Good Morning…
You know, Sue and I are getting to the age now that we can honestly say that we are part of the ‘graying of America.’ In other words, we’re getting older. We are what we used to refer to, only a mere 20 years ago…as ‘the old geezers’. And to tell the truth…I’m beginning to feel that way, sometimes.
But, as I was saying, because of our age, Sue and I have taken some steps in preparing for the future. We have made out our wills and have had a revocable trust written…not exactly sure I understand it all, because it’s written in legalese, a language I don’t speak. But, we are trying to get things in order for when we turn everything over to our kids.
Our scripture this morning, from the book of John is described in one of my commentaries as, ‘The Bequests of Jesus’. Bequest…now this is a word you don’t hear much anymore…bequest. This word is defined simply as an inheritance, or donation, or a gift.
And so, as we read our scripture today, we can more easily understand it if we know that these words from Jesus are his effort to tell his disciples what he is ready to leave with them…it is his explanation of their inheritance from him.
But what do you suppose a man who has no possessions, very little money, and no place to put his head at night…what do you suppose a man like this has to give? What precious gifts does he have that he might pass on to those he loves?
Well, if you have the connections that Jesus has, you have some very precious gifts to give…and that’s what we’re going to explore this morning…the gifts that are promised to the Disciples of Christ.
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If you remember, last week I spoke about discipleship and what it really meant. There were three characteristics that were required…that we first believe in Jesus…that we open ourselves up to learning his ways…and that we live a life of servitude.
And so, this morning, Jesus is speaking to us, his beloved disciples and Jesus speaks of five things in today’s passage that he wants to pass on to his beloved followers….his disciples.
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…The Holy Spirit…
The very first person Jesus speaks of is his ally, the Holy Spirit, and he says two basic things about him. First, that the gift of the Holy Spirit will teach us all things. Like I said last Sunday, to the end of our days, the Christian must be a learner. The Holy Spirit that dwells within us, has the ability to lead us deeper and deeper into the truth of God if we will but let him. There should be no excuse for not keeping ourselves open to the instruction of the Holy Spirit. The Christian who feels that he has nothing more to learn, is the Christian who has not even begun to understand what the doctrine of the Holy Spirit means.
And then there’s another attribute of the Holy Spirit that Jesus wants us to have…and that is the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is present in order to remind us of the things that Jesus has said. And this means two things…In matters of belief, the Holy Spirit is constantly bringing back to us the things Jesus has told us. We have been encouraged to become more Christ-like in our daily living. That means that everything we think, say and do must be tested against the words of Christ. We must continually strive to understand and discover how to apply the meaning of Christ’s words to our lives. The Holy Spirit guides and directs us in that road of discovery.
Secondly, the Holy Spirit will continually nudge us if we begin to act unrighteous. I guess you could call it guilt feelings. Nearly all of us have this sort of experience in life. We are tempted to do something wrong and are on the very brink of doing it, when back into our minds comes a saying of Jesus, a verse or passage of scripture, or the words of someone we love and admire, or one our parent’s admonitions. These thoughts happen in a split second…saying to us ‘stop’. Well, this is the work of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
Did you know that ever since 1811, the U.S. Treasury has operated a ‘Conscience Fund’? Since that time, it has received almost 3.5 million dollars from guilt-ridden individuals who might have, at one time or another, defrauded the government.
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…The Gift of Peace…
Not only does Jesus ask the Father to provide the Holy Spirit, Jesus also gives us his peace…but not as the world gives. Well, what does that mean?
In the Bible, the word for ‘peace’ is ‘shalom’. It means so much more than a simple absence of trouble. It means everything that makes for our highest good …in other words, it wishes for us a peace that cannot be taken away, not by sorrow, or danger, or suffering. It is an inner peace. A peace that is independent of any outward circumstance.
The question was once asked, "If you could choose what you wanted most in life, what would you ask for?" Well, believe it or not, the most common answer was "Peace." People want peace in their marriages, families, workplaces, country and world.
Our country has some of the best medical and psychological treatment centers, the most revered educational institutions and worldwide communication abilities. Yet with all of these things, most people are yet without true inner peace. The results are devastating... broken marriages, split families, hatred, rebellion, financial anxiety, a whole country unsettled.
The world can only offer you peace through forms of escapism...drugs, alcohol, immoral relationships, constant entertainment. People continue to try to find peace through all forms of pleasure, self-satisfaction and positive thinking.
Many believe that peace is defined as the absence of trouble. They refuse to face the problems in their lives believing that this is the way to finding peace. All you have to do is to escape somehow. The world, however, has never held the answer to true peace.
