8 posts from September 2008

John 16:25-33

27: The Father loves us! Daddy loves us. With all his heart.

33: Key verse: Have peace and courage within this world of fear and turmoil because Christ has defeated the world.

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John 16:16-24

21: This is so true - I have seen it happen twice with my own kids. The pain and anguish of Stephi's labor were "transformed" into joy so to speak the moment the baby was there, and were truly entirely forgotten and viewed as "more than worth it". What a great picture.

22: "No one will take your joy from you." No one. Your joy will remain. Note Jesus is not talking about his second coming here, he's talking about the resurrection. Though of course for us this has clear overtones of his second coming.
23: "You'll ask nothing of me." - not because you can't but because you'll be totally satisfied and full of joy.

Do not forget the future joy. Don't lose heart. Don't compromise. Don't let anyone take your joy from you.
Keep asking and praying. Keep on keeping on.

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John 16:1-15

8-11: So important to remember it is God Himself who is doing the spiritual work of truly changing a person's heart, of revealing truth to them. How often I feel like I need to attempt to do that in a teaching or when leading worship or when in a discussion. How much easier it would be if I would simply allow him to do the spiritual work...through me. It relieves so much of the fist-clenched-"don't you understand?!!"-frustratation.

10: Interesting what he says about righteousness having to do with Jesus no longer being visible. I think the reason is because once Jesus ascends, the only true Witness to righteousness became His Holy Spirit living through the Church. Without the Holy Spirit we would have been left alone "as orphans". (this doesn't exclude the fact that the church has still managed to screw some things up pretty royally over the past 2000 years)
14: The Spirit not only convicts, but guides and speaks and glorifies Jesus. Note as with everything in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is other-centered: He speaks not from his own authority but simply passes on what he hears and does everything to glorify Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is so vital to our faith, to our walk with God, to our ministry. Lord may I truly depend on your Spirit today. May you lead, guide, and speak to me today through your Spirit, may I listen and follow you.

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John 15:18-27

Jesus now draws a contrast between the disciples and the world, their love and its hate, their obedience and its disobedience and guilt.


22, 24: Interesting statements - Jesus gives a hypothetical view of what "would have been" if he had not come and done works that no one else did among them. He says they would not have been guilty of sin! This obviously needs balancing with Romans 1 about how no one has an excuse. But how to balance or bring the two into tension?

Part of the picture I'd say is to get away from our Western individualism. Jesus is speaking of a group in John 15 - "the world", specifically the group he had done incredible works in - Israel. Israel would not have been guilty had he not come, but he had come, so Israel had no excuse. This thought doesn't explain everything, but helps a litte bit.
It still is a tough passage though, especially when comparing it to Romans 1. Thoughts anyone?

26-27: We work together with the Spirit in the work of "bearing witness" about Christ. John LOVES the idea of "bearing witness", but this is the first time that we hear "you will bear witness"...it's getting more personal now.

Am I bearing witness together with the Spirit? Am I really?

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John 15:12-17

12: After repeating many times in the last two chapters how important his commandments are, he now brings it to a point by getting very practical: love one another like I loved you.

15: "Master-servant" is no longer a completely fitting metaphor for the relationship with God. Why not? Because servants don't get invited to family meetings for example...
16: Ah yes, Jesus the Calvinist. ;)

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John 15:1-11

4-5: Christ is the source of all our goodness and all our obedience. This shows yet again how keeping his commandments (14:15,21,etc.) does not define our relationship, rather our obedience and "fruit" comes FROM our relationship. Can no fruit be seen? Then maybe you're not connected...

"apart from me you can do nothing": our egos need to hear this over and over again: we are good-for-nothings without Christ, with whom we are good for everything.
7-8: So interesting how he doesn't say "if you abide in me, and I abide in you" but rather "...and my words abide in you." Scripture and the words of Christ are SO vital for our lives.
Also interesting that he seems to assume that what we ask for will always cause fruit that glorifies the Father. This assumption is correct...if we in fact remain connected to him and his words are in us, permeating our lives.
9: Father loves Jesus who loves us who love each other. Each "loves" in that sentence is accomplished by the Spirit.
10: He repeats the commandments idea yet AGAIN (this must be the 5th or 6th time). Do we think keeping Jesus' commandments is important yet?
11: Note the goal of all of this is pure, unadulterated JOY rather than duty. "It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you free."

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John 14:15-31

15: Pretty simple statement here, but so key: no, our relationship with Christ is not about rules, BUT obeying his commandments will follow from our relationship with Christ. Long-term disobedience to Christ means we should question whether we truly love Christ.

16: Trinity again: Christ asks, the Father gives, the Spirit counsels and helps.
17: "the Spirit will be in you" - pointing towards Pentecost here. The phrase is the same as "The Father is in me and I in the Father." Since Pentecost, God not only lives among his people, he lives IN his people.
20: So beautiful and astounding: Jesus is describing a new type of perichoresis - inviting us into the "dance of God" as Tim Keller puts it. Christ is the door into this relationship: we are in Christ, and he is in us (through the Spirit). All to the glory of the Father. Hallelujah!
21: Again Jesus inextricably connects the relationship to the commandments, not saying the essence of the relationship is in the commandments but rather showing what the visible consequence will be.
23: And he repeats it again.
24: And again, this time in the negative form to make sure we understand how the two are linked.
27: I like the phrase "don't let your hearts be troubled" - the image of a "heart on a leash" comes into mind - it is my responsibility to guard and even "stop" my heart from being overtaken by worries and fear. How? By the peace Christ gives me through the Spirit. (Philippians 4:6-7)
31: Just as we show we love Christ by obeying his commandments, Christ shows he loves his Father by obeying him. 

O self-less, submitting love of the Son, O Holy Spirit, fill my heart with peace and joy, and grant that I may walk in obedience today, flowing from the love poured out into my heart.

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John 14:1-14

6: I don't quite understand why Jesus adds "The Truth and The Life" in here, since in the context it seems he's only talking about the way. Maybe he just wants to make it clear it's not all about "the path" but also about the goal and the rightness of the path, and he is both? Hmm...in any case it's interesting...

11: Perichoresis as bright as day right there. Mutual indwelling yet still the Son and the Father are two distinct persons.
13-14: It is incredible promises like these verses that are sometimes so hard to believe, especially because Jesus doesn't qualify this at all with a phrase like "...as long as it's my will." or "...if you are filled by my Spirit." or something. Obviously he is talking to those who "believe in him" (verse 12). So true faith in Christ will lead to great works, but also to prayers that will be answered "yes" every single time. I think the reason is because such prayers, like Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, will be prayed with the heart of "Yet, not my will but your will be done."

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