John 14

John 14:1-27

The Comfort Chapter John 14:1-27 WORDS We remember the statement, “Never man spake like this Man.” These words were true from many viewpoints. However, of all the wonderful things which our Lord said, there were no words which could have surpassed the statements contained in the 14th chapter of John. Chapters 15 and 16 complete the message, and present to us the very heart-throbs of the Son of God as He faced the Cross. Following the message spoken to His disciples is the prayer of Christ to the Father. This is in chapter 17, and it stands as a marvelous revelation of the union and communion of the Father and the Son. We should remember that all of these wonderful words which fell from the lips of the Master, were spoken just after He had kept the passover feast, and had established the Lord’s Supper with its breaking of bread, and its drinking of the cup; just after He had risen from the table, and had taken a towel and girding Himself had washed His disciples’ feet. It was then, with His Calvary anguish in full view that Christ said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” Christ had told Judas, “That thou doest, do quickly.” He later on said to Peter, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied Me thrice.” With all these occurrences behind Him, He now turned His face stedfastly toward the Cross. Before He went out— out to the Garden of Gethsemane, out to the betrayal, to the home of Caiaphas, to the hall of Pilate, to the presence of Herod, to the whipping post, and to the Cross— before He went out He spoke these words and uttered this prayer. His whole thought and heart seemed consumed, not with the agony He was about to suffer, not with the ignominy and shame that was about to be heaped upon Him. He was overwhelmed with a desire to glorify the Father. Never once in His Words to the disciples, or in His prayer to the Father, did He directly refer to the bitterness of the cup He was about to drink. He knew all that lay before Him. Toward that Cross and its overwhelming floods of sorrow He had been steadily moving since before the world began. Now, in the face of it all, He speaks of going away to the Father; He speaks of being hated without a cause; He says, “The hour is come,” but beyond that, there is no plea for sympathy, and no prayer for deliverance from Calvary, We stand amazed as we note that the final message of our Lord, spoken under such conditions and environments as we have shown, and under the very shadow of the Cross itself, should be so occupied with others, so filled with glory. It will be impossible for us, in one study, to touch the hem of the garment, of the message of Joh 14:1-31, John 15:1-27 and John 16:1-33, or of the prayer of Joh 17:1-26. Therefore, we are bringing before you today only an exposition of the depth of one ex-expression found twice in the 14th chapter. It is this:— “Let not your heart be troubled.” The words occur in chapter John 14:1, and again in John 14:27. The words seem to act as a sort of parenthesis in which are included so many as fourteen different reasons why saints should not be troubled. We will explain seven of these reasons for comfort. I. COMFORT, NUMBER ONE— THE COMFORT OF FAITH (John 14:1) “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” It is faith that carries us through the hours of darkness. For three years the disciples had journeyed with their Lord. They had learned to love Him and trust Him. He was now about to be taken away from them. The Cross and its suffering lay just before Him. After His Calvary Passion He was going back to the Father. He knew the Eleven would miss Him. His presence. His words of instruction, and His counsel had been everything to them. As He thought of His going away, He turned to the disciples and said, “Believe * * in Me.” Perhaps, Christ realized that in His death their faith might be shaken. At least their faith in the fact of His Deity, and His wondrous claims of unity with the Father might be shaken. For awhile, indeed, as His body lay in the tomb, they were filled with doubt, but when He came forth in resurrection power and glory they were begotten again unto a lively hope. The great bulwark of the saints from that day unto this has been their faith in God, their Saviour. How could we but believe Him! He has proved Himself worthy of every trust. He has never deceived us. His promises are “yea and amen.” Believing, let us not be troubled. II. COMFORT, NUMBER TWO— THE COMFORT OF HOPE (John 14:2) “In My Father’s House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” The Lord Jesus Christ opened the doors of Heaven that we who believe might look through. How vital, therefore, is the first statement. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” This faith prepares us for the second statement relative to the many mansions. If we believe Him, we can believe that He has gone to prepare abiding places for His saints. We can believe in the new Jerusalem with its streets of gold, its gates of pearl, its river of water clear as crystal, its trees of fruit, its wondrous light, and the mansions there awaiting those whose hope is wedded to faith. We are not troubled though the heavens and the earth be moved, for we know there is a city awaiting us on the other side. The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us of things which will be shaken, and of things which cannot be shaken. Though the heavens and the earth pass away, though the elements thereof shall melt with fervent heat; yet, we are comforted, for we shall receive a country which cannot be moved. III. COMFORT, NUMBER THREE— CHRIST’S RETURN (John 14:3) Our Lord said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.” Farther on in His message to His disciples, He said that though they would experience sorrow, the time would come when they would rejoice. The Lord’s going away left us in a world which hated Him. That world also hates us. However, sorrow abideth but for the