab bag it and just send you any old helper, I'm going to send you allŏs helper, one exactly, essentially in every detail what I am. Now do you see the theological significance of that word? He is, in effect, saying   I am sending you One exactly the same essence as Myself. And you know that since the disciples understood Greek when He said allŏs that rang the bell and they immediately knew what He was saying. He is not sending back just any old comforter but One exactly like Himself. And did you know that Jesus was, in fact, the first paraklete, He was the original called along side to help? He was the original Comforter. In fact, what do you read here in chapter 14? What's He doing? Comforting. What's He been doing for three years with these men? Helping them. Walking with them... their constant companion. He is the original paraclete.

In fact, in I John 2:1 it even tells us that. It says: "My little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not. If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." And the word advocate is the same word ... paraklētŏs ... Jesus is the original Comforter, the original Paraclete, the original Helper. And when He went away He sent another One back. Now if you just think about that for a minute that means that you as a believer have two Helpers, two Comforters, two Paracletes, two Advocates ... the Spirit of God within you on earth and Christ the Son Of God at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Its proper sense is an “advocate,” “patron,” “helper.” In this sense it is plainly meant of Christ (1Jn 2:1), and in this sense it comprehends all the comfort as well as aid of the Spirit’s work. The Spirit is here promised as One who would supply Christ’s own place in His absence.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you•. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ •does not belong to him.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Jesus spoke of the Trinity in the following relationships. The Son would request that the Father send the Spirit to take the Son's place as the believer's encourager and strengthener. It was hard for these Jewish believers who had grown up believing that there is but one God to grasp that Jesus was God. It must have been even more difficult for them to think of the Spirit of God as a person rather than as God's influence. Nevertheless  New  Testament  revelation  is  clear  that  there  are  three Persons within the Godhead (e.g., 2 Cor. 13:14).

Both of these English words have connotations that are absent from the Greek word. Helper connotes an inferior, which the Holy Spirit is not. Counsellor can call to mind a camp counsellor or a marriage counsellor whereas a legal counsellor is more in harmony with the Greek idea.

The Spirit of God had come on Old Testament believers temporarily to give them strength, but normally He did not remain with them (cf. Ps.51:11). What Jesus spoke of here was an abiding relationship in which the Spirit remained with believers for the rest of their lives (cf. Rom. 8:9). This  new  relationship  to  the  Holy  Spirit  is  one  of  the  distinctive differences between the church age and former dispensations. It is a blessing few Christians appreciate as we should.

Eze 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Joh 15:26; 16:13; 1Co 2:14; 1Jo 2:27; 4:6

Jesus now identified the Helper as the Spirit of truth (cf. 15:26; 16:13), that is, the Spirit who would bear witness to and communicate the truth (cf. v. 6; 1:32-33; 3:5-8; 4:23-24; 6:63; 7:37-39).

Why is He called that? Look at chapter 16, verse 13, I'll show you. Very simple, "Nevertheless, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into" ... what? ... "All truth." That's why He's called the Spirit of truth. He not only is the essence of truth because He's God, but He guides you into truth and thus is He called the Spirit of truth.

"To be filled with the Spirit is the same as to be controlled by the Word. The Spirit of Truth uses the Word of truth to guide us into the will and the work of God."

In the future, after Jesus returned to the Father, the Spirit would not just be with them but in them. This is another distinctive ministry of the Spirit in the present age. He indwells believers (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13). That ministry began on Pentecost when the church began (Acts 2:4; cf. Acts 1:5; 11:15).

Oh, what a statement. He dwells with you. They know who the Holy Spirit is. Why, who is it that's been operating through Christ all these three years? Who is it? It's the Holy Spirit. Christ said He did what He did by the power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, when they attributed His works to Satan Jesus said they had blasphemed not Him but whom? They had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. For it was the Spirit working through Christ and so what is He saying to them? He's saying you know Him, He's been with you. You know the Holy Spirit; He's dwelling with you as He has in all the Old Testament.

Ezekiel in chapter 36, verse 27, and in chapter 37, verse 14, both those verses, Ezekiel gives the, wonderful prophecy   I will put My Spirit within you. And there it has great reference, of course, to the kingdom, and to Israel, but certainly was initially fulfilled in the church age. And so those prophecies, though it not yet totally fulfilled, given by Ezekiel, are first of all prefilled in the church, the Spirit is in us and in a greater sense will also be in us in the Kingdom when the promise is fulfilled to Israel. The New Testament then teaches the Holy Spirit is in is. What did Paul say? "What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit." The Spirit is in you.

 18 ¶ "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. Mt 28:20; Joh 14:3,28

In view of the context that describes the Spirit's coming (vv. 16-17, 25-26), we might conclude that His coming in the Spirit is in view (cf. v. 23). However the passage seems to present Jesus as offering the disciples His personal presence. He had described the coming of the Spirit, but what about His personal return to them? This question, which would have been in the disciples' minds, is what Jesus appears to have been addressing here. He seems to have been referring to a post-resurrection appearance to the disciples (21:1-14). Support for this view is Jesus' assurance that His resurrection would be a pledge of their resurrection. Physical resurrections seem to be in view.

 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

Joh 10:38; 14:10; 16:16; 17:21,23,26; 1Co 15:20

 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

Joh 10:38; 14:10; 17:21,23,26

Jesus post-resurrection appearances would convince the Eleven of His deity. He described this condition as mutual abiding with the Father (cf. vv. 10-11). Moreover these appearances would also convince them of their union with Jesus. They would do so by confirming Jesus' promises of their union with Him (vv. 13-14). Some  interpreters  take  the  day  in  view  as  referring  to  Pentecost.

