WE WILL COME TO HIM AND MAKE OUR HOME WITH HIM

DAY 11: MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT

WE WILL COME TO HIM AND MAKE OUR HOME WITH HIM

John 14:18-24

John 14:18-24 NIV

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

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This night is the last night of Jesus being together with the disciples. Tomorrow Jesus dies. Now the Lord leaves and the disciples will be left in this world. Despair, emptiness, and the waves of perplexity and terror are sweeping through them as the night gets deeper. The Lord of love promises them, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you after living again from death.”

Jesus continues to talk about a mysterious world: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (v. 20). It is a very beautiful world of love. God loves Jesus; Jesus loves God; God loves men; Jesus loves men; men love God through Jesus; and men love each other; heaven and earth, man and God, man and man are all bound together by this bond of love.[1] Though Jesus is about to leave, he says that I will tie I and you with the bond of love and I will be in you, you will be in me. In this love Jesus forms the relationship of love with us today and leads us.

As we have studied earlier, the one who is in the love of Jesus keeps his commandments. It is because “obedience is the only proof of love.”[2] It is to the man who keeps his commandments that Christ reveals himself. Fellowship with God, the revelation of God is dependent on love; and love is dependent on obedience. The more we obey God, the more we understand God.[3]

Jesus says, “We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” With whom? With the person who loves Jesus!

God is not impressed by the high and mighty of this world, by princes and presidents, by the rich and famous, the learned and great. He is, however, drawn irresistibly to the man, woman, boy, or girl who loves him. Of all the people on this planet with whom God could take up his abode, if he so desired, he takes up his abode with those who loves Jesus. By so doing, he makes them the aristocracy of the universe.[4]

My loving Lord who never leaves those who love him and wants them to reside in his love eternally! Because of this love of the Lord however the bitter cold winter cannot be cold, however distressing hardship cannot discourage us.

[1] Barclay, The Gospel of John, 197.

[2] Barclay, The Gospel of John, 197.

[3]Barclay, The Gospel of John, 198.

[4] Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John, 277.

Question

1. Retell today’s message in your own words. 2. Explain the meaning of the following statement based on today’s message: “No love, no obedience. Love is the only power that can draw a person to keep the Lord’s commands.” 3. How can I apply the lessons from today’s message into my life?

Prayer

When my heart is darkened by great despair and hollowness, when I cannot feel the presence of the Lord near me, when I feel like I am left alone, I wish to remember today’s promise of the Lord. Before the reality of death, the Lord gave the promise of love. You will not leave the ones who love you and keep your commandments as orphans but be with them forever tying them with bond of love. My Lord, you wish to be with them and reside with them. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

40 Day Lenten Bible Study

Christians often hear about God’s love for us, but have they truly felt and believed in His love? Prior to Christ’s death on the cross, no one saw God’s love in its full measure. But God revealed His love to the whole world through the cross and resurrection. This Lenten Bible Study provides an in-depth look into the transformative power of God’s love. Readers will examine the most central part in the whole arrangement of the Gospel of John from the Last Supper (John 13) to Christ’s crucifixion (John 19:30). – Taken from The Cross of Christ: 40 Day Lenten Bible Study through the Gospel of John with illustrations by Christy Tran. Buy the book on Amazon, Stevens Books

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DAY 11: MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT