The Provision of Peace

Transcript

GR 394
3/22/1981
The Provision of Peace
John 14:25-31
Gil Rugh

We’re continuing in the midst of Jesus’ discussion in preparing the disciples for His departure, and the theme of this section remains the same. Verse 16 He has begun to discuss the provision that will be made for them during the time when He is absent from the earth, when He is not bodily on the earth with them. That period of time between the first coming and the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the provision is made in the person of the Spirit but also the assurance is given—not only will the Spirit of God come but the Father and the Son will come to dwell with the believer as well.

In verse 23, "Jesus answered and said, ’If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.”' Now the stress is on the Spirit’s ministry in coming to indwell believers. And there is a sense in which you could say, when the Spirit comes, both the Father and the Son come because they are identical in essence and nature even though they are distinct persons. The idea would be the same that Jesus mentioned in verse 9 of chapter 14. "He that hath seen Me has seen the Father." You could say He has experienced the Spirit’s ministry, has experienced the Son’s ministry and the Father’s ministry. But I think Jesus is stressing here that not only will the Spirit come, but in a very real sense He also will come and His Father will come. So that the triune God is present with the believer even though the focus is on the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Similar to the situation when Christ was on earth. When He was bodily present on earth, He was the focal point. He was the helper to sustain and aid the disciples. But the Spirit of God was also present in ministering. Well now that Christ is bodily absent, He is present with the believer as is the Father, but the focus is on the ministry that the Spirit is carrying out in the life of a believer which is a ministry to draw attention and focus attention upon Jesus Christ as we will see.

There’s been a strong stress in this section as well that it is the one who obeys Jesus Christ that loves Him. And these are synonymous. A believer is one who loves Christ, is one who is obedient to Christ. All talking about the same individual—that one who has come to believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God died to pay the penalty for my sins personally.

He continues then with verse 25 in the same discussion, same subject.
"These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you." While being with you in a physical, tangible body. He’s told them that He will come and abide with them—and that will be emphasized again. But while I am here on earth with you, I've been telling you these things. But there is a ministry that will continue on and that’s the ministry of the Spirit of God. And the Spirit's ministry is going to be the repeated subject through chapter 14, chapter 15, chapter 16.

Verse 26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send it My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." He draws attention, talking about My Father and I will abide with you, but He develops in fullness what the ministry of the third person will be— the Holy Spirit. He's identified in three ways here. First, He is the Helper. Now we've seen this word up in verse 16. Paraclete—that one who is called alongside of to give whatever aid or assistance is necessary. So it's a broad word. There is another comforter, another helper, one just like Jesus Christ. And He will be provided to give the believer whatever aid, assistance is necessary in every situation.

Secondly, He is identified as the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit, the Holy One. It is an emphasis here on the holiness. This identifies the Spirit of God as deity. He partakes of the basic essence and nature of deity, holiness. God in His very character is holy. Command was given in the Old Testament and repeated in the New Testament, "You shall be holy for I am holy." That is His very essence and character. And the Spirit that is being provided is one of holiness. But I think consistent here with the other two emphases on the Spirit, there is a stress on how this ministry will affect the believer. He is the Spirit, the Holy One. And from that aspect, He is the One who will accomplish holiness or sanctification in the life of a believer. He is the Spirit who produces holiness or sanctification. The word 'holiness', the word 'sanctification,' the word 'saint' all come from the same basic word in Greek. When we talk about sanctifying, being holy, very similar context. Saint, one set apart from sin unto God. One who is holy, a holy one, is what we are to be.

And note this stress on the Spirit's ministry. Several passages. Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 13, "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation..." doctrine of election there. God has sovereignly chosen you for salvation from the beginning, and how is this carried out? "... through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth." God elects to salvation. The process is the Spirit sanctifies, and the individual believes the truth. Sanctify, you note that's the work of the Spirit. Sanctification by the Spirit. Same basic word as holy. Being set apart from sin unto God. So God elects an individual. The Spirit takes and sets that individual apart to God, and they believe the truth. That's the complete picture. But the stress here is that it is the Spirit who does the sanctifying work.

