John 14:25-31

Sunday Morning Bible Study

November 14, 2010

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision

We are on the Thursday evening before Jesus is crucified, at the event known as “the Last Supper”.

John 13-17 are the last things that Jesus will say to His disciples before His death.

14:25-31 The Spirit and Peace

:25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.

:25 while being present – meno – to remain, abide

:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

:26 Helper – parakletos (“alongside” + “called”) – one called alongside to help; helper, assistant, intercessor, comforter

We mentioned last week that Islam teaches that the “Other Helper” that Jesus was sending was Mohammed.

Yet Jesus clarified in verse 14:17 that He was talking about the “Spirit of Truth”, and now here again He clarifies again that He is talking about the Holy Spirit.

Key to Bible interpretation – make sure you read the whole passage. Find out the context. The only way cults can come up with their crazy doctrines is by taking one verse out of context, and twisting it.

:26 will teach – didasko – to teach; to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them

:26 bring to your remembrance – hupomimnesko – to cause one to remember, bring to remembrance, recall to mind: to another; to be reminded

Have you ever wondered how the apostles were able to recall and later write down with such detail the things Jesus taught them, like the Sermon on the Mount? The Holy Spirit.

:26 will teach … bring your remembrance

I don’t know if you’ve picked this up yet from your Bible reading, but while Jesus was with His disciples on earth, they didn’t really grasp everything He said to them.

I think that sometimes, listening to Jesus was like listening to this fellow describe his famous “Turbo Encabulator”

Play “Turbo Encabulator” clip.

The disciples were often clueless to what Jesus was saying.

It was not until His death on the cross, resurrection, and then the coming of the Holy Spirit before the lights would come on and they would realize what Jesus had been teaching them.

Early in His ministry, Jesus was in the Temple and talked about the temple being destroyed and He would raise it up in three days. He was talking about the Temple of His body. But at that moment, people were left scratching their heads.

(Jn 2:22 NKJV) —22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

It was later that they began to put all the pieces together.

One time, Jesus appeared in a glorified form to Peter, James, and John, and they heard God speak to them, saying that Jesus was God’s beloved Son.

(Mk 9:9–10 NKJV) —9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

They weren’t sure what Jesus meant.

One time Jesus began to tell them about His upcoming death:

(Mk 9:31–32 NKJV) 31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

The disciples were often clueless.

And yet there would be a day when these same clueless men would be the ones to write down the things Jesus taught them, as well as their own inspired letters, which we call together the New Testament.

Lesson

Spirit Teaching

1) The Spirit is necessary

(1 Co 2:14 NKJV) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Before the disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, there was a lot of what Jesus said that went right over their heads.

The same is in our lives.

If you have not yet opened your heart to Jesus Christ as your Savior, there is a measure of stuff that you’re going to find very confusing.

How many of you tried reading the Bible before you became a Christian? Did you understand everything that you read?

How many of you have found that after becoming a Christian, that a whole new world of understanding has opened up for you as you read the Scriptures?

It’s kind of like those “Claritin Clear” commercials, where the film gets peeled back from the picture.

Play “Claritin Clear” contest winner.

What some people don’t realize is that the film over their eyes as a non-Christian is so thick that they cannot recognize what should be obvious.

Do you recognize this painting (Mona Lisa)? Until the cover gets removed, it’s impossible to tell what it is.

The Holy Spirit peels off the layers that keep the truth from being clear.

2) Learn

Ultimately, it’s the Holy Spirit who does the significant teaching in your life.

(1 Jn 2:26–27 NLT) —26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray.27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

This doesn’t mean that God won’t use people in your life. It doesn’t mean that God won’t use friends, pastors, or teachers. God is the one who set up the church to have pastors and teachers.

But it means that you have a responsibility to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying, and when you begin to wonder if some guy on TV is a little off – do your homework and check it out.

The Holy Spirit can lead you. He can teach you.

Illustration:

About a decade after his Expedition, Christopher Columbus wrote: “It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) to sail to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus Christ desired to perform a very obvious miracle in the voyage to the Indies.”

Christopher Columbus, The Book of Prophecies (New Leaf Press, 1992).

One of the things that I like most about Sunday Evenings is when people share what God has been teaching them.

I love to hear how people have been reading their Bibles and God has been working in their lives.

God is able to teach you.

3) Remember

The Holy Spirit not only teaches us, but for some of us the bigger issue is remembering what we’ve already learned.

Illustration

Elderly Proposal

There were these two elderly people living in a Florida mobile home park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known one another for a number of years. Now, one evening there was a community supper in the big activity center. These two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered up his courage to ask her, “Will you marry me?” After about six seconds of ‘careful consideration,’ she answered. “Yes. Yes, I will.” The meal ended and with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places. Next morning, he was troubled. “Did she say ‘yes’ or did she say ‘no’?” He couldn’t remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained to her that he didn’t remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her, “When I asked if you would marry me, did you say ‘Yes’ or did you say ‘No’?” He was delighted to hear her say, “Why, I said, ‘Yes, yes I will’ and I meant it with all my heart.” Then she continued, “And I am so glad that you called, because I couldn’t remember who had asked me.”

