“Love and See”

Scripture: John 14:15-21

Have you ever considered what it is that secures our discipleship in Jesus Christ – what it is that produces the ultimate test of faith? Is it our confession that Jesus Christ is Lord? Is it the surrender of our life to the Lord’s will? Is it our active participation in worship and the ministries of the church? Does our faith reside in membership in our specific church and denomination?

These are certainly expressions of faith, but they can all be accomplished without a deep and abiding faith. The truth is that the proof of faith is not in any outward expression, any visible service, or even in any words that are spoken. The decisive proof is inward, so that only God will know for sure.

Read John 14:15-17

When the Pharisees asked Jesus to name the greatest commandment, he said that it was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37-38) In Luke’s gospel, Jesus then continues to tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The point is that the Samaritan, a person who any good Jew would avoid like the plague, was considered to be a sinner – an unclean man. But Jesus was telling those ”holy” men that they don’t get to judge others – that God would know their heart, and that they would only see what they wanted to see.

God knows the purpose behind whatever it is that we do, and Jesus tells us that the Lord Almighty is looking for the love that we have in him, and not for any love that we might have for the world. And when we love the Lord Jesus, there will be evidence of that love – evidence that will be obvious to all who see us.

But will we ever fail in our love? We certainly do! Every day! But the Lord has given us one more opportunity to display our love and trust in him, and it is called “repentance and forgiveness”. When our love for him is strong enough, we will recognize those times when we fail, and will want to leave those times behind. And that desire is even stronger in Jesus – he is always ready and anxious to have us return to his love and ways.

For Jesus, love, just as is every other response to him, was never intended to be easy. It is more than just an emotional tie, more than a sentiment – it is displayed through our dedication, our commitment, our relationship, and our obedience. It isn’t shown solely by our words and actions, it is by our heart-felt love for him. And when we truly love the Lord, we will follow his example of obedience and dedication in all that we do and say.

And what will come to us from the mutual love that exists between Jesus and those who belong to him? We will receive the “Spirit of Truth” – the Holy Spirit, who will continue to teach us, and remind us of all that Jesus has taught (John 14:26) But this Spirit will only be with those who love the Lord Jesus! The world can never know this Spirit, because of their lack of love for Christ.
A few thoughts on the word that is translated as “Spirit”. The Greek word is Paraclete, and it means to encourage, to comfort, to console, to help, to appeal on our behalf. This is what the Holy Spirit is about. And by our love for the Lord, the Spirit will be able to work these ways within and throughout our lives. The shame of it all, though, is that the gift of the Spirit is only available by love of Christ! So whenever another person asks you what you will get if they give their life and love to Christ, tell them about the Paraclete!

Read John 14:18-20

For some, Jesus’ death was nothing more than abandonment. After the crucifixion, and out of abject fear for their own lives, the disciples themselves either went into hiding or took off for places unknown, and remained out of touch with each other until after Jesus’ resurrection. They felt all alone, they had forgotten everything that Jesus had ever taught them, even the promise that he would send another divine power for their lives, but only if he left them first.

And not only do they have the promise of the Holy Spirit, but the Lord also promises that his absence will only be temporary – that he will return. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus tells his followers that he will be leaving for the express purpose to prepare a place for them, and that when all is ready, he will return to take them with him. (John 14:1-4) Over and over, Jesus had promised his closest friends that his physical absence would never mean that they were alone. But even after 3 years of listening to Jesus, they were still confused by the new teaching that he brought to their lives.

And we need to understand that his promises weren’t offered solely to the 12. They were given for all who would come to him and his way – that means us! And the power and presence of the Holy Spirit is for everyone who loves and trusts in the way and life of Jesus Christ. And he will return for all who place themselves in his love.

Read John 14:21

And Jesus comes back to the thought that our obedience to his teachings is proof of our love for him. In William Barclay’s Commentary on John’s Gospel (volume 2, pg. 169), he wrote:
“This obedient, trusting love leads to two things. First, it leads to ultimate safety. On the day of Christ’s triumph those who have been his obedient loves will be safe in a crashing world. Second, it leads to a fuller and fuller revelation. The revelation of God is a costly thing. There is always a moral basis for it; it is to the [one] who keeps his commandments that Christ reveals himself. No evil [person] can ever receive the revelation of God. [They} can be used by God, but [they] can have no fellowship with him. It is only to the [one] who is looking for him that God reveals himself; and it is only to the [one] who, in spite of failure, is reaching up that God reaches down. Fellowship with God and the revelation of God are dependent on love; and love is dependent on obedience.”

So, which comes first – love of Christ, or obedience to his word? Does our love for Jesus produce obedience, or does our obedience generate love for him? I’m not sure that either is first – I think that they occur simultaneously. After all, how could either exist without the other?

And how do we know if we are truly in a loving relationship with the Lord? Even before we begin to study the Lord’s teaching, we readily accept the fact that Jesus is “The Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), as well as all that this saying entails. We are to believe that first, he is the way to a loving relationship with Almighty God; second, that all that he taught and stands for is true and trustworthy; and third, that he is both Divine life and eternal life for all who are his. And when our commitment is firmly established, we can begin learning just what loving Jesus will require of us. In Matthew 28:20, we read that learning to obey everything that Jesus taught is the final process in our discipleship.

And that step will be, at the same time, both glorious and frustrating – glorious, because we will be growing in Christian love for both the Lord and for our neighbor, and frustrating, because we will discover that the love that others should have for Jesus isn’t really love at all – the heartfelt aspect is missing.
But that is when our encouragement for each other comes into play – love of God and love of others. Through our faith and love for them, the Spirit can work within us, that we might become that encouragement and strength and truth that they can’t obtain in any other way.
Jesus never said that it would be easy or straightforward! But he did say that we will do all that he did, and even more (John 14:12).

And it will be the most incredible relationship and journey that we will ever begin, showing us glimpses of God at work in our lives, as well as in those of others. We will experience grace and mercy at work, it will prove the power and peace and love that comes from the Spirit, and it will lead us into places and situations that we would never choose to enter on our own. And every time that we place ourselves at the disposal of our Almighty God, we will gain a little more insight and trust in the teachings that we are to follow.

And that will never let us down.