Be more than Hearers of the Word, be Doers of the Word

"I've read that when Edward VI, the king of England in the 16th century, attended a worship service, he stood while the Word of God was read. He took notes during this time and later studied them with great care. Through the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. That's the kind of serious-minded response to truth the apostle James calls for in today's Scripture reading. A single revealed fact cherished in the heart and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with lofty ideas about God.

One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it."
-Chambers, Our Daily Bread, March 4, 1993.

Last week we discussed how we can have joy in the trials we go through. This week we address the issue of obedience to God.

The book of James is our source for this series. It’s a very interesting book, written by the brother of Jesus, and it doesn’t read like most new testament letters.

“This book begins like a letter because it’s being sent to people at a distance. But it is actually not very much like other letters of the time. It is a collection of short sayings and slightly longer discussions of practical topics. The conversational style, the short, pithy sayings and the interweaving of themes all make this book similar to the wisdom writing found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.” -YouVersion Intro to James

James is trying to help us learn to live the Christian life in practical ways. How do I do this on a daily basis? Let’s dive into the teaching for today, we’ll be looking at James 1:12-27.

Verse 12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

As we learned last week, we can be joyous in our trials knowing they are refining our faith. That’s challenging, but very true.

Oddly enough I’ve learned, when going through something hard, to stop and think to myself, this is going to make me stronger. I even get excited sometimes, because I know that this moment is huge for my growth. Yes, when something bad is happening! Crazy right?

But here’s the good news, every trial has an expiration date. Blessed is the one who perseveres. What does that word mean?

Here is the Webster’s Dictionary (1828) definition: “To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any design or course commenced; not to give over or abandon what is undertaken; applied alike to good and evil.”

The goal is to pursue steadily the path we’ve chosen.

Once we do that, we will come to the end of the trial, and we can say, we stood the test, and we stood firm. And God gives a gift to us, a crown which is called “life.”

Every trial we go through has at it’s end a reward called life. What does that mean? It means we grow stronger, we’re built up, we’re better than we used to be due to the trial.

Next, completely different thing, but, verses 13-15: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

James is bouncing around, like Proverbs, toward different topics related to how to obey God in life.

He has given us the example of completing a trial. What about a temptation? A trial is different from a temptation. A trial is something we go through that makes us stronger. A temptation is something that stirs a desire within us that makes us feel drawn toward something sinful.

The dictionary definition of temptation is: "enticement to evil by arguments, by flattery, or by the offer of some real or apparent good."

We’ve all felt this, drawn toward something we shouldn’t be. If we don’t seek God’s help, a process begins. The process is like this: We feel tempted, the temptation grows stronger, it begins to drag us away toward sin, once the desire is fully grown inside us, it gives birth to sin, pictured like a woman who is giving birth. Then, if we allow the sin to take over and keep happening over and over, the sin grows stronger and stronger, and eventually it gives birth to spiritual death. Over time the sin can keep happening and it begins to affect our heart, and we begin to fall away from the living God.

Thankfully, this process of sin can be stopped at any time by seeking help from God and from friends to pray for you.

Next, verses 16-18: “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

It could be very easy to think that we are being tempted by God, because, we know God allows us to go through trials to test and refine our faith. But, we are never tempted by God. We are tempted by our sinful nature that causes us to be drawn toward evil.

Instead we should remember, every good gift comes from God. He doesn’t change. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that’s Jesus, so that we could become fruitful.

Next, verses 19-20: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."

Sometimes I will feel angry in a self-righteous sort of way, and I’m going to show them what it’s really about. But that sort of anger doesn’t often produce the righteousness of God. Instead, once I’ve calmed down, and I show that person love with correction, then it’s effective. Otherwise it turns into a mess.

So, be slow to speak, slow to get angry, and quick to listen. Listening is a gift we should all cultivate. People need someone to listen. But we’re so often waiting for our turn to speak. Really listen to people, hear them, and they will love you for it. And they’ll learn to love God too.

All of this is about obedience to God, following His ways, and seeing Him in the way we He wants to be seen.

It’s very practical. How do I live it?

