They'll know we are Christians by our love

 

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  --Colossians 3:15

When I was growing up in the early 1970s, our church youth group would sing a chorus almost every time we met.  It said, "They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes they'll know we are Christians by our love."

Outside the Church during that time a cultural revolution was taking place.  Young people who had no Christian background were all clamoring for "peace."  What started as a protest against war in Viet Nam sort of melded into a call for a generic, hazy idea promoting an absence of conflict in all relationships, not just geopolitical ones.

Since that time there has been a union in people's minds, a conflagration of peace and love.  The thinking was that you could not have one without the other.  As time went on, however, the American culture was still searching for both, and people started adding other things, as if peace and love alone were inadequate.  Phrases like, "Peace, Love, and Rock-n-Roll" became commercialized.  Tee shirts were printed and worn all over the place.  Soon, people were selling all kinds of things using that catch-phrase.  "Peace, Love, and Beer" or "Peace, Love, and Ice Cream" or "Peace, Love, and (fill-in-the-blank).

In our study of the book of John, we have seen several themes, not the least of which are love and peace.  Jesus returned to these specific themes as He was preparing His disciples for His departure from them.  They still did not realize that He was speaking of His crucifixion, but it was dawning on them that a day was soon coming where Jesus would not be with them.  Jesus gave them careful instruction on how to carry on after He was taken from them.

The disciples heard Jesus say, "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me."  Then Jesus said, "He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:19, 21).

This raised a question in one disciple's mind.

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "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.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.  These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.'  If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.  And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.  I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.  But that the world may know I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do.  Arise, let us go from here."  --John 14:22-31

Judas, the disciple that unfortunately shared a name with the traitor of our Lord, posed a serious question:  If You are going away, and the world will not see You, how will You be revealed to us but not to the world?

Jesus's answer is as true for us in the 21st century as it was for them back in the 1st century.  He will be made manifest in our love for one another, and we will know it is true love for Him if we keep His words.  Earlier Jesus had said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (verse 15).  This obedient love of Christ will reveal true Christians to one another.

The Greek word translated "manifest" in verses 21 and 22 is emphanizo, which comes from the root word phanero, which means to show or to make clear.  It is similar to our English word emphasize, derived from the Greek word emphainein, meaning to present or to exhibit.  In context, what Jesus is saying is that our love for Him and our adherence to His words will exhibit or show Christ to others, and exhibit or make clear His love.

So the song we sang in the 70s was right: they will know we are Christians by our love.

Jesus goes on to say that when He goes to the Father, He will send the Spirit who will both remind us of the words that Jesus spoke and will teach us new things.  In my last blog post I spoke at length about the Trinitarian teaching here, as each Person of the Trinity is introduced separately and distinctly, but all working as one.  

One commentary I read said that when Jesus spoke of the Spirit bringing to mind His words, and also teaching them all things, it was a coordination of "conservative" ideas (that is, we recall with reverence the things that Jesus taught us) with "progressive" ideas (that is, we get new knowledge or new revelation from the Spirit which Jesus never spoke about).  I don't necessarily agree with this interpretation.  I think a better explanation is that the Holy Spirit would continue the disciples' training in truth.  Commentator David Guzik writes:

This means that the work of the Spirit would be a work of continuation. His teaching would continue what Jesus already taught. The Spirit does not wipe clear the previous teaching of Jesus and begin again. “The Spirit will not dispense with the teachings of Jesus. The teaching to be recalled is His.” (Morris)

 We should beware of those who preach a different gospel, proclaiming that the Spirit gave them some new revelation.

Jesus moves from the theme of love to that of peace.  A common Jewish greeting of the days was, "Shalom, shalom."  You might hear it said when two people meet on the street, or when someone comes to visit your home, or when two friends leave each other.  It took the place of both "hello" and "goodbye".   The New Cambridge Bible Commentary says this:

In classical Greek, "peace" refers to the cessation of hostilities, but in Israelite writings it means much more because it translates as "shalom," which means plentitude of blessings or completeness of benefaction.  The exhortation "let not your hearts be troubled" both begins this part of the Farewell Adress (14:1) and concludes it (14:27).  But in the conclusion it is joined with Jesus's benefaction of "peace."  The context of these sayings, then, influences how we should read them.  Faced with the emptiness of Jesus's departure (14:28-29), the disciples are given fullness; that is, shalom, or peace.  And faced with "trouble," Jesus bequeaths them security and peace.  Similarly, Jesus calms the terror of His disciples in the upper room when He announces, "Peace be with you" (John 20:29, 21).  Inasmuch as the meaning of "peace" comes from its context, here it would be the successful endurance of crises and trials.

