Jesus last words promise His followers an eternal connection...

This week, we are looking at a section of the final conversation that Jesus had with His closest followers before His death, which is recorded for us in John 14. Yesterday, we saw Jesus explain to His disturbed and confused disciples that He was the way that one could experience the relationship with God that they were created for, but had been separated from as a result of selfishness and rebellion. You see, up to this point, the twelve disciples had not fully grasped the full significance of who Jesus was. The disciples had not fully wrapped their minds around who Jesus was and how He was connected and related to God. However, Jesus explains to the disciples that would change.

Today, as this conversation continued, Jesus would continue to blow up their categories when it came to who He was and how He was connected to God. Jesus begins to demolish their categories as another of the disciples asks a question in verse 8:

 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father,

 and it is enough for us."

In other words, Phillip asks “Jesus all you have to do is take us to God and we will be good. So, Jesus, just take us to God already, then things will be clear”. We see Jesus response in verse 9:

 Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father '?  "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.

In other words, Jesus says “Phillip, where have you been these past three years? How is it that you have not come to the knowledge that I am God. Phillip, I am God in a bod. You see Phillip, I do not need to take you to God, because I am God who has come to you to reveal and explain myself to you.” When Jesus uses the phrase “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me” Jesus is revealing the reality that He is God in a bod.

Jesus Christ is the second member of the Triune God. Jesus has the same nature and essence as God the Father. Jesus then backs His statement by explaining that His message and teachings are not of His own initiative. In other words, Jesus is not coming up with what He is saying. Instead, it is God the Father abiding in Me that initiates both His message and His miracles. Now when Jesus uses the word abide here, this word means to not leave a certain sphere of existence, to remain connected.

Jesus here is revealing the reality that He and God the Father are distinct but inseparably related and connected with one another. That is why earlier in the gospel of John, in John 1:18, John stated that the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. Jesus came to earth to reveal and explain God to humanity and to rescue humanity from their selfishness and rebellion. And the disciples had not fully grasped and wrapped their minds around that reality. And there was something else that the disciples needed to wrap their minds around, which Jesus reveals for them in verse 12:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Here we see Jesus reveal two amazing truths to His closest followers. First, Jesus explains that those who place their confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel will accomplish more to advance God’s kingdom here on earth than Jesus did while here on earth. Now a natural question that arises here is “how can that be?” Jesus point here is that His followers would have a greater impact in terms of the extent and effect to advance His kingdom here on earth.

Think of it this way. At the time of Jesus death, how many followers of Jesus were there on earth? In the book of Acts we read that there were 120 followers of Jesus huddled in hiding in Jerusalem after His death. How many churches were there at the time of Jesus death? None.

As a result of Jesus going to God the Father in Heaven, the church was born and followers of Jesus were equipped and empowered to advance His kingdom to a greater extent that Jesus did during His time on earth. Just as Jesus was the vehicle that God used to reveal Himself to the world, followers of Jesus would be the vehicle that He would use to reveal Himself around the world. Second, Jesus explains that whatever you ask in My name, that I will do.

Unfortunately some in the prosperity gospel movement take this verse to advocate a “name it and claim it mentality” when it comes to prayer. In other words, if I just have enough faith, I can ask God for anything and He will give it to me.

The problem with that view however, is that Jesus is not saying that here. Notice what Jesus says here: "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Now the word glorified means to cause to have splendid greatness. In other words, to glorify is to make much of someone in a way that makes one great.

Jesus point is that God will respond to the prayer that is focused on accomplishing the mission of God in a way that advances God’s kingdom and makes much of God. God enters into the prayer that asks for the ability to accomplish God’s kingdom mission in a way the reveals and reflects the attitude and actions of Jesus.

Jesus is encouraging the disciples to understand that just because He is leaving, that does not mean that the message and mission is changing. Just as Jesus was the vehicle that God used to reveal Himself to the world, followers of Jesus would be the vehicle that He would use to reveal Himself around the world. And a few verses later, in John 14:18, we see Jesus continue to engage His confused and disturbed followers with an amazing promise:

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

Now imagine yourself as a disciple. Earlier Jesus stated that where He was going that they could not come. Then Jesus says that they know the way where He is going. Now Jesus says, I will come to you. So which is it? “Jesus, I’m confused. So, are you going or are you coming? When are you going and coming? What do you mean that the world will no longer see you but we will see you? And because I live, you will live also? What are you talking about?”

While the disciples were confused, Jesus was not confused. While the disciples were not fully aware that just a few hours later, Jesus would be arrested, tried, and crucified, which would result in His death and burial, Jesus was fully aware of what was in store. And Jesus wanted the disciples to know that after His death, the world at large would no longer see Him.

However, after Jesus was raised from the dead, He would come to them. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that because God would bring Jesus back to life to never die again, that His followers would also be able to experience eternal life in the relationship with God that they were created for. Jesus wanted to let the disciples know that the resurrection would serve to prove that Jesus was who He said He was as God in a bod.

Then Jesus makes an amazing statement. Jesus explains that the person who takes ownership of the message and teachings of Jesus in the core of their being and who strives to follow the message and teachings of Jesus, reveals the reality of their love for Jesus. Because, as we discovered last week, love is a verb. Love is proved through our actions.

And for the person who loves Jesus, Jesus makes an amazing promise: “he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." In other words, Jesus promises that He will love and reveal Himself to the one who loves Him. Now this leads to another question from another disciple. We see that question in verse 22:

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"

Judas basically asks, “what about everybody else?” What happened to the mission? What has changed that you are only going to reveal yourself to us?” Jesus answers that question in verse 23:

Jesus answered and said to him, "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.

Jesus answer, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would sound something like this: “The mission has not changed. If anyone, red, yellow, black, or white; young or old; if anyone loves Me; anyone who strives to follow the message and teachings of Jesus, reveals the reality of their love for Me. And anyone who loves Me, my Father will love, because whoever loves Me loves My Father. And we will come to anyone who loves Me and stay with them forever. The person who loves Me will live and remain connected in relationship with Me permanently.

And it is here that we see Jesus, in His final words to His closest followers, reveal a timeless promise for His followers. And that timeless promise is this: Jesus last words promise His followers an eternal connection.  Just as it was for the disciples, Jesus promise to His followers is that our confident trust in Him will provide an eternal connection in the relationship with God we were created for. Jesus promises that He will reveal Himself and connect Himself in an intimate relationship with whoever places their confident trust in Him.

Thursday, we will see Jesus provide a word picture of this reality to the disciples…