November 11 - John 14-17: The Spirit Helps Jesus' Disciples with God's Mission to Set All Things Right

Today’s Reading: John 14-17

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Jesus would leave behind the Spirit to guide the Apostles to the Truth.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

"You can only get where I am going through Me.
"The Spirit of Truth will live in you since the world can't see God's Message in Me.
"Be connected to Me—the Vine—for an abundant harvest. Love each other.
"The world hates Our Father.
"I am leaving so the Spirit can guide you to Truth.
"My Death will help you speak directly to the Father."
The Apostles finally believed, though right before they abandoned Jesus.
Jesus prayed to God. "Protect My Disciples and their spiritual offspring from the world. Keep them unified so the world may see Our Mission."

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Jesus is the Way to the Father.

No one who accepts God can reject Jesus because they are one. They teach the exact things because They have the same goal—to set all things right. Many Jews never understood this about Jesus, and for that reason they have rejected Him to today. To obey the Father, you must first accept Jesus.

Whatever we request from the Father, within His Will and His Being, will be granted.

I appreciate how Jesus couched this request. He does not want us to think God is obligated to grant anything we desire. However, God is generous and wants to give what we need. Ask God what you need and He will provide.

The Holy Spirit was given to guide the Apostles to the Truth.

One of the most confusing parts of God is understanding the Holy Spirit. What is His purpose? How does He work? Does He work today? The most important thing to know is the Holy Spirit's Goal. The Goal will inform every other question we have. The Holy Spirit guided the Apostles to write the truth. He gives God's Chosen People the ability to speak the Truth while on trial. The Goal of the Holy Spirit is to set things right by leading people to the Truth. How that is done today should not be our focus. Our focus should be on what Truth the Spirit leads us to.

The world cannot see Jesus because they refuse to submit to Him.

The World could not see Jesus because they did not know what to look for. Because of Jesus' celebrity status, He needed His Disciples to spread the Truth. The Spirit would help through guiding His Chosen People to provide the Truth to the world. We should not be surprised when the world cannot accept Jesus' teachings; however, we should allow the Spirit to guide us in telling the world the Truth.

The best way to love is the way Jesus loved His Apostles.

Jesus told them that the best way to love was to put your life on the line for your friends. Then Jesus called them His Friends. He would die for them. How awesome is our God!

Some will believe they are doing God's Will by persecuting Jesus' Disciples.

This will come into focus in a few days.

The Spirit will show the world how it sins.

Christians struggle with the balance of telling others that they sin and getting along. Jesus came into the world to both save the world and call sinners to repent. We should remember that we are not the one convicting others of their wrongs. The Spirit shows the world the errors of their ways. Most of the time the specific action is not the problem—a failure to submit is the real problem. Christians should realize that we are to show the world the foundation of their mistakes instead of complain that their actions are wrong. By helping others submit to God we help the Spirit show them how their actions are wrong. This is one of the major reasons Christians need to be friendly with people in the world and why Jesus ate with sinners—we cannot help them submit to God unless they have a trusting friendship with us. To use a cliché, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." Jesus showed the spiritually sick that He cared and that convinced them to submit their lives to God (or so we hope, the Gospels are vague on how well Jesus' meals changed people's lives). Christians should do the same.

Real, Eternal Life is knowing God.

When we know God, we have the ability to live in inner peace, allow that peace to permeate into our relationships, and live in peace with the world. Then we can live with God, the Creator of the universe, because He is forever peaceful.

Jesus did not want His Disciples out of the world. He wanted the world out of His Disciples.

Jesus never prayed that His Disciples would build gated communities which would keep out any person who was a bad influence. He wanted their holiness to be a shining light into the world to complete His Mission. By living as one as Jesus and God are one, we show the world that Jesus came to set things right.

Do you allow the Spirit to convict others of their sin?


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