For some of us, the problem with our memory isn’t that we’re getting older. For some of us, the problem is that we can’t remember what we’ve never learned before.

From time to time I get the feeling that some Christians don’t think it’s all that important to read or study their Bibles. They just figure that when they get into trouble, the Holy Spirit will just magically tell them what to do.

I appreciate the confidence in the Holy Spirit, but it’s hard for the Holy Spirit to “bring to your remembrance” what you’ve never taken time to learn.

Read the Scriptures. Study the Scriptures. Memorize the Scriptures.

(Ps 119:11 NKJV) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

It works in different ways.

Sometimes it’s during a crisis that a scripture verse or even just the principle comes to mind and it gives you guidance and comfort as the Spirit is speaking to your heart.

Sometimes you’re talking with a person who is pouring out their heart to you. As you start to share, Scripture verses begin to come to mind. Maybe you don’t remember the actual verse number, but the principle is what you think of.

Last Thursday’s Bible Study was about evangelism in the church. Peter being a man who was so full of the Word of God that all you had to do was scratch him and he’d bleed Bible. As you study Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, it’s filled with Old Testament quotes. He quotes from the prophet Joel and two different Psalms of David. And it was a message that was spur-of-the-moment. These were the verses that the Holy Spirit brought to his remembrance.

The key to remembering is having something to remember.

:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

:27 peace I leave – eirene – peace; security, safety; the tranquil state of a soul

The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, was often used as both a greeting and a farewell.

When Jesus was teaching His disciples how to go out and preach to the people out in the world, He took this idea of the greeting/blessing, and said:

(Lk 10:5–6 NKJV) —5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.

In other words, if the person in the house is receptive to them, then their greeting of “shalom” wasn’t going to just be a bunch of words, but would be an actual blessing of peace that would come upon that person.

Jesus has spent the last three years with His disciples, and is now about to leave them.

But He’s not going to be shaking the dust off His feet.

He’s going to be leaving His blessing of peace to rest on them.

:27 leave – aphiemi – to send away (as in divorce), to let go (as in forgiving); to permit; to leave, go way from one; to go away leaving something behind

:27 give – didomi – to give; to give something to someone

:27 not as the world gives

The world has several ideas when it comes to giving a person “peace”.

For some, the idea of peace means to have an absence of conflict, like making a peace treaty.

If I can just get rid of all the problems in my life, I will have peace.

We might achieve peace if we get rid of all the people that are causing us stress in our lives.

Another route is to depend upon a counselor to talk you out of being stressed.

Don’t misunderstand me – there is a time to step away from your problems. Counseling can be a good thing. But this isn’t what Jesus is talking about.

For some, peace comes with a little help from a bottle or a pill.

Some call it, “Better Living Through Chemistry”.

Don’t get me wrong, I think there can be a place for taking a correctly prescribed anti-depressant. I’m not sure I’m smart enough to tell you that there is no such thing as having a “chemical imbalance”. I think there can be a need for some people to be on medication.

But this isn’t what Jesus is talking about.

The peace that Jesus offers is a bit different.

His peace can come even in the middle of the storm.

:27 troubled – tarasso – to agitate, trouble; to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind

This is the same word that started off the chapter when Jesus said,

(Jn 14:1 NKJV) “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

:27 be afraid – deiliao – to be timid, fearful

:28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

:28 If you loved Me, you would rejoice

If the disciples had been a bit more grown up in the way they loved Jesus, they would be totally excited for Him when He says that He is going to the Father.

It says something about our maturity in Christ when we hear of a believer who has a terminal illness, and there isn’t a little bit of excitement for them.

Paul wrote,

(1 Th 4:13 NKJV) —13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

Those who do not believe in Jesus have no hope for what lies beyond the grave. We have the hope of heaven.

It’s not wrong to be sad that you will miss your friend.

It’s not wrong to feel bad about the pain they might be going through as they get ready to cross over into heaven.

But don’t forget that heaven is a WONDERFUL place.

Heaven is where God is. Heaven is amazing.

(Re 21:4 NKJV) —4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

:28 My Father is greater than I

Some take this to say that Jesus was saying that He was somehow inferior to the Father, that He was not God Himself.

Jesus is simply saying that in His current state, humbling Himself as a man, the Father was in a far greater state than He was.

:29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.

Initially, when Jesus dies, the disciples will be in shock.

But there will come a time when they start remembering how He predicted His death AND resurrection, that they will find comfort and hope.

:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

:30 the ruler of this world

Satan’s “coming” was through Judas and the various leaders that put Jesus to death. But Satan’s “victory” would be turned around as Jesus’ death broke the hold that Satan had on mankind as He paid for our sin.

:30 he has nothing on Me

Satan will think he’s won the victory as Jesus dies on the cross. Yet Jesus’ death will be the very thing that will break the hold of Satan upon humanity.

