John 14.
THE Father and the Son are both alike the objects of our faith, and invite the confidence of our hearts.
Our eternal dwelling-place is none other than the “Father’s house.”
The Lord Jesus, who is now personally in that place, will Himself return for us, and conduct us there, to be His bosom companions eternally.
He is not lost to us (as Joseph was to Jacob for a time), though we only know Him, during the “little while” of His absence, by faith; we know where He has gone, and with whom He now is, even with the Father.
The “way” to the Father for us now, all the “truth” for our hearts concerning the Father, and the “life” communicated to us in the new birth, that we might be in the relationship of children with the Father (John 1:12, 13; 3:812But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13)
8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)), all alike as to source and channel, are centered in the Lord Jesus Himself.
To know Jesus is to know the Father; to see Jesus is to see the Father; the words which Jesus spake were entirely from the Father as their source; the works which Jesus did were done by the Father dwelling in Him; thus they are one in the testimony of divine grace to our souls.
There is revealed to us (twice repeated) this infinite mystery concerning two of the Persons of the Godhead: ― “I am in the Father, and the Father in me;” Jesus also said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:3030I and my Father are one. (John 10:30)). This is the ROCK on which is built our all for time and eternity.
Whatever we ask now of the Father in the name of the Son, the Son declares He will do, and the answer to our request furnishes occasion for the Father to be glorified in the Son.
He invites from us to Himself the active expression of the obedient affections inherent in our new spiritual life, by the delicate constraining power of His divine “if.” (Compare― “He made as though He would have gone further,” Luke 24:2828And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. (Luke 24:28).) He does not need, nor does He ask for outward proof that this life and its nature love exists in us (see John 21:1717He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)), but His heart cannot be satisfied with anything short of the adequate outward display of our love to Him, according to the model He has Himself left us. (See also John 13:3636Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. (John 13:36); Mark 10:3939And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: (Mark 10:39); Phil. 3:8-148Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:8‑14).)
Instead of His own personal presence with us here, to manage all our affairs for us Himself, the Father, in response to His request, has sent us another “Comforter,” or “Advocate,” to undertake this service for us, and He will abide with us in this capacity forever.
This other “Comforter,” whom the world can neither see nor know, we know, and that in the most intimate way, for He dwells with us all collectively, and also in us personally, each one. (Eph. 1:13,1413In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13‑14); 1 Cor. 3:1616Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16); 2 Cor. 1:2222Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:22).)
We are orphans through Christ having departed out of this world to the Father, but we are not always to remain so; He is coming to us again. Meanwhile He has committed us and all our concerns to the care of the fully competent ONES, and charged Himself with the supply of all our need until He Himself returns. (Luke 10:3535And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (Luke 10:35); John 16:11, 15, 1711Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (John 16:11)
15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:15)
17Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? (John 16:17). Phil. 4:1919But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).)
Having received divine and spiritual life from Him, with the affections of love proper to this life and inseparable from it, He assures us that it is utterly impossible (see John 10:28-3028And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one. (John 10:28‑30)) that we can cease to all eternity to possess and live this life with Him who is its source, for He, our Life-Giver and Eternal Lover, says, “Because I live, ye shall live also.”
While we are in this world, so vital and close, and yet so mysteriously divine is our link with Him up there, that its nature as well as the fact is revealed by the inscrutable words― “I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.”
As the Father, in sending the Son, gave Him a commandment to keep (12:49,50), and He obeyed those commandments and so abode in His Father’s love (15:10), so has He given to us the same words (17:8,14), and looks for us to keep them also, thus manifesting by our obedience that we love Him. This display by us of obedience working by love, draws forth from the Father and the Son the aspect of divine love which is responsive to such acts alone. To secure this special divine favor, it is not enough to have, but we must also keep that which the Lord has entrusted to us.
The obedience of our love, shown in keeping Christ’s words, is so precious to the Father that He responds with that character of His love only thus called forth, and further, the Father and the Son unite in showing their delight and approval, by coming and taking up their abode with the obedient child and disciple.
To have His sayings, or words, and yet not keep them, is to entirely deprive the Lord of that love from us to Himself in which He so delights. Further, to disobey this word of His, which He has caused us to hear, is not only to lightly esteem His affections for us and good pleasure in our company, but to treat the Father likewise, for He it is who has sent us this word through the Son, to obey or keep as He obeyed it. (John 12:42, 43, 19:38; Acts 15:3838But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. (Acts 15:38); 2 Tim. 4:1010For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. (2 Timothy 4:10).)
The Holy Spirit sent down to us by the Father, is our Teacher now in all things that God our Father would have us instructed in, and He loves to remind us, too, of all that Jesus spake when here, so that nothing is lost to us of all that proceeded from His gracious lips.
Peace He leaves with us, a peace founded on His atoning sacrifice―peace of conscience; and lest by any means (though surrounded, within and without, with all that divine love can give for the way home) our hearts should be tossed with anxious care, He gives us, counting upon our obedient walk, His own “Peace,”―His own heart’s repose when here, in doing His Father’s will, at all cost to Himself, through life and in death.
None of His gifts to us were given after the manner in which the world bestows its favors; nothing that is of us naturally ever could or did draw His love and favors towards us. He chose to love us and bless us accordingly, for infinite and eternal reasons of His own, the secret of which is hidden in His own heart.
Because of this, He says to us― “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (See Deut. 7:7, 87The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:7‑8); Rom. 11:2929For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Romans 11:29); Eph. 1:44According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4); 1 John 4:1010Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10).)
The Father, in sending Him, commanded Him what to speak (see vs. 36, 8:38, 12:49, 50) and also what to do, even as to death itself (10:18, 14:31), and it was His unchanging delight to obey (Psa. 40:88I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8); John 8:28, 2928Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. (John 8:28‑29)); in John 10:1717Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17), He tells us that it was this love in the final act of His perfect pathway on earth, that in a peculiar manner drew to Himself the love of the Father.
The “prince of this world” was allowed every opportunity (of which he took the utmost advantage), to use every cunning art, and device, and pressure that he could command, to turn Him from doing His Father’s will, but all was of no avail; He says of Satan’s crowning and final effort, when the cross was immediately at hand, he “hath nothing in Me.”
The youngest babe in the family of God may learn from these precious portions of the written word, how well-pleasing it is to the Father and the Son, when we are found “imitators” of Film who has left us an example “that we should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21-2321For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: (1 Peter 2:21‑23); Phil. 1:2929For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; (Philippians 1:29)).
The present consequences in suffering, and shame, and loss, inseparable from such a path, from Satan, from the world, and at times from those that are His own, are scarcely alluded to in the chapter, but are fully recognized by God, and treated of elsewhere (John 12:2626If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. (John 12:26); 1 Cor. 15:5858Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)).
How precious to the Father, to the Son, and to the Spirit, is the obedience of saints. H. K.