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Arthur Pigdon Seeds of the Spirit (2001) |
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Jesus had been asked the question, 'Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?' He did not answer the question directly but instead replied that there would come a time when our opportunity to be saved would cease. At some future time God would close the door and the present era of the gospel in which all are invited to enter the kingdom of God would terminate, separating those within from those outside. So he tells his questioner that the theoretical question of whether few or many are saved was not as important as whether he would be among the saved. He urged him to strive to enter by the narrow door. (See Matthew 7:13-14 and John 10:9.) Jesus then indicated quite clearly that those who were shut out were workers of iniquity. Iniquity is an old word that means 'crookedness, perverseness, lawlessness, and the opposite of righteousness'. They were 'evildoers'. They had chosen evil and rejected goodness. They chose to be outside by refusing to acknowledge God and submit to his rule. No rebels will be allowed in Christ's kingdom. |
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This passage is about payback. When Jesus says 'do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours', he is not suggesting that we should not have family functions such as birthday parties and get-togethers of friends and family for special occasions. In his day there was no organised government social welfare provisions for the needy. They were dependent on individual generosity. Jesus endorsed the Old Testament concern for the poor, the widows and the orphans. He taught that all people belonged to the human family and he could not tolerate a situation where any members of that family were destitute and uncared for. When you invite friends and relatives to a party they repay you by inviting you to their parties, but the poor cannot repay you in this way. By saying 'You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous' he is virtually saying, 'Charge the party to God.' He will compensate you in your future life. Generosity and goodness will not go unrewarded. There is great poverty in parts of the world today, which must be addressed with both crisis relief and long-term planning. Christian organisations have a leading role in this and deserve our regular support. |
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The Pharisees accused Jesus of being a friend to sinners and eating with them. He told the three parables in this chapter to explain his behaviour. Their common theme is 'the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. The shepherd sought the lost sheep for its own sake. He could surely afford to lose one sheep. The coin had to be sought by its owner, it could not return itself. The dissolute and undeserving son was welcomed, not because they needed him to run the farm, but because he was loved for his own sake. The father's welcome seems excessive but it needed to be to match the guilt the son felt within himself. This is a true picture of how God feels towards his wayward children. This is a God we can love and serve with joy. Surely the story of the Prodigal Son has been wrongly named. The central figure is not the son but the forgiving father who loves, accepts and reinstates his wayward and foolish son who has now learned by his mistakes. This story gives us the most beautiful insight into the character of God in the whole of the Bible. This is the same attitude we must have towards members of our own family who have gone their own way. They need our arms around them and our kiss of welcome. |
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Jesus' use of Abraham in this story suggests that it is a parable (an invented story) and should not be taken literally. Its purpose is to teach us that the rich have a responsibility to minister to those who lack the basic needs of life. If they fail in this responsibility they will be the ones who are deprived and poor in the future life while the needy of earth will be compensated. We are not told that the rich man was bad or irreligious. His only fault was his failure to have compassion for a sick and hungry man at his own gate. Note that the scene is in Hades, not Gehenna. Hades simply means the state of death. Gehenna is the place or state of punishment of the wicked. The scene is set immediately after death and prior to the judgment. The flame is probably not literal but symbolic of the remorse and anguish he experiences. It is a difficult passage that needs careful research in biblical commentaries but the final point deserves attention. The rich man wants a special messenger sent to warn his brothers but he is told that they have Moses and the prophets. If we do not heed God's message in the scriptures he has no other program for our salvation. |
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As usual, Jesus has overstated the case to make his point. There is good reason to doubt the sincerity of the man who repeatedly offends and just says he is sorry. But the point of the story is not about the one who offends but the response of the one offended against. (See Matthew 18:21-35.) Throughout life there are going to be many occasions when we will feel that we have been wronged. This creates a natural resentment in the injured person and creates a barrier to good relationships. Jesus wants us to keep our hearts free of resentment and bitterness. These are very destructive emotions. Many times a wrong done cannot be righted. We have to put it behind us and get on with life. But we will not be able to do this unless we consciously and deliberately forgive the one who wronged us. Forgiveness is the only way to break the cycle of resentment and hate. The motive for forgiving others comes from God's forgiveness of our sins. (See Matthew 7:1-5.) In this parable Jesus reminds us that God has forgiven us for much more than we will ever be called on to forgive others. |
