Lesson #25

JOHN 14
Lesson #25
JESUS’ PREPARATION FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

• Memory verse: John 14:15

• In chapter 13, Jesus ate His final meal with His disciples. His words were to comfort the eleven disciples He was leaving behind. His words in John 14 were to see them through the dark days of turmoil that followed. It is this very personal relationship between Jesus and his followers that is so endearing of all Jesus’ words. In this section of scripture Jesus:
• Answered some of their confusion.
• Anchored their faith in Him personally.
• Promised the coming of the Holy Spirit.
• Promised that He would return for them.
• There is no more important scripture for understanding the role of the Holy Spirit than John 14, 15, and 16.

• Read Joh 14:1-11

• “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

(1)

• There are many people who claim to believe in God, but do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This verse tells us clearly that if we believe in God, our belief in Jesus is not mis-placed, for belief in Jesus is also belief in God, the Father.
• With the Greek word, believe, has attached to it a little preposition that means “into” or “upon”.
• Therefore, saving faith is not just head knowledge but an active faith of the heart. Jesus is the one you put your trust “into” or “upon” to be saved.
• “In my Father’s house are many mansions…”

(2)

• What is the Father’s house?
• This universe created by God is the Father’s house.
• When God created this universe, He created it with the plan that it would house all His creation. That included plants, animals, and humans.
• What are the mansions?
• The word, mansions, means literally = abiding places.
• This is the place where we will live for the thousand-year reign of Christ in the millennium, and the place where we will spend eternity.
• It is called in scripture, the new Jerusalem and described in Rev 21 and 22.
• Read Rev 22:2-3
• How can we reconcile two statements that seem contrary to one another. “…I go to prepare a place for you.” (2) and Mat 25:34 which says, “…inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”
• If the kingdom was prepared from the foundation of the world, what did Jesus mean when He said He was going to prepare a place for us?
• The passage in Mat 25 speaks about creation in general.
• The passage in Joh 14 refers to s specific place uniquely made to correspond to each individual believer’s character and needs.
• This is an amazing thought, that Jesus considers us so uniquely special that He will make our eternal home uniquely ours.
• “…I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

(3)

• What did Jesus mean that He would come again?
• Did He mean He would appear to them after the resurrection? (16:16)
• Did He mean He would come in the form of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? (Joh 14-16)
• Did He mean He would come in the rapture of the church when believers would be resurrected to a new body and be forever present with Him? (14:2)
• Did He mean He would come at the event of the second coming to reign as king in His earthly kingdom on earth for 1000 years?
• When Jesus comes in the rapture for His church, we will go to be with Him. From that point in time into eternity, believers will always be present with the Lord wherever He goes.
• Read 1The 4:16-18
• Thomas wants to know the place and the way. Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (6)
• The disciples now knew where they were going and how they were going to get there, thanks to Thomas’ question. (5)
• As believers they were going to be with God the Father.
• Jesus is the way to get there.
• Jesus is the way to salvation with God. He is the truth by which you live your life. He is the eternal life of an eternity in God’s presence.
• This is the sixth of the major “I am” statements of deity.
• Jesus is the way. He is not a way or just the one who shows the way.
• He is not just any truth but the standard for truth.
• He is the creator of life, the sustainer of life, and the giver of life.
• “…no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

(6)

• Jesus is very specific, very restrictive, and very dogmatic in this statement.
• Many people say that Christianity is too narrow, too restrictive, and very dogmatic. They are correct. However, it is not because of the attitude of Christians, it is because of the statements like this one, made by God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• God has a right to be restrictive and dogmatic. It does not matter how much people want to be all inclusive and universal in their attitude toward salvation, for it is not man who makes the rules.
• Philip wants to see God, the Father.

