Spiritual Connection Part One

John 14:20-21

Jesus speaks here of the divine revelation of the connection between the Father, Jesus the Son, and the body of believers. These are all in one. The individual who keeps Jesus’ commandments by believing in Him shows his love. The one who both keeps His commandments and loves Him shall be loved of the Father. This person will experience the manifestation of Jesus to him.

 

The Day of Pentecost will bring this manifestation to those in the upper room. This will reveal the ascension of Jesus to the Father. This is the believer’s assurance.

 

Christian love is manifested as a believer obeys the Lord’s words. (Vv. 15, 23). The rewards of loving Him are great:

 

(a) The Father will show His love (v. 23)

(b) The Son will love him and show Himself to him. This passage does not teach “works” religion, but rather than one who believes and obeys, Christ’s Word is loved by the Lord. Such a relationship between the Father and the child manifests itself by causing the individual to show this relationship through works. Saving faith results in obedience (cf. “the obedience that comes from faith,” Romans 1:5).

 

John 14:22-24

Judas (not Judas Iscariot) may have been the same man called Thaddaeus. This is not conclusive. See Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18. He was puzzled that Jesus would manifest Himself to them and not to the world. See John 14:19. Those who walk in disobedience shall not see the manifestation of Jesus and the Father. Obedience grows out of love for Jesus and His Word. (Note verses 15, 21 and I John 2:3; 3:22, 24. As a result, the Father and the Son abide make our home with him. To rebel against Jesus’ word is to rebel against God the Father who sent Him. Jesus’ words were not His own. He previously made this clear John 12:49 and 14:10

 

The Holy Spirit Counselor

John 14:14-31

These chapters reveal the intimate thoughts of Jesus for His disciples. The days ahead will reveal the emotions and responses of these individuals. Some thought that Jesus would set up His kingdom at that time. They would discover that Jesus was speaking of a spiritual kingdom.

 

It had been three and one half years of learning, teaching and watching as Jesus traveled throughout the region. They would see men and women along with children healed and delivered from demonic forces. They would hear His words of love.

 

This portion of scripture covers the promise of the coming Counselor. Jesus wants them to know they will not be alone after He departs. He will minister to them as they travel throughout the world. He will walk alongside them giving them the power and boldness to speak as representatives of the new kingdom.

 

John 14:15

The disciples’ love for Jesus is shown in their obedience to His commands. Note vv. 21 and 23. Note also http://ref.ly/1J2.3, http://ref.ly/1J3.22, http://ref.ly/1J5.3. Christ has set the pattern of love and obedience. http://ref.ly/Jn13.15-16.

 

John 14:16-17

This is the first passage of several passages on the Holy Spirit (Counselor, Spirit of Truth) in the Upper Room Discourse. Very little has been spoken concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The words to Nicodemus John 3:5-8 were private and John 7:39 pointed to Pentecost. Notice John 14:26 and John 15:26. In a sense, He will replace Jesus’ physical presence; and He mediates God to believers. The Spirit is in the believer forever. Note http://ref.ly/Ro8.9. He is the spirit of “the” truth. http://ref.ly/Jn15.26 and http://ref.ly/Jn16.13. He is invisible. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. He is real and active. The Holy Spirit is unnoticed by the unsaved. They do not have spiritual life. His working would be much more intimate at His coming of Him.

 

What was the reason behind Jesus saying that the Holy Spirit will be in them? During Old Testament times, the Spirit came upon believers for special enablement. After Pentecost He would indwell every believer permanently. The disciples did see Jesus after His resurrection. His resurrection is also the pledge of their resurrection. Because I live, you also will live. Note http://ref.ly/1Co15.20-21. The foundation of a new life.

 

Jesus’ Coming Departure

http://ref.ly/Jn13.31-38

The gospel of John is recording the closure of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The disciples had no idea that death would be the next thing on His agenda. We will see their responses and emotional state as we continue studying this gospel.

John 13:31-32

After Judas left, the events that would lead to Jesus’ crucifixion fell quickly into place. The words “glorified” and “glorify” occur five times in these two verses. Jesus’ unique “glory” was revealed in His death. The Father was also glorified in Jesus’ death. God’s love, condescension, and righteousness were made know. http://ref.ly/Jn1.14 and http://ref.ly/Ro3.21-26. The words “God…will glorify Him at once” looked ahead to the Resurrection and the Ascension.