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It is easy to become proud of our goodness and to regard other, less righteous people as inferior Jesus cuts such an attitude down to size in this wonderful word picture of two men at worship. The Pharisee recites his virtues to God. That was arrogant enough but his worst mistake was that he 'despised others'. The Bible always denounces pride and honours humility. A glance back to 17:7-10 shows us that even when we do everything we ought to do we have only done our duty. The tax collector was aware of his sins and openly confessed them to God. He threw himself on God's mercy and sought forgiveness. The Pharisee would be shocked to know that in Jesus' estimation the tax collector's prayer was more acceptable than his self-righteousness. Jesus sums up the matter with the words, 'Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted'. There is a proper place for healthy self-esteem but we should acknowledge that we are what we are only by the grace of God. The simple sincerity of the tax collector's prayer shows us how easy it is for a genuine person to turn to God and be accepted. |
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I love this incident about Zacchaeus. It is totally consistent with Jesus' attitude to those whom the religious leaders regarded as spiritual outcasts. They were the very ones Jesus had come to seek and restore to a right relationship with God. His attitude always said, 'I forgive you, and I accept you, and I want you to love and serve God.' Zacchaeus probably deserved his rejection by the people. His occupation was open to corruption. His promise to restore fourfold to any whom he had defrauded was an admission of greed and overcharging. He was probably a hard and unattractive person. But by not denouncing him, but instead showing him friendship, Jesus brought him to confess his greed and deceit and he became a reformed man. Christians today have a lot to learn from this story. We need to treat all people with respect and maintain friendly relationships with non-church people, remembering that Jesus did not compromise himself by accepting Zacchaeus' hospitality. If we want to restore people to God we must maintain a genuine relationship with them. By classifying people as Christians or non-Christians and being discriminatory in our attitude we erect a dividing fence. Jesus pulled such fences down. |
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Luke tells us that Jesus told this parable because people were expecting the kingdom of God to appear immediately. The nobleman represents Jesus. Note verse 15, 'He was made king, however, and returned home.' Jesus consistently spoke of his intention to return. His first coming was in humility and his favoured name for himself was 'the Son of Man'. His second coming will be with divine glory and kingly authority. He will return to reign. In the meantime his disciples are to be faithful according to their varying abilities. When he returns he will call his servants to give an account of their stewardship. Their reward will be a position of authority and responsibility consistent with the faithfulness they had demonstrated in his absence. Special emphasis is given to the servant who had neglected to make any use of his talent. It is taken away from him. He shows himself unfit to be entrusted with responsibility. We must be careful to distinguish between the citizens and the ten servants. The unbelieving citizens who say, 'We don't want this man to be our king,' are killed. (verse 27) The unprofitable servant who represents one of Christ's disciples is only demoted. He does not forfeit his place in Christ's kingdom. |
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This verse is important because of the relationship of Jerusalem to the Gentiles. Verse 20 indicates that Jesus predicted the capture and destruction of Jerusalem by a Gentile nation. The Jewish people would become captives and would be scattered among all nations. But this occupation of Jerusalem by Gentiles would not be permanent. The phrase 'the times of the Gentiles' indicates a distinct and important phase of human history. Gentile occupation of Jerusalem extended from 70 AD until 1967 when the Jews again gained control of Jerusalem after almost 1900 years of Gentile occupation. This Gentile era would end with nations in anguish and perplexity. 'Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world.' How true of our generation. But while this is a time of foreboding for unbelievers Jesus admonishes Christians to 'stand up and lift your heads because your redemption is drawing near'. The return of the Jews to their ancient homeland and their control of Jerusalem shows that we are now living in the stage of history Jesus predicted here. We should note the warning he gives us in verses 34-36 to be ready at all times for he will return with unexpected suddenness. |
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Peter, like his master, was exposed to temptation. This is something that none of us can escape. Its purpose is to expose weaknesses in our lives so that we can identify them, confess them and overcome them. Note that Jesus, with prophetic insight, knew what would happen and he also knew that Peter would manifest cowardice when his own life was threatened. But he did not think any less of Peter for this. He said, 'I have prayed for you.' But Jesus did not pray that Peter would not fail the test. He prayed that his faith would not fail following his cowardice. Jesus also saw this failure as a means of strengthening Peter who would then be better equipped to strengthen any other disciples who failed the Lord in some way. It undoubtedly was also a humbling experience. Christians must not be judgmental but humble, ever conscious of their own weaknesses, and always ready to encourage and reinstate those who make mistakes. Temptations often come totally unexpectedly and there is no way we can prepare for them. They reveal to us our real nature and yet, once exposed in this way, we can seek God's forgiveness and be a much stronger person after the experience. |