However because of the flow of the argument "that day" seems to refer to Easter rather than Pentecost.

 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Joh 14:15,23; 1Jo 2:5; 5:3

This passage does not teach a “works” religion, but rather that one who believes and obeys Christ’s Word is loved by the Lord. Saving faith results in obedience (cf. “the obedience that comes from faith,” Rom. 1:5).

Romans 1:1–4 (ESV) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

 The believer's obedience does not make God love him or her more than He would otherwise. God's love for all people is essentially as great as it can be. However in the family relationship that Jesus was describing the believer's obedience allows God to express His love for him or her without restraint. When there is disobedience, God does not express His love as fully because He chooses to discipline the believer (cf. Heb. 12:4-13).

In the context (vv. 18-20), this was a promise that Jesus would disclose Himself to the Eleven after His resurrection and an encouragement for them to continue obeying Him and loving Him.

Some believers love Jesus more than other believers do. This results in some  believers  obeying  Him  more  than  others  and  enjoying  a  more intimate relationship and greater understanding of Him than others enjoy. The way to become a great lover of Jesus is by learning to appreciate the greatness of His love for us (cf. Matt. 18:21-35; 1 John 4:19).

 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"

Lu 6:16

You get them so super activated, send them all out there and have the world hate them and not respond to them and you've got problems. So, rather than cause them to go charging into the world without knowledge, unwittingly, expecting much more than was going to happen, Jesus backs up and says   Men, it's going to be like I told you except don't expect the world to accept it all. You are going to do greater things but remember this   the old conflict will still be there, won't it? The unnatural ... the natural man won't see it, it will still be there.

And so, what He does is, He just tempers their enthusiasm. He brings them down to the real issue. You're going to do greater things, but Satan will be bucking it and the world will not understand.

Judas' probably the brother of James question reflects the disciples' understanding that as Messiah Jesus would manifest Himself publicly, which He had taught them (cf. Matt.24:30). The disciples did not understand that Jesus would rise again bodily (20:9)  much  less  that  the  Holy  Spirit  would  come  to  indwell  them.

Therefore it is unlikely that Judas was asking Jesus to clarify the manner of His appearing. Judas wanted to know what Jesus meant when He said that He was not going to disclose Himself publicly but just privately to the Eleven. He and his fellow disciples failed to realize that Jesus would reveal Himself to them privately after His resurrection before He revealed Himself publicly at His second advent.

 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Joh 14:15; 1Jo 2:24; Re 3:20

Jesus answered that He and the Father will not manifest themselves to those who are disobedient to His teaching. Obedience grows out of love for Jesus and His Word (cf. vv. 15, 21; 1 John 2:3; 3:22, 24; 5:3). And as a result, the Father and the Son abide (make Our home) with him. “Home” is monēn, the singular of plural monai, translated “rooms” in John 14:2. This word occurs in the New Testament only in those two verses.

Jesus did not clear up Judas' misconception apparently because He wanted to stay on the subject of the importance of loving and obeying Him. He did not deny an eschatological return, but He restated what He had just said about His post-resurrection appearance to the Eleven. Jesus stressed the principle that loving obedience always results in intimate fellowship. He was speaking here about the relationship that believers could have following Pentecost. In the process He again stressed His union with the Father.

"Salvation means we are going to heaven, but submission means that heaven comes to us!

"This truth is illustrated in the experiences of Abraham and Lot, recorded in Genesis 18 and 19. When Jesus and the two angels visited Abraham's tent, they felt right at home. They even enjoyed a meal, and Jesus had a private talk with Abraham. But our Lord did not go to Sodom to visit Lot, because He did not feel at home there. Instead, He sent the two angels. . . .

"Charles Spurgeon said, 'Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul.' Your heart can become a 'heaven on earth' as you commune with the Lord and worship Him."

In Luke 6, verse 46, Jesus said this  - "Why call ye Me Lord Lord and do not the things I say?" You see, that's the point. That's not genuine salvation.

People say to me - Well, is ... do you think so-and-so's saved? They've made a profession of faith in Christ but they never do this and they never do that, and then never ... "Why call ye Me Lord Lord and do not the things I say?" This is like a man, he goes on to say, who built his house on the sand. Sure, he had a little house there, a little religious house, built it all up. Only thing was, he built it on the wrong foundation. There are many people who say -- Lord, Lord -- and do not the things ... the things that He asks them to do. And someday He'll say to them - I never knew you. But where that love is true and obedience is the fruit, Christ comes and makes His abode. That's the point. And the true lover of Jesus, mark it, will you, friends? ... the true lover of Jesus, this is so important, does obey. Did you know that? There's no option about it. The true lover of Jesus obeys. John 17:6, Jesus reflecting on His own disciples, said this: "I have manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gave Me out of the world, Thine they were," from before the foundation of the world, every believer belonged to God, "and Thou gave them to Me and they have kept Thy word." True believers keep the Word. True believers obey. And if you see one who doesn't, I'm not to judge, let the Word of God be their judge.

 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. Joh 5:19,38; 7:16; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10

In conclusion, Jesus restated the ethical point He had made in verses 15 and 23a negatively. Lack of love for Jesus will result in lack of obedience to His teachings, which are the revelations of God the Father (cf. 12:49;14:10).

 John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.

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