Sermon in Seattle 16.03.2008

As we approach this time of Easter, the so-called Passion Week, which, as many of you know, has many different texts from the Bible, one assigned really for every day of the week, this coming week, Monday all the way through Friday, and then, of course, many texts for Easter itself. And it's good as we approach this time, as always, but I would say especially at this time approaching Easter, that we each consider, even the children, that redemption work that Jesus did, and not only how much he suffered that Passion Week, because he suffered greatly. Even before he took the form of a servant and hung on the cross, he suffered much abuse and mistreatment. But it's good especially to remember how he rose victorious on that day.

And as we move into this Passion Week, even though we are busy with everyday life, it's good to pause and consider some of the events and some of the things that Jesus not only experienced, but how he communicated with his people. We could say especially closely as the end of his temporal life came to a close. And we notice in Scripture that during that week, incidentally, the Gospel writer John focused his Gospel according to what God revealed, especially covering the last few weeks of Jesus' life.

Perhaps you've noticed that Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because they're very similar in nature. They cover a lot of the same incidents and stories, and in many ways, even in the same order. But John's account of the Gospel is different than the others in this: that he especially covered the last perhaps two to three weeks in great detail of Jesus' life as he prepared to take the cross on our behalf. And not only that, he had a special sermon, a part of which we will read as part of the whole Easter time and text this morning, which comes from the 14th chapter of John's Gospel.

This part is called, it's part of a fairly long sermon, which is termed Jesus' farewell sermon, as he prepared them for what he would suffer that week. And we can see from what Jesus says here, which we will read momentarily, that he knew that they would suffer many doubts, they would have great tribulation, especially at the time of Jesus' death where many of them actually saw him, some of them saw him actually hang on the cross.

And it's from John's 14th chapter beginning with the 15th verse, and we read this in Jesus' name. And he says to his disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him. For he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more. But ye see me, because I live, ye also. Ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

Judith saith unto him, Not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love me, he will keep my words. And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings. And the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things I have spoken unto you, being yet present with you, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Amen."

Jesus, as we could see from this part of the narrative, the sermon, where he was gathered incidentally with his own people, and nobody else, wanted to reveal to his disciples, and really in, I think, a very clear, and we would have to say, a loving way, wanted to encourage them to cling to him and his word, even though he knew that they would suffer great doubts. And as a matter of fact, the Bible relates at the time when Jesus was actually apprehended, some hours later, that the flock was scattered. They left. Jesus was utterly alone.

He knew that when they beheld and saw and heard about his death, that with their own minds, they would simply not be able to comprehend what was happening. And that they would be, we could say, in their minds, would have reached about as low a place as a person could reach. In other words, they would be what we would term as hopeless. And in fact, all the way until Sunday afternoon of that Easter, some of them at least would still have that condition of heart and mind where they were without any hope whatsoever.

Having realized that this one who they had expected would be the king, he was the Messiah, that they actually saw his life and heard, and many of them they heard, some of them actually saw it, including his own mother, his temporal death. And it's been said, and I think very accurately, and we can even see it physically in nature, that that Saturday, which was in between the Good Friday and Easter, was perhaps the darkest day that mankind had seen, because they were without hope.

It was the Sabbath day, they really didn't go anywhere, they couldn't go anywhere, they couldn't really even travel very far because of the Jewish law. So they were basically holed up on that Saturday with virtually no hope. Jesus wanted to prepare them for that. And so in the last moments of his life with them, he did cover much. And when he does, we would have to say almost miraculous in a sense how Jesus' description of the people of God on earth and his flock here gives a beautiful picture of the nature of God's kingdom on earth.

Because Jesus covers, we could say, the most important parts of not only the kingdom but of Christian doctrine. Those things that we could say characterize living faith in God's kingdom on earth. In this shorter portion that we read, Jesus speaks about commandments. And we're all familiar with the commandments that were given during the time of the old covenant, at the time of Moses, ten commandments and so forth, and all the other commandments.

But Jesus here speaks about different commandments. And at one point in his life he spoke, he said, "I give unto you a new commandment." And the commandment that Jesus gives speaks specifically about love. And Jesus is speaking about the love that exists not only between the believing people here on earth, but the love that God has shown to mankind, first of all, in sending his Son as a sacrifice for our great sins.

