Jesus is preparing his disciples for the transition ahead. He will no longer be with them on the earth, but by the Holy Spirit, he will continue to be with them. He says this in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” to those he had just eaten supper with, his closest disciples, those that would be apostles. He spoke to them about bearing fruit and loving one another and said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives”. Then he said in John 15:11 “I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete”. All of this hinges on this repeated statement in John 15:12 “This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you”. If we can get past the word commandment to which many attach the connotation of “a burdensome requirement” and get the message from Jesus, it is that love is the key to joy and fruitful fulfillment.
What You Are Doing, Do Quickly!
John 13:21–30
A New Commandment I Give You
John 13:31–38
Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled
My Peace I Give To You
John 14:15–31
Jesus is explaining how things will change after he ascends to heaven. It will be different for those of us that love him in
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”.
because we who love him will receive “the Spirit of truth” in John 14:17 who is described as an “advocate” here in
John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, in order that he may be with you forever”
and this same “advocate” will teach in
John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name—that one will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything that I said to you.
and there is also the promise for us that love him that the “Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.” in John 14:21 and “will take up residence with him” in John 14:23. But even more, we will have his peace in
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
But Jesus had also said “the world will see me no longer” in John 14:19 and spoke of “the spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive” in John 14:17. The world will carry on not seeing God or knowing him, without his peace because they have rejected Jesus Christ.
When Jesus began his ministry, he was tempted by the devil who said worship me and I will give you all these kingdoms in
Matthew 4:8–9 Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “I will give to you all these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
but Jesus refused so in
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a favorable time.
Now, at the end of his ministry, the devil thinks he finally has Jesus and will crucify him but Jesus knows “he has no power over me” in
John 14:30 I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has no power over me.
What Jesus was explaining to his disciples is that the devil and his world system has no power over us unless we give it to him.
My Father Is Glorified by This
John 15:1–8
Jesus had taught them that he and the Father were one and that they would “take up residence” in us in John 14:23. He now describes this relationship as that of a vine and its fruit with Jesus as the root that nourishes it and the Father as the gardener, the “vinedresser” in
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Jesus then tells them that in order to bear fruit, they must remain in him. The natural mind thinks we must use our intelligence, our ability, our labor yet in God’s kingdom, it is “the one who remains in me” that bears fruit in
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him—this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything.
then he says in
John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.
That My Joy May Be In You
John 15:9–17
Jesus says “these things” for our joy in
John 15:11 I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete.
but what things does he mean? He has just said “remain in my love” in John 15:9 and “ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love” in John 15:10 and he began this subject earlier with
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
and not long before that he had told them in
John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”
so clearly loving him and keeping his commandments is not meant to be a burdensome thing, instead, it should fill us with his joy and be a welcome sign to all around us of the goodness of God. Now Jesus repeats this commandment in
John 15:12 This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you.
this is a key for our own joy and also for bearing fruit in God’s kingdom in John 15:16 and he repeats it again saying “I command you” in
John 15:17 These things I command you: that you love one another.
Study Verses
- John 14:15–31 My Peace I Give To You
- John 15:1–8 My Father Is Glorified by This
- John 15:9–17 That My Joy May Be In You
Today’s Reading
- John 13:21-38
- John 14:1-31
- John 15:1-17