Jesus speaks once more of going to the Father.  He says if the disciples really loved Him, they would be happy for Him.  David Guzik put it this way:  "The disciples were troubled at the news of Jesus’ departure. In faith, they should instead rejoice, for the sake of Jesus, for their own sake, and for the sake of the world. The work of Jesus through the sent Holy Spirit would be greater than His work during the years of His earthly ministry."

One of the reasons that Jesus gives that they should rejoice that He goes to the Father is that "the Father is greater than I."  Without going to deeply into theological arguments, I think a brief explanation is helpful here.  Again from David Guzik:

The Father is greater than the Son in position, especially in regard to the incarnation. Yet the Father is not greater than the Son in essence or being; They are both equally God. It is remarkable that Jesus should even say this. “That it should require to be explicitly affirmed, as here, is strongest evidence that He was Divine.” (Dods)

Jesus makes a sudden transition at the end of this chapter.  He knows His time is short, and so He suggests that they start cleaning up so they can leave the upper room where they had shared a Passover meal, where He had washed their feet, and where Judas had left to betray Him.  This is why He said, "The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."

Who is this 'ruler'?  At one level, it is Caesar, whose soldiers will take Jesus to His death not many hours hence.  At another level, it is the dark power that stands behind even Caesar, the spiritual force of wickedness named so briefly in the previous chapter, now using Judas as a poor, willing accomplice.  The phrase 'the world' gets its negative force in John's gospel from the fact that the present world, though loved and claimed by the Father, remains under the rule of this dark lord.  Jesus's approaching death and resurrection will inflict a huge wound on this rule, from which it will never recover; but the disciples are to be sent out into the world where opposition is still powerful and deadly.  Their courage and confidence is to be sustained by remembering what Jesus had done.  He did what He did so that 'the world' might know that He loved the Father.  Called to follow Him, we are to act in such a way that 'the world' will know that we love Him.  --NT Wright John for Everyone

Which brings us back to the song our youth group sang.  "They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love; yes they'll know we are Christians by our love." 

The perfect partnership: God in us, us in Christ, and Christ in God

 

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  --1John 2:1

Have you ever thought about what your last words might be?

If you Google the last words of celebrities, you will find a number of pithy statements, some humorous and some profound, but some not so much.

Whenever a condemned criminal faces execution, the warden will often give him a chance to make a final statement.  We've all seen the movies where the condemned prisoner is brought to the gallows or strapped to the electric chair, and the warden or priest will ask, "Any last words?"

At that point, there is no time to wax eloquent.  There is little time for an extended soliloquy.  Death is imminent.

In the last hours of Jesus, He has a lot to say in a short period of time.  John records the works spoken in the last 24 hours of His life in chapters 13 through 17.  It's hard for us to fathom these words of Jesus as spoken at one setting.  Not only do the chapter divisions get in the way of our thinking of this as a single monologue, but the way that preachers and commentators break down each separate idea to help us digest the passage.

It's true that there is a wealth of information here given in a relatively short period of time.  I can imagine John, the youngest disciple, furiously taking notes as if from a professor giving a two-hour lecture.  We know it didn't happen that way, however.  John's gospel was written decades later, and I'm sure in his research John spoke to many of the disciples who were there, and each contributed a memory.

Let's read a small section of the final instructions of Jesus before His arrest and crucifixion.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will also do; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also.  At that day you will know I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He 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 14:12-21

Prayer

In the first section Jesus speaks of prayer as our connection with the Father.  He Himself was often seen by the disciples as getting away alone to pray.  After communing with the Father, Jesus was enabled to do the great miracles and works that He was known for throughout the region.  Jesus promised the disciples that they, too, would be enabled to perform many great works--even greater than those that Jesus had performed--but only if they remained attuned to the Father's will by prayer.

In the kingdom of nature they should work greater miracles. No miracle is little, but some to our apprehension seem greater than others. Christ had healed with the hem of his garment, but Peter with his shadow (Acts 5:15), Paul by the handkerchief that had touched him (Acts 19:12). Christ wrought miracles for two or three years in one country, but his followers wrought miracles in his name for many ages in diverse countries. You shall do greater works, if there be occasion, for the glory of God. The prayer of faith, if at any time it had been necessary, would have removed mountains.  --Matthew Henry Commentary.