• “…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?…”

(9)

• This simple question to Philip tells us that Jesus and God, the Father, are the same.
• Jesus did not say, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known God? Instead, He equates God with Himself.
• The disciples saw Jesus and therefore, they saw the Father. (9)
• However, God, the Father, is a Spirit (Joh 4:24), and you cannot see a spirit (Joh 1:18).
• Therefore, Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God, the Father, that man could ever see.
• The complete integration, coordination, and consistency of words and works: (10)
• As humans, our words and works are seldom consistent. We don’t always say what we mean, nor mean what we say.
• Jesus’ words and works were completely consistent one with the other and with God, the Father.
• Jesus’ words and His works were His testimony. (11)
• His words were directly from God.
• His works were done by God.

• Read Joh 14:12-14

• “…He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do…”

(12)

• What works will the believer do that are greater than those that Jesus did?
• The word, “greater”, seems to refer more to quantity rather than quality. With the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer, the greater number of believers will bear fruit to correspond to larger quantity of works done for the kingdom of God.
• Bringing souls into the kingdom of God through salvation in Jesus Christ is a greater miracle than the temporary healing of the physical body.
• There is unlimited power with the presence of the Holy Trinity living inside the New Testament believer.
• Notice the relationship between prayer and greater works (12-13)
• Notice the relationship between greater works and what will glorify God. (13)
• “…whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do…”

(13)

• In Jesus’ names means to stand in Christ’s place and ask anything that is within the character and will of God.
• In other words, if Jesus was still here in the flesh, what would He ask God to do?
• Jesus is passing spiritual authority to the disciples and in turn to all believers.
• Praying in Jesus’ name is praying according to God’s character and will. It is praying in unity of purpose with God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son, that God will receive the glory.
• Prayer in Jesus’ name means to pray:
• In conformity with the purpose of His kingdom.
• Jesus’ purpose was to glorify God, the Father.
• In conformity with a larger perspective.
• Jesus’ perspective was not to meet His own needs but those of others.
• In conformity with an obedient life.
• Jesus’’ plan was to live a perfect life without sin.
• In conformity with the peace of God.
• Jesus’ promise of peace would guide the believer into the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
• In conformity with the will of God.
• Read 1Joh 5:14-15
• However, Jesus’ commitment to do whatever we ask is based on verse 15…love and obedience.

• Read Joh 5:15-31 The promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit
• For the first time in the experience of belief in God, we find the promise of the continual indwelling Holy Spirit.
• In the Old Testament, believers did not experience a continual presence of the Spirit of God living inside of them. The Holy Spirit came upon believers periodically to perform some specific task and then He left.
• Jesus begins to explain to His disciples this new aspect of the continual presence of the Holy Spirit, the role of the Holy Spirit in this New Testament age of grace, and the benefits to the believer.
• “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

(15)

• Obedience and love are uniquely linked. The more we love Jesus, the more we will want to obey Him. The more we obey Him, the more we will see Him work in our lives. The more we see Him work in our lives, the more we will love Him.
• For this cycle of discipleship to take hold and continue in our lives, we need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
• The receiving of the presence of the Holy Spirit depends upon a life that has been yielded to Jesus Christ.
• “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”

(16)

• The word, “comforter”, in the Greek is “parakletos” which means = strength alongside. He is the counselor, advocate, or helper and implies one who comes alongside to help you. The title, Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is more of a description than a name. His name is Comforter.
• The third member of the Holy Trinity is “another” helper or counselor of the same order as Jesus Himself.
• Just as Jesus was God’s personal representative or advocate on earth (1Joh 2:1), so is the Holy Spirit the personal representative or advocate of Jesus Christ.
• Just as Jesus is equal with God, so is the Holy Spirit, equal with Jesus Christ, and God, the Father.
• Just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray, so also the Holy Spirit helps us to pray intelligently when we are ignorant. (Rom 8:26-27)
• Notice that Jesus specifically says that this Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will never leave the believer. (16)
• This is the difference between the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
• We can clearly see this difference in David’s prayer after he sinned and had a sexual relationship with Bathsheba.
• Read Psa 51:11
• David was afraid that God would surely remove the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit from him.
• When a New Testament believer sins, the Holy Spirit does not leave but His power and presence are both quenched and grieved. (1Tes 5:19 Eph 4:30)
• “Even the Spirit of truth…”