Back up to chapter 4 of First Thessalonians. Holiness, sanctification, has to do with the way we conduct our lives day by day. Verse 7 of 1 Thess. 4, "For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification." Holiness, exclusive terms. If you're indulging in impurity, that is opposed to holiness, to sanctification because holiness or sanctification involves being set apart from sin to God. And note verse 8, "Consequently, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." You note, when a believer is pursuing impurity, indulging in impurity, he is resisting God’s purpose in the life of a believer by providing the Holy Spirit. Why has God provided a Spirit whose characteristic is holiness to indwell me? Because His intention is to produce holiness in my life. In my walk, in my character and conduct, and when I indulge in impurity I am going contrary to God’s purpose in providing the Spirit who is holiness to indwell me. This is the idea, I take it, of Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 30, where we are instructed to not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Stress is that the Spirit is the One sent to us from God. We are not to grieve Him. When I indulge in those things contrary to holiness, it grieves the Holy Spirit. I am resisting, standing against His purposes in accomplishing holiness in my life.

First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 19, Paul says that these physical bodies are sanctuaries, are temples in which the Spirit of holiness dwells. ”Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own." What is the implication of this then? "You have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body." I have the Holy Spirit indwelling this body so that I might glorify God in this body. How? By holiness of life! I believe sometimes that we as Christians talk about the Holy Spirit but we fail to realize the significance that that is to have on our day-by-day activity. He is the HOLY Spirit. He indwells me, therefore, holiness is to be the outstanding characteristic of my life, marking me off as one separated from sin and set apart for the purposes of God. This is what the Spirit does in 2 Corinthians 3:18 where through beholding Christ in the mirror of the Word of God, a transformation is being brought about as the Spirit of God conforms us to the image of His glory. It's the Spirit's word, producing the character of Christ in us. What is that? That is holiness! Jesus Christ is holy. He is the One apart from sin, holy, without spot whose character is to be produced in me.

Back in John 14. There is a stress here—the helper will be provided, the One to aid and sustain you, the One whose very basic character is holiness will have a ministry of producing holiness in you as My followers.

Third description in verse 26 is one we've seen previously as well. "He will teach you all things." So He is a Helper, He is a producer of holiness, He is a teacher. "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." I take it this has special emphasis for the apostles. These eleven who are here listening, as they are told that the Spirit will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. You note that stress here. Will teach you ALL things and remind you of ALL that I said to you. This explains how, for instance, the Apostle John could write the gospel that we’re studying 20-30-40 years after Christ has died and still accurately record the details.

Now you know what it's like with the passing of time how easily you forget. You start to talk about your vacation or the trip you took last year, and you say we did this and then we went there and this happened. And your wife says 'No' that's not the way it was! Now it could be the husband who did that too! But the point is that you forget. No, I think we did it this way. No, I'm sure we did it that way. It doesn't take us long to forget some of the details. Well, how could John remember so well? So much? Very simple. The Holy Spirit of God gave him supernatural ability to remember what Jesus said and then taught him the significance of it. Because you remember the disciples didn't even comprehend much of what was going on when Christ was here on earth. But the Spirit of God supernaturally brought it all back to mind and then directed them concerning what details should be recorded. And taught them the significance of those events that He brought to their remembrance. So that we now have an accurate record that God intends for us because of the ministry of the Spirit of God. Not because John or Matthew or any of the others had special minds to remember. There are many men today who assume that there are errors and conflicts and mistakes in the Scripture because men are human and they would forget, and they would miss the emphasis. They would write what they thought happened and another would write what they thought happened. But Jesus says here that the Spirit is given to remind you, to bring to your remembrance and teach you. So a person who does not believe that the Spirit of God taught them and guided them in the recorded, I wonder why they study it. Well they say they study it to learn about Christ, but Christ was mistaken here. He said the Spirit was going to bring to mind everything and then teach them about it, and if the Spirit didn’t do that then Christ was wrong. So why waste your time studying about a man who was wrong said? Seems like a waste of life to me, I’d rather do something a little more significant. The point is that He is right! And this is a reliable record because the Spirit of God superintended all of the activity. Now this happened in the Old Testament as well. Second Peter 1:21 says that the Old Testament Scriptures were written by men who were moved by the Spirit of God who controlled the record. Now Jesus is saying this is going to happen again after I’m gone. The Spirit will be provided to carry on this ministry. The entire New Testament was written under the superintendence and control of the Spirit of God, so that it is exactly and precisely as God wanted it written. Accurate in every single detail. Many of the New Testament writers recognized this. At the close of his second letter, Peter writes that unbelievers twist the writings of the Apostle Paul just like they do the rest of the Scripture. He puts Paul's writings on a par with Isaiah's writings, Jeremiah's writings, the Old Testament, and he says the unbelievers twist Paul's writings just like they do the rest of the Scriptures. All are written under the direction and control of the Spirit of God.