John 13:33

This verse begins with “little children.” This is a term of love. This expresses Jesus’ concern for them. This is the only place where this phrase is used. John used it seven times in his first epistle. I John 2:1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; I John 5:21.  Paul also used this phrase in http://ref.ly/Ga4.19. Jesus announced again that He would be leaving. They would not be able to find Him. Compare Matthew 23:29; John 7:34; 8:21; 12:8, 35. This was true in Jesus’ death and ascension.

John 13:34-35

The eleven disciples would survive after Jesus’ departure by obeying His example of love. This command is new because it is a special love for one another. It found its basis on the sacrificial love of Jesus. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The fact that the believers’ love and support would help them survive in a hostile world. Each believer should embody Christ’s love. This love is a sign to the world as well as to every believer I John 3:14.

John 13:36-38

Peter spoke quickly concerning Jesus’ statement. Note verse 33. He wanted to know where Jesus was going. He wanted to be with Jesus. Jesus let Peter know that it was not possible for him to be with Him immediately. He said that he would lay down his life for Jesus. He did not know the satanic power at work against Jesus. See http://ref.ly/Lk22.31-32. Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s defection (you will disown me three times) must have shocked the disciples.  They may have thought Peter was the betrayer.

 

The Anointing Part Two

John 12:6

 

John knows why Judas makes this statement. He is familiar with messianic prophecy. He also understands Judas’ position in Jesus’ ministry. Note John 13:29. The spirit that Judas has would cause him to pocket some of the money. Mary gives openly and honestly. Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. This is the price of a gored slave.

 

http://ref.ly/Ex21.32

http://ref.ly/Zc11.12-13

 

John 12:7-8

 

When this type of event happens, it is usually something festive. In this case, it was in preparation for His burial. Living by God’s Word, Jesus knows what the purpose of this anointing is. He knew He was about to face pain, death and burial.

 

“He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.” Is. 53:9

 

Jesus defends Mary’s act of love and devotion. He says that they will always have the poor with them. This is not a divine endorsement of poverty. Neither is it an encouragement to do nothing about poverty. The causes of poverty are many, and people will always have time to help the poor. Mark 14:7. The opportunity to show love toward Jesus while he is on earth is limited. They would not always have Jesus on the earth. John 12:35; 13:33; 14:3-4.

 

Lazarus Rise!

John 11:38-39 (KJV)

(38) “Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. (39) Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.”

Jesus was disturbed emotionally. Such showing of emotion told of His great love for these three people. Jesus came to the tomb. Tombs were made of limestone. People made caves in the side of a wall of rock. Once the person’s body was placed in the tomb, a stone was placed over the entrance. Jesus told them to move the stone. Such action would result in defilement. Obedience was demanded if Jesus’ miracle was to be revealed. The crowd, having heard Jesus’ words, looked on and listened. Mary was weeping, and Martha objected saying that her brother had been dead four days.

 

John 11:40-42 (KJV)

(40)”Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (41) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (42) And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

 

If Martha believed His Word concerning Him being the resurrection and the Life, then all would be well. She had to trust Him, and God would be glorified. The sisters’ faith had shown. They gave their permission to move the stone.

 

Tension mounted. What would Jesus do now that the stone had been removed? Jesus thanked His Father for granting His request. The Father’s will is being manifested in His love and power. Jesus gave a public prayer of thanksgiving. Jesus did not want to be honored as a Wonder-Worker. He wanted them to know He was the Father’s obedient Son. The granting of the Jesus’ prayer would give clear evidence to the people that He had been sent by the Father. (Note Elijah’s prayer in I Kings 18:37.

 

Jesus spoke three words: Lazarus come out! It should be noted that if Jesus had not called Lazarus’ name, all the dead would have come forth. Immediately, the dead man came out. He was wrapped in strips of linen. Jesus gives a directive to the people. Remove his grave clothes. This enabled Lazarus to move on his own. This was evidence that he was alive.

 

The Bible Knowledge Commentary makes the following statement concerning this miracle:

“This event is a marvelous picture of God’s Son bringing life to people. He will do this physically at the Rapture for church saints. I Thess. 4:16, and at His return for Old Testament saints Daniel 12:2, and the Tribulation saints (Rev. 20:4, 6).”

 

Today Jesus speaks and calls the spiritually dead to spiritual life. Many people are dead in trespasses and sins. They have the opportunity to believe and come to life by the power of God. http://ref.ly/Ep2.1-10

 

 

Jesus wept

http://ref.ly/Jn11.33-37

 

The Greeks believed that God could not feel anger, love, pain, disappointment, hope, or any of the other emotions that humanity experienced. If God could feel emotions, then someone could have an effect upon Him. Someone else causes such emotions. In order to have an effect upon God the Father, the person must have control of the Father. This is not true. God is in control of all things. Since nobody can control God, then it means that He cannot have feelings. How do we reconcile this fact with what we are seeing here? It can be said that God the Father is lonely, isolated and compassionless. He can only be approached through reason–if that is possible. He cannot be reached based on His love or pity.

 

In great contrast with the Greek gods’ apathy or lack of emotion, Jesus’ emotional life attests the reality of His union with people. He had a deep emotional connection with these three individuals. In John 11:33-34, Jesus “groaned” which can be more likely translated “angered.” The Greek word enebrimesato (from embrimaomai) seems to connote anger or sternness. This Greek word is used five times in the New Testament. Each time it expresses the Lord’s words or feelings. Note the following verses:

 

http://ref.ly/Mt9.30

http://ref.ly/Mk1.43

http://ref.ly/Mk14.5

http://ref.ly/Jn11.33

http://ref.ly/Jn11.38

 

Why would Jesus be angry? He may have been angry because of the people’s unbelief. This may have been His response to the hypocritical wailing by the mourners. This is not true to the text though. This makes us have to look at why Jesus groaned in the spirit. Jesus may have been angry at the tyranny of Satan who had brought sorrow and death to people through sin. Compare http://ref.ly/Jn8.44, http://ref.ly/He2.14-15 . Jesus was troubled (etaraxen, lit., “stirred” or “agitated,” like the pool water in http://ref.ly/Jn5.7. Compare http://ref.ly/Jn12.27, http://ref.ly/Jn13.21, http://ref.ly/Jn14.1, http://ref.ly/Jn14.27. This disturbance was because of His conflict with sin, death, and Satan.

 

http://ref.ly/Jn11.35-37

Jesus’ weeping differed from that of the people. His quiet shedding tears (edakrysen) differed from their loud wailing (klaiontas v. 33). His weeping was over the tragic consequence of sin. The crowd interpreted Jesus’ tears as an expression of love, or frustration at not being there to heal Lazarus.

 

Common Causes of Fear

God gives Gideon his first directive. Those who are fearful can return home. Talking about separating the brave from the fearful! Gideon lost 22,000 men because of this directive. Although they had enough faith to fight–they could not fight fearlessly. This was a requirement from God. Fear contaminates faith. http://ref.ly/Dt20.1-4. See also verse 8 of this chapter.

 

10,000 remained in Gideon’s army, and that was still too many. http://ref.ly/Jg7.4

 

What makes the difference between situations that evoke no fear, and those situations that evoke great fear? The perception is the answer to this question. Gideon is not one of the fearful men who return home. An individual’s perception of a situation affects both the degree of the person’s fear (how much fear will the person feel) and the way they respond to that fear. This involves what the individual will do because of the fear.

 

Fear is a natural human reaction to feeling threatened. This manifests itself either physically or emotionally. It is manifested in three areas:

 

-love

-significance

-security

 

Your Love from Others Feels Threatened

 

-Primary relationship: “If I lose my marriage partner, I don’t know what I will do or how I can go on living.”

 

-Talents and abilities: “If I don’t do well enough, I’ll lose my friends. Then I’ll be all alone.”

 

There is no manifestation of faith and dependence upon the Lord in these statements. The cares of this world weigh the individual down.

 

-Physical attractiveness: “If I start looking older and put on weight, I will lose the affection I need so badly.”

 

-Position in a relationship: “If you spend time with other people, then you do not really love me.”

