The Gospel of John Lesson 63 (02-09-14) John 15:14-7

The Gospel of John Lesson 63 (02-09-14)

Lesson 63 – John 15:14-7

 “Any friend of yours is a friend of mine’, have you ever heard someone make this statement? What they are saying is that they like you and consider you their friend by whatever standards or criteria that they choose or set. It is guilty, or in this case acceptance, by association. This statement is stated on the presumption that most people chose and associate with those that are like themselves and if they consider you a friend then they assume that your friends will be like you and also worthy of their friendship.

In John chapter 15 and v. 14 Jesus makes a similar statement. He tells His disciples that those that are truly His friends will be found having the same interests. Birds of a feather flock together. Dissimilar interests do not mix well together. It is like oil and water…sweet and bitter, acidic and basic, light and dark, opposites like these just don’t go well together…they don’t mix together well. As a matter of fact, some things like light and dark do not tolerate or go together at all. This is in essence what Jesus is telling His disciples in v. 14 of chapter 15.

This is not in any way a statement enforcing or continuing a relationship with His disciples under the old system of the Law. Again, what Jesus shows them here in chapters 13 through pretty much the end of John’s Gospel is the New Covenant. In just a couple of verses Jesus will make it very clear how He views His relationship with His disciples saying that under the old system it was a servant-master relationship, however, when His work on the Cross is complete and the New Covenant is fully in place and established He will approach His relationship with His followers on the basis of a close friendship.

They say you are known by the company that you keep. Jesus in v. 14 tells His disciples that those that are truly in relationship with Him, not only saying that they are His friends, but are indeed true friends of Jesus, will keep His sayings. This is what John’s second letter, I John, is all about. He will tell those in the early Church that what they do, their actions, will make known whose they are.

In v. 15 Jesus tells His followers something pretty amazing…actually beyond incredible! It is amazing enough that Jesus makes known His perspective to them under this new relationship, under the New Covenant, telling them that they are no longer, because of what is about to happen on the Cross, considered servants, but are now considered fully fledged-friends.

But, the part that that is hard to fathom is the part that He says to them next in the second half of this verse. He tells them that because this is a true friendship relationship that they really do share their lives together, sharing even the details of their life.

This of course would be expected in a normal relationship, but even though what is described here is a true relationship it is a relationship that is in no way run of the mill. The part that is amazing about this relationship is that this relationship is not with another person, it is with God. Wow!

In v. 15 He tells them that as in any good friendship and relationship He has shared intimate and personal details with them. There is no telling what friends will share with another friend. True friends share the good and the bad, the serious and the casual, the real important and the common parts of their lives.

But,…this is God. There is nothing casual or common about Him, and, in v. 15 Jesus tells us that He had held nothing back in His relationship with His followers, telling them that He had told and shared everything with them that the Father had shared with Him. Wow, now this is a relationship worth taking serious and putting some effort into.

However, there is even more to this relationship that we should consider. In most normal relationships personal information is shared, and, it is generally understood that what is shared between friends stays between friends. In other words, what is shared is personal and is not to be repeated.

However, Jesus’ very personal relationship with His Father, sharing very personal details with us, is different on this point. He told His followers in Matt. 10:27 that even though His conversations with them were so personal that they would be shared with them in secret or in a private setting, being intimate, that this very personal information that He shared with them was meant to be made public.

This is how Jesus put it in one translation (ERV); He tells them this in Matt. 10:27:

²⁷ I tell you all this secretly, but I want you to tell it publicly. Whatever I tell you privately,^[c] you should shout for everyone to hear.

And, the ESV version puts it this way: ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

When you sit at night at home or in a private setting you talk, and you say things that are more private, more intimate. In these settings you share the secrets of your soul, very personal things, what’s on your heart…at times what we would call ‘family secrets’.

 What Jesus had shared with them was indeed personal, but He, Jesus, had nothing to hide. As a matter of fact, the personal friendship that He had shared with His followers was not meant to be exclusive, but was meant to be inclusive, Jesus willing to have this same intimate and personal relationship with anyone that would.

Don’t be misled by this offer thinking that this relationship in being an open invitation is too common and has the appearance of being too generic. In our hearts we know that we need someone like Jesus to share our inner most and intimate details of life with, privately sharing not only our successes, but also our failures. The personal stuff that Jesus tells them in private He said was meant to be shared publicly; however, what we share with Him is kept completely between friends. It is kept completely private, shared with no one but Him. What a friend!