This gift from Jesus is not mere escapism. The true peace that he gives comes not from man, but from God. This peace means to be in harmony with God, to be bound, joined and woven together with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It also means to be assured of, confident of and secure in the love and care of God.
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…He Reveals His Destination…
Another gift Jesus gives us in this scripture, Jesus again confirms the place he is going. He assures us that there is a heaven with God, the Father residing there.
Jesus says that he is going back to his Father, and he says that if his disciples really love him, they would be glad for him…glad that he is being released from the limitations of this world…that he is being restored to his full glory.
Dwight L. Moody once said, ‘We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance to those who belong there. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.’
What a precious gift Jesus gives to us…to know and to be certain that for those who are prepared, there is a place prepared for them.
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…He Speaks of His Struggles…
One other thing we inherit from Jesus in our scripture concerns his struggles. Jesus, being at the same time divine and yet human, he still had to struggle the same as we do…living one day at a time…dealing with the same issues with which we struggle.
I’m sure that as Jesus grew and matured becoming aware of his special relationship with God, the Father, that he also became acutely aware of the interest that the Prince of this world had in him. We can read about his time of temptation in the desert after his baptism, and then of course his time in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then his crucifixion…all times of extreme struggling for Jesus.
What does that mean for us? It means that we have a Savior who knows our times of struggle, too, first hand…he knows our bent toward sinning…he knows the warring of the flesh and the spirit. And each Sunday, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, ‘…and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ Jesus know all about this.
And especially in these times, temptations abound. Each day and every hour we are bombarded with inducements to do this or believe that. And when Jesus speaks to his disciples, he talks about the ruler of this world…Jesus actually confirms that there are forces that work against him and his ways. Jesus refers to this person as a ‘ruler’…a sovereign potentate of sorts. And evidently he has great power…power over this world!
But in our scripture, Jesus says, ‘He has no power over me.’ And this is the gift Jesus gives to his disciples…it is the gift that when Jesus calls us to follow him, he is in essence saying, ‘come to me and let me help you with your struggles, with your temptations, with the evil that surrounds you. Believe in me, learn from me and obey me.
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…He speaks of his vindication…
And just as Jesus asks us to obey him, in the last verse of today’s scripture, Jesus says to us, ‘but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.’
In the very words of Jesus, himself, there is a sure trust in God…even a trust that allows Jesus to go willingly to the cross. Remember when Jesus said, ‘…not my will, but thine be done.’
At the time Jesus went to the cross, it was his final battle with the powers of evil. At that time, the cross was a symbol of humiliation and shame. But the time would come when men would see it differently. They would see the unselfish act of Jesus as an outward and visible sign of his obedience to his Father and his love to men. These were the keynotes of Jesus’ life and ministry.
And so, this final gift to the disciples was an everlasting and powerful sign to the world…a hopeful sign…a sign of love and mercy for all men who respond to what Jesus has to say to them…to those who respond to his invitation to follow him.
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…Conclusion…
As we read the words of our scripture this morning, there is a consciousness and a sure trust that God will provide, guide, strengthen, sustain, encourage, deliver and save completely those who seek Him with all their hearts. This supernatural peace comes first and foremost from receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Second, it comes from a knowledge of God's Word.
In God’s Word, we see the Apostle Paul imprisoned, stoned, left for dead and scourged by the Romans, and yet he knew the gift of peace given through the Lord, Jesus.
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It seems to me as I look at these times that we are experiencing that there are many who reject these gifts of Jesus. They reject them because it so easy to surrender to their own selfishness and their lust for the pleasures of this world.
But like I said at the beginning of my sermon this morning, just like Sue and I are making plans for our future, we all need to make plans for the future, we all need to hear these words of Jesus, and as his followers openly accept the gifts he is offering us and make them part of our daily living.
And Jesus said to them, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you." A legacy of inner peace is offered to all who know Jesus Christ, regardless of their circumstances.
And in these days of uncertainty and distress, we all need to ask ourselves once again, do we know…have we experienced his peace…that deep inner peace that is independent of all outward circumstance? Do we know the great love he has for those who are his?
Jesus is the Giver of eternal life and the Prince of Peace! He is the perfect image of divine love…he is love…all excelling!
Let us pray…
Dear Jesus,
We thank you for giving and giving and giving again. Help us to realize your effort on our behalf…help us to believe and trust in you…help us to learn the paths we need to take in following you, and once on that path to continually obey your instruction to us. We pray this in your Holy Name. Amen.