 

The Solution

 

The individual must learn that they are loved by the Lord beyond measure.

 

“As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.” Psalm 103:11

 

Your Significance Feels Threatened

 

-Identity: “If I lose my position at work, I will lose all that I have worked to achieve. Then what reason will I have to live?”

 

-Self-esteem: “If I embarrass myself in front of people, I will never be able to go back there–I’ll be too ashamed.”

 

-Reputation: “If anyone finds out about my compulsive habit, I’ll lose face with everyone.”

 

Self-fulfillment: “If I don’t complete my goals, my life will be a failure.”

 

Your Solution

 

Learn that you are so significant that the Lord chose to save you and has planned the future for you.

 

“God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

 

An Attempt at an Introduction

I really do not know where to begin to introduce this chapter. It is so awe inspiring. It reveals the power of Jesus over death. He had healed the sick, recovered the sight of the blind, and opened deaf ears. Never had Jesus done such a great miracle like this. Whenever I hear or read of this miracle, I am speechless. After this miracle is done, Lazarus receives celebrity status. People come to see for themselves the man who came back from the dead. Let us begin our journey through these verses to discover the love and divine power of our savior whose name is Jesus Christ.

This chapter will be divided into two major sections.

Section One: Verses 1-44 The Miracle

Section Two: Verses 45-57 The Response

Fear

 

Fear and shame are kissing cousins. They stem from harsh, parental discipline and degrading attitudes in the home. [See Narramore and Counts, Freedom from Guilt, 22-26.] Fears float around not noticed as a by-product of false guilt. Whenever we feel the pain of shame, we also experience…

Fear of Worthlessness (1) as a child: “I don’t really matter to anyone. I’m a bad person.” (2) as an adult: “Why try for that job? I won’t get it anyway.”

Fear of Rejection (1) as a child: “if I let them know I care, they won’t play with me.” (2) as an adult: “Nobody really nice would ever want to marry me.”

Fear of Punishment (1) as a child: “If I don’t please Mommy, she won’t speak to me.” (2) as an adult: “God is angry, and He is out to get me.”

Fear of Isolation (1) as a child: “I’m not good or lovable like others.” (2) as an adult: “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t like me.”

God is love…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,

because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made

perfect in love (I John 4:16, 18)

Fallout from Fear

If you live with any of these, you will eventually develop a fear-based personality. This personality, buried deep in the roots of childhood shame, can stay with you for the rest of your life. You may wear the adult clothes of personal success, but deep down in your heart, the fear of being exposed as “needy” creates the desire to hide who you really are. This dishonesty undermines the likelihood of love and intimacy in close relationships.

“He [Adam] answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was

afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'” Genesis 3:10

Difficulty expressing feelings

Difficulty braving failure

Difficulty taking criticism

Difficulty facing conflict

Difficulty accepting responsibility

Difficulty making decisions

Difficulty staying alone

Difficulty feeling empathy

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your. I

will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my

righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

 

John 10 Verses 1-5

John 10:1-5

This discourse continues in the same setting as John 9. In the Middle East, it is common to compare people to a shepherd and his sheep. Kings and priests called themselves shepherds and their subjects were sheep. The Bible uses this analogy frequently. Such Old Testament individuals as Abraham, Isaac, Moses and David considered themselves shepherds. This is seen in the fact that Moses and David were leaders over large amounts of people. Some of the most famous passages in the Bible use this motif. http://ref.ly/Ps23 http://ref.ly/Is53.6

http://ref.ly/Lk15.1-7

It is not just the Twenty-third Psalm that this refers to. It is found in many places throughout the Old and New Testaments. The psalmist wrote, “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture” Psalm 100:3. Isaiah declares, “He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” Isaiah 40:11. Mark writes in his gospel “they were like sheep without a shepherd” Mark 6:34 (This refers to the crowd of people.) The author of Hebrews spoke of Jesus as the “great Shepherd” Hebrews 13:20. Peter saw Jesus as the “Chief Shepherd” to whom the undershepherds are responsible. I Peter 5:4.

From this rich imagery, this parable begins the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel. “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not know his voice.” John 10:1-5

There is an underlying sympathy between the shepherd and his sheep and of the unfailing love and vigilance of the Great Shepherd.