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We have a right to be angry when innocent people are unjustly treated. The crucifixion of Jesus was a terrible miscarriage of justice and he had every right to be angry beyond words at the terrible treatment he received at the hands of both the Jewish leaders and the Roman rulers. But he did not show a trace of anger. Instead he prayed as he hung dying on the cross, 'Father, forgive them.' This caring, loving response to their cruelty marks Jesus out as a unique personality. Surely it was humanly impossible not to feel some deep hurt and resentment. Peter summed up Jesus' life with the words, 'He went about doing good'. (Acts 10:38) His goodness was a rebuke to their self-centred lives. Jesus' attitude here again reminds us that it is not what happens to us, but the way we respond to it, that is important. Paul reminded Timothy that all who lived godly lives in Christ Jesus would be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12.) We are told to pray for those who persecute us. When we do, God will give us the Spirit of Jesus, and we will be able, from our heart, to forgive them, and instead of anger, our heart will be filled with love for them. |
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How I wish we had a tape-recording, or at least a detailed account, of what Jesus said as he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. See also verse 27 where he interpreted in all the scriptures the prophecies concerning himself. This passage makes it plain that God was working to a plan and had revealed glimpses of his purpose to the Prophets. These passages were only fully appreciated and understood as they looked back after the events of Christ's death and resurrection. In the same way the sayings of Jesus concerning the future are difficult for us to put into a proper time sequence with certainty before they happen. Jesus told the disciples, 'It is not for you to know times or dates.' (Acts 1:7) He placed the emphasis on our present responsibility, which is to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He also made it very plain that they were to do this under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He said, 'I send the promise of my Father upon you,' and added 'stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high'. An anointing of the Holy Spirit is an essential requirement for the preaching of the gospel of salvation through Christ. It is the Spirit who convicts of sin. |
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This is a strangely worded translation. Some manuscripts have 'God' and others have 'the only begotten son' here. The RSV renders it 'the only Son'. This seems a more likely rendering. Jesus is the expression of God in human form. We only worship one God, manifest also in flesh and in Spirit. Jesus reveals God, whom no one has ever seen nor can see. Jesus is the only Son, who is in a unique relationship with God whom he always calls 'the Father', and therefore he is able to make God known to us. He is full of grace and truth and manifests the very glory of God. But the greatest wonder is that Jesus has the power to impart spiritual life to us. When we believe and receive him we become children of God, born, not of the flesh or our will, but of God. Jesus' coming marks a new beginning. 'The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.' John also presents Jesus as the light of the world. He becomes the light that guides all people. (verses 4 and 9) His light shines in the darkness of our ignorance and the light triumphs. What a word of hope for Christians! |
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The title 'Lamb of God' links Jesus with the sacrificial Passover lamb of the Exodus. His death on the anniversary of the Passover confirmed this association. It was the sprinkled blood of the Passover lamb that protected the Israelites the night the destroying angel slew the first-born of the Egyptians. John declared that Jesus, the Lamb of God, would take away the sin of the whole world. Isaiah's prophecy (chapter 53) makes this very plain. But salvation is neither universal, nor automatic. Jesus' death is of no effect without our response. Salvation is not through ritual but by personal response, which includes forsaking all sin and making a commitment to love and serve God and his Son Jesus Christ with our whole heart. Jesus' death on our behalf on the cross was vicarious. That is, he took our place and bore our sin and so provided a basis on which God could grant us forgiveness and still uphold the law and its just penalty. Because the death penalty is commuted we now have the hope of eternal life through the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. |
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Whenever Jesus began a statement with the words 'I tell you the truth' ('Verily, verily' in the King James Version), it indicated that it was of special significance. Here he draws a clear distinction between the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit. We must experience a spiritual birth to enter the kingdom of God. Revelation 20 speaks of a second death. Those who are born twice only die once but those who are only born once die twice. To have lived, and known the life of flesh on earth is a wonderful experience and a gift from God. But God has greater plans for us than this. We do not have to struggle to be born spiritually. The new birth is something that God does for us and in us when we truly believe in him and his Son Jesus Christ and offer ourselves as his disciple. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had to be willing for God's Son to be conceived in her and we have to be willing for Jesus' Spirit to be conceived in us. The conditions for being born again are to believe and receive Jesus. (John 1:12-13.) We just say, 'Yes; to Jesus and he does the rest. This one simple act of faith and commitment changes our whole life. Paul says, 'If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.' (2 Corinthians 5:17) |
