John 14-16: When Your World Explodes
Jesus knew, the night before his death, that the disciples' world was about to be blown to pieces. He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. They'd committed themselves to Jesus and he would be gone. In this powerful message, Jesus prepared the disciples to live in peace and spiritual power when the world around them was falling apart.We will take the next three weeks delving into this passage.
Today's Reading: John 14:18
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
Through the Bible Readings: Job 25-26, Acts 28:1-16, Psalm 91:1–6, Proverbs19:22–24
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: I'm So Glad I'm a Part of the Family of God
Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to be his presence and power in us in John 14:16-17, then ends that statement with the promise in verse 18 that he will not leave the disciples as orphans. The reality was that Jesus was about to leave them, about to go away, first to the Cross and then, seven weeks later, to heaven until the end comes. Their world would shatter into pieces in a few hours when Jesus was taken away, but he promised the disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you,” in verse 18.
The term orphans has its literal meaning, a child without parents, but it was also used to describe a
leader or teacher who abandoned his followers. That is the meaning here. Jesus is promising his disciples that what their eyes saw and their ears heard, what they experienced with their senses would not be the truth. "No matter what you think, I am not going to abandon you.”
How could they believe Jesus against the evidence of their eyes? He would be ripped from them through
betrayal and through the cruelty of crucifixion. Then, when the miracle of the
resurrection brought him back to them, he would only stay for forty days before
he would be caught up into the clouds. How was he not forsaking them, leaving
them as spiritual orphans to fend for themselves?
Because of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, Jesus could say to them, “I am with you and I always will be. It won’t be my physical presence
anymore, but something better, my spiritual presence within you.” When someone
says, “I wish Jesus were here with us today,” they are evidencing a lack of
understanding of the Spirit. Jesus is not just here with us, but he is in us
and he will never leave.
And one of the things he does is remind us that we belong to
God, now and forever. In Galatians 4:6 Paul says, “And because you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’” The
Spirit of Jesus comes to us remind us constantly that we belong to God, that we
are his children. The fullness of the Spirit is not only our best means to be
transformed to be like Christ and empowered to serve him, but when we are full
of the Spirit we are assured of the love of God and our place in the heavenly
family. The Spirit reminds us that our Father loves us and wants us to call
him, “Abba.” Romans 8:15 echoes this concept, saying, “For you did not receive
a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of
adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’”
Do you struggle with all those things the social scientists
talk about – self-esteem issues, low self-worth, insecurity, and a fear of
rejection? The solution is clear – be filled with the Spirit. He works in
believers to remind them that they are not orphans, that God will never abandon
them, and that they are welcome parts of the family of God.
The presence of the indwelling Spirit is our birth certificate proving that we have been born into the family of God. What would be better than that?
Can anybody say amen?
Father, what a privilege it is to call you Father. Thank you for your Spirit who teaches me to cry "Abba" and reminds me that I am not an orphan, that you are with me always.
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