“Setting Troubled Hearts at Rest: A Relationship for Life”
John 14:15-24
One of our sons, when he was very young, had a fear that centered on me and Barb. Every time we left to go somewhere he was concerned that something would happen and feared we therefore would not come back. When we learned about this we had to make some adjustments in some things we said and did to try to help alleviate his fear and instill confidence within him. So I have some sympathy with both the disciples and Jesus; with the disciples because I understand their frantic concern that about the possibility that Jesus would not be back, and with Jesus because He needed to address their fear. As usual, Jesus was up to the task as He assured the disciples that He and they would have a relationship for life. Let’s take a look at just what that means.
Jesus told the disciples that if they wanted trouble free hearts, if they wanted to know what to do and how to survive in the future, they needed a lifelong relationship with Him. Since the key to any long lasting relationship is what each person puts into it, it’s not surprising that Jesus said the disciples could have such a relationship if they would LOVE THE LORD. Understanding that these men really did love Him, Jesus said “If you love me…” He did not doubt their love for Him – He was moving them beyond their feelings to action. It’s like saying, “If you really feel that way then do something about it.” We need to keep in mind the Old Testament background. THE ISRAELITES WERE OFTEN TOLD TO LOVE GOD; TO LOVE GOD WAS THEIR PRIMARY DUTY IN LIFE. Recall Dt. 6:5, the cornerstone of Jewish belief and practice – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Jesus, when He was asked about the greatest commandment, made reference to this by saying, “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and the great commandment.” (Mt. 22:37-38)
Certainly love played a prominent role in Jesus’ life and teaching, but only John presents Jesus as directing this love towards Himself. Yet that makes sense since Jesus repeatedly emphasized that He and the Father were one, that those who had seen Him had seen the Father. So it follows logically that THE DISCIPLES COULD LOVE GOD BY LOVING JESUS, that through loving Him they were truly loving the Father. Nine times John portrays Jesus talking about loving Him. Four of those times occur in our passage this morning. (14:15, 21, 23, 24) “If you love me…he is the one who loves me…if anyone loves me…he who does not love me…” Then, following His resurrection, as He talked with and restored Peter, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?” It’s clear that loving Jesus is not an emotional thing; it is not an intellectual or mental commitment. It is a matter of the heart. It is the heart that focuses and connects our affections, our wills, and our devotion to an object or person. To love Jesus means that we focus our hearts, affections, and wills on Jesus. This lifelong relationship begins with loving the Lord Jesus.
But just how do we love the Lord? What does loving Jesus look like? “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Tom had won a toy at a raffle. When he got home he called his five children together to determine which one should get this new toy. He asked, “Who’s the most obedient?” The children stared back at him in silence. Then he asked, “Who never talks back to mother?” Still silence. So then he queried, “Who does everything mom says?” With that the children looked at each other and then said, “Okay, Dad, you get the toy.” While the children may not have fully understood it, they articulated a sound principle - love is expressed through obedience. Their father didn’t do what mother asked to earn her love but to express his love. Likewise, THE DISCIPLES COULD LOVE JESUS BY OBEYING HIS COMMANDS. They didn’t need to obey to earn His love – He already loved them. Rather they could respond to His love by obeying Him.
But what are Jesus’ commands? After Jesus had washed their feet He said to the disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. (13:34-35) Once again, notice that love is not an emotion but a deep desire to order our lives on the example Jesus placed before us, that we should LOVE ONE ANOTHER. It means a life of service, of gladly, humbly washing feet and honoring others. It means a life of sacrifice, as Jesus pointed out (Jn. 15:13) “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Service and sacrifice – just the way Jesus loved and loves. “As I have loved you so you must love one another.” As Paul Metzger wrote, “A costly love leads, in turn, to a costly love. And that is why John and his fellow followers gave themselves sacrificially to win the world for Jesus, laying down their lives daily for him.” “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” It’s this radical love that led non-believers, as written in the book of Acts, to look at the believers and Say “See how they love one another.”