Now, the Spirit's ministry here—one of teaching the disciples, apostles— bringing to mind for their benefit, but it also continues on beyond that. The Spirit of God is not in the directing of the writing of Scripture today. But He continues the ministry of enabling us to know and understand the truth that has been written. Now John writes about this in his first epistle, First John. So you can see how John further develops what Jesus has said here. In 1 John 2:20, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know." Contrast with verse 19—those who were really not believers and who had separated themselves from the fellowship of believers. In contrast to that, "But you have an anointing"—that provision of the Spirit of God that enables all believers to have knowledge concerning Jesus Christ. Now we don’t all have the same insights to the same degree in every area that has to do with spiritual maturity, but every believer has knowledge about Jesus Christ. If you don't understand the facts about your personal sin, if you don’t understand the fact of the person and deity of Christ, His substitutionary death on the cross, His resurrection, you're not a believer. You're not a child of God. We all know these basic facts, because they are essential to being a child of God in contrast to those he wrote about in verse 19. We all know because of the ministry of the Spirit of God in enabling us to know.
The anointing we have—look down to verse 27. "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you..." The Spirit of God. You received from Him, abides in us as believers. "...you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." Now be careful here. A person says 'Well, I'll just take my Bible and stay home. I don't need to go to Bible study. I don't need to come and be taught the Scriptures.' Right there, that verse says you have no need for anyone to teach you, and there are individuals who pack their Bible up and sit home with themselves and their Bible. But they do not grow as God intends. The point here is that we are not to depend upon human teachers but upon the Spirit of God to teach us. However, what does the Scripture say about the Spirit's teaching? Two basic factors: 1) He provides gifted human beings to teach the Scripture. So the Spirit of God gives them a special ability and He works in and through them in communicating the truth of the Word of God. Secondly, He works in the life of the hearer and the listener to enable them to understand the truth of the Word of God. So it is true—I can study the Word of God on my own and come to know it. But it is also God’s intention that I study in the context of other believers and be taught it. But in all situations, it is dependent not upon the human person there but upon the divine person. I could study the Word of God, saturate myself with the Word of God in facts, stand up and teach the facts, but if it were not for the presence of the Spirit of God in me I would not be able to teach it with spiritual understanding in a way that people could grow.

The other side is true as well. Without the Spirit of God present in your life, it would not matter who was teaching. You would not be able to grasp and understand the spiritual significance of what was being taught. It would not matter how much you studied the Scripture, without the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life, you would not understand it.

So the point here is that we are not dependent upon human teachers but on a divine teacher, the Spirit of God. But the divine teacher, the Spirit of God, often does use human teachers. He has the very fact that we’re studying the Gospel of John. He used the Apostle John to record His message. He does not teach me directly. He teaches me through the Scripture, which He used human beings to write. But He is a key person in our knowledge and understanding and in our growth. This is the point in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Paul beings by saying that my preaching was not in man’s wisdom but in the power of the Spirit. What is he saying? I, as a teacher or preacher, did not approach it with human wisdom but it was with the Spirit of God working in and through me. Later on he said it is only those of you who have the Spirit of God who can understand the teaching because the natural man, the man apart from the Spirit, does not comprehend spiritual things. And in the midst of that chapter it is noted that eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit for the Spirit searches all things." So the Spirit is given the revelation; the Spirit used human instruments to proclaim the revelation. The Spirit works in human lives to enable them to comprehend the revelation. It all depends upon the Spirit's ministry, and without the Spirit's ministry this supernatural revelation can accomplish nothing in our lives.