(17)

• The Spirit of truth is one of the other names for the Holy Spirit.
• The role of the Holy Spirit is to reveal truth to the believer.
• The indwelling Holy Spirit enables the believer to recognize truth from error.
• The indwelling Holy Spirit enables the believer to understand God’s truth in His Word.
• How does the Holy Spirit operate as the Spirit of truth?
• The moment the believer receives Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of him forever. He writes the truth of God’s law in the heart of the new believer so he will be sensitive to God’s will. (2Cor 3:3 Heb 8:10)
• The Holy Spirit brings to the mind of the believer the appropriate scripture at the appropriate time. (Luk 12:11-12)
• “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him…”

(17)

• The natural man (the unbeliever) is unaware of the moving of the Holy Spirit.
• The natural man cannot receive the Holy Spirit or the truth He brings.
• The natural man cannot understand the moving of the Holy Spirit.
• Despite these inabilities of the unbeliever, the Holy Spirit unknowingly works in the heart of the non-believer to bring him to the point of realizing his sinfulness and his need of a savior.
• “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

(18)

• The word, “comfortless”, means = orphans.
• Which coming did Jesus mean?
• In the context of this statement, He is speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would come to live inside the believer permanently for the first time.
• “…the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”

(19)

• Jesus prepares His disciples for the crucifixion just hours away, but ends with two promises.
• The disciples will see Jesus again in his post-resurrection appearances.
• The disciples will have eternal life.
• The life of the Son of God depends on life in God, the Father.
• The life of the believer depends on life in Jesus, the Son.
• “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”

(20)

• To what day does Jesus refer? There are differing opinions:
• Jesus is talking about the day of resurrection for the believer. That occurs at the rapture of the church.
• Jesus is talking about the day of Pentecost when the believer experienced the indwelling aspect of the Holy Trinity.
• It is not until the believer is resurrected that he will fully understand this concept of a reciprocal, abiding relationship.
• “…ye in me…”

(20

• Jesus refers to salvation that occurs at one point in time when Christ enters the heart.
• “…I en you.”

(20)

• Jesus refers to the sanctification process that occurs as the believer matures in Christ.
• The concept of a reciprocal, abiding relationship:
• In verse 16 Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would abide in the believer.
• The word “abide”, means = to dwell continually in.
• It refers to a constant, intimate relationship of the believer with the members of the Holy Trinity.
• Jesus encourages the disciples by repeating this idea of abiding in verse 23. In fact this concept is so important for the disciples to grasp that Jesus will repeat it various more times in the remainder of the book of John.
• Love: (21, 23-24)
• Jesus restates the relationship between love and obedience. (15)
• Obedience to what?
• Remember that Jesus said the first commandment was to love God with all your heart and strength, and the second commandment was to love others as yourself.
• Obedience to the commandment of love fulfills all other commandments. (Mar 12:29-31 1Joh 3:23-24)
• What do we learn in this passage about love and obedience?
• Love is more than words. It involves a commitment to a relationship.
• Love comes before obedience, which comes before revelation.
• God reveals His will to those who love Him and are committed to obey beforehand.
• Jude, the brother of James (22)
• The author, John, is clear to tell us this Judas was not Judas Iscariot. Instead he was the brother of James as mentioned in Luk 6:16.
• “But the Comforter…he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

(26)

• It is the illuminating role of the Holy Spirit to teach the believer the will and the way of God.
• He is an internal teacher who causes the believer to understand the Word of God.
• Because the Holy Spirit uses the Word written on the heart of the believer, He is able to call to remembrance scriptures that the believer needs at critical times.
• It is because of this feature that we have the writings by the disciples like Matthew, Peter, and John.
• Peace (27)
• With the drama of the crucifixion looming over them, Jesus promises a supernatural peace for His disciples.
• With the abiding, comforting presence of the Holy Spirit, peace is insured.
• However, the perfect peace comes to those who are fully yielded in love and obedience to the Lord, body, soul, and spirit.
• “…my Father is greater than I”

