John 14:15-26

¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. ¹⁸ No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. ¹⁹ Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. ²⁰ When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” ²² Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” ²³ Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. ²⁴ Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. ²⁵ I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Not only do we need spiritual sight to see the Savior but second, we need to:

2. Surrender self–

Verse 23 says “All who love me will do what I say.”We don’t really see the Savior until we surrender self. Most of us want to see Jesus for how it will benefit self, we don’t really want to see Jesus so we can serve. Jesus said that love is clearly connected to action. Loving Jesus means obeying Jesus, doing what He says. Love is action not emotion. There are lot of us that want Jesus to be our Savior, but we balk when it comes to him being our Lord. What Jesus is saying is that those who are willing to hear and obey what He has to say will see Him. It’s like the TV in your living room, the shows are sent out 24 hours every day, but it’s only when you turn your TV on and take time to watch that you can receive the sound and the picture. The Holy Spirit is like having cable television, direct-wired into your home but are you tuned in, are you taking the time to hear? What distractions do you need to tune out, so you can be tuned in? The problem is that when the connection is loose or there is a break in the cable the reception becomes distorted. That’s what sin and disobedience does to our ability to be in communication and fellowship with God. Seeing Jesus is about being steadfast, its more than just seeing Jesus it’s saying yes to Jesus and obeying Him. Obedience allows us to see but it also brings:

3. Security

Verse 23 goes on to say, “My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”Its more than just seeing Jesus but being at home with Him. So often we complain because we don’t see Jesus but what we fail to see is that He sees us and our sin and chooses to want to stay. Jesus is willing to stick with you. Seeing Jesus means we understand we will never be separated. Seeing means settling into a relationship with Him, yet so many in the questioning time tend to stray. Are you straying or settling in? We don’t see the Savior until we see that He is here to stay. He will take those who feel like orphans and give them a family, a home. We will have troubles. The water in life’s boat rises faster than we can bail and we cry out, Jesus “Don’t You care?” Yet when we are at home we have His shelter. We will face temptations and fail so we cry out “Didn’t You promise to help me to resist” yet in the shame and failure He comes and says, “You are still My child come home“. We look back on our lives only to see a string of sins, things we’ve done that we wish we could forget, but things which our consciences won’t let go and we cry to Jesus, “Where is the hope I need?” Jesus comes, hands pierced and says, “My blood purifies you from all sin”. As we look toward the one thing we are sure to face, death. We don’t like it, we don’t want it, we fear what will happen and we cry to Jesus, and the One who has seen the inside of a tomb says, “Because I live, you also will live”. These are the circumstances that produce the questions and stir the doubts. But as the issues come and the questions arise, we do have a Savior who keeps giving an answer, the same answer that He gave to Thaddaeus.  You are not alone, Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit, will come … and make our home with You. Jesus seeks us he says you are special I want to stay with you to be at home with you. The difference between a house and a home is who is living there. So, let me ask you how at home with Jesus are you?

John 14:15-26
15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” 23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
Many of us have had experienced the non stop inquisitive questions of little kids. Generally these questions tend to fall into one of three categories.
Tiresome “Are we there yet” “When can I go to school?”
Technical questions … “How do those pictures get on the TV?” “Why is the grass green?”
Tricky questions … “Where do babies come from?” “Why don’t I have hair under my arm?”
Questions! Questions! Questions! And when we get to the point where we have said, “Stop asking so many questions!” They say … “Why Dad?” Have you ever asked a question? Why do people ask so many questions? Because that is how we learn. The disciples were like little kids they asked Jesus lots of questions because they wanted to understand. In John 13-16 John tells us about one discussion that took place between Jesus and the disciples. In that one discussion they ask at least 5 questions.
• “Lord, who is it?”
• “Lord, where are You going?”
• “Lord … how can we know the way?”
• “Lord, why do You intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
• “Lord what do You mean by, ‘a little while’?”
This discussion takes place in the upper room, Jesus and His disciples are sharing their last evening together at what we know as The Last Supper, when Jesus instituted communion. Tomorrow Jesus will hanging on a cross, but tonight He teaches them and even though they have been with Jesus for more than 3 years they have so many questions. Jesus teaches them about the kingdom of God, about His relationship to the Father, about the Holy Spirit, and how all of this relates to them and the people who will become believers and followers after them. In this section, Jesus has just told the disciples that after He is gone, the Holy Spirit will come and that Jesus will once again reveal Himself to His disciples, but not to the rest of the world. This causes one of Jesus disciples, Judas, not Judas Iscariot, to ask an important question. Today we are introduced to the 10th disciple Thaddaeus, a man with three names.
Thaddaeus – Praise be to God
Lebbaeus – Man of courage
Judas – God be praised
The meaning of his names are interesting when we look at Thaddaeus’ question: “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” Thaddaeus question dealt with the issue “How will others see Jesus.” He wanted others to see Jesus just as he had. His question is in line with the meaning of His name God be praised, God be known. I think the question that we need to ask is do we want others to see Jesus, do we want God to be praised and to be known. As Jesus answers Thaddaeus question it seems like He doesn’t answer the question but just repeats Himself. Yet John write “Jesus answered” and when we look closer we realize not only has He answered the question but we see the depth of His answer and realize Thaddaeus had just missed it, so patient Jesus repeats Himself. I think one of the most important questions we need to ask is “When you ask God a question are you willing to hear His answer and not the answer you want to hear? Seeing the Savior means:
1. Spiritual Sight not just physical
I don’t know about you but when you first read this section your first thought is, “What is Jesus talking about?” No wonder Thaddaeus has a question. What did all this mean? Where would all this lead? There was so much uncertainty, so many questions. I just don’t understand. Have you ever found yourself there? Lord I just don’t understand what you are doing? I don’t see what you are doing Jesus! How many of you have ever thought this Christian thing would be so much easier if we could just see Jesus. Yet what did Jesus say to Thomas? “blessed are those that have not seen, and yet have believed.” The last time the world saw Jesus was when Nicodemus and Joseph took Him down from the cross and wrapped His body and carried Him away to the tomb. The next time the world sees Jesus He will be coming in His glory and power to judge a sinful world. But those who love Him see Him even now with eyes of faith. The problem is that we value physical sight over spiritual sight. Often we don’t understand and it doesn’t seem to make sense but even though Jesus told them He would leave He also says that we will never be alone. Jesus is teaching the disciples about the work of the Holy Spirit, another One was coming … the Counselor. Physically Jesus is going … the world will see Him no more. But spiritually Jesus is staying … those who trust in Jesus will be given His Spirit. Jesus was saying Judas I know you have a passion for me and for others to see me. I know it doesn’t make sense that I am not going to establish my kingdom here and now, but I want you to know that there is a greater wisdom you do not understand right now. This isn’t the time to set up my kingdom I have a different mission. I am going to send the Holy Spirit to empower you to share and show me to the world. Jesus is teaching the disciples that He is … and always will be … the only answer to our spiritual needs. He is the answer because we have a great need one we are slow to admit SIN. We are stamped with sin and we don’t really see the Savior until we see our sin. What about you, are you trusting in the trying times? Are you looking to Him in the times when you don’t understand and doubt tries to steer your heart into fear? In the multitude of questions we need to remember that there is only one answer, JESUS.