Okay, back in John chapter 14. One other point. We're stressing the Spirit here, but you note it is always the Spirit in relationship to His ministry representing Jesus Christ. Note what He says in verse 26, "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that _I said to you." Look in John 15:26, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me..." Chapter 16 of John verse 14. "He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you." This is to be the Spirit's ministry. When Christ was on earth, He focused attention upon Himself. Who He was, what He would do. Now that the Spirit is ministering in believers, is it the Spirit's ministry to focus attention on what the Spirit does? Not at all. It's the Spirit's ministry to focus attention on Jesus Christ, to exalt Jesus Christ. We often hear comments like, 'The emphasis on the Holy Spirit is lacking.' I don't believe that is true, unless there is a lack in the emphasis on the person and work of Jesus Christ. What we have revealed about the Spirit of God in the New Testament is put in the context of Jesus Christ. Spiritual gifts, a key ministry of the Spirit today, what is the context in which that is placed? The body of Christ. This is the ministry of the Spirit to enable us to function effectively as a part of the body of Christ. The baptizing ministry of the Spirit, in what context? Placing us into the body of Christ. His whole ministry is in the context of Jesus Christ. Old Testament, before Christ came, looked to His coming, and prophesied His coming. While He was on earth, the focus was on Him. Now that He is in heaven at the right hand of the Father, the focus is on Him.

Scripture focuses on the second person of the Godhead. The intention of the triune God is to have the Son of God be the focal point in revelation. The Father and the Spirit work to reveal the Son even in the Scripture that we have.

Back to John 14. So with this Spirit we have abundant provision. He is One who can help us, sustain us in whatever way we need it. He can produce the holiness of God's character in our lives, to teach us and instruct us so that we might grow in knowledge and understanding of the Word of God so that we might perceive more about the person of Christ. Keep that in mind. We study the truth here. We study the Scripture here. We have the Spirit's ministry in our lives not so that we can know more facts in the Scripture, but so we can know more about Jesus Christ. That's the purpose of the Scripture. They are a vehicle, THE vehicle, through whom Jesus Christ is made known to us today. But I can absorb myself in knowing more of the facts of the Scripture, having more knowledge about the Bible than someone else and be relatively immature and ignorant. If I don't perceive the real purpose is to know more about the person and work of the Son of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That's the whole purpose of the book. It's not just another book where the goal is to see how many facts you can learn. Could you quote how many verses, but what have you learned about Jesus Christ in our study today?

He goes on in verse 27 to a seemingly different subject. "Peace I leave with you..." Now in verse 26 He's talking about the Spirit's ministry. In verse 27 He says, "Peace I leave with you." Hasn’t He made a jump? Not really, because involved in the Spirit’s ministry will be the provision of peace. He’s the One who helps and assists me in every way. But what He is emphasizing here is His provision for us as He departs. The Holy Spirit is provided. Also, the peace of God is provided. Now that is, of course, linked to the ministry of the Spirit. But here there is stress drawn to it. "Peace I leave with you." This is My legacy. I bequeath to you peace. Note its stress—it’s a gift. "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you." This peace is a gift that God is providing for believers. 'I am leaving, but I am going to leave to you peace. Not like the world would leave. My peace, I give it to you. You don’t have to earn it. It’s not yours if you will struggle. It's not yours if you are faithful in every detail. Here, I'm giving it to you.' Yet we have many believers who don’t experience it, and He realizes that danger because He says to the disciples, "I give you My peace, now don’t let your heart be troubled. Don't be fearful." Now if the peace was automatic, He wouldn't have to tell them not to let their heart be troubled. Don’t allow your heart to be troubled, don't allow it to be fearful. Well, if He’d just give me His peace, what’s the issue? Picture it like this. If my father was preparing to depart this life, and he says ’I'm going to leave you a hundred million dollars, and it’s in the bank in your account. So don't worry about paying the rent. Don’t worry about where your next meal is going to come from. I think I've made ample provision, you just draw upon it.' You say, Great. It's in the bank! So he departs, goes to glory, and I go home and I say 'Boy, the rent's going to be due and there's $300 this month. What am I going to do? And not only that, I've got to buy food for supper tomorrow night. I can't sleep, I don't know what I'll do.' But you say that's ridiculous. There is abundant provision! It's a matter that I have to draw upon it. That is what Christ is saying. I am leaving you My peace—it is yours. Now you be sure to draw on it. Christ says, 'Here's My
peace' and we say 'Oh, yes, wonderful!' Set it aside and we say what are we going to do now? The Lord's leaving! Wait a minute, Lord. 'I just said I gave you My peace.' I know you said that but.... I've got all these things to worry about. 'But I just gave you My peace.' Now it's a peace not as the world gives. What does the world give? The world can give peace. Jesus gives a different kind of peace. Satan has a counterfeit for everything, and he has a counterfeit peace. He provides a peace that is based upon smoothness of circumstances. As long as the details around me, the circumstances of my life are going relatively smooth, I can have peace. You talk to an unbeliever and he can talk about being on top of it. Everything is going great. I've never been so happy. Boy, I go to bed at night and I sleep like a baby. Everything is super. But his peace is based on circumstances. All of a sudden, things begin to cave in. His family begins to come apart. His health deteriorates. He loses his material things. Then all of a sudden he's a case for suicide. He can't sleep at night, he has no peace. Why? His peace is dependent upon circumstances. Jesus says that's not what He is leaving them. You'll know if you have genuine peace when you're in a storm. I don't know it when everything's going well. It's when the storm is present that I know that I've got real peace. Paul wrote about this in Philippians 4 when he said not to be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses, goes beyond human understanding, shall stand guard at your heart and mind. What's he saying? You're anxieties, your concerns, your troubles—turn them over to Him and allow His peace to stand guard to protect your heart and mind from trouble, from worry, from turmoil, from fear. It doesn't matter. The storm comes, that's alright, I was in the eye of the hurricane. I have peace. All around me, everything's coming apart. Every cause for inner turmoil. But I don't need it. "Don't be fearful." This is the only time this verb is used, not to be fearful. But the noun is used over in 2 Timothy 1, verse 7, where Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, a spirit of cowardice." The word means to be a coward, to be timid, to be fearful. God has not given us a spirit of cowardice. I don’t have to be afraid. I don't have to be turning on the inside. Why? My Lord left but He gave me an abundance of peace! More than I can ever use! So if I am not experiencing His peace in a situation, it's not because He didn't give me enough, it's because I'm choosing not to draw upon it. But He has provided the peace.