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This incident of Jesus meeting the woman of Samaria at the well of Sychar once again shows how Jesus offered friendship and acceptance to non-religious people. He knew that she was living in a de facto relationship and had lived with five other men. He did not rebuke her or reject her but tried to show her a better way. He offered to satisfy her search for happiness and spoke of eternal life. She missed the point and turned the conversation into a discussion of whether the Jews or the Samaritans had the correct worship. Jesus told her that true worship disregarded such sectional loyalties. It was not a matter of creeds and rituals but was of the Spirit alone. He told her that 'God is Spirit' and true worship is communication between our spirit and the eternal Spirit whom we call God. There can be no deceit nor can anything be hidden when we worship the eternal Spirit. We must come before him with absolute truth and sincerity. This incident shows us that we must lift religious issues far above the level of doctrine or ritual and help all people to worship God in the Spirit realm. |
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There are three 'I tell you the truth' phrases in this passage but this is probably the most important for us. We need to note again that 'believe', when used by Jesus, always implies actions based on that belief. In this case it would imply repentance and obedience. It is never mere intellectual assent. Once we have believed in our mind and committed ourselves to love God and become a disciple of Jesus Christ our status before God is permanently changed. Our sins are forgiven so we no longer will be judged. Our destiny is now settled, we have already passed from death to life. This is total eternal security. (See 1 John 3:1-3.) To doubt our eternal salvation from this time on would be to question the trustworthiness of Jesus. Statements such as this are the solid foundation on which our hope rests. As the evangelist Billy Graham said, 'God said it, I believe it, that settles it.' For those who are Christ's, the resurrection will be a resurrection to life, but for those who have ignored or rejected Jesus it will be a resurrection to judgment. John says, 'This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.' (John 3:19, RSV) |
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They wanted something to do but Jesus told them to believe in him. We seem to feel that we have to do something to merit salvation, in short, that we have to deserve it. Jesus could have cited some of the commands God had given Israel through Moses and the prophets but no one had found it possible to live up to God's standard of holiness. From Jesus onwards, salvation was to be by grace--unmerited favour. Following Jesus' death salvation now comes by looking to him as our sacrificial offering. Our hope of salvation does not lie in anything we do or achieve but in trusting Jesus and accepting the pardon he offers. If we totally believe in Jesus we will become his disciple and so he becomes the door by which we enter the path of God's will. Because we are believers we become doers of 'the works of God'. Jesus' prayer (17:3) expresses this same thought. 'This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.' (We will discuss this more fully on 29 September.) We do the works of God not in order to be saved but because we love Jesus and want to please him in all things. |
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This language is obviously symbolic. To think otherwise is to suggest the most obscene cannibalism. Some churches have used a combination of literal and mystical interpretation, but that is not necessary. Jesus frequently used metaphors. A. J. Macleod, writing in The New Bible Commentary, says, 'A close, intimate union results from the assimilation of his nature, such union being the counterpart of the union existing between Father and Son.' In saying 'the one who feeds on me will live because of me' Jesus is telling us that our spiritual life is dependent on a close walk with him. Earlier translations used the word 'abide', which means to remain, or live permanently. John records Jesus' further reference to living in him in chapter 15:4-10. Here the figure is changed from eating to a vine. Chapter 15:10 explains that to live in Christ is to keep his commandments. Jesus lives in us and we live in him. It is a total union and harmony of Spirit. As the body assimilates food that then becomes part of the body so we are to totally assimilate the spirit of Jesus and live in perfect union with him. |
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Here again Jesus uses metaphors to convey his meaning. The thirsting and drinking and rivers of living water flowing from the heart are graphic metaphors that we all understand in a spiritual sense. We do not live by bread alone. Pleasure and possessions do not satisfy an inner spiritual hunger and thirst. But union with Christ does satisfy, as believers of every generation have proved in their own experience. As a teenager I knew that spiritual thirst but I came to know Jesus as my Saviour at eighteen years of age and I have known an inner peace ever since. Jesus not only meets our spiritual thirst--rivers of life-giving water flow out from us to bring faith and blessing to other lives. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who blesses us and all whom we contact. He is the life-giving water that creates new life in others. The secret of Christianity is not in the church as organised religion, it is not in ritual or in correct beliefs and creeds. It is Jesus himself. Paul told the church at Colossae, 'God's secret plan, now at last made known, is Christ himself.' (Colossians 2:2) |