And when he talks about these commandments, we get, you might say, a picture of God's kingdom on earth. He says here, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Now, is he talking about the ten commandments? Well, he's specifically talking about this love that God shows toward man in offering his grace kingdom, and not specifically about the ten commandments and so forth.

Jesus says here, "If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter." Jesus brought a lot of comfort. We know that. He still does. But he also knew that when he was there with them, specifically as he talked with them during this farewell sermon, he brought great comfort to them. And knowing that he would leave them, he said that he's going to send another comforter.

Because the comfort that he offered at that point was going to be gone, in the sense that his life would end and he would give his life for us. He says here that this other comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Now, when we consider what the disciples listening to Jesus might have thought as these words of Jesus went through their mind, it becomes quite clear during the sermon that Jesus gave that they really understood only in part. And we would have to say probably they didn't understand much. But enough that they believed his words.

It says here, when Jesus explained a little bit more about this, that he would send this Holy Spirit, which he said is also the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him. For he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

And Jesus continued about this comfort. But we get an idea what happened in the minds of those disciples who were listening, because during the sermon, they stopped Jesus with some questions about what he was talking about. And we see not only that they were wondering and questioning about this, but we also get a glimpse of human nature and how the human mind tends to view these things of God.

In other words, the human mind can't comprehend. Jesus talked about this comforter, and he also said, "I'll be here a little while, and then you're not going to see me anymore. And then you'll see me again." And they begin to wonder, what is he talking about? They even turned to each other and said, "Do you know what he's talking about? What's he saying?" And then it says that one of them, which was a man named Judas, this is not the same Judas that betrayed him, it was a different one, who was one of the apostles. And he had a question for Jesus.

When Jesus said a particular thing that I think in our own minds, at least in mine, oftentimes I wonder about and perhaps you do too. Jesus said, "He that keepeth my commandments, he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him." In other words, I will make myself known to him, those who love me.

And this Judas started thinking about it. And I think you have the same thought and I, "How could he show himself to me, or to the kingdom, and not to people on the outside?" Because you have probably talked with people in your life, and I know that I have, and they were nice people and they were religious people, but they couldn't see the kingdom. Maybe they went to some other church or something, or some other religious group, but they could not see God's kingdom.

And this man, listening, has a good question. He says, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" It's a miracle. Jesus says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." In other words, there in the heart of a child of God, those who hear this gospel preached from God's kingdom. In other words, his word, not man's word.

Because we've been commissioned, we could say commanded by Jesus when he talks about these commands to preach that word. Do we preach it with our own strength? Do we preach it with our own understanding? But we would have to say if we did it with our own strength, we'd have to say we wouldn't hardly have a word because we don't seem to have any strength. And it seems that our understanding is so small.

But isn't it comforting to know that it's only through that Holy Spirit, the comforter, that Jesus promised, that not only can we first believe, but that we also can relate unto man about that kingdom. Usually when we think about relating it to man, it's with this word which we feel so poor and so weak in speaking about and in preaching about, but also we would have to say that people notice by the things they see us doing.

It's an important thing to remember because those unbelievers around us notice when one is believing. In fact, this morning we had a Sunday school lesson about light and we don't want to hide that light of the Holy Spirit of living Christianity under a bushel, in other words, under a bunch of sin. But yet we want to travel keeping faith and a good conscience so that those on the outside can see that there is a difference.

So Jesus reassured the one who had the question, and all of them, and frankly it's recorded also for our benefit. It wasn't just a coincidence that this man Judas asked Jesus that question and it's not a coincidence that John who wrote down these things in some detail recorded them in scripture for us because it's a good lesson even for us.

He says, "These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you." And when Jesus talked about these commands where he said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." What are his commandments? Well, he talked about love for one thing. And he's speaking about this love of God which exists only in God's kingdom through this power of the Holy Spirit.

But also, he said in another related spot, he said in this way, if I can find that, it's a little earlier. Peter, he says here, during earlier in that evening when he started washing their feet, which gives us a picture of this forgiveness of sins. Peter had wondered, "Why are you washing my feet? I ought to be washing your feet." And Jesus explained to Peter that if Jesus didn't wash his feet, he'd have no part with him.

And then Peter started thinking about it, and he said, "Well, wash everything, not just my feet, my head, everything." Well, we tend to think that way. We need to either, for example, in confession, that it's got to be an absolutely perfect confession. We've got to think of everything. Well, hey, the Holy Spirit reveals those things that bother us, and we leave it at that.