Jesus was telling His disciples that no matter what, they were to build a lifelong relationship with Him by loving as they had been, and would be, loved. So when your heart is troubled, when life is tough, when fear sets in, when the cares of the day are overwhelming, when you’re riddled with doubt, stay busy loving one another. When you’re feeling lonely or unloved, love one another. When you’re feeling beaten, love one another. When the medical report is full of bad news, love one another. When you lose a job, love one another. When death breaks off a relationship, love one another. When anger breaks off a relationship, love one another. When you’ve been rebuffed or rejected, love one another. When the future is uncertain, love one another.
Jesus reinforced this as He continued teaching the disciples. He said the when we love the Lord, He empowers us to LIVE THE LIFE. Jesus next talked about what He would bring to the relationship. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” Jesus would ask the Father to send a counselor. There are numerous English words that can translate the Greek word, which is ‘paraclete,’ which means along side of. Terms like counselor, comrade, commander, advocate, helper all can be used. A doctor, nurse, or aide at the bedside of a sick person is a paraclete. A minister who preaches good news during a time of despair is a paraclete. An attorney defending a client is a paraclete. A counselor offering guidance and support is a paraclete. A mentor is a paraclete. Jesus was a paraclete. And now Jesus said the Father would send another paraclete – one just like Him, who would be with them forever. The Psalmist had called God (46:1) “…our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Jesus is claiming that God will now send that ever-present help to be with the disciples forever. Jesus was not breaking off a relationship – He was strengthening it. He was assuring them He was in this with them for life – forever.
The disciples could live this life, as we can, because THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AN INTERNAL PRESENCE. “He lives with you and will be in you…” (17). Just as God lived in Jesus for 33 years so now he would live in His people forever. Through the Holy Spirit Jesus will not be just a memory – rather He will be an ongoing presence and experience. It is not so much a matter of us ‘getting hold of the Spirit’ as it is the Spirit getting hold of us. There is no separate class of Christians called “Holy Spirit – or Holy Ghost – persons.” To think sop is sheer pride. For all Christians are Holy Spirit persons. As Reuben Torrey stated, “I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of Divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me.”
Secondly we can live this life because THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPARTS LIFE. “Because I live, you also will live.” (19) Since Jesus defeated death, He lives forever. And since He does, He shares His ongoing life with us forever. As Paul wrote (Rom. 8:11) “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”
It is important to note that THE LIFE THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPARTS IS JESUS’ LIFE. In 16:14 Jesus said, “He (the Spirit) will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” The Holy Spirit does not take center stage; He works behind the scenes; He does not call attention to Himself. As Rev. John Timmer pointed out, the Holy Spirit is like John the Baptist in that he prepares us for Jesus, He speaks only what Jesus says, He reminds us of everything Jesus has said (14:26), He testifies about Jesus (15:26), and He brings glory to Jesus. In other words, how do we know if we’re filled with the Holy Spirit? Is it when we speak in tongues? When we’re filled with laughter and joy? Is it when I can brag about the Holy Spirit or fall to the floor in a holy fit? No – I know I’m filled with the Holy Spirit when I’m deeply conscious of Jesus Christ. And you will know I’m filled with the Holy Spirit when you see Jesus in me. F. Dale Bruner spoke to this when he poignantly wrote, “I do not believe that the churches need a new focus on the Holy Spirit in order to be renewed, for the simple reason that the Spirit’s main work is to focus the church’s attention ever and again on Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit does not mind being the neglected Cinderella as long as the Prince is honored. The Holy spirit does not mind being neglected as long as Jesus is not.” The Holy Spirit draws attention to Jesus by imparting Jesus’ life to us. The Holy Spirit magnifies Jesus in us. A man was going through customs on his way back from Haiti. The person ahead of him had bought lots of costly jewelry but was waved through quickly. All this man had was an inexpensive carved head of Jesus. But it was big, about knee-high, so he had wrapped it in several layers of towels in a burlap bag. As the officer dug deeper into the towels, expecting expensive hidden items, he looked up and asked, “How big is your Jesus, anyway?” The Holy Spirit is hidden inside of us, content to be backstage; but he makes Jesus bigger in our lives.