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Some day we will be confronted with a similar situation, where a person has committed some kind of sin and we will have to decide how to behave towards that person. Jesus does not condone the woman's behaviour but neither does he condemn and reject her. Stoning was a form of group execution approved by the law of Moses. It meant that all the community had to participate in banishing evil from their midst. But Jesus used the occasion to remind her accusers that they also were sinners in other ways. We can reasonably assume that Jesus wrote a list of other sins of which her accusers were guilty and being thus made aware of their own guilt they silently withdrew until only Jesus and the woman remained. He knew she was guilty but he refused to condemn her. He wanted her to be reformed, restored and saved, not condemned and punished. Jesus has given us yet another example of how we should behave towards those who deviate from God's standards. Sinners need to be loved back to God, not driven from his presence. |
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This passage about Jesus the shepherd and his sheep is rich with meaning. Jesus says that he is the door by which we enter his sheepfold and salvation. He is a trustworthy shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. He came to enable us to enter into an abundant life. He declares that he has other sheep who will hear his voice, in addition to his Jewish flock, and he will combine both into one flock. But probably the most encouraging feature of this passage is his declaration that he gives his sheep eternal life and they will never perish. Then he gives us double assurance by stating that no one can snatch us out of his hand or his Father's hand. Notice that we do not hold on to Jesus, he holds on to our hand, just as an adult holds the hand of a little child as they cross the street so that the child cannot run ahead into danger. If anyone lacks assurance of salvation be encouraged by this passage, knowing that your salvation depends on the grace of God. He holds our hand. Note verses 17-18. Jesus did not die as a martyr. He deliberately accepted death to redeem us and for this reason the Father loves him. |
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Jesus deliberately waited until Lazarus had died before he went to Bethany. (verse 6) He wanted to demonstrate his power over death. (verse 4) Jesus' teaching about a future life for believers is so strong and frequent that to deny life after death is to deprive Jesus of all credibility. By declaring that he, himself, is the resurrection, Jesus is saying that he is the source and power of this future life; it is inseparable from him. John confirms this in his first epistle, where he says 'God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.' (1 John 5:11-12) Jesus uses the word 'die' in two different senses. The body, the vessel in which the spirit lives, dies, but the spirit, the self, lives on. Solomon also foresaw this. He wrote, 'The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.' (Ecclesiastes 12:7) It is in this sense that Jesus declared that believers will live even though they die and 'whoever lives and believes in me will never die'. The whole of our Christian hope rests on the reality of the resurrection. |
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This statement goes to the very heart of the Christian way of life and shows the paradoxical nature of Jesus' teaching. A paradox is a statement that seems to be contradictory but that contains a great truth. In order to reproduce itself and provide food for man and beast the kernel of wheat gives up its life as a single grain but it lives on in the new plant that arises from its death. Jesus is saying that if you live for yourself, you will die, but if you die to self and live to serve Christ and others, you will live eternally. He called on his disciples to deny themselves and follow him. He said, 'For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.' (Mark 8:35) This principle is illustrated by the way the public acknowledge the true greatness of people who become famous for their selfless life of service to others. You can probably think of some present-day examples. Selfish people seek possessions, pleasures and fame for themselves but the disciples of Jesus are to forget themselves and live to minister to the spiritual and material needs of others. Jesus taught by example. His own life and his deliberate acceptance of death by crucifixion has set us an example to follow. |
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In this incident Jesus gave the disciples a lesson in humility. Note how John highlights this by the contrast he draws in verse 3. He reminds us that Jesus was fully aware that he had supreme authority on earth and that he enjoyed an intimate relationship with God. He was indeed Lord over his mere human disciples, yet he did not ask them to give him due honour but, since there was no servant present to follow the custom of washing the guests' dusty, sandalled feet, he took the servant's role and washed their feet. Jesus also emphasised the contrast when he said, 'Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.' Peter was aware of the incongruity of the situation and refused to let Jesus wash his feet. Jesus' reply shows us that he considers humility an essential quality in all his disciples. 'If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.' If we do not accept and live by this principle of servanthood we have not understood what it means to be a Christian. |
