John 14-9.28.22
Scripture
John 14: 1-4; 25-27; 30
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.”……25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid….30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me…”
Observation-What does it say?
Jesus is comforting His disciples because He knows His time on earth is coming to a close. BUT, He encourages them with letting them know that (1) He is preparing a place for them. (2) He will come back for them and will leave them His Holy Spirit to help them continue on with their mission here on earth. (3) Jesus also tells them that His peace will be with them and that the enemy (“prince of this world”) has no hold over Him.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Jesus departing from this world was NOT the end of the story.
Jesus made clear to His disciples that His departure (in physical form) should not make them sad. He was leaving them with His hope, peace, Holy Spirit and He would be returning!
Life Application
Jesus is waiting expectantly for us and has given us everything we need to be His witnesses in this world until He returns!
It really hit me as I read this passage again that the Lord is preparing a place for us. The parallel for me is pregnancy. There is a stage called the “nesting” stage, usually in the 3rd trimester, when moms start really prepping the nursery and cleaning/organizing the house because she is EXPECTANT for her new baby’s arrival. For me, I actually wrote a song that I was looking forward to sing to my child when she was born.
When we are EXPECTING something or someone, that means we prepare like it’s going to happen. Just imagine…Jesus is expecting us and preparing a place for us. Not only that, but He has left us a Helper and Counselor to give us peace, courage and everything we need to continue on until He returns.
As we wait on Jesus, we must encourage each other that He is coming back for us and that this world and the prince of this world (the devil) should not have a hold on us, because He has no hold over Jesus! Thank you Lord for not leaving us as orphans, but for continuing to give us hope in Your faithful and unfailing love for us. Amen.
Hebrews 10:23-25- 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
-Michelle Gaddi