(Not Iscariot)

Judas asked him how come He was going to manifest Himself to them, but not too the world? Jesus answered him basically this way.

If we love Him, and keep His word, then the Father will love us, and make His home with us. If someone does not love Him, and does not obey His word or keep it, nor the word of the Father, as both are one. Then God does not dwell with that person, nor manifest Himself to that person.

He also told them that if they did not understand what He was saying, that the Holy Spirit was coming and would teach them all things, and remind them of His words to them.

At this point I am sure the disciples were confused and lacking in understanding of what Jesus was saying, as they did not realize what He was going through. And really had no idea who the Holy Spirit was, as to this point they had not really had any personal contact with Him. The only ones that really heard from the Holy Spirit to this point were the Priests and Prophets. This would be a new thing to them all. But Jesus wanted to tell them so they would know He was going to deal with them on a personal basis.

Then He spoke peace to them with these words.

"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."

Jesus knew that they would not have peace of mind when the events of the next few hours took place. He knew that they would be greatly troubled and in a panic. He wanted them to have something to hold on to.

In the world we live now, there is much that can steal our peace. There is so much violence and unrest all over the world. The world can give a false sense of peace, but it does not last. God gives a peace that passes all understanding. He can calm you mind with just a whisper of "Peace be Still, and know that I am God" He can calm the sea and the turmoil in your life.

Then He talked to them about going away. And that it had caused them to be sad. That they needed to understand that He was going, but coming back and that was something to rejoice in not be sad. He let them know before it came to pass, so that they would have peace. For He was going to the Father and preparing a place for them.

He said to them that He would not be able to talk to them much longer as the ruler of this world was coming but that he had nothing in Him. But that so the world would know that He loved the Father, to be obedient to death, He would do it.

What did all that mean? Who was coming to get Him and what did He mean that he had nothing in Him?

The ruler of this world is the devil. Dominion was given to him by Adam. And Jesus had no sin in Him, so the devil had no legal hold on Him. He gave His life willingly, but would not stay in Hell, as it would be our sin not His to put Him there. He would pay the price for our sin and then be resurrected.

Again, this was all things that the disciples would not understand at that time, but did later when the Holy Spirit came.

Jesus always talked to His disciples in a language they could understand. He picked objects or situations they were familiar with and used them all the time. In these scriptures he uses vines and the vine dresser. This would be something they would understand. That to have good vines, producing good fruit, the vine dresser would have to tend and prune and take care of the vines to be sure they produced the way they should

As our vine dresser, God will prune and take away anything in our lives that is not producing fruit. We need to abide in Him in order to produce fruit and be useful to the Kingdom of God. And as God is the Vine dresser, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches out from Him. We are attached to Him and must abide in Him to bear much Fruit.

The branch of a vine, if it gets cut off will whither and die. So if we cut ourselves off from Christ, and try to "Do It Ourselves", we will never produce fruit and will eventually be dry spiritually.

Jesus went so far as to say "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and gathered and thrown into the fire and burned."

But those that abide in Him, and His words abide in them,

"you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

It is a pretty serious thing not to abide in Jesus and just plain foolishness. We have so much to gain being in Jesus, and so much to lose if we don’t. And Jesus said that God gets Glory if we bare fruit. People will see Jesus in us and know that we have spent time with Him, and God will be glorified.

Jesus said "As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His Love."

Isn’t it a wonderful thing to know that God loves Jesus, as much as Jesus loves us. There is an endless amount of love available to us. All we need to do, is accept it and keep His commandments, which is to love others and abide in the word.

Jesus was reassuring the disciples that they were loved. But also that they needed to remember the words he had spoken to them over the three years they had been with Him, and most importantly the words He was speaking to them right then. He knew that this would be a comfort and peace to them in the days to come. And He also said it so they would have Joy

"These things I have spoken to you, that My Joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full."

It should cause Joy in our hearts to know just how much Jesus loves us and that He loves us as much as God loves Him.

Again Jesus reminds the disciples that His commandment is to Love one another. Why was it so important to remember this commandment? Because it can be so much easier to hate someone then to love them. It is work sometimes to love people. Some people are not so lovable. But if we make a commitment to love, God will be there to help us. And not only that, but we need to have the kind of love for others that would cause us to lay down our lives for them. That is the Greatest love and Jesus demonstrated it.

Jesus told the disciples that they were no longer servants, but His friends, if they did what He commanded them. He explained that a servant does not know the mind of his master, he just follows commands. But He had shared the mind and will of the Father with them and made them "Friends of God" That they were hand picked and were chosen to bare fruit that would remain, because they knew the Father’s heart. And whatever they asked the Father in His name, he would give it to them.

This was a tremendous thing then, and now. Up to that point these people had only understood servanthood to God. They did not know Him personally. It was hard to comprehend what God’s will was sometimes. So for them to learn to know God and to Love Him, was a total change from what they had grown up knowing and learning. It was a wonderful thing! No more servants, but friends. And after Christ was resurrected, they would become not only friends of God, but "Sons".

We will continue this lesson next week.