João 14
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 14
Cole explains - Jesus is giving these words about obedience to His disciples to comfort and encourage them on the night before He died on the cross. He knew the trials that they would face after His departure. He knew that they would be sustained through those trials by entering into a closer relationship with Him. Here He tells them (and us) how to do that. (Knowing Christ More Intimately John 14:21-24) He who has (present tense) My commandments and (continually) keeps (tereo in present tense) them is the one who loves (agapao) Me; and he who loves (agapao) Me will be loved (agapao) by My Father, and I will love (agapao) him and will disclose (emphanizo) Myself to him - This verse echoes Jesus' words in Jn 14:15. Notice the present tense verbs which speak of one's lifestyle. Jesus is not speaking of perfection but of the direction of one's life (See Pink's note below). Don't misunderstand what Jesus is saying -- He is not saying by keeping His commandments, one can enter into an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son. Jesus' words apply only to those who are already believers, because we know that no one can keep the commandments perfectly which is what would be necessary to be saved. Stated another way, obedience to His commandments is the fruit, not the root of salvation. One other caveat is that obedience does not equate with legalism, "do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that,etc). True obedience is motivated by love (and enabled by the Spirit) and not by legalism, not by trying to keep the commandments. Love for Jesus motivates obedience to Jesus. Of course, for believers today that quality of "God-like" (sacrificial, seeking highest good) love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Ro 5:5+, Gal 5:22+). Also as John explains "We love, because He first loved us." (1Jn 4:19) We are able to love, because we have been supernaturally enabled to love by God's love for us. The Spirit of Jesus enables us to continue to manifest that love. THOUGHT - Now that the Spirit has come to all believers, it is only by depending on His supernatural power that we are enabled to obey the commandments. One of the best verses to explain this critical spiritual dynamic is Php 2:13NLT+ where Paul explains that God in us (aka the Spirit) is continually "energizing" us, giving us the DESIRE (to obey) and the POWER (to obey). Natural strength cannot enable us to live a supernatural life, which is why it is so critical that we as believers understand our continual (desperate) need to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit (Eph 5:18+) Who Alone can enable us to obey the command to continually walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16+)! See related discussion of The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked! Obedience is the touchstone of love for Jesus and for God. Oh, the blessings of Spirit enabled obedience. No blessing is greater than the Father's love and the Son's love and disclosure of Himself! Surely this verse is "holy ground!" While every believer has experienced God's love (cf Ro 5:5+), what Jesus is promising is a greater degree or depth of intimacy and fellowship linked with our obedience. THOUGHT - If you are a believer who feels far from God, guess who moved? Such a one would do well to examine their heart for any unconfessed sins which will grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. A good prayer is David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." We see another great prayer in Ephesians where we can beseech God that "He would grant (us), according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in (our) hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-21+) This is a great prayer for progressively deeper levels of intimacy with God. Have you ever prayed this for yourself beloved? Try it (after practicing 1Jn 1:9 if necessary), praying in confidence based on the promise in 1Jn 5:14-15+. Has My commandments is an interesting phrase and is surely more than having the commandment written down on a piece of papyrus or paper, but far better having them written down on one's heart (cf Memorization as in Ps 119:9,11+). Psalm 37:31 says "The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip." Or as
João 14
Cole - The Jews thought that the Messiah would reveal Himself openly and rule over a political kingdom. Jesus’ triumphal entry had given the disciples hope that He would soon be on the throne. But they didn’t understand that in His first coming, Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). (Knowing Christ More Intimately John 14:21-24) Gotquestions.org (see full note below) on Judas (not Iscariot) - Jerome, a fourth-century Bible scholar, dubbed Thaddeus “Trinomious,” which means “the man with three names.” In both the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the apostle is listed as Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18). In the King James Version of Matthew 10:3, he is called “Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.” Luke, however, replaces the name Thaddeus with “Judas son of James” in both Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13. And when the apostle John mentions Thaddeus, he calls him “Judas (not Iscariot)” (John 14:22). C H
João 14
Cole on peace - This peace is three-dimensional. (1) First, we enjoy peace with God because Christ bore the penalty for our sins on the cross. As Romans 5:1....(2) Second, we can enjoy the peace of God in the midst of life’s difficult times. This peace only comes to those who first have peace with God through faith in Christ.....(3) The third form of God’s peace is peace with others (Ephesians 2:14) (For more discussion see Joy and Peace for Troubled Times John 14:25-31) THOUGHT- Anxiety has been described as “a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” (Arthur Roche, Reader’s Digest, [6/88], p. 159.) Does that describe you? It doesn’t have to! The Lord Jesus who ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit wants you to believe in Him and experience the joy and peace that He gives for all your troubled times. (Joy and Peace for Troubled Times ) John MacArthur on the peace the world gives - In the truest sense, no real peace is to be found in the world. Godless people in a godless world are by nature enemies of God and in a state of resultant turmoil. The world only offers an experience of a momentary, fleeting tranquility through self-indulgence, materialism, love, romance, substance abuse, false religion, psychotherapy, or a host of other placebos. But the world's pseudopeace is in reality the bliss of ignorance. If unbelievers understood the wrath of God, and the agonizing, unrelieved, eternal torment awaiting them in hell, they would never enjoy a moment's peace in this life. (See John Commentary) Merrill Tenney - Jesus himself was "troubled" (Jn 12:27) by the impending Crucifixion. The peace he spoke of is the calmness of confidence in God. Jesus had this peace because he was sure of the Father's love and approval. The world can give only false peace, which mostly comes from the ignorance of peril or self-reliance. Jesus, fully aware of the distressing suffering confronting him, had such confidence in the purpose and power of the Father that he moved forward unhesitatingly to meet the crisis without fear. His peace would be the source of courage for the disciples. With his promise of peace, he repeated the words of comfort he had spoken in reply to Peter's question: "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (cf. Jn 14:1). The disciples must have continued to show their dismay as they contemplated Jesus' departure. (Ibid) John