John 14:15-24 (May wonder why we’re taking so long to get through this. Ann picks chicken bones clean. Let’s make sure we get every morsel of truth from these chapters.)
· Jesus spending this night before crucifixion with followers, had to pick one theme of what he says I think it would be relationship. 2 great commandments. Here he expands on those two relationships (kind of relationship we have with God, what God thinks of us and how he wants us to respond to him, and how that transforms our relationships with each other.) Think of how it all started—Jesus showing full extent of his love, washes feet to demonstrate, then says, do this to each other too.
§ Continually reminds us how God feels toward you. Don’t know what your picture of God has been up to this point, but need to understand that God created you for a love relationship with him. (gospel). You will never trust God if you don’t get your arms around this.
· Do you want to know what a relationship with God looks like? Jesus says just look at him.
§ Wants to bring glory to the Father, wants to please him, wants every aspect of his life, his words to reflect well on the person and character of his Father. Willing to face any test, any circumstance if it will honor God.
§ Because he loves the Father, he obeys everything the Father tells him to do: 14:31; Philippians 2:5ff. Jesus sees entire life in terms of doing what the Father wants him to do, why? Not out of duty, fear, but out of love.
· Can you see where this is going? Vss 15, 21, 23. Make sure you get the order correct: you don’t obey in order to be rescued. But out of gratefulness for your rescue, out of love for the rescuer, you are now both able and willing to obey.
§ Can’t tell you how much I see this at my house!
§ A matter of the heart. I choose to love God, I want to please him. I want the smile of God on my life. It grieves me when I do things I know take that smile away.
§ Out of a heart of love that we want to obey. Does following Jesus make a difference in the way we live? Yes, for several reasons: my character is being transformed; I know understand life better than when I lived in darkness; and because I want to love God, I will choose to obey him, to follow his commands. Romans 6:1ff (Shall we go on sinning? How can we when our very nature has been changed?)
· How do we do that? Might be tempted to drag out a whole list of rules, not what Jesus does. 1 John 4:19-21; 15:9-11. You want to love God? Obey God. You want to obey God? Love each other.
