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12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you. 16 A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.”
17 Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and, ‘Because I go to the Father’?” 18 They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
(John 16:12-18 WEB)

Jesus is telling the disciples that He still has much to tell them, but they will not be able to bear it now. He says that when the Spirit of Truth comes he will guide them into all truth, for He will only speak what He hears. He will tell them things that are coming. The Spirit will glorify Jesus because He will declare what is Jesus to the disciples. Jesus says all things that the Father has are His and that is why He said the Spirit will take what is His and declare it to you. Jesus them makes a cryptic statement that “A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.” This left the disciples wonder what he meant and they were discussing it among themselves.

Heavenly Father, Jesus is making it clear that all that you have belongs to Him. He says He will send the Spirit of Truth to us who will make known to us all that He has heard. Jesus then says that He is leaving but that He will return. May we look for His return and be ready for it all the days of our lives. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; 9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; 11 about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
(John 16:7-11 WEB)

Jesus is saying that He is telling the disciples the truth, that it is to their advantage that he goes away. he says if He does not go the Counselor will not come to them. However, He says if he goes, He will send the Counselor to them. When He comes, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgement. He will convict about sin because they do not believe in Jesus; about righteousness, because Jesus is going to the Father; and about judgement because the prince of this world has been judged.

It is important that we understand that Jesus has sent to those who claim to believe in Him the Counselor who will convict the world. The Counselor will also give them power to heal, discernment, and other gifts that will benefit the church and the world through the church. Be open to the promptings of the Spirit that you might be able to lead others to Jesus and promote the good of all.

Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus said that He would send the Counselor to those who believe in Him. He added that the Counselor would convict the world of sin, about righteousness and about judgement. May we as believers seek the Counselor that we might discern how we are to progress in righteousness and holiness, and how to lead others to join us that they too might seek the Counselor. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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1 “I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.
(John 16:1-6 WEB)

Jesus is saying that He said these things to the disciples so they would not stumble. He tells them they will be put out of the synagogues, and that some will think that they are doing God service when they kill them. They will do this because they do not know Jesus or the Father. I have informed you of these things that you may remember them when the time comes. Jesus said that he did not tell them earlier because He was with them, but He says that He is now going to the Father and He is not asked where He is going. He says He because He told them sorrow has filled their hearts.

Heavenly Father, In our day our hearts too see the injustice and persecution that is done against the Christian church and sorrow also fills our hearts at the onslaught of it. We pray come Lord Jesus bring your reign to the earth that the church can become Your bride and serve all of the world with You as its head. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me, hates my Father also. 24 If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
(John 15:22-26 WEB)

Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the Pharisees and He is telling them that if He had not spoken to them they would have no sin, but they now have no excuse for their sin. Jesus says that those who hate Him also hate His Father. He then says that the Pharisees have seen the works that He did and have hated both Jesus and His Father. This happened that the prophesy that they hated Him without cause would be fulfilled.                                                   Jesus then says that when the Counselor (Holy Spirit) comes, whom He will send to them from the Father He will testify about Jesus. He tells them they will also testify, because they were with Him from the start.

Heavenly Father, The Spirit of Truth that Jesus sent is as active today as He was when Jesus sent Him to the disciples. May we access Him that when we testify about Jesus our hearers will hear the truth in our words and come to follow Jesus as we have. May our words be backed up with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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17 “I command these things to you, that you may love one another. 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.
(John 15:17-21 WEB)

Jesus is telling His disciples that He gave His commands that they would love each other. He says that if they are hated by the world, they know that the world hated him before it hated them. He goes on to say that if they were of the world they would be loved as the world loves its own. He says that since He chose them, they are not of the world and the world hates them. He reminds them that of the word He spoke telling them that a servant is not greater than his master, and that if He is persecuted, they will be also. He points out that is they kept His word they would keep their’s. He said they will do these things because they do not know the Father who sent Him.

Heavenly Father, In today’s world it is very evident who it is that do not know the Father. They are persecuting the members of the faith in many parts of the world. May those who are being persecuted be true to what they believe and let their witness turn the hearts of their persecutors toward Your Son Jesus that they might turn from their wicked ways and become faithful followers of Him. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. 16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
(John 15:12-16 WEB)

Here Jesus is giving His disciples and us His command to love one another as He loved us. He says greater love than this is for someone to lay down his life for his friends. He says that they and us are His friends if we do what he commanded. He does not call them servants any more, for servants do not know what the master does. He calls them friends because He told them everything that the Father made known to Him. Jesus said they did not choose Him but that He chose them and appointed them to go and bear fruit; that the Father will give you everything you ask in His name. All of this applies in this time as well. We are friends if we do what Jesus commands and whatever we ask of the Father he will grant us if we ask in His name.