In other words, there's things in this life where we might have sinned and we don't even know about it. Maybe we said something that bothered us. We have to lay awake at night trying to dig up sins that we know. We're not saved by our confession. We're saved only by faith. And that confession is a wonderful and important grace privilege that we have, that we can hear that gospel again and again and believe our sins and our faults forgiven.

And through that gospel, we receive new strength to believe, because we're saved by that faith. But Jesus said here, after he had washed their feet in this way, he said, "You call me master and lord, and you say, 'Well, for so I am.' If I then, your lord and master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done unto you."

Now, let's ask a question. Jesus here is talking about washing people's feet. Does that mean in the evening or something we've got to, "Well, it's my turn to wash your feet?" Well, not in the literal sense. There's probably nobody, not very many people in here that can say, I washed somebody else's feet. In a temporal sense, that's not what Jesus is speaking about.

But he is speaking about taking care of one another, and he's especially speaking about this love that he gave, that he spoke about here in the part we read, but also that we experience one to another as believing people. It's the love of Christ.

What kind of fruits do we see with that kind of love? Well, we care about one another. We help one another on the way and the journey. Is this love that when we say we see someone that's in the midst of trials and temptations that we just ignore it, for example? Is that the kind of love that may be? "Is he here? I'm not going to bother the person?" No, that's not what Jesus is speaking about.

The love of a child of God would be this, that we go to that one and we, in love, approach him. Is there some way that we can help? Sometimes that person comes to us and we can either tell or they mention they have matters to talk about and we help. Like Paul writes about, we bear one another's burdens.

Does that mean we're physically carrying their load for them? Well, not really. It means that we help them on the journey. Why? Because when on the journey we become burdened with sin, it makes the footsteps heavy. It's difficult to travel. We're not even meant to travel carrying a burden.

How is it that when we're burdened and the footsteps become heavy that the child of God can experience relief and comfort? It's through the gospel. It reassures the traveler on the way that all of your sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus. And a miracle happens. Like the Bible teaches, that which was sin and bothered us, it's forgiven not only here on earth, but it's forgiven in heaven. That's what the Bible reassures us.

And how is it? It's through that preached word. That word of love and comfort that's preached not by man's strength or man's understanding, but by and through the power of that comforter, the Holy Spirit.

So, when we look at Jesus' commandments, we would have to say it's miraculous, but yet through the Spirit we comprehend that our spirit says amen. What are his commands? Well, he gathered with them behind closed doors, there was only them, and he gave them a commandment. He said, "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. Whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained."

In other words, he gave them the authority, the power to preach that word of forgiveness in his name. It's not in our own name. And also through that precious blood that he shed, that cleansing, washing blood that he shed on our behalf. That's the gospel.

He also gave them another command, and it had to do with this very same thing of forgiveness, because when he met with them on that Thursday night, and he had the first Holy Supper where he established communion, which we yet celebrate today in our time, he washed their feet, and he gave them a commandment. We read it a few moments ago. It said, "If I have washed your feet, wash each other's feet."

And we have a name for that holiday. It comes this week. In fact, you'll have services here on that Thursday night where you'll celebrate the Lord's Holy Supper. I won't be here. I'll be up in Canada. But you'll celebrate it here. And the name of that holiday is Maundy Thursday. Not Monday, Maundy.

And what does Maundy mean? Well, if we look at the root word, it means command Thursday. It's one of Jesus' commands. That's why it's like a mandate, or Maundy Thursday. Jesus gave that command on that Thursday evening that they would wash each other's feet.

And isn't it, precious dear child of God, that yet today, that same washing, through that same love, and through that same power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus spoke about here in His farewell sermon, can be celebrated and experienced by us.

So many years and so many generations later, that same living word, the word of the gospel, the comforting word that reassures even the poorest, the most doubting, the one who wonders, "Can I even believe tomorrow? Because I'm so doubting." You can believe. That precious word that says, dear son or dear daughter, all your sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus. You can be of good comfort. You can be of good cheer. Jesus rose victorious on that Easter morning.

It says here a little further in our text, "These things have I spoken unto you, yet being present with you. But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you in all things." We get a picture here of God's kingdom. And it's a very important point that our teacher, sometimes called the home teacher here in the heart, is this Holy Spirit.