Jumping down to verse 22 it says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

I think 22 is the key. Don’t just listen to it, do what it says. Because if we just listen, we end up deceiving ourselves. How so? Many do it, they come to church, listen to a sermon, and go home and think that’s it. They have deceived themselves, they think just because they are in church, they are a believer, but, what really matters is if we’re living it, learning to use what we learned in church to change our lives.

Sometimes when we read the Bible, we wonder, can it really be done? But I’ll tell you this, it can be done, but it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens over years and years. So we have to be patient. But we also have to be dedicated to the process.

“One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.”

I’ve found that to be true. For years I learned about evangelism, how to share the gospel with others. But, once I went out with the Salvation Army on the streets of Chicago, and started talking to random people about Jesus, well, I had learned about 10% in evangelism classes, the other 90% came from actually doing it.

Next, verse 21 of our scripture today it says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

Clear out the evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you. Many of you here have that word planted in your heart. God is at work. You’re feeling drawn to pray, to study the Bible, and to come to church. You’re feeling a discomfort in your heart with things in your life that are wrong. You can feel it. That is called “conviction." Conviction is when God’s Holy Spirit which lives in us, is telling us something we do is wrong.

How do we “get rid of the moral filth”? One target at a time. But not by our ability. Instead, follow this simple pattern. First, notice the conviction God brings. 2nd, think about it. 3rd, Pray and say to God, I repent of that behavior. Lord help me to be free. 4th, begin to build patterns to stay free from it.

The Holy Spirit whispers to us from time to time: “Don’t do that. Put that away.”

We have free will, we have the choice to either stop, or continue. That is a sacred gift from God. But I challenge you today, don’t just listen in church, then go out during the week and do whatever you want. Sincerely try to live it out. 

Next it says, (verse 23-24) “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”

So you’re starting your day, and you look in the mirror as you brush your teeth and get ready. And you tell yourself, “I’m a Christian, a follower of Jesus.” But then as you jump into your daily routine, you immediately forget that you’re a Christian. You’ve forgotten who you are. You’re a Christian. 

It's all about admitting we can’t do it ourselves. We can’t force ourselves to be good. We need to instead get on our knees before God, and say Lord Jesus, I confess I can’t do it. I need you to change my heart. Make my heart all yours. I give you my heart, and I ask you to change it.

Once we’ve sensed God has changed our heart, at the altar, or wherever we met with him, then we can fight the battle by praying through the day, by whispering prayers in our minds during the day. We can fight the battle by remembering the words of the Bible, storing them in our minds, and declaring them out loud. 

And pretty soon we will be swearing less, we will be less selfish and helping others more, we’ll be lying less, we’ll be gossiping less, and pretty soon those things will vanish entirely. But we have to remember who we are.

I am a Christian. Say it with me: "I am a Christian. I have a new heart. God loves me. With His love in my heart, I can live pure and free."

So if we remember our face in the mirror, then James says, (verse 25) “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

What is the perfect law James is referring to here? It’s the 10 commandments, the teachings of Jesus, all the commands of scripture that we look into and when we look into them, and study them, and apply them, we receive the gift of freedom.

It's all about heart obedience, allowing God to change our heart, as we ask Him to again and again, and then from that heart change, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live the way God wants us to.

All of this is closely related to the tongue as well, the tongue reveals the heart.

Verses 26 say, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

The tongue, our words, can be so incredibly destructive. They can also be such a great blessing. Reign in your tongue. If you’re someone who gossips and spreads rumors, pray to God, and ask Him to help you stop. It can feel “fun” to talk gossip, and to swear, and cuss, but it’s so destructive, and it leads to pain and misery. So don’t do it. Shut that off. And ask God for help to do that.

Now this can be challenging. And as we begin to try to practice our faith, we’ll come upon setbacks. I remember being a new Christian, and thinking wow I’m a mess, I’m not doing this right. I was smoking, I was swearing, I was living in lust and watching movies and videos I shouldn’t have been watching. But here’s the thing guys: Don’t beat yourself up.

I’ll say that again: Don’t beat yourself up.

God is patient with you. But don’t play games with God either. God does not play games with us. He loves us, but he knows how we truly are. So do your best to ask God for forgiveness after you sin, and declare before God, your desire to change, your repentance, of turning in a new direction. Again, it’s about a heart change, if you let God change and heal your heart, the rest will follow.

