The New Testament is based upon grace and the free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ. He bore the penalty for all of our sins so that we are made righteous in God's sight. Jesus will explain how this new covenant works in John chapters 13-17. When we understand and receive His free gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus, it produces love for God, joy and peace in us. We begin to see God as our Father and that we are made one with Him. God comes to live within us by the Holy Spirit. We are His witnesses.
John 8:31-32 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word (word of grace and truth), you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." When we continue in the word of grace, we are His disciples. His word of grace will cleanse our conscience of guilt and condemnation. We will then be set free from sin as that cycle of condemnation is broken.
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." When we continue in His word of grace, we are His disciples. When we extend that same love and grace to others, other people can see and know that we are His disciples. We are to love others as He loved us. How did He love us? He gave us grace and the free gift of righteousness through Himself. How will we love others? We tell them about His love and extend to them His grace and His free gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus. Jesus will now demonstrate this love and grace to Peter. He tells Peter about three future sins that Peter will commit in the next twelve hours in denying Him. Jesus did not hold those sins against Peter but offered Him grace.
John 13:36 - John 14:4 "Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward." Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for your sake." Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. Let not your heart be troubled (spoken to Peter); you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." John 14:1-4 is Jesus' direct response to Peter's future sins and failures. What grace! Jesus did not count Peter's sins to him. This is an example of God not counting our future sins to us because of His free gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus. Jesus went to the cross and paid for Peter's sins and the sins of every person.
John 14:5-7 "Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." When we understand God's grace and His free gift of righteousness through Jesus, it opens up our relationship with God as our Father and our oneness with Him. Without understanding His free gift of righteousness clearly, we can be born again but we continue in sin consciousness.
John 14:8-10 "Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words (the gospel, the word of grace and truth) that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works (miracles)." Jesus is the express image of God the Father. As He spoke the gospel or word of grace and truth, the Father who dwelt in Jesus did the miracles.
John 14:11-14 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, 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 My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in My name, I will do it." Jesus showed us the pattern for ministry. As we go forth and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, God will work with us in confirming His Word with miracles. When we are born again, the Father dwells in us by the Holy Spirit. He will do the same works or miracles through us that He did through Jesus, as we preach His gospel.
John 14:15-21 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At 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, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
When we understand the free gift of righteousness in Jesus, that God is not counting our sins to us, it produces love for God in our hearts. What are the commandments that Jesus refers to here? We are to love others as He has loved us. We extend that grace and free gift of righteousness to others by telling them about the gospel, that Jesus bore our sins. When we receive God's grace and free gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus, we are born again. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. This is the kingdom of God within us. Romans 14:17 says, "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." When we understand His free gift of righteousness, it produces peace and joy through the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us when we accept Jesus into our hearts. Love, joy and peace are the first three fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. We shall see love, joy and peace discussed in John chapters 14 and 15.
John 14:22-26 "Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (word of grace or righteousness); and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words (word of grace; does not understand the free gift of righteousness); and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's Who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." When we understand and receive His grace and free gift of righteousness, that produces love for God in our hearts. It allows God to come and make His home within us when we are born again. The Holy Spirit teaches us about righteousness. He teaches us to love.
John 14:27-31 "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you'. If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here." Notice that Jesus mentions peace and rejoicing. As we said earlier, love, joy and peace are the first three fruits of the Spirit. They are produced in our lives when we understand that Jesus has taken the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime. When we understand God's grace and His free gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus, we experience peace and joy.
John chapters 13 and 14 took place in the upper room in Jerusalem. Jesus told them to arise and they left and went out to the Mount of Olives, where the garden of Gethsemane was located.
Keith Oliver
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