I know some of you read the cover story in Time magazine on crime in the United States. You know, that's a scary thing to read. You get done reading that, you think you'd better go arm your house. You're not safe if you don't have a few guns around. Somebody may knock on your door and blow you away. If that's not the case, you may walk down to get the mail and someone will shoot you. It's terrible. You've got to have the kids sit at the door and watch you as you go to the mailbox! You get the idea that my goodness! Fear pervades everything. But I don't have to be afraid. You say 'Nothing can happen to you?' Nothing outside the will of God. He's in control. He gave me His peace! He told me the world was going to come apart. I've been expecting it at any time. But I've got His peace! He told me that the gold and silver wouldn't be worth anything. Doesn't matter to me about inflation, I've got His peace. He told me inflation is going to make it impossible to buy a house, that's alright. He's preparing one for me in glory. I've got His peace! How much of our worry time is spent on physical circumstances of this life? The things of this life are what worry and press in on us. I don't have to worry about heaven. I don't have to worry about eternity. What do I worry about? Oh, I worry about the daily things of this life? He says, 'Wait, I've given you My peace.' "Don't be troubled" and it's a command here. It's not a recommendation! When I am allowing my heart to be troubled, when I am being fearful, it's because I am resisting what God wants to do in my life, through His Spirit in producing His peace. What a joy for us as believers to have peace in every situation. What a tragedy that so much of our time is spent as believers being counseled by psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. because of the turmoil and fear that we have. Wait a minute. I have His peace, and He is in control.

This is all based, of course, on having peace with God—Romans 5:1, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. If you’re not a child of God, He doesn't provide you peace. You just have the turmoil. It's when you come to believe in Jesus Christ and have peace with God as a result of being cleansed and forgiven that God provides His peace for your daily experience and life.

One verse, 2 Thess. 3, verse 16. I like it because of it's stress on circumstances. 2 Thessalonians 3:16, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself..." Imagine that! I don't get it through an intermediary! The Lord of peace Himself "...continually grant you peace in every circumstance." Now that's exciting! Continual peace in every circumstance! What's the world offer? Relative peace based upon circumstances. What's God give? Continual peace in every circumstance What a privilege I have as a believer to walk in the midst of a storm and have total tranquility. Let me tell you—you need to be drawing on this peace day by day in the little things because as we draw upon His peace and allow Him to produce it in our lives in the little things, when the hurricane comes we're not blown away. Many Christians have been deceived by the devil into thinking they can handle the little things. That's okay, I can take care of these things. I can worry it through. But soon they'll find out they're overwhelmed. The major storm comes and they're all unsettled. Why? Because it is to be a growing thing. And the little details of my life, I allow Him to produce His peace and that grows. So when the storm comes, there's no change. I'm drawing on His peace just like I did when it was raining. Doesn't matter that the winds are blowing 100 miles per hour now. It doesn’t matter. I draw upon His peace just I did when it was a drizzle. The pattern is the same.