(28)

• As a member of the Holy Trinity, Jesus claimed equality with God, the Father. Then, how do you explain verse 28?
• The three members of the Holy Trinity are equal, one with the other, in essence, nature, and character. However, God, the Father, holds a higher office than Jesus, the Son, and is greater in function, office, and position.
• “…when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”

(29)

• Jesus refers to the resurrection. When the resurrection occurs, the disciples will fully believe with greater understanding.
• “…the prince of this world…”

(30)

• This title refers to Satan who would do his work at the betrayal and crucifixion with the thought that he could win in the end.
• “…as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do…”

(31)

• The crucifixion was the commandment that God gave Jesus, the Son.
• Summary:
• In this passage of scripture, what do you learn about the role of the Holy Spirit?
• The Holy Spirit gives:
• A deep awareness of the awesome love of God for the individual which gives the believer the ability to express God’s unconditional love toward others.
• A sense of God’s presence and guidance to fulfill a purpose in life so that the believer never feels alone or like an orphan.
• A realization of a special and intimate relationship with God that makes the believer a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
• An ability and power to obey Christ’s commands for the purposes of living a righteous life.
• The Greek indicates a willingness to obey not because you have to, but because you want to, out of a motivation of love.
• An ability to recognize and understand the truth of God and His Word, so that God is now able to reveal the depths of the secrets of His heart to the believer.
• What are the benefits to the believer of the presence of the Holy Spirit?
• Seven new possibilities by the new indwelling Sprit. (Joh 14)

• #1= Obedience

(15)

• The Old Testament believer was obligated to keep the Mosaic law and discovered that he did not have the ability to keep it.
• The New Testament believer has the indwelling Spirit who convicts, encourages, and strengthens the believer in his conformance with the will of God through obedience.
• #2= Awareness

(20)

• The Old Testament believer feared God because of his inability to keep God’s law.
• The New Testament believer is aware of God’s continual intimate love and concern.
• #3= Ability

(21)

• The Old Testament believer was unable to keep God’s law and to share God’s love.
• The New Testament believer has the ability to express God’s love because he has the ability to follow God’s commands.
• #4= Presence

(21, 23)

• The Old Testament believer often felt alienated and isolated from a God he was not worthy to approach.
• The New Testament believer is aware of God’s approachabiltiy through the blood of Jesus Christ by the indwelling Spirit.
• #5= Teaching

(26)

• The Old Testament believer knew the law of God on a mental level, but he could not relate to it on a spiritual level.
• The New Testament believer can supernaturally understand the inspiration of God that is revealed in His Word.
• #6= Motivation

(21, 23)

• The Old Testament law did not motivate the believer to keep the law. Instead, the law prompts the natural man to rebel.
• The New Testament believer is motivated by the Spirit within through love.
• #7= Acceptance

(27)

• The Old Testament believer could never feel the peace of full acceptance by God through keeping the law for one never knows how much is good enough.
• The New Testament believer can know he is accepted by God through Jesus Christ because the Spirit gives him that peace.

HOMEWORK
John 15
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Joh 14
• Which of the following aspects of this chapter were most meaningful to you and your life:
• The indwelling Holy Spirit? Why?
• The relationship between obedience and love? Why?
• Preparation for Joh 15
• Read Joh 15:1-8
• Through a metaphor, Jesus demonstrates his relationship between Himself and his believers. Explain how this relationship works based on the symbolism.
• Read Joh 15:9-17
• What commands does the Lord give the disciples?
• What promises does the Lord give the disciples?
• Read Joh 15:18-25
• What do you learn about persecution and hatred?
• Read Joh 15:26-27
• What do you learn about the role of the Holy Spirit?
• Memory verse: Joh 15:8