There will be setbacks. But keep fighting, keep praying, and you’ll see month by month, and year by year, God slowly changing you.

It’s not over when we sin. Because the word says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” -I John 1:9.

God is our daddy, so run to Him when you make a mistake, and ask for His help and His forgiveness.

Let’s finish by looking briefly at the last verse, 27 which says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

So here James is giving us an example of how to live out what we believe. Serve others before we serve ourselves. Go visit the elderly in their homes, or in nursing homes, visit widows, go into the jail and share the gospel with prisoners, go and share God’s love with children at orphanages. Bring some bread and food to your neighbor, or go spend time with a friend in the hospital. Get out of yourself, and all that selfishness, and help somebody else. That is the hardest thing. We’re all so incredibly selfish sometimes, myself included, wow, so self-centered, everything about me and what I want, but instead God calls us to think of others and their needs and their souls.

So that’s our word for today, and its best summed up in this phrase “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (verse 22)

Do what it says guys, that’s my battle too. It’s all our battles. Don’t just hear it, do what it says. And I find great joy from God in that.

Review of Main Points
1. Trials eventually end: If we persevere, we receive the crown of life (spiritual growth)

2. Temptation is dangerous: It can lead to sin which eventually leads to spiritual death

3. God allows trials, but he never tempts us: Good gifts come from God

4. Avoid being quick to anger, anger doesn’t produce righteousness

5. Don’t just hear the word, hear it and do what it says

6. Get Rid of Moral Filth: Practice Repentance quickly if you fall into sin

7. Remember who you Are: Hold Fast to your Identity in Christ (look in the mirror of the word)

8. Surrender your Heart: Invite God to Change your Heart (over and over in your life)

9. The Perfect Law brings freedom: Looking into the word of God brings victorious change

10. The Tongue must be controlled: Invite God to help you overcome gossip/slander

11. Run to the Father: God is our Daddy, if we confess our wrongdoing he will forgive us

12. Religion is made perfect in loving service: Go to those in need and lovingly serve them

The Emmaus Road: Jesus puts Puzzle Pieces Together

It had been several days since Jesus had died on the cross. The sky had turned dark, the ground had shook, and Jesus had cried out one last cry before he died. His body had later been taken down from the cross and entombed. Judas had hanged himself, and the remaining eleven disciples had gone into hiding. The Passover festival continued. And the entire city wondered quietly to themselves if this was the last they would see of Jesus.

The followers of Jesus mourned, thinking that Jesus had fallen short of proving that he was the real messiah. They had all longed for Jesus to take the throne, and rule over the nation, but instead, he had been arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. It seemed like it was over. Nothing more was to be done, but to undergo the normal burial rituals.

Sunday morning came, and the women did just that. They headed to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus.

From Luke 24:1-8, ”On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.”

The women retuned to the disciples and told them about this incident where they saw the angels, but to the disciples it sounded crazy, and they didn’t believe them.

This is the moment we find ourselves examining today. The women have seen an empty tomb. They’ve been told Jesus is risen. But there is still so much confusion. They don’t fully understand what’s happening. The disciples are heartbroken. They hear this report and they can’t understand it.

I can’t say I blame them. When you’ve gone through an emotional rollercoaster it’s hard to be told that there is still hope. You’ve settled into your grief, and let hope go.

Jesus was dead. Now they’re saying he’s alive. The tomb is empty. Where is the body? Where is Jesus? What do we do now?

But notice that simple phrase, “then they remembered his words.” It tells us a lot. The women were helped in this moment to put it all together, and see the truth for a moment. They were called back to words Jesus had already spoken. And it helped them understand the moment they were living in presently.

This is where we come to our scripture for today, starting with verses 13-24:

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

For the two disciples, Cleopas and his friend, this is a dark road. This is a rocky, miserable road, the word says their faces were downcast, they were sorrowful.

And they were reflecting on everything that had happened. It had been the craziest three years of their lives. They had walked day and night with Jesus, God in human form. What would it have been like?

Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt like you were swept up into something bigger than yourself, something special? That is an incredible feeling, to know you were and are part of something special, important, bigger than yourself. And yet, at the same time, for the disciples it had been a hard time, it had been a time of constant controversy, as some accepted and some rejected the teachings of Jesus.

Then it all suddenly ended. And then they were understandably sad, melancholy.

The two disciples are walking along talking and talking and talking about everything that has happened.

My wife and I also do this. We talk about everything that has happened, from when we first became friends in 2021, to when we started dating, when we got engaged, when we got married, when we left Michigan, everything that happened in Chicago, leaving the training college, and now being here in Gary. We wonder, what is God doing? What does it all mean? Why did it happen like this?

The two disciples saw Jesus teach, and do great miracles. They saw him arrested and crucified. Then they heard wild stories of Jesus being risen from the grave.

They are so very confused. They have all these puzzle pieces, but they don’t know how to fit them together.

Time and time again in your life, in your walk with God, you’ll be looking at all these puzzle pieces of different things that happened, and you’ll wonder, what does it all mean? You’ll seek to understand just what God was doing. But the answer will escape you.

Have you ever seen the movie Interstellar? The part where he's fallen into the blackhole and he's behind the bookcase. It’s kind of like that. You’re wondering what in the world is going in this movie, you’ve got a sense of something, but you can’t quite put the pieces together. Yet your heart is warmed by the story, something about it connects to something deep inside you.

Next, verses 25-32: He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

This mysterious figure who is with them, begins to explain to them in detail the various predictions in the Old Testament about Jesus. As he speaks and explains the scriptures, it’s like the puzzle pieces they are seeing begin to fall into place one after another.

Next, verses 28-32: "28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

I know all of us have felt this way before… as some truth of scripture was explained to us in a way we hadn’t seen it before, our hearts were burning within us.

So one might say, we are all together, walking on this road, the Emmaus road, through the cool air, the trees and branches, the rocks, and shoals, wondering to ourselves, what does it all mean?

Very often we are left wondering as Christians. When a question pops into our heads, Jesus doesn’t suddenly pop up and answer the question does he? No, we’re often left wondering. What was all this about? What did it mean? Why did it happen like this?

The disciples are walking along, and a third person joins them. They don’t know who it is. But this person speaks to them about Jesus. And points to all these different scriptures from the Torah, from the prophets, which reminds the disciples of what it’s really all about.

Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we don’t understand. Sometimes we get a bit fuzzy, and we lose touch with what really matters.

This man tells the two disciples: “Remember, this is what was supposed to happen.” God planned it out this way. It had to happen this way. If Jesus hadn’t died, there would be no forgiveness for sin. And death wasn’t the end.

“This isn’t the end guys,” is what this mysterious figure seems to say, as they walked that dry craggy road.

It says their hearts were burning within them. Their hearts began to blaze with the truth. This 3rd figure is igniting something inside them. From the cold ashes of a once blazing fire, fresh logs fall, leaves and pine needles cover, and sparks turn to open flame.

No matter how close we are to God, no matter how effective our prayer life, how deep our study of scripture, we often forget, and drift, and lose heart. We end up a little depressed, a little cynical, walking that long road, thinking to ourselves: Well, I guess it’s just too late. Well, it didn’t go my way. Well, the Lord is missing, where is He?

Jesus might say to us today: “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

So they listen to him, on the road, and at the end of the road, they invite this stranger to eat dinner with them. The man breaks bread for them and they eat, their eyes are opened and they realize, it’s Jesus.

As we patiently follow the savior, he inevitably comes to us on the road and encourages us, and gives us new hope. Our sorrow is turned to joy and excitement. Our timidity turns to boldness.

But what does this event of Jesus coming to us do?

It fills us with wonder. And this wonder produces joy. And this joy produces hunger. And this hunger produces an awe in us to chase after God. We long to know Him more. We long for Him. And as we do, our heart changes. Like it said, their hearts were lit on fire, burning within them, and that burning is burning away the dross, burning away the unimportant things in their lives and producing a pure, complete desire in them for more of God.

This purifying fire that God lights inside us draws us toward Him with all our might. It woos us toward God. And we long to know the mysterious God, the one who is I am who I am. We hunger for him like never before.

The pathway of glory in this world is based on money, and fame, and compromising your beliefs to climb over people to get to the top. That is how fame and power works in this world.

