A Heartbreaking Farewell
Picture this scene: Jesus gathered His closest friends for a final meal before His crucifixion.
These were His beloved disciples who had given up everything to follow Him. Yet on this solemn night, He had to break the devastating news – He was leaving them.
You can imagine the shock and heartbreak on their faces.
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”
John 13:36 (ESV)
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The disciples were utterly distraught at this revelation.
As they grappled with sadness, fear, and confusion, Jesus tenderly looked at them and said:
“Let not your heart be troubled…”
John 14:1 (ESV)
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He was preparing them for His departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. But amidst their anguish, they struggled to fully comprehend His words.
It was then that Jesus made one of the most profound statements that gets to the heart of what it truly means to love Him:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:15 (ESV)
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Understanding Jesus’ Commands
Why did Jesus link obedience to His commandments with loving Him? Because true love for God is demonstrated through joyful obedience to His Word, not mere lip service.
Jesus emphasized:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”
John 14:21 (NKJV)
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Obedience flows out of a sincere love relationship with God. As the Apostle John wrote:
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
1 John 5:3 (NKJV)
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Conversely, Jesus said:
“He who does not love Me does not keep My words…”
John 14:24 (NKJV)
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Disobedience is actually a rejection of God’s love.
When we truly love Jesus, keeping His commandments becomes a natural expression of that love. It’s not a heavy burden but a passionate desire to please our Beloved.
We want to follow His ways because we love Him wholeheartedly.
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
One of Jesus’ commandments that night was:
“Let not your heart be troubled…”
John 14:1 (NKJV)
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He knew their hearts were filled with dread and turmoil over His departure.
Yet He expected them to resist fear, anxiety, and despair through faith in Him and His promises.
“You believe in God, believe also in Me,” He reassured them (John 14:1).
This wasn’t merely a kind suggestion, but a clear commandment. Jesus didn’t intend for them to be perpetually troubled or downcast.
He wanted them to remain steadfastly joyful and peaceable despite life’s adversities.
“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.”
John 14:27 (NKJV)
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As modern disciples, we too must heed this command if we truly love Jesus. We cannot allow our hearts to be weighed down by fear, worry, and discouragement.
We’re called to stand firm in His truth, abiding in His supernatural peace that transcends circumstances.
The Promise of Mansions
To comfort His troubled disciples and reaffirm His trustworthiness, Jesus gave an awe-inspiring promise:
“In My Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you.”
John 14:2 (NKJV)
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Just think – as you read this, heavenly mansions are being lovingly crafted just for YOU by your Father’s hands!
Jesus revealed these eternal dwellings are tailor-made to suit each believer’s unique desires and preferences. He knows what will give you ultimate delight and eternal satisfaction.
This breathtaking promise should fill us with hope, expectation, and unshakable confidence in Jesus’ words. If He is preparing such a glorious inheritance for us, we can certainly trust Him in all things.
His commands, however difficult, are fully worthy of our loving obedience.
Jesus: The Way, Truth, and Life
Then came one of the most famous claims by Jesus that sets Christianity apart from all other religions:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6 (NKJV)
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In a world with countless philosophies and belief systems, Jesus was undeniably exclusive. He didn’t claim to be one of many valid paths to God, but the ONLY way to the Father and eternal life.
While this controversial statement has been watered down or rejected by some, Christians must faithfully uphold it.
We cannot ignore or dismiss Jesus’ very words, for He is the truth incarnate. No other religion can supersede the One who is the Living Word.
If we love Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, we must believe and affirm this professedly narrow claim.
For in doing so, we declare the eternal significance of His redemptive sacrifice – the only means for all people to be reconciled to God.
Seeing and Experiencing God through Christ
In that same upper room discourse, Jesus revealed an astounding truth – that in seeing and hearing Him, the disciples were beholding and experiencing the Father Himself!
“9 …He who has seen Me has seen the Father 10…the words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”
John 14:9-10 (NKJV)
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Though the disciples witnessed Jesus’ divine miracles and teachings firsthand, they didn’t fully grasp that the Father was manifesting Himself through the Son all along.
Jesus lovingly reproved them, saying they had already seen and known the Father by seeing and knowing Him.
As born-again believers, we now have that same blessing through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We don’t just read about Jesus’ works in Scripture – we experience God’s power and presence through the Spirit in our daily lives!
Though we cannot physically see Christ, the Spirit reveals Him to us if we have eyes to perceive.
Key Takeaways
- Loving Jesus means joyfully keeping His commandments – it’s the ultimate expression of love and surrender.
- Jesus commanded His followers to resist fear, worry, and despair by firmly believing and trusting His promises.
- Spectacular, custom-made mansions in heaven await all believers, designed by the Father according to each one’s unique preferences.
- Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to the Father and eternal life – an exclusive truth all Christians must uphold no matter how unpopular.
- By the Spirit, believers can see the Father revealed through Christ’s words and miraculous works manifested in their lives.
- Walking in total loving obedience to Jesus allows us to experience deeper intimacy and revelation of Who He truly is.
Keeping Jesus’ commandments isn’t about rigid rule-following, but whole-hearted loving surrender to the One who is the embodiment of all truth and life.
May our supreme love for Him be displayed through unwavering faithful obedience until we see Him face to face!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Isn’t focusing on commands legalistic and taking away from God’s grace?
A. Not at all! Obeying God’s commands is evidence that we have truly experienced His amazing grace.
In 1 John 5:3, we’re told “His commandments are not burdensome” because His grace empowers us to live in joyful obedience motivated by love, not legalistic fear.
Q. What if I struggle to consistently keep Jesus’ commandments?
A. All believers face that battle against sin daily. But take hope that Jesus promised:
“15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – 17 the Spirit of truth…”
John 14:15-17 (NKJV)
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The Holy Spirit’s power enables us to increasingly walk in righteousness as we abide in Jesus.
Q. How can I experience seeing and hearing God more in my life?
A. We experience the Father’s presence through attentively receiving the Holy Spirit’s revelation of Christ. John 14:26 (NKJV) says:
“the Helper, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
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Ask the Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to recognize God’s voice and activity all around you!
Q. What if someone thinks they can get to heaven through being a good person without believing in Jesus?
A. While being moral is noble, Jesus explicitly stated:
“…No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6 (NKJV)
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This is an unavoidable requirement according to Christ’s own words. We must lovingly yet boldly affirm this truth