(Heb 2:14–15 NKJV) —14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

:31 I love the Father … so I do…

Lesson

Loving Obedience

Jesus’ love for the Father was demonstrated to the world by the fact that He obeyed the Father.

Obedience is always much easier when we do it out of love.

Illustration:

From "Why Grace Changes Everything" (pg.162), by Chuck Smith:

"Those who have read the classics are probably familiar with the story of Ulysses. During his travels, this ancient adventurer heard the stories of the island of the sirens - deadly enchantresses who made such beautiful music that any sailors passing by would turn their ships toward shore and be dashed upon the rocks. No one had ever heard the song of these sirens and lived. This sounded like a worthy challenge to a daring man like Ulysses. He decided to become the first to hear this music and survive.

In order to achieve his goal, Ulysses put wax in the ears of his crew and instructed his men to tie him securely to the ship's mast. As they rowed past the island of the sirens, the seductive music began. Ulysses began to strain against the ropes, struggling to get loose so he could swim to shore. He cursed at his sailors to turn the boat toward the rocks, but the wax prevented them from hearing his cries. Ulysses continued to fight against his bonds until the ship moved out of range and into safety. Ulysses had heard the song of the sirens and lived - yet ever after he was haunted by the memory of the beguiling music.

Greek myths also tell of another ship that passed this island and yet survived. As its crew was being drawn by the deadly melody to disaster on the shoals, a gifted man on board named Orpheus grabbed a lyre and began to play. The music of Orpheus so far surpassed that of the sirens that the men turned away from the rocks and sailed to safety, enraptured by these new, exquisite melodies that gave life."

We often face all kinds of dangerous situations where we are tempted by the enticing music of the world.

We can try to face it like Ulysses, and tie ourselves up with guilt, rules, and legalism.

We may get through a few temptations, but it's agonizing business!

And even after the temptation, we're still haunted with fears of falling into sin.

Or we can handle it like Orpheus, and listen to the sweet melody of the Lord's love for us.

As we fall deeper in love with Him, we find that the world's temptations don't have the same kind of pull anymore.

We find ourselves sailing right past the temptations, they no longer have a pull on us.

:31 let us go from here

At this point, the “Last Supper” is ended. Jesus gets up and leads His disciples out of the room. We’re not exactly sure where the “upper room” was, there are a couple of ideas – either to the west of the Temple Mount (St. Marks, thought to be where Mark’s mother had her house), or southwest near David’s tomb.

It’s possible that the following chapters might have been spoken while they lingered in the Upper Room, or they might have been given on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives where they would spend the night.

It’s very likely that no matter where the upper room was, on the way to Gethsemane Jesus will pass by the Temple Mount, which would be a great place for the things in the next chapter.

:27 peace I leave

Lesson

Peace

1) Peace with God

Without Jesus Christ, man is in a state of “war” with God.

Our sins have put us at odds with God.

This is what Jesus came for when He died on the cross.

(Is 53:5 NKJV) —5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

The punishment that we deserved in order to make things right with God was put on Him.

His chastisement brought about our peace with God.

When you finally stop fighting God, turn around and start trusting Him, you will find yourself at peace with God.

If you ever find yourself drowning at the beach, one of the most dangerous moments you face is when the lifeguard shows up.

Some people have a very terrible reaction and they actually fight with the lifeguard.

If a lifeguard isn’t careful, the drowning person can sink the both of them if they fight what the lifeguard is trying to do.

Stop fighting God.

(Ro 5:1 NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2) The peace of God

It’s a peace that is based on God, not our circumstances.

(Ps 46:1–3 NKJV) —1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

Our world may be falling apart, but if God is the one we look to for shelter and strength, we can make it.

Illustration:

Off the coast of Malibu you can see the offshore drilling platforms. They aren’t floating rafts with drilling machinery on them. They’re platforms that rest on the ocean floor.

If you tried drilling for oil from a ship or a floating rig like the Deep Water Horizon, things can get kind of dangerous and messy.

But with a platform firmly anchored to the ocean floor, you can drill into the ocean bottom and tap into the wealth of the oil.

Are you building your life on top of the waves, or is your platform built on firm ground?

Are you looking for the kinds of peace that the world offers (lack of conflict, better living through chemistry), or are you coming to God for His peace?

We tap into it through prayer.

(Php 4:6–7 NKJV) —6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

be made known – present tense. Continual action. Don’t stop praying.

which surpasses all understanding

It is too hard to describe.

I could try to describe it, but every time I'd try to tell you just what it was like, I'd fall far short of really describing it.

Illustration:

Just try describing Jamocha Almond Fudge to someone who has never tasted ice-cream, coffee, nuts, or fudge!

The best way of explaining it, is just to stick some in their mouth!

I can't quite figure out why I have it.

You will find yourself in the middle of a difficult situation, and somehow you aren’t worried about it. Your friends and family might be worried. They might be worried that you aren’t worried. But God’s peace is on you.

(Ps 55:22 NKJV) Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.