God also gave mankind another teacher. It's part of human nature. And any normal human being has what we call a conscience. And it's a good thing. Normal people, even outside of God's kingdom, have a conscience. And it's good that they listen to their conscience. It helps them in life and it helps society in the course of events to try to do those things that are right and good and uplifting and wholesome for mankind.

You have a conscience. There's one difference with a child of God and that is, in your heart, like Jesus explained here, dwells the Holy Spirit. Now, it's a good matter, and a doctrinal matter, to comprehend the difference between our conscience, which mankind has, and the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

We need, as travelers on the way, this teaching of the Holy Spirit that dwells in God's kingdom, that we hear preached. It says in the book of Revelations about the kingdom also, it says, "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches."

We need to hear what the children of God teach. Why? Because as individuals, we carry corruption. We're prone to sin. I don't think there's anyone listening that would not admit that we're prone to sin.

We need this teaching that Jesus is talking about. There is a difference between what we know and comprehend with our own mind and through our own conscience, between that and what is taught through the Holy Spirit in us and in the kingdom.

And many times in my life, I've reflected on, I think you'd probably call it some advice that I got in life. And it was many years ago. And it was when I was a teenager. And I probably mentioned this before, but for me, having reflected on that, I've thought many times that it's a miracle that God in His great grace has protected me as a child of God, as a grace beggar on the way.

Because I vividly remember during the time and there were, it was in some ways lenient, we would have to say. And I had a weakness, still do for that matter because I carry corruption, for music. Of course, a child of God, you want a journey keeping faith and a good conscience.

But I remember talking to my mom about a particular song. And you know, if you took that song and you just looked at the words, you'd think, well, yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. It's fine. And I said, "Mom, what's wrong with this?" And you know, if you looked at the words now, you would probably say, well, it doesn't, I don't know, it seems kind of inert or, you know, nothing wrong with it. It doesn't seem harmful.

But you know, my mother's advice, I remembered many times because it also characterizes the nature of God's kingdom. And this matter of the teaching of the Holy Spirit that Jesus talked about here, she said, "Johnny, but what do the Christians say? It's important. What do Christians say?"

We don't want to be this way in our life where we place ourselves above the congregation. We have to pray this way, "Dear Heavenly Father, reveal into my heart your kingdom. Even though I'm so slow to believe, even though I carry corrupt flesh and blood, let me comprehend your grace kingdom on earth so that I can dwell there as a little child. Not a big person who knows everything. As a little child that I can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit."

You young people, I think especially during that phase of your lives, often feel the many temptations and so forth. And not just you, but sometimes during those teens and years and years of adolescence and so forth, the enemy of souls especially tries to work in that way.

It doesn't mean that temptations and sin and corruption goes away, not at all. Grandma and grandpa, incidentally I happen to be among them now, would be the first to admit. It seems like we grow downward. We become even weaker.

But listen, isn't that why Jesus wanted to reassure them? He gave the Holy Spirit a name. He called it the Comforter. And doesn't it bring great comfort, dear child of God, to know that you don't have to and can't rely on your own understanding. You don't want to. You want to rely on that teaching that comes from that Comforter, the Holy Spirit, that dwells yet today in His kingdom here on this earth.

And as Jesus said, you've seen it and you know it, even though we're slow to believe how precious it is. Dear fellow traveler, and even if there's someone here who has not yet been able to believe, how precious it is that that word is yet preached there. You can believe all your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atonement, blood unto peace, freedom, and joy.

And in the end of this text, Jesus described this peace. And we still talk about that peace, though sometimes we kind of do what you might say as a tradition or a habit, but it's God's peace, the peace of God that dwells there in the heart of a child of God.

He says, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." We forget. We forget real quick. I know I forget. And I also know that the cares and the busyness of this life so often seems to get in the way.

But he says here that this Holy Spirit will bring unto our remembrance. It will, you might say, trigger our memory. We'll remember what's the most important in life. He says, "Whatsoever I have said unto you, peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world give I unto you." And then he reassures him at the very end. He says, "Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid."

Sometimes we fear. We still fear. "Can I make it to the end of the journey?" That's why so often in God's kingdom we get this kind of reassurance. We only need to believe for the moment. We don't even know if we're going to be here tomorrow. We might be. We probably will be. But we don't know.

But we don't need to be afraid. We can live moment by moment yet believing that gospel that all sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. And I need to hear the same gospel. Can you reassure me with the gospel? I promise to believe with you. In Jesus' name. Amen.