night. “The morning cometh.” The Lord shall descend from Heaven, and the saints shall go forth to meet Him. Paul, in line with the Master’s words of comfort, said concerning Christ’s Return, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” The Second Coming of Christ is, indeed, a comfort. It is a comfort to hear the Lord say, “A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me: and, Because I go to the Father.” And so we are watching quietly every day for His Return. We are always lifting our eyes and looking to His high place, for we know that His Coming draweth nigh. IV. COMFORT, NUMBER FOUR— THE WAY TO GLORY (John 14:6) Thomas questioned the statements of comfort, which the Lord offered, saying, “Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?” He, perhaps, accepted the fact of the mansions in Heaven; and, perhaps, the fact of the Lord’s Return; but he did not comprehend how he could bridge so great a chasm as that which lay between earth and Heaven. Have you ever been traveling in your automobile toward some cherished goal, and yet, you did not know the way? How diligently you looked for “signs.” How carefully you studied your maps. How earnestly you spoke to some passer-by, asking him to tell you of the way. Thomas wanted to know the way to a far better goal than you and your auto had in view. He wanted to know the way from earth to Heaven. In answer to Thomas the Lord Jesus gave His fourth statement of comfort. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” We first see Nathanael, as he sat under the fig tree reading the story of Jacob’s ladder which reached from earth to Heaven. We next see Nathanael as he stood before the Lord Jesus listening while Christ said, “When thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee,” and “hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Jesus Christ is the only ladder that spans the distance that lies between this planet and the new heavens and new earth. There is no other way. What a comfort that we know the way, and that we may go over the God-marked route from earth to Heaven! V. COMFORT, NUMBER FIVE— THE VISION OF GOD (John 14:8-9) The Lord Jesus Christ had spoken of the Father, of Himself, of the mansions, and of the Way. Philip followed Thomas, and interrupting the Lord’s discourse, said, “Lord, shew us the Father.” They had known the Son, but they thought they had not known the Father. Thus, with the Son, their Lord, returning to the Father, they wanted to know more of the Father. The Lord Jesus, therefore, added this comfort, by saying, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” How wonderful it all is! No man hath seen God at any time, and yet, the only begotten Son who dwells in the bosom of the Father, hath declared Him; He hath shown Him forth. He who hath seen Jesus Christ, hath seen the Father. Our Lord went on to say that the words of the Son had been the words of the Father; that the works of the Son, had been the works of the Father; and that the will of the Son had been the will of the Father. Jesus Christ was, therefore, the very expression of the Father. Hebrews puts it this way: “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person.” Thus, those of us who know Christ know the Father. VI. COMFORT, NUMBER SIX— THE COMFORT OF PRAYER (John 14:13) With the Lord going far away, there were certain comforts to those who believed in Him. There was the comfort of His preparing mansions for us. There was the comfort of His coming again. There was the comfort that He is the Way from earth to Heaven, and that He is the manifestation of the Father. Now we are given another comfort. During His absence we are privileged to have direct contact with the Father and with the Son. The Lord Jesus added this comfort when He said, “Let not your heart be troubled, * * Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask anything in My Name, I will do it.” Oh, the blessings of prayer! Oh, the fellowship of prayer! To think that we have the right of approach unto the Father through the Son. To think that while He, in His glorified body, is so far away, yet, in the closet of prayer, He comes to manifest Himself to us, and he gives us the privilege of fellowship with Him. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air. Some people, in these last days, have sought to belittle the prayer-life as though God knew the things we wanted before we asked Him. This being true, does not do away with the necessity of the prayer of petition. By no means, also, does it lessen the chief value of prayer— the personal, direct, and meaningful fellowship of the saint and the Saviour; of the saved with the Father. VII. COMFORT, NUMBER SEVEN— THE COMFORT OF THE SPIRIT (John 14:16) Even with the blessing of prayer assured to us, we might feel our inability to effectively reach the Father through the channel of prayer. Therefore, the Lord added a seventh comfort. He said: “Let not your heart be troubled.” Then He added, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth.” The disciples thought, perhaps, that they would be left orphans, but Christ said, “I will come to you.” He had spoken of His personal Return in the clouds; of His bodily Coming Again. Here, however, He adds another comfort. The Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth and power, would be sent down, shortly, as a Comforter. In the Greek, the word is, “Paracletos.” The word, literally translated is, “One at your side.” In other words Christ said, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another One to journey with you.” During three years, wherever they had gone, the Lord had been with them. They had walked and talked together, as friend walketh and talketh with friend. Truly they would miss Him, but He said, “I will send you another One to walk at your side.” Yet not merely another, because. He Himself would, in that One, the third Person of the Trinity, be with them. This Comforter was to keep them in touch, through