Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Series: Truth for the Heart

February 20, 2005

YOU SHALL BEHOLD ME

John 14:19-24

“After a little while the world will behold me no more; but you will behold me. Because I live, you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, He it is who loves me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to Him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered and said to him if anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him, He who does not love me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent me.”

On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus is comforting His disciples by promising them that, although He will not be with them much longer, the Holy Spirit will. Here Jesus is providing a resume of the work of this Helper, the Spirit of Truth, when He comes to replace Jesus among men. One of the important ministries the Holy Spirit will be responsible for is creating unity among the people of God.

1. He Unites the Family of God vs. 19-21 - Jesus tells His disciples that in a short time the world of unbelievers, among whom He has lived for over 30 years, will no longer see Him. However, His disciples will behold Him. How would they be able to see Him if He is leaving them? They would see Him through the illuminating ministry of the Helper, the Holy Spirit. This is all true in view of the next statement. “Because I live, you shall live also.” What a statement! We live because we have His life indwelling in us through the Helper. This verse is the basis for the song by Bill and Gloria Gaither, “BECAUSE HE LIVES.”

There would come a day when the disciples would know about the incredible unity existing between the Trinity and those who would believe in Him. When would this happen? IN THAT DAY! Obviously this refers to the advent of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would make His entrance and create the church. What would they know? The unity of the Father and the Son. Also they would know the unity of believers and the Lord Jesus Christ. “You in Me and I in you.” This would be a marvelous union of life and interest between Christ and His followers. It is indeed difficult to explain and understand how Christ is IN the believer and the believer is IN Christ at the same time. This is the essence of unity. A good illustration is the element of fire. You place a poker in the fire burning in the fireplace and soon the heat from that fire will make the poker too hot to touch – thus the poker is in the fire and the fire is in the poker!

He would not only create unity among the Family of God, He would also foster obedience among God’s people.

2. He Fosters Obedience in the Family of God vs. 22-24. - The question asked by Judas in verse 22 “why are you making yourself known to us and not to the world” brings an answer similar to the one in verse 21: Obedience is the key. The unregenerate do not obey the Lord Jesus Christ because they do not love him. The things of God and of Christ are utter foolishness to the unsaved person. First Corinthians 2:14 says “but the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”

Thus the one who loves the Father and the Son and keeps their Word incurs the presence of the Father and the Son. Are we obeying the LORD JESUS CHRIST? Lets examine our love life with Him!

What a passage we have here. Meditate on it throughout the week. Make notes of things that may bless you or that you don’t understand. If you have questions please jot them down and drop them in my mailbox.

God bless in His matchless Name,