In John 13 we find that Jesus, having finished the Passover Feast with His disciples, delivered to them His final message before going to the Garden of Gethsemane where He would pray to the Father in preparation for what He knew was coming. As noted in the previous posting, He had told them that they would join Him later. The disciples wondered about where they would be joining Him and how to get there. Even then, at that late hour, they did not understand much of what He had told them. Why? Because they did not yet have the Holy Spirit and therefore did not have the power to understand most of what He had told them and shown them. He brought this Truth out after His resurrection when He returned to the Mount of Olives where He taught them for 40 days about the things concerning the Kingdom of God as recorded in chapter one.

His twelve disciples, along with the church that would be founded 50 days later on the Day of Pentecost, having received the Holy Spirit, would understand His messages and actions and WOULD BE ABLE AND EXPECTED to live the life He had lived. He had suffered and died so that they COULD LIVE AS HE HAD LIVED, not so that they could sin and get away with it, or pick and choose which teachings they could ignore, change or do away with. Until His return, those who would follow in the apostles’ spiritual footsteps would also live as Jesus and they had lived–in strict obedience to their heavenly Father. They and the true saints would RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM. Then the apostles would be able to minister to the church that would come into being on the day of the Holy Spirit’s arrival and entrance into them (Acts 1:1-8).

We must remember that, prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, the disciples had not been converted. This is brought out in Luke 22:32 where Jesus said to Peter: “When you have been converted, help your brethren” (to be converted). They had been able to preach, heal, cast out demons, etc. because the Holy Spirit was WITH THEM, enabling them to do as Jesus did as long as He was physically with them (Mat. 10:5-8). Following His death, resurrection and return to heaven, the Holy Spirit would also depart with Him. Because of His death and resurrection, the apostles and their future brethren would later be baptized in the Holy Spirit and thereby receive the same power that Jesus and His apostles had received (including Judas).

Note that it was only AFTER JESUS RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT HIS MINISTRY BEGAN. Until then He was an unknown carpenter. The indwelling and empowering Holy Spirit would enable His disciples to do everything He had done. It is that same Spirit that fills God’s true ministers today and enables them to do everything Jesus did while on earth, AND GREATER THINGS THAN HE HAD DONE as John 14:12 promises those who truly believe His Words and totally obey Them. More on that incredible statement later. Now back to John 14:5.

In verse five Thomas had asked Him where He was going and how would they know the way. They knew they were not going to heaven, so where were they going? In verse four He had told them that they knew where they would be going and how (the way) to get there. He answered Thomas’ question, saying: “I am the way” (TO THE FATHER, “the Truth” THAT MUST BE OBEYED IN ORDER TO GET TO THE FATHER “and “the life” (THAT MUST BE LIVED IN ORDER TO GET TO THE FATHER AND TO BE WITH HIM ETERNALLY). “No one can get to the Father except through (by spiritually living IN) ME.”

Jesus and His apostles tell us in numerous places that in order to be His brethren and God’s children we must be “in God” and “in Christ.” Recall that “THERE IS NO SIN IN HIM AT ALL.” The concept of having to go through (be in) Jesus and God in order to be saved is found in such references as John 1:14,17; 1 Timothy 2:5; and Hebrews 9:8; 10:19,20.

In John 14:6 Jesus made it clear that IF the disciples became saved they would “GO TO THE FATHER” spiritually. In verse seven Jesus tells the disciples that IF they had “known” Him, then they would have “known” the Father (spiritually). There is a difference between knowing the Father and “KNOWING” Him. In Genesis 4:1 we are told that Adam “KNEW” Eve and she conceived.” Judas, the thief and betrayer, knew Jesus for 3 1/2 years without ever KNOWING Him. Jesus characterized those who would claim to have KNOWN Him without actually KNOWING Him in the following way. He said that they would have called Him their Lord while not having obeyed Him (as their Lord); that they would have preached and performed miraculous works in His name while not actually having KNOWN Him; that they would have honored Him with their lips but not with their hearts–Matthew 7:53; 15:7-9/ Luke 6:46, etc.

In verse seven Jesus makes another incredible statement, telling the disciples that, because they had seen Him, they had seen the Father. However, He had once said: “No man has seen the Father or heard His voice” (Jn. 5:37). THIS INCLUDED JESUS CHRIST WHILE ON EARTH AS A MAN LIKE ALL OTHER MEN. HE HAD NO ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER MEN AND WAS TEMPTED AND TRIED AS WE ARE–“YET WITHOUT SIN.” How was (is) that possible? LIKE ALL OTHER MEN, JESUS HEARD GOD’S VOICE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. I have heard God’s Spiritual voice many times in the form of thoughts, visions, signs, and from the Holy Scriptures, all of which I call His “silent voice.” GOD SPEAKS TO US AND WE SPEAK TO HIM THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT WHICH IS EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES (PS. 139:8-12). It is through the Holy Spirit that we speak to God and He speaks to us–EXACTLY AS THE MAN JESUS CONVERSED WITH THE FATHER WHILE ON EARTH.

In 14:8, Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. Here Jesus makes another astounding statement. He tells them, and us, that BY SEEING WHAT HE (JESUS) DID AND HEARING WHAT HE (JESUS) SAID, THE DISCIPLES HAD SPIRITUALLY SEEN AND HEARD THE FATHER. THE MAN JESUS WAS THE HOLY FATHER MANIFESTED IN HUMAN FORM. BUT THAT IS NOT ALL: BY “WALKING AS HE (JESUS) WALKED,” OTHERS WOULD SEE THE FATHER IN THEM BECAUSE THEY OBEYED HIM AS DID THE MAN JESUS.

Do you see and hear what Jesus is saying and showing us? He is telling the disciples then, and His true saints now, that we must conduct our lives (“walk”) as He conducted His life–SO THAT THE WORLD, INCLUDING OUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES, SEE HIM AND THE FATHER IN US. SADLY, ONLY A FEW EMBRACE WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR IN AND FROM US. PEOPLE SEE GOD IN US ONLY IF WE SPIRITUALLY LIVE IN THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THEY LIVE IN US. THIS IS POSSIBLE ONLY IF WE ARE LED AND EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEREBY MAKING US “SONS OF GOD” (ROM. 8:14). THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS IN ONLY ONE WAY–THE HOLY WAY. THIS INCREDIBLE TRUTH WAS SPOKEN BY JESUS HIMSELF WHEN HE TOLD THE FORGIVEN PROSTITUTE AND THE MAN AT BETHESDA: “GO AND SIN NO MORE” (JN. 8:11; 5:14). WHAT HE COMMANDED OF THEM HE COMMANDS OF US SO THAT ALL WHO SEE AND HEAR US SEE AND HEAR GOD, THOUGH MOST WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS GOD THEY ARE SEEING AND HEARING. SATAN CONVINCES THEM THAT THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.. Only those who obey His commands (obey Him as their LORD) will live with Him in the Kingdom of God forever. L.J.