prayer, with their departed Lord. He, the Comforter, was also to make their prayers effectual. No wonder that before the Lord closed the message of His comforts, He included the coming of the Spirit. Now, He could add His final word: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you.” Blessed are the comforts which He has extended. Blessed the comforts which we have received. May we never let our hearts be troubled. AN A young man said to his father, “I’m going off: I will write to you at the end of seven years and tell you where I am.” Many years have passed since that son went away, and for years that father has been going to the depot in the village on the arrival of every train, and when he hears the whistle in the distance he is thrilled with excitement, and he waits till all the passengers have come out, and he then waits until the train has gone clear out of sight again, and then he goes home, hastening back to the next train: and he will be at every train until that son comes back, unless the son waits until the father be dead. But ah, the greater patience of God! He has been waiting for you not seven years, not nine years, but, for some of you, twenty years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years— waiting, calling— waiting, calling, until nothing but omnipotent patience could have endured it. — Taken from Talmage’s sermon “Caring for Your Soul.”

John 14:26-30

The Ministry of the Spirit John 14:26-30; John 16:7-13 WORDS Christ came to His own, and His own received Him not. The Holy Spirit came to His own, seeking to bring every possible spiritual gift and blessing, but His own have received Him not. Many believers are seeking to paddle their own canoe, and to work out their own will, wholly forgetting the Spirit and His ministry. There is nothing that comes in the life of the believer, whether in the way of victory in his walk, power in his work, or guidance in his way, apart from the Spirit of God. We made our beginning in the Spirit, for we were begotten of the Holy Ghost. We must continue to walk in the Spirit, if we would know spiritual success in our life. It is not in a man to order his own steps. The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit. A Christian, apart from the Holy Spirit, is just as helpless as is a branch apart from the vine. When we consider the life of Christ, we observe that He was born of the Spirit; He was anointed of the Spirit; He was filled with the Spirit; He was led of the Spirit; He went about doing good in the Spirit; He was raised from the dead by the Spirit; and He gave His final command for the evangelization of the world in the Spirit. When we consider how Christ commanded the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, we begin to realize our utter dependency upon the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit came to meet the need of the believer. God sent Him because He knew that we could not walk without Him. It is for this cause that we believe that, ever and anon, we should stop to ponder the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. We recognize that the Spirit of God came to take of the things of Christ, and show them unto us; however, unless we recognize the Spirit, and give ear to His voice, He can show us nothing by way of revelation. We are sure that the Holy Spirit came to give us the enduement of power in service; and therefore, unless we have the anointing of the Spirit we cannot have the power which we so much need in order to serve. We know that the Spirit of God came to renew our mind, and to teach us spiritual things, therefore, if we fail to listen to His voice we cannot understand the mystery of God. The Holy Spirit is just as necessary to our spiritual life as the air which we breathe is to our physical life. I. IT IS THE OF THE SPIRIT TO CONVICT (John 16:7-10)

1. The Holy Spirit came to convict the sinner of his sin. The minister of the Gospel is absolutely shut up to God the Spirit, when he desires to see the old time conviction of sin falling upon his audience. Every human argument, every tear-producing story, and every human manipulation must utterly fail to bring men to a sense of their sin, unless the Holy Ghost is present to empower our word and work with convincing, reproving, and convicting power. (1) The Holy Ghost convicts men of sin, because they believe not in Christ. Conviction of sin is not merely a sinner’s sense of self-corruption. It is, pre-eminently, his sense of separation from God by his rejection of Christ. All mankind knows that, morally, they are corrupt. The Spirit comes to show a sinner, lost in iniquity, that his chief need is a Saviour; while his chief sin is his unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ. (2) The Holy Ghost will convict men of righteousness, because Christ has gone to the Father. The Spirit shows the guilty and sin-pressed soul that the way to righteousness is now open through the Lord Jesus: God’s sinless sacrifice for sin has ascended, and has been proclaimed a Saviour. The unsaved may know himself a sinner and feel his sin, without realizing that righteousness is possible in the ascended Lord. The Holy Spirit came to convince him that a new walk, and a new righteousness is possible in Christ Jesus. (3) The Holy Ghost will convict men of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. The Spirit will convince the heart of the wicked, that he will see his own undoing and judgment, because Satan has been judged. It was at the Cross that Christ met principalities and powers and triumphed over them openly. It was in the ascension that Christ Jesus passed up through these powers of darkness and sat down with them beneath His feet. When the sinner sees that the good of this world has met his defeat, and awaits his casting down into the abyss, and his final casting down into the lake of fire; the Spirit will convince him that he needs to sever himself from obeisance and obedience to a defeated devil.
