John Chapter 14
Jesus knew that His disciples were having a difficult time understanding why He was saying He must die. He also knew that they would fully understand after His resurrection and ascension to heaven. The one that would help them understand was the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke of leaving them, they just could not wrap their heads around this. They had waited for so long for the Messiah to come and now He said He was leaving them to be with His Father. This place where He was going was a place where they all could be with Jesus. One follower of Jesus put into words what they were all thinking. Thomas asked, “Jesus where are you going and how can we get there?” Jesus simple answer was this – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
For all those millions of people out there that think that when they die, they will go to heaven because they have been a good person, they need to read this chapter. Jesus said that He is the way. He never said you have to clean up your life, do some good works throughout your life, be a good person and then you will be accepted. None of us can be good enough for God to allow us to enter into His holy heaven. God the Father clearly said that we must go through Jesus, He is our Shepherd gate keeper.
Let's Reflect
1. What did Jesus say He will be doing for the believers while He is back in heaven?
2. Jesus taught them a beautiful truth that applies to us today too. If we know Jesus and have a relationship with Him, we also know whom?
3. Jesus came to share the Gospel and His kingdom with the world. If we are believers in Him, we are to be doing what?
4. They thought that if Jesus was going to leave them, then this glorious ministry He started was over and they had no purpose. The opposite was true, they were going to each be promoted to becoming representatives of Jesus to the lost. Because of this multiplication effect of many representatives, Jesus said that what would happen? See verse 12.
5. Jesus promised that in this work of representing Him, any efforts that we put forth for Him, in His name and authority, will be works that He will endorse. How will we ask Him to endorse and bless our efforts?
6. According to verse 14 what is the result of the works that we do in the name of Jesus?
7. On that night, the night He was going to be arrested, He made several promises to His disciples (and to us). One of those promises was that He wasn’t going to leave us as orphans, He would send to us whom?
8. He also promised us this deep intimate relationship with Him. His resurrection would be the proof that our faith in Him is a faith in God the Father, our salvation is secure in Jesus. His resurrection power also holds a promise for us. What is that promise according to verse 19?
9. Three times Jesus mentioned in this chapter how to show that we love Him. What are we to do to show that we truly love Jesus?
10. Besides the promise that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell in us, what did Jesus also say the Holy Spirit would do for us?
11. Knowing that we have the Holy Spirit within us who is our Helper; and knowing that we will one day be with Jesus and the Father we believers have what?
Devotionals
