Weekly Devotional 1-14-16 I Will Never Leave You
On the night of Jesus’ arrest He gathered His disciples to Him telling them that He would soon be arrested and be killed (John 13:31-16:33). They, of course, were beside themselves. They had left all; believing that He was the long awaited Messiah and that He would reestablishment Israel to its former prominence. How could this be? What did He mean that He would soon leave them and that they would not see Him anymore? No doubt they experienced a multitude of emotions including bewilderment, uncertainty, dismay, and even fear. To ease them of these emotions Jesus said, “1Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3 NKJV).
Had they understood what He was saying, they would have no doubt been greatly relieved. However, they did not fully understand what he was telling them. They would not, they could not, until Jesus and His Father would come to them in Spirit and make their abode with them. He went on to tell them, “15If you love Me (if you are a true disciple), keep My commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. ‘19A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him’” (John 14:15-21 NKJV).
That night, Jesus promised that He would never leave them and that even though physically He would be in heaven, in the presence of His Father, His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) would be with them by indwelling them. His Spirit would continue the work that He had begun in them.
This same promise falls to all who come to faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:21-22). From the first day of Pentecost following the ascension of Jesus into heaven (Acts 2:1-4), the Holy Spirit is given by Jesus to indwell each believer. His commission is continued in us. He has been given to lead us into truth (the way of righteousness) and to comfort us. However, our comfort is conditional. We must abide in Christ. Jesus says, “1Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1) and He assures us that He will manifest Himself to us through His Spirit if we keep His commandments (John 14; 21). He adds, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23-24 NKJV).
God is true to His word. He does not recant. What He has promised He fulfills. We can and should be comforted by His promise. He has not left us as orphans. That is, He has not abandoned us (John 14:18). What a wonder!
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Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Evangelical Free Church www.efreebible