2. The sinner should not resist the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit convicts the sinner of his sin, until he sees the villainy of his heart; and, when his sin in the rejection of Christ lies heavily upon him; he must not resist the Spirit’s call, lest he find himself cast off from God without hope in this age, or in the age to come. II. IT IS THE OF THE SPIRIT TO WALK ALONG WITH THE CHILD OF GOD (John 14:26, f.c)
3. Christ said that the Comforter would come. The word “Comforter” comes from a Greek word “Paracletos,” which anglocized, is “Paraclete.” The word “Paraclete” means, “at your side.” It was the purpose of the Father, then, to send us One to walk with us in our journey through life. He was to walk at our side in order to be our Guide, our Comforter, our Teacher. You remember as Rebecca journeyed across the desert sands, Eliezer of Damascus, Abraham’s faithful servant, rode by her side. Rebecca would have been very loathe to take the journey through the desert alone. She was comforted, encouraged, and aided, however, in every possible way by the man who journeyed with her. It is thus, also, that God has given us a Companion to journey with us through the wilderness of this world. He is with us as Heaven’s official Guide in our Heavenly pilgrimage. Can you imagine the message which Eliezer bore home to the heart of Rebecca as they journeyed along? He spoke of Isaac. He elaborated on the greatness of Abraham; and showed that Isaac was Abraham’s son and heir. So, also, does the Holy Spirit elaborate on the glories of Christ. He tells us of the Father and of the Son.
4. What should be the believer’s attitude to the Comforter? The believer should give ear to the Spirit. He should listen with all intentness, that he may catch every word which is freely given him from God. The believer should do more than that. He should give audience to the Spirit, but he should also obey the voice of the Spirit. You remember the Scripture which reads, “As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.” The word “panteth” carries the thought of “following hard after.” That is just what we should do— we should follow hard after the Holy Ghost. III. IT IS THE OF THE SPIRIT TO TEACH THE CHILD OF GOD (1 John 2:27)
5. It is impossible for the mind of man to comprehend the things of God. The Word of God is plain in this matter. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” We who are sent forth to preach Christ are to preach Him, not in the wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect. We have received not “the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” The Apostle Paul said that he spoke “wisdom among them that [were] perfect”; however, he quickly added, “Yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world.” Paul spoke the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory.