But glory works differently for the saint of God. To ascend in God's kingdom means to descend to the most humble lowly service. 

As they grow, they become something beautiful. They become slowly, not quickly, but slowly over 20, 30, 40, 50 years, they become something so wonderful, something so amazing, something so wise and sublime and glorious that the world cannot fathom it. It reminds me of a David or Solomon who chased God with all their heart, and what they became was a person so wise and faithful and humble and true that the world was shaken by their presence.

You can be that too. Yes, its true. If you will allow God to woo you, and chase Him with 100% of your heart, you will slowly become a saint of incredible glory and faithfulness, and your life will shake this little Earth on which we live.

Yes, you. Not because of you, but because of your God, you will become a mover and shaker. And no one can stop it. Only you, you must decide, will you chase God with all your might? It’s the greatest adventure imaginable.

And the adventure starts today, with the puzzle pieces sitting in front of you.

Numerous times in our lives, we will have in front of us a jumbled mess of puzzle pieces and we’ll be wondering what God is doing.

And as we study the scriptures, and pray, and seek Jesus, Jesus will come to us.

As Jesus speaks to us and ministers to us, our hearts will glow within us, burning with His presence.

And like the disciples we’ll invite Jesus to stay with us, to continue to speak to us, we’ll seek Him deeply.

Jesus will fit the puzzle pieces together in our mind, and through this, we see the finished picture for the current season of our lives.

We say Oh wow, that’s why! (Revelation opened to us – puzzle is complete)

Then, we tell others about the puzzle God put together for us. It becomes a testimony for others to better understand the puzzle pieces God is putting together for them too.

What are the puzzle pieces in front of you right now? Maybe it looks like nothing more than a jumble. But if you’ll believe and keep trusting God, I believe you’ll see God fit the puzzle pieces together in a beautiful way. And this will bring a revelation that will become a testimony for others to better understand who God is and how God works in our lives.

In regard to the resurrection of Jesus, we know Jesus is alive. But do you know it in your head, or do you really know it in your heart?

Does your heart burn with passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Does your heart burn within with zeal for you savior and His message? Or is it dry and crusty, simple head knowledge?

For the disciples, Jesus came to them and met with them in their doubts. You can invite Jesus right now, to come and meet with you. 

Confess right now that you feel stuck. Confess that you don’t feel it in your heart, and ask Jesus to come into your heart and give you a fresh heart passion.

Just make it your honest request today to know him in your heart, not just your head.

We know Jesus rose from the dead and is alive. But do we know (in our heart) that He lives?

Then watch God cause your heart to be strangely warmed, like you never thought possible. That burning will grow and grow, to become a fire within you, a fire of the Holy Spirit. You will never be the same. As you tend the flame carefully, fielding it fuel, your spiritual life will flourish. The Holy Spirit will produce a revolution in your life. The end result of that journey will be becoming something more beautiful and glorious than you could ever have possibly imagined.

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem

"Bill Wilson pastors an inner city church in New York City. His mission field is a very violent place. He himself has been stabbed twice as he ministered to the people of the community surrounding the church. Once a Puerto Rican woman became involved in the church and was led to Christ. After her conversion she came to Pastor Wilson and said, "I want to do something to help with the church’s ministry." He asked her what her talents were and she could think of nothing---she couldn’t even speak English---but she did love children. So he put her on one of the church’s buses that went into neighborhoods and transported kids to church. Every week she performed her duties. She would find the worst-looking kid on the bus, put him on her lap and whisper over and over the only words she had learned in English: "I love you. Jesus loves you."

After several months, she became attached to one little boy in particular. The boy didn’t speak. He came to Sunday School every week with his sister and sat on the woman’s lap, but he never made a sound. Each week she would tell him all the way to Sunday School and all the way home, "I love you and Jesus loves you."

One day, to her amazement, the little boy turned around and stammered, "I---I---I love you too!" Then he put his arms around her and gave her a big hug. That was 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. At 6:30 that night he was found dead. His own mother had beaten him to death and thrown his body in the trash......."I love you and Jesus loves you." ....Those were some of the last words this little boy heard in his short life---from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman who could barely speak English. This woman gave her one talent to God and because of that a little boy who never heard the word "love" in his own home, experienced and responded to the love of Christ.....