The core of Jesus's ministry was to bring people to the Father.  His scope was limited during His lifetime here on Earth, because of the constraints of time, travel, and language.  However, after Pentecost in Acts 2, people from all nations and tongues were given the Gospel.  Therefore the scope of the Christian message was widened to include the whole world, not just the region in and around ancient Israel.

The purpose of Jesus's earthly ministry was to glorify the Father, and in so doing the Father glorified the Son.  So when Jesus said, "If you ask anything in My name I will do it," He did not promise to answer every petition that we might make for selfish purpose or personal gain.  NT Wright wrote, 

The all-important phrase "in My name" doesn't, of course, just mean adding "in the name of Jesus" to anything we might think of, however stupid, selfish, or hurtful.  The "name" after all, as in many cultures, is supposed to reveal the character.  Praying "in Jesus' name", then, means that, as we get to know who Jesus is, so we find ourselves drawn into His life and love and sense of purpose.  We will then begin to see what needs doing, what we should be aiming at within our sphere of possibilities, and what resources we need to do it.  When we then ask, it will be "in Jesus' name", and to His glory; and through that, to the glory of the Father Himself (verse 13).  But when all this is understood, we shouldn't go soft on that marvelous word anything.  He said it, and He means it.  --John for Everyone

Paraclete

Jesus then promises to pray for the disciples, even after He is taken up to the Father.  The Father will then send the Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity.  John uses the Greek word paraclete, which can mean Helper.  It can also mean Comforter, Intercessor, and Advocate.

God the Son will return to the Father, but God the Father will send the Spirit to console, to guide, and to intercede for them.  The New Cambridge Bible Commentary says,

We have noted how Jesus' knowledge, revelations, and words constitute the chief elements of His legacy.  So the Advocate serves to ensure access to this legacy now that Jesus has gone away.  Tricia Brown argues this cogently: "The Paraclete makes possible continued access to Jesus after Jesus has departed.... In the Discourses Jesus's exclusive ability to provide a way to the Father is strongly reasserted, and the Paraclete is depicted as providing the believers with continual access to Jesus." (Spirit in the Writings of John).  At least here, the sole function of the Advocate is to keep Jesus current to the disciples: "the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."

This particular Greek word is exclusive to John; it is used by no other Gospel writer.  However, the Apostle Paul uses a verb form of the noun paracletos in his letters to the churches.  Paul encourages them to parakaleo, to come alongside to comfort or console believers in times of trouble (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).  Other New Testament writers use this verb to mean to exhort or encourage to live faithfully and to pursue good works (Hebrews 10:24-25).  In other parts of the New Testament this verb is used to mean to entreat or plead on behalf of someone reflecting both personal and communal support (Strong's Greek Concordance).

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer, and this is why Jesus could say, "I will not leave you orphans."  That is, He will not leave us bereft of a father or bereft of a teacher, guide, or guardian.  The Spirit of God fulfills all of these roles.

Partner

Jesus comforts His disciples after telling them that He will not be with them much longer.  He then describes Himself as being in the Father, and of the disciples being in Him, and He being in the disciples.  This three-fold Godly presence in and around all Christians is not only a confirmation of the concept of the Trinity, with the Spirit indwelling us, us indwelling Christ, and Christ indwelling the Father.  It is also a confirmation of the eternal security of the believer.  Remember the words that Jesus spoke in John 10:28-30: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."

The New Cambridge Bible Commentary introduces this passage in terms of a Broker.  If you know anything about business, and honest Broker works on behalf of a Patron or Benefactor on behalf of a Client.  In this analogy, Jesus is our go-between, the Broker between God the Father and ourselves.  In business, a Broker first seeks to establish a relationship with the Client, but he speaks on behalf of (or in the name of) the Patron or Benefactor.

He, in fact, will broker the Paraclete for them (14:16-17, 26).  The Broker, moreover, is solicitous for his clients: He warns them of coming crises, exhorting them not to be disturbed (14:1, 28); he tells them prophecies of future hard times for the express purpose of alerting them how to weather those storms successfully (14:29; see also 13:19); and finally, he gives them otherworldly peace (14:27).  Although he leaves them, he declares that he will not leave them orphans (14:28).  The clients know that they are truly connected to their patron if they keep his commands (14:15) and feed on his words (14:23).  Finally, we glimpse the complete relationship of patron, broker, and clients: "On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (14:20).  

 What greater partnership can we hope for?  It is predicated upon prayer, and guaranteed by the Spirit of Truth, our Paraclete.  While we marvel that we can approach the throne of heaven and address God the Father in the name of God the Son, we can also wonder that the Son prays to the Father for us, and that the Spirit also intercedes for us, with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).