Heavenly Father, So often we are more like disobedient children than obedient saints. We do not love each other as you commanded and we wonder why what we ask in Your name does not happen. May we love each other as you commanded that when we ask in Your name we are heard and what we ask is granted by the Father that He and You are glorified. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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8 “In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. 9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love. 11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.
(John 15:8-11 WEB)

Jesus is going further in His comparing the disciples to the branches of a vine and telling them that if they remain in His word they will bear much fruit and glorify the Father. He says that as the Father loves Him, He loves them. He says that they are to remain in His love. He then says that if they keep His commandments, they will remain in His love, as He kept His Father’s commandments and remains in His love. He says that he told them this that His joy would remain in them and their joy would be full.

Heavenly Father, As we live each day keeping the commandments Jesus gave us that we will remain in His love, as He kept Your commandments and remains in Your love; may His joy be in us and our joy be to the full. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. 2 Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
(John 15:1-7 WEB)

Here Jesus is reminding us that if we are to bear fruit we must remain part of the true vine. He says He is the true vine and that those who do not bear fruit will be removed by the Father, but those that bear fruit will be pruned by Him that they will bear more fruit. Jesus says that we are to remain in Him as He remains in us. He points out that a branch cannot bear fruit if it is cut off of the vine, and neither can we if we are parted from Him. He repeats that we are to remain in Him as we can do nothing if we are parted from Him. If we do not remain in Him he will be thrown out as a branch parted from the vine will wither and be thrown into the fire to be burned. Jesus then promises that if you remain in Him, and His words remain in you anything you ask will be done for you.

Heavenly Father, As we look out into our culture and into the world we see that there is much fruit that is ready to be harvested. May we remain in Jesus and His words remain in us that we will be able to go into the fields and harvest the fruit that is ripe and that which we will need to do so will be provided. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. 28 You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I. 29 Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let’s go from here.
(John 14:27-31 WEB)

In our culture there are many ways to find peace promoted. Yoga, meditation, new age spirituality and other religions all give the impression that the way to peace is through them. The problem with this is that the peace they provide is not lasting but fleeting because it comes from men’s thoughts not from God. Jesus when He says He gives us peace it will be lasting because the peace that He gives comes from the Father and will last.

He them tells the disciples that He is going away but that they should rejoice when He does because He is going to the Father who He says is greater than He. He is saying He is telling the disciples before it happens that when it does they may believe. He says He will not speak with them as much as before because the prince of the world comes and He has nothing to do with him. He says that He does what the Father commands that the world will know that He loves the Father. Jesus then said to get up it was time to leave.

Heavenly Father, When we are seeking true peace the only place to look is to the Prince of Peace who said that the peace He gives is a lasting peace. He said His peace is not like the world’s peace which does not last. May we seek the Lord that we may have the peace that He gives. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. 24 He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me. 25 I have said these things to you while still living with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
(John 14:22-26 WEB)

It is as hard for us to come to know who Jesus is as it was for His disciples. They wonder why the Lord is revealing himself to them and not the world. Here is the crux of what Jesus is saying. He is very clearly telling the disciples that if they love Him they will keep his word. Jesus and the Father will come and make their home with those who do so. He is also clearly saying that those who do not love Him will not keep His words. He goes on to say that the words that He speaks are not His but those that are given to Him by the Father. He continues that He is telling them this while He is with them. He then tells them that the Holy Spirit who will be sent by the Father will teach them all things and remind them of all He said.

We have the scriptures to remind us of what Jesus said. As in the day when Jesus was alive those who read the scripture and abide by the words of Jesus written there will be loved by the Father, and He will send the Holy Spirit to teach them all things and to remind us of all that Jesus said. The Spirit also will give spiritual gifts to those who have come to love Jesus by reading His words in the scriptures.

Heavenly Father, Your Son declared that those who love Him and who keep His word will be loved by His Father, and that the Father will send them the Holy Spirit to teach them all things and remind them of His word. May we love Jesus and keep His word that we to might be granted the gift of the Holy Spirit who will teach us and remind us of Jesus words. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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