Back to John 14, verse 28. "You heard that I said to you, ’I go away, and I will come to you.’" The connection here, He will come at His second coming which we saw in the opening verses of chapter 14, but even more immediately we’ve seen the promise that even though He is going physically, He will be dwelling with them spiritually. So I've going away, but I’m coming. That will just be a change in the way I am with you. No longer in a physical, tangible body. "If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father." The condition there implies they did not love Him. "If you loved Me," and you don't, "you would have rejoiced." Wait a minute, Lord, we love you. Well, if you loved Me, you would rejoice. Remember, love manifests itself in action? You should be rejoicing! What do you mean? You’re leaving, you want me to be happy? Well, wait a minute, what is agape love? It is desiring the best for the other person. A willingness to do for the other person regardless of personal consequences. Now Jesus said it is best that I am going to the Father. You would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, and the Father is greater than I. Oh. If you'd just left that last statement off. The Father is greater than I—ever have a Jehovah Witness or someone who didn't believe in the deity of Christ take you to John 14:28 and say if He is equal to the Father why did He say the Father is greater than I? Now if He is deity and He is God, how can the Father be greater than Him? How can God be greater than God? Now Jesus has said in John 10:31, "I and the Father are one." Now He says the Father is greater. All you have to do is put it in the context here. What is He talking about? He is talking about His departure from the earth. He is talking about going to be with the Father. So what is the contrast? Being here on earth and being with the Father. And in this present state, my being on earth the Father is greater than I. It's the same idea as Philippians chapter 2. Jesus Christ voluntarily humbled Himself in becoming a man. He became obedient even to the point of death. Now He set aside the independent use of His attributes, is the way we express it out of Philippians chapter 2. He voluntarily subjugated Himself, so during His incarnation on earth, the Father is greater. Now Jesus is talking about going back to the Father. John 17:5, He prays, "Now glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." He had this glory, and He voluntarily set it aside and became a man. During that state, the Father is greater. But now He is returning to that glory. Not that Jesus Christ has become less than deity, but He is not functioning with the full display of His glory and attributes that is rightfully His. Now I'm going to the Father. He is greater than I in my present condition. So what happens when He returns to the Father? He again assumes the glory that was His before the world was. The disciples should rejoice over this! The humiliation is over! Our Lord is resuming the glory that is His and has been His for all eternity! If you really loved Me, you would rejoice in that fact. You'd be glad, 2 Cor. 8:9—"He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor." He set aside the glory that was His. So the Father is greater than I. The context determines the meaning.
He's talking about the contrast of being here now and going to the Father. And you'd be glad that I was going to the Father who is greater, because I will be resuming the glory that is mine with the Father, and the demonstration that will be clearly evident in our equality. I think God puts statements like this in the Bible just to confuse the unbeliever, because if you don't have the Spirit of God to put things together, they don't fit. And the unbeliever is confused, and the Word of God was never intended for the unbeliever to understand it. So when the unbeliever shows me that and is all confused about the deity of Christ it doesn't surprise me anyway. Because the problem is not really the confusion about a verse of Scripture, it's probably his stubbornness and unwillingness to believe the revelation God has given of Himself. That's the contrast here."You would have rejoiced because I go to the Father." You note here. I think there’s a parallel here. It’s not the same, but when a believer dies there is a similarity there. When I die, I go into the presence of God. Now I won’t have the glory of deity because I’m not Deity, but I will bask in the glory of my God. And note the seeming contradiction here. "You would have rejoiced..." Now there’s always sorrow at departure. Jesus Christ is going to die, can you be glad He's dying? No, but you’re glad He is going to the Father They're not glad that He has to suffer the agony of the crucifixion, but they can rejoice that He is going to the Father. That's the same way with the departed loved ones here. We sometimes bask in sorrow for the longest time, but it is self-pity. If I die and go to be with the Lord tomorrow, you need not sit around moaning, Oh it’s too bad Gil died so young, or middle-aged! Some of the younger people would just think it was natural having lived such a long life! But you know, there's nothing to feel sorry for! Don’t pity me, walking around in the glories of the New Jerusalem looking at the gates, each one of pearl! Basking in the glory of the presence of God! You don't have to sit down here weeping for me! Forget it! Oh, wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he could have seen his children’s children’s children, and bearing the burden of paying for their education! Think of the all the joys he’s missing! Don't kid yourself! We often lose sight of it. You can be glad for me when I go. I’m going to be with Him. Don't feel sorry for me. You know, we build up these ideas—oh, it's too bad, wouldn't he loved to have been here. Listen, wouldn’t he have loved to be here when they opened the new auditorium. Not on your life! You think I'd rather be here than in the New Jerusalem?! Now that doesn't mean there's not sorrow, but the sorrow won't be for me or for another Christian loved one who dies. There's a sorrow of separation. That's what Paul talks about in 1 Thess. 4, that we are not to grieve as those who have no hope. I'm sorry at the departing of a loved one. There's tears even when we say good-bye for a period of months. There's sorrow in that separation. I'm going to miss them, but I have joy in it. They've gone into the presence of God and I can weep because I miss them, but I can rejoice that they are enjoying His presence. That's the contradiction the world can't help understand—that we can be joyous on the inside and bawling on the outside. You know what it's like if you've been a believer very long. God gives you that peace and that joy even though there is a sorrow and a heartache. I am human. We'd be less than human not to experience sorrow at the departing of one I love, but there's a joy in it as well if they are one who knew Jesus Christ.