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From the sayings of Jesus we are able to get a clear picture of what some call the Godhead, and others the Trinity. Christians are monotheists. They believe in only one God, but from Jesus' teaching it is evident that the one eternal Supreme Being is manifested in three aspects. (1) As Creator who called Israel into a covenant relationship and gave them the law and the order of worship. (2) In his earthly stage, or incarnational aspect, he is both the Son of Man, expressing his humanness, and the Son of God, expressing his divinity. In this phase the mortal Jesus calls the immortal, eternal Jehovah, Father. (3) In these chapters (14-16) Jesus prepares his disciples for the third manifestation of God, the Spirit phase. Because he is the Spirit of God he is called holy, the Holy Spirit. So to see and hear Jesus is to see and hear the word of God made flesh. The words 'I am in the Father and the Father is in me' show the totality of their identity. Jesus had already declared, 'I and the Father are one.' (10:30) In 14:20 we have the greatest wonder of all. Believers are included in this intimate divine relationship. 'I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.' |
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In this beautiful parable of the relationship of Christ to the believer the keyword is 'remain'. It means 'to dwell' or the place where we live. In Christ, we find our true home, and the feeling of inner peace experienced by those who invite Jesus into their life, and who love him with their whole heart, is such that they never want to leave. When we invite Christ to be our Lord and Saviour we enter a reciprocal relationship. We abide in him and he abides in us. We are never alone again. This companionship with Jesus brings joy. 'That my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.' (verse 11) 'Remaining' or abiding in Christ means keeping his commandments. (verse 10) Unless we abide in Christ by loving obedience we will not produce the Christian qualities that are the fruit of this union. (verse 4) Note well Jesus' statement, 'Apart from me you can do nothing.' (verse 5) The fruit of which Christ speaks is not the fruit of converts but the fruits of the Spirit of which Paul speaks in Galatians 5:22-23. It is this fruit of godliness that glorifies God. (verse 8) Read this passage often. Chapters 14-16 are the most intimate revelations of Jesus to his disciples. |
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The word translated 'Counsellor' is the Greek word parakletos. Jesus used it only in this crucifixion eve discourse, where it occurs four times and each time it refers to the Holy Spirit. It means someone who comes to your side to help you. It is variously translated 'comforter', 'counsellor', 'helper', 'advocate'. The Holy Spirit will take Jesus' place, leading, teaching, counselling and encouraging the disciples, who, on the morrow, will no longer have Jesus beside them. (14:16) It is a word that emphasises the personhood of the Holy Spirit. He will not have a visible, physical presence but will be present in the realm of the spirit and will communicate, not in words, but to our spirit through our minds, thoughts and feelings. Other attributes of the Holy Spirit are: (1) power: 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes,' (Acts 1:8) and (2) convicting sinners: 'He will convict the world of guilt.' (John 16:8) But the parakletos role of the Spirit is probably the one most appreciated by ordinary disciples. We need someone to be beside us every moment of every day, especially in the difficult and lonely moments of our lives. Jesus' comforting words in 14:15-18 apply to every believer. |
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This is a valuable definition of eternal life. It teaches us that to experience eternal life we must do more than come to Christ for the ritual cleansing of our sins and our legal justification on the basis of Jesus' atoning death. Eternal life is not just a promise of resurrection and a place in the kingdom of God. Eternal life is something we experience here and now. It is living on a different plane and it is the communion of our spirit with the Spirit of Jesus and with the eternal Spirit of God the Father. (John 4:24) The word 'know' is important here. There are two Greek words for 'know'. One is to know outwardly and is often translated 'to behold', 'to see'. The other word means 'to know fully' by personal experience and that is the word used here. We could use an analogy from our human relationships. We know some people by sight that is we know who they are. But our closest friends we know intimately. To know Jesus intimately is to know God and to experience the life of the Spirit on the highest plane. This is eternal life. We do not come to know Christ suddenly in this intimate way. It takes time to grow in the Spirit. |
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The church of true believers is the continuation of the incarnation. The body of born-again believers is the body in which Christ's Spirit lives during the gospel era. (Ephesians 1:22-23.) The mission of Jesus has become our mission. Jesus repeated these words when he commissioned the apostles. To equip the disciples, and us, for this mission Jesus declares, 'I have given them your word.' In the previous chapter he had promised them his Spirit. In the word we have the message we are to proclaim and in the Spirit we have the power, the wisdom and the accompanying protecting, encouraging presence of the living God. We are fully equipped for our task. Jesus says this calling and mission of believers sets them apart from unbelievers, 'the world'. 'The world has hated them because they are not of the world.' Jesus prays that they will be kept from the evil one, but he also prays that they will remain in the world as his witnesses. He prayed for us also, saying, 'I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.' (verse 20) What a tremendous privilege is ours to be sent on a divine mission to continue the work of Jesus, and what an encouragement to know that Jesus prays for us. |
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Arthur Pigdon Seeds of the Spirit (2001) |
| Copyright © 1997, 2001 by Arthur Pigdon |