6. It is possible for the Spirit of God to teach us the deep things of God. It is true that the natural ear hath not heard, nor the eye seen, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him; “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” The words of our text do not mean that the one who is taught of the Spirit may not himself teach others. They do mean that man, in his own wisdom, cannot teach the child of God. They also mean that the child of God is not dependent upon men to teach him, but the anointing which he received of God will teach him. We have known some dear old saints who were very ignorant in worldly lore, and yet, they knew more in the realm of spirituals than the wisest of men not taught of God. IV. IT IS THE OF THE SPIRIT TO THE (2 Corinthians 3:18)
7. The Holy Spirit came to fashion us into the glory of the Lord; He wants to make us like Christ. This is not the work of a moment. Paul spoke of dying daily. Our text says, “We * * are [transformed] * * from glory to glory.” The chief desire of every believer’s heart should be to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our ambition should be to go on to perfection. We should never be satisfied until we have reached the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This is a particular ministry of the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ was transfigured, until the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistening. This is exactly in line with what the Holy Spirit wants to do in us. We are all familiar with Romans 12:1-2, where we are taught to present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God. It is there that we are admonished by the Spirit: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The word transformed is the same as the word transfigured. God wants us to walk as children of the light. He wants us to put off the flesh, and to walk in the Spirit. He wants us, as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, to show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
8. Since the Holy Ghost seeks to fashion us into the glory of the Lord, we must not grieve Him. What is it that grieves the Spirit? He came to form Christ in us, and when we permit anything to dominate our lives which is contrary to the life of Christ in the believer, we grieve the Spirit. It is for this cause that we read, “Wherefore putting away lying.” “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” “Let him that stole steal no more.” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.” “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” V. IT IS THE OF THE SPIRIT TO EMPOWER THE FOR SERVICE (Acts 1:8)
9. A great task is committed to saints. We are the salt of the earth. We are the witnesses of God. We are commissioned to go unto the ends of the earth making disciples. We are told to preach the Gospel to every creature. This commanded service is a great undertaking, and there are many obstacles. The heart of man is set in him to do evil. Satan is seeking to catch away every seed of Gospel Truth which we attempt to sow. As we face the command of God, we realize our utter inability. Of ourselves we can do nothing. We are dependent wholly upon God.
10. A great promise is given to saints. The Lord Jesus said, “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth.” He also said, “Go,” and, “Lo, I am with you.” Not only this, but the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. He taught, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” God has not sent us forth on a mission for Him, and left us weaklings unable to accomplish His commanded work. He will back up, with all of the authority of Heaven, those who go forth obedient to His voice.
11. A great warning is given to saints. In Thessalonians we read, “Quench not the Spirit.” The thought is of the Spirit as a great fire; and the warning is, do not quench the fire. In other words when the Holy Spirit calls us into fellowship with Him, in any ministry, we must stand ready to undertake for God. Even though we have but five loaves and a few fishes, we must bring them to the Lord, trusting in Him to multiply them. If we are ignorant, we must look to His wisdom; if we are weak, we must trust His power; if the way seems dark, we must wait on Him for light. AN The sad results of resisting the Spirit is set forth in the following story. One day my telephone rang and a lady said, “Can you come down and visit my husband? He is very, very sick. The doctors say he will die, and he is not a Christian.” I said, “All right, I will come down,” I went and stood by the bed— the man had double pneumonia— and I said, “Old boy, I am sorry you are so sick.” After a while, as the Lord helped me, I talked of the Lord Jesus, and he said, “Here and now I receive Him, and I will tell you what I will do, If the Lord will restore me, I will forsake my sin, and I will come down and join your church, and be baptized.” Moreover he said, “I do receive Christ right now.” I went on to my prayer-meeting that night, and said, “Brethren, I had a wonderful revival in a sick-room today. Mr. B——– told me he was saved, and he promised me that if the Lord would make him well, he would come down and join our church. Let us pray for him.” In a few days I went again to see Mr. B——— . He was out of danger.

On my third visit, I found him sitting out on the wood-pile, in the back yard. He loved good horses, and loved fine chickens, and he was out on the wood-pile, watching his chickens. I sat down beside him, and said, “Old boy, I am glad you are getting well. You will soon be ready to come to church.” He said, “Brother Neighbour, I am going to keep my promise, and unite with your church, and be baptized, a week from this next Sunday.” A couple of weeks went by, he did not come. One day I saw him on the street riding a beautiful, black steed. I hailed him and said to him, “Wait a minute, old boy.” Then I said, “I thought you were coming on and live for Christ.” He said, “Oh, Brother Neighbour, I will come.” But he didn’t come. Week after week passed. Then, one day, as I was walking down the street, a groceryman, a member of our church, said to me, “We are going to have a sudden death in this city.” I said, “Who do you think is going to die?” He said, “The man that promised you all sorts of things, when he thought he was dying. As sure as you live, he will die shortly. The Word of God says: ‘He that being often reproved, and hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.’” I do not believe a week had passed until I heard that man’s wife, over the telephone. She said, “Oh, Brother Neighbour, come, come, B——– is dead. He was at a banquet in the hotel and he fell over dead.

Oh, Brother Neighbour, he is lost, he is lost, he is lost.” I went up and tried to comfort her. I think that was the saddest funeral I ever attended. They had to take the body to another town for interment, and on the train his wife collapsed a number of times. At the grave she said, “Oh, I could stand it, but he is not saved; I know he is lost. Oh, Brother Neighbour, he is lost.”