So there is a similarity in the comparison here. Verse 29. "Now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe." In chapter 13, verse 19, Jesus said the same thing. I'll tell you ahead of time, and then when all these things happen, your faith can be just firmly settled and confirmed. "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me..." The ruler of this world—referred to in John chapter 12 when referring to Satan, the god of this world, the ruler of this world. He is coming—I take it He is referring to the events that are about to transpire as Satan motivates Judas, the religious leaders, in the bringing about of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So he is coming very shortly. You know, Jesus is well aware of all the details that are going to transpire, and He still talks about peace. He talked about not being troubled. He still talked about not being afraid. Satan is coming, don't be afraid and don't be troubled. "He has nothing in Me." There was no sin in Christ. There was nothing Satan could lay hold of in Jesus Christ, for He was without sin, spotless. It gave him nothing to lay hold of, lay claim to in Jesus Christ. He's coming. He'll motivate fallen humanity to crucify the Lord of life, but he has no control over Me. He has no hold on Me, he's simply carrying out the eternal plan of God in accomplishing salvation.

"But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do." Remember that repeated emphasis? "If you love Me, you will keep My commandment." "That the world may know that I love the Father, and as He gave Me commandment, even so I do." Remember Phil, chapter 2 where He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The love that Christ had for His Father is demonstrated by the fact that He was willing to obey Him even to dying the death of crucifixion. Love demonstrates itself in obedience. An obedience that knows no limit. "Arise, let us go from here." The conversation breaks. They just leave the upper room. They go to meet Satan, in effect. Satan is coming, the ruler of this age.

You note. Christ is not hiding in a corner from him, but "let's go to where we will meet him and confront him." Encouraging section to see what God has done in providing for us as believers—the presence of the Spirit, to be a Helper in every way needed. To produce holiness in my life and conduct. To teach me all that I need to know from the truth of the Word. To leave me a legacy of peace. To be my portion in storms and trials and troubles and difficulties, in every situation. I can experience that sustaining, consistent, unending peace that Jesus Christ has provided for me. I can rejoice that He has resumed in glory what is rightfully His from all eternity in the presence of the Father, and that someday I look forward to going and basking in that glory in the place that He has prepared for me.

One question. Is any of this yours? It is all conditioned upon whether or not you have come to believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God died for you.
The moment you believe in Him, it all becomes yours because of His provision.
Let’s pray together.

Father, thank you for the greatness of your love. Lord, for what you’ve done for us in Christ. Lord, a salvation that goes beyond comprehension and understanding. May we be a people in living in light of who we are and what we have in Jesus Christ.

Father, I pray for those who may be here who do not have any of what we’re talking about because they do not yet have a relationship with you.