In v. 15 Jesus tells His disciples that He will share His intimate conversations and the details that He had had with God the Father with them. This is significant because now we see God and man take on a relationship that is unique between them, having special significance between God and His creation.

We know that in the beginning man was created different and special among all of God’s creation, having a special position or place among God’s creation. It was a position that even the angels, if it were possible, might be envious of. We know that it is not possible for an angel of God to be envious, for doing so would be sin. However, in watching this relationship that God had with man I Peter 1:12 tells us that even the angels stand in wonder, pondering and wondering what it is all about.

We are told that God’s relationship with man is one of a kind, this relationship and position like none other among God’s creation, saying that man was created in God’s own image. However, as we know from the Genesis account, man kept not his first estate, disobeying God in the Garden, falling position-ally as well as relationally.

Prior to man’s fall man had a relationship with God that was personal and intimate. In the Garden, man knew God’s presence when He was around or near, not being afraid of Him in any way…he had nothing to be afraid of…actually longing, looking forward to his encounters with God.

Prior to man’s fall man was found doing the works of God with Him and for Him, humbly serving with God in an honored position. However, even though man served God, doing the work’s of God, it appears in the Genesis account that it was not your normal master-servant relationship, but one of closeness, like that of family. Man was given a dominion and domain and acted as God, doing the works of God on His behalf, worshiping and honoring God in the process. This is a foreign concept and one hard for us to believe and relate to. But, this was our position and what we were created to do once upon a time.

However, the fall spoiled all of that. Man once God’s servant, friend and ambassador now joined the forces of the other side and along with them became God’s enemy turning against God instead of serving Him, now instead selfishly serving himself and not God.

Man prior to the fall served from God’s perspective, abiding in God and in His will and ways. It is interesting, but man’s attitude and actions prior to the fall strangely resembled what Jesus told His disciples in Jn. 14:12 about them continuing the great works of Jesus and God in His absence. As we look at what Jesus tells His disciples here in this section of John, chapters 13-5, we see man restored in his original relationship with God, having very special honors and privileges, working with God and working on His behalf, Jn. 15:15-6.

Here in John chapter 15 Jesus makes it clear to His disciples that this reestablished relationship did not come because of them and their ability. Even though they will be told that they will need to keep His commandments, it will be impossible for them to fulfill this requirement on their own. In the Amplified version the Apostle John tells us in I Jn. chapter 3 and vs. 23 and 24 this:

1 John 3:23-24

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²³ And this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us.

²⁴ All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [^[a]They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.

Christ had completed this work for us, establishing us in His righteousness, by the work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ death on the Cross, by the act of regeneration, imputing unto us His own righteous, making us flawless, reestablishing those who will believe and receive His offer of salvation. This is the only way that Jesus could call those who were once true enemies of Him friends.

John 15:15 was Adam’s relationship with God prior to his fall. He abode in God and knew of His presence as he worked and walked with God in the Garden. Abraham also knew of this relationship calling God his friend asking God to sit down and fellowship with him as he saw God going by.

In v. 16 of chapter 15 Jesus reminds them that it was again His work that made this new relationship possible, He telling them that they cannot take any credit for this work, not even in their choice in following Him. He tells them that they did not choose Him, but that He actually had chosen them.

But there is more. With this bestowing of His mercy on them comes much more. He not only chose to make them a part of His family, but He also chose to bestowed additional blessing upon His followers, actually ‘ordaining’ that they partake and join Him in the establishing of His Kingdom, giving them the privileges of ‘bearing fruit’ of the Kingdom that would remain and last forever! Some translations tell us that God actually ordained that His followers would indeed bear fruit indicating that in doing so that none would be fruitless or barren. There will be no empty hands in heaven. God has ordained that all will bear fruit.

He reminds them at the end of v. 16 that this ordination from Him comes with privilege and with His backing, and, His promise of blessing. He finishes this section up in v. 17 again repeating Himself reminding them to keep these commandments, placing these commandments on the foundation of the commandment to love one another.

 Jesus completes the foundation of the New Covenant giving them the three essential ingredients of it…the new commandment to love one another as Christ had loved them, the new privilege allowing them to ask in His name, abiding in Him, promising them that He would answer their request and providing the Power necessary to make it so sending to them God’s Holy Spirit. What great and precious promises, a privilege not to be taken lightly!