What can you give? What is your "colt". You and I each have something in our lives, which, if given back to God, could, like the colt, move Jesus and His message further down the road.
-Mark Adams, "The Roads He Walked - Palm Avenue." Illustrations for April 13, 2003. www.esermons.com.

In this series we’ve been examining key moments in the life of Jesus. We’ve looked at the raising of Lazarus, the sermon on the mount, the transfiguration, and the last supper. Today we consider the great moment when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

Jesus carefully managed the rise of his fame and the excitement around his ministry. He knew if he allowed things to spread too quickly things would spiral out of control. He was careful to perform a miracle secretly, then instruct the person not to tell anyone. He would preach to crowds of thousands, then disappear again for days into the wilderness. He had carefully avoided the capital of Jerusalem until the exact right moment.

News of what Jesus had been doing had spread though, across the entire nation. The messiah had came. The savior had arrived. Many believed Jesus was the one, others doubted and argued against him vigorously.

Jesus and his group of followers were headed toward Jerusalem at last, near the end of Jesus’ three year ministry.

It says this in Matthew 21:1-3: As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Jesus instructs his disciples to ahead of them, and find a donkey. The disciples are probably thinking to themselves, you want us to go and take someone’s donkey? But, he’s the master, so they of course obey Him.

Similarly, we should obey Jesus even when we don’t fully understand why. Jesus may challenge us to do something we don’t understand, or to follow Him in a direction you didn’t expect. Trust Him. That isn’t always easy. But we can trust our master. He is the king of the universe. He knows what is best.

God has setup situations that we don’t fully understand. I experienced this recently when we visited a nursing home in Gary. It was like God has setup the entire experience for us. It was amazing. We didn’t know what to expect when we came, but we found a place God had prepared to receive prayer and healing.

Next, verses 4-5: This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

Numerous events in Jesus’ life were fulfillments of prophecy. What is prophecy? In biblical terms, a prophecy is something that was predicted in the Bible to happen at some point in the future.

Numerous scriptures in the old Testament were prophecies written about the days when Jesus would walk the Earth. Once Jesus did it, then it was considered a fulfilled prophecy, a prophecy that came true.

Other prophecies in the Bible have not come true yet, like many things in the book of Revelation and Daniel that talk about the end times and the return of Jesus to the Earth. 

This event we discuss today has already happened, it is fulfilled prophecy. It was predicted by the Zechariah, in about 518 BC. It came true in about AD 29-30. Meaning it was predicted by scripture about 550 years before it took place.

Prophecy is one form of evidence that the Bible is really God’s word. The bible accurately predicts future events. When you study the scriptures that predicted the coming of Jesus, they are astonishing. It proves that the Bible is of divine origin.

Next, verses 6-7: “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.”

The disciples did as Jesus instructed them. They didn’t understand why. They didn’t know exactly what place they were looking for. But they had instructions from God and they acted on them.

They served their master. They took off their own cloaks and laid them on the animals for Jesus to sit on.

That is radical humility. Second point today, humility. So often we want details. We want to know why. We want more info. We want an address, a timetable, a name, and so on. And if we don’t get it, we refuse to obey God. We want it our way. But the disciples are so very humble, they are like children, they lay aside what they want, and go and humbly do the will of God. And when they do, it’s not about them, they don’t hop on the donkey. They bring it to their master and even lay their cloaks on it for the master to sit on.

Next, verses 8-9: “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

A very large crowd, I’m sure tens of thousands of people, gathered along the road leading into Jerusalem. Many cut branches from palm trees and others threw their cloaks along the road.

It says in the Old Testament, predicting the triumphal entry, that “The trees will clap their hands.” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, seated on the donkey, they waved palm branches to celebrate. I get chills when I think about the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This was a revolutionary moment in history. It seems so many times in our society the rich and the powerful control everything that happens. They manufacture evil and keep good people from the lime light, they keep the message of purity and truth down in the pits. And in the same way the Pharisees fought Jesus every step of the way, but Israel was bursting at the seams, and finally the revolution had begun, and Jesus Christ was cheered by the whole city as he triumphantly entered, the king of kings, Satan couldn’t shut down the crowd, they had to cry out in joy for the coming of the messiah into the city of God. It makes your heart sing when the outsider finally achieves victory over the entrenched establishment and moneyed elite.