Thirdly, THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS A DEEPER INTIMACY WITH JESUS. (21) “He who loves me…I will show myself to him.” The more we live Jesus’ life the deeper our relationship with Him will be. The Message translates these words as “I will make myself plain…” There will be times in our lives when we know beyond a doubt that Jesus has done something very special, or times when there is an extra deep consciousness of Him. Sometimes it’s a mountaintop experience. Sometimes it’s a quiet, powerful moment or a chilling of the spine. But we know for certain it’s a ‘Jesus moment.’ The more we love Jesus by loving others, the deeper our intimacy grows. In C. S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian Lucy sees Aslan, the lion, for the first time in many years. He has changed since their last encounter. His size surprises her, and she tells him as much. “Aslan,” said Lucy. You’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” answered he. “Not because you are?” “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.” As Max Lucado points out, that’s the way it is with Christ “The longer we live in him, the greater he becomes in us. It’s not that he changes but that we do; we see more of him. We see dimensions, aspects, and characteristics we never saw before, increasing and astonishing increments of his purity, power, and uniqueness.”
Fourthly, THE HOLY SPRIT LEADS US TO A DEEPER REALIZATION OF GOD’S LOVE. (21, 23) He who loves me will be loved by my Father. And I too will love him and show myself to him…and we will come to him and make our home with him.” As Paul wrote (Rom. 5:5) “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Our hearts will be so full of God’s love that the Father and Jesus will feel at home in us. And we will feel all the more deeply loved.
Derek Redmond was a young British runner, who had sky rocketed to fame by shattering his country’s 400-meter record at age 19. But then an Achilles tendon injury forced him to withdraw from the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and he endured five separate surgeries. When the Summer Olympics arrived in Barcelona in 1992, Derek Redmond was absolutely aching for a medal. On the day of the 400-meter race, 65,000 fans streamed into the stadium, anxious to witness one of sports’ most thrilling events. High in the stands is Derek’s father, Jim, a faithful witness to every one of his son’s world competitions. When the race began Derek broke through the pack to seize the lead. Heading down the backstretch, only 175 meters from the finish line, Derek was a shoo-in to win this semifinal heat and qualify for the Olympic finals. But then Derek heard something pop. It was his right hamstring. He pulled up lame, looking as if he has been shot. His leg quivering, Derek began to hop on the other leg, and but then slowed down and fell to the track. Medical personnel ran toward him as he sprawled on the ground, holding his right hamstring.
On the track, Derek realized that his dream of an Olympic medal was gone. He was alone. The other runners streaked across the finish line, as Derek lay on the track, alone. Tears poured down Derek’s face, and all he could think was, “I don’t want to take a DNF.” A Did-Not-Finish was not even part of his vocabulary. When the medical crew arrived with a stretcher, Derek told them, “No, there’s no way I’m getting on that stretcher. I’m going to finish my race.” And so he lifted himself to his feet, ever so slowly and carefully, and started hobbling down the track.
Suddenly, the crowd realized that Derek wasn’t dropping out of the race. He wasn’t limping off the track in defeat, but was actually continuing on one leg, in a fiercely determined effort to make it to the finish line. One painful step at a time, each one a little slower and more agonizing than the one before, Derek limped onward, and the crowd began to cheer for him. The fans rose to their feet and their cries grew louder and louder, building into a thundering roar. All of a sudden, as if out of nowhere, Derek’s father, Jim, was at the bottom of the stands, vaulting over the railing, dodging a security guard, and running out to his son — with two security people running after him. “That’s my son out there,” he yells back at his pursuers, “and I’m going to help him.” Jim reached his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish line, and wrapped his arm around his waist. “I’m here, son,” he said gently, hugging his boy. “We’ll finish together.” Derek put his arms around his father’s shoulders and sobbed. Together, arm in arm, father and son struggled toward the finish line with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying. Just a few steps from the end, with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim released the grip he had on his son so that Derek could cross the finish line by himself. Together, they kept a promise they had made to finish the race, no matter what.
So Jesus assures us that He will not leave us alone and we will have a relationship for life. We will not finish life alone. Through the Holy Spirit Jesus will be our comrade, commander, advocate, and helper. He will be our doctor, our nurse, our aide, our minister, our attorney, our counselor, our mentor; He will forever and always be our paraclete. He has come down to us and He’s not going anywhere. He’s sticking around for life. Let’s pray. “Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down; Fix in us thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown! Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart. Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit, Into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit; Let us find that second rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its Beginning, Set our hearts at liberty. Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy life receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love. Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee; Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.”
