Daily Devotions
John
Back to the subject of returning to the Father
Text: John 14 : 12 - 31
BACK TO THE SUBJECT OF RETURNING TO THE FATHER
Jesus brought His Disciples back to the solemn reality of His soon departure from the earth. He had given much food for thought to His Disciples. He had spoken to them about the certain hope of a hope in heaven. He urged them to focus on the great promises of His assistance in prayer, and of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Had they understood all that Jesus had said to them? Why did He say all these things to them?
“I will not leave you orphans;
I will come to you.”
John 14:18
Jesus will have to leave the Disciples. But they would not have to feel that they were now as bereft as orphans. No father has ever made such wondrous provision as Jesus did. His promises would more than make up for the loss that the Disciples would feel in their hearts.
Jesus would come to them. There are at least two major thoughts to bear in mind as we ponder over what Jesus meant by this phrase.
1. The Disciples would see Him in His Resurrected Body
This was something that would be an entirely new experience for the Disciples. They couldn’t imagine how that would be possible. Nevertheless, Jesus made that promise. He would come to them… soon.
2. The Disciples would have the Spirit of Truth representing Jesus with them
The ministry of the Spirit of Truth would be akin to having Jesus with His Disciples. Thus Jesus could say to His Disciples, “I will come to you”. The Apostle Peter in his first general epistle described the Holy Spirit in this manner,
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired
and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace
that would come to you, searching what, or what manner
of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating
when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ
and the glories that would follow.”
1 Peter 1:10-11
There was no mistaking Peter’s understanding. The Spirit of Truth was so closely associated with Jesus that He may indeed rightly be called “The Spirit of Christ”.
THE CONCLUSION OF THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS
Jesus had come to the end of His mission on earth. As He reflected on this thought He said,
“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more,
but you will see Me.
Because I live, you will live also.”
John 14:19
How sad and solemn were these words. Would the world miss Jesus when He no longer walked in it? The multitudes might miss Him a little, for they would no longer see Him perform mighty miracles. But it would soon forget Him.
His enemies couldn’t be happier if He died. They had plotted and schemed to put Him to death!
We cannot but recall what John wrote in his prologue, as he took up a pen to write his Gospel.
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him.
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
John 1:10-11
DEATH IN THE CONTEXT OF ETERNAL LIFE
Jesus never spoke of His death as final, only factual! If He spoke of death, He would mention it in the context of eternal life. This was His promise to all who had placed their faith in Him as their Saviour and Lord.
He would live again. Death could not hold Him! Wondrously He applied the significance of what He said to His Disciples.
“Because I live, you will live also.”
John 14:19
Could the Disciples understand what He said? Jesus spoke of Life in its truest form! He had promised and given them eternal life! He had promised that those who believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Could the Disciples comprehend what He had just said?
He had spoken on this subject on numerous occasions. Let us take time to recall some of the statements He made concerning eternal life.
“Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who hears My word and believes in Him
who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come
into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 5:24
“Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in Me has everlasting life.”
John 6:47
Jesus sought to help His Disciples to overcome the deep fear that had always haunted mankind – the fear of facing the unknown and death! Death was not an unknown. Death was an enemy that Jesus would defeat by His own death. He Lives! We live too.