The rise of Jesus could not be stopped. Satan was scheming and plotting to prevent it to, to overthrow it, to get the authorities to work against Jesus. Satan had total authority over the Earth, he still is the prince of this world, but Jesus’ is seen as the coming king and Lord in this key moment in human history.

Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana. Washington DC is the capital of the United States. But Jerusalem is the capital of planet Earth. It’s the place from which Jesus will reign as king over the Earth during the one thousand year millennial reign, which will occur after the great tribulation spoken of in the book of Revelation.

Jesus entered Jerusalem two thousand years ago and the crowds shouted Hosanna. Hosanna is a way of declaring praise or adoration, yet it is primarily a cry for help. Essentially it means, “Save us please!”

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

We see three phrases used here: The first is Hosanna to the Son of David. Please save us, to the Son of David. Everyone in Israel knew that the messiah they were all hoping and praying for would be born in the lineage of King David. The messiah would be an ancestor of David. And from Jesus’ lineage we know that’s true about him. King David was born in Bethlehem, and similarly, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This phrase though points to the manhood of Jesus, that he is fully human. He is the Son of David.

The second line is a phrase from Psalm 118 which again refers to the coming of the messiah. This phrase helps us understand that though Jesus is a man, he comes in the power and authority of God.

Third is Hosanna in the highest heaven, again this points to Jesus’ divinity, they are calling out to Jesus that he is in the highest heaven, meaning they are declaring Jesus is one with God. This means that Jesus is not just a man, nor is he simply a man coming in the authority of God, but that Jesus really is God, God in human form.

These three phrases the crowds shout perfectly illustrate the humanity, calling, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus to you? He is another human being like you. He is one who walked in authority from God, just like you as a believer walk in authority from God. Yet Jesus is also the infinite God, the one we should all love and worship and serve faithfully.

Next, verses 10-11: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jerusalem would’ve been very busy at this moment in history, with over 1 million visitors from all over the country and surrounding parts of the roman empire, they were all there to celebrate the Passover festival. And Jesus chose this vital moment to enter the city, and the crowds worshiped him. Yet so many there did not know him. They asked who is this man? And the people who knew him told everyone, he is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.

Now we see again the crowds still don’t fully understand who Jesus is. They don’t call him the son of God, they don’t call him the messiah. They still refer to him as a prophet only. So it’s clear their understanding is incomplete, and more will be revealed.

The entire city is not worshiping Jesus, many don’t know him, many will try to oppose him as he teaches. But, the faithful followers could sense deep within themselves, when they cried out Hosanna, to Jesus, that he was not a mere man, but something much more.

For us today, I want this to remind you that your actions have the power to change an entire community. Everything we do, whether good or bad affects the people around us more than we might realize. One action you take can change someone’s life forever. Either for good or bad.

If you faithfully follow Jesus, share Jesus, and get his word out there, if you’ll pray with people, speak the word of God, and mentor other believers in the faith, you may one day have the whole city saying, “Who is this? Who is this Jesus we’ve heard about?”

Jesus made a series of choices in his life, praying, healing people, preaching sermons, having conversations with people, and by the end of his three year ministry, the entire capital was talking about him, wondering who he was. If you will faithfully do the same things, you may just have a city asking who is Jesus!

A word on the authority of scripture: The Bible is a historical book, a book of poetry, it includes eye witness accounts, prophecies, letters to churches, and accounts of the creation of all things. The writings in the Bible were written down by people, people who were inspired by the Spirit of God to write down the knowledge and wisdom of God. The writings of the Bible flow together seamlessly, spanning over 3,400 years. There is no other book like the Bible.

I know that this event, where Jesus road on a donkey into Jerusalem really happened. I know that it was not just some story or myth, but a real historical event.

We can trust the Bible. Historians trust the Bible. Archaeologists use the Bible to unearth ancient treasures. Scientists have trusted the Bible all the way back to Galileo and Isaac Newton. The body of Christ trusts the word of God as our only guide to knowing Christ.

I want to jump all the way back to the Old Testament, in the book of Isaiah. This scripture foretells the coming of Jesus.

Listen to this scripture from Isaiah chapter 53 verses 3-6:
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all."

We all need the redeemer. We all need God to remove our sins, so we can be new. Are your sins washed away in Jesus blood? Don’t assume just because you go to church on Sunday, or watch a live stream that you’re a Christian. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than being in the garage would make you a car. Either we believe in Jesus, or we are lost in our sins. I know what it means to be lost. And so did Israel. In Jerusalem the people celebrated the entry of Jesus. But the leaders of Israel the pharisees were also watching the entry of Jesus. And they were so very angry. They had been trying to stop Jesus, to get rid of Jesus, to keep Jesus quiet. They hated his teachings. And when they saw the whole city celebrating the entry of Jesus, they said, “We are not succeeding at all. Look, the whole world is worshiping Him!”

And the truth is those same Pharisees would work with the Romans, and Judas, to get Jesus crucified. But Jesus knew this would happen. It had all been predicted thousands of years earlier. Jesus, God in human form, would die on the cross, to pay for the sins of the world.

Jesus, God with us, was nailed to the wooden cross for my sins. It was as if I sat in a court room, and a list of my sins was being read off. We all have that list, of things we’ve done, lied, hurt our parents, stolen things, make bad choices, and committed evil deeds. That list is being read off in the court room, and I’m guilty. I know I’m guilty. I deserve to be sent out from God’s presence, to outer darkness, and I know its true. God is so holy, so perfect, and I want that so badly, but I know internally that my sins are too much.

As Isaiah wrote in chapter 59 verses 2-3:
It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.
Because of your sins, he has turned away
and will not listen anymore.
Your hands are the hands of murderers,
and your fingers are filthy with sin.
Your lips are full of lies,
and your mouth spews corruption."

The judge declares me guilty, and I know he’s right. But Jesus walks over to this judge and says no, all of those sins, I’ll take the punishment for him. I’ll receive the sentence that he deserves, I’ll remove those sins that are destroying him, I’ll take them all into my being, and receive the death penalty for him. Jesus sets me free.

Do you know him? Have you really personally made that commitment? make that commitment today. It’s the best choice I ever made in life.

Jesus was victorious. And the truth is Jesus is alive right now. Each of us will see Jesus face to face. We could reach out and touch his hand. Jesus is alive right now. He is seated on his throne, ruling and reigning in heaven. He is also here with us right now. And he knows your name.

Last point for today, when we scope out and look at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, I see one key theme that rises above all of the other points we’ve mentioned today.

It’s the theme of celebration. The crowds are celebrating. They are excited. They are waving palm branches and worshiping the Lord Jesus.
We too should celebrate that Jesus has triumphally ridden into our hearts and now lives there as our King and Lord.

That is the ultimate reason to celebrate. We should live lives of celebration. Our church services should be expressions of celebration. We’re celebrating, shouting, praising, worshiping, because Jesus has made us clean. He has paid our price. And he has given us new life. And we are on our way to heaven.

If we aren’t excited about that it’s because we don’t fully understand it or we don’t fully believe it. But sometimes I just have to sit back and think to myself, “Look at what God has done, Justin!” You used to be so lost, so depressed, and empty, and now look at you, full of life, becoming each day progressively more and more like what you were always meant to be.

Your sins are gone! Your robed in the righteousness of Jesus. Your royalty, a son of the king.

Jesus has done it all! He is the King! He is our King! And all is well. That’s a reason to celebrate.

Celebrate every day what Jesus has done for you. He’s paid it all, and he loves you more than anything.

The Peace of Jesus Christ

Why do so many Christians live their lives feeling miserable and having so little peace? There are many reasons for this, but I’d like to point to one very important fact. We don’t have peace because we allow our heart to preach to us, instead of preaching the scripture to our heart. We are always thinking things, saying things, believing things, lies from the devil, like we aren’t good enough, it’s not gonna work out, everything is going to fall apart, it always happens this way, but we need to preach the word of God to our hearts: I have peace in Jesus, all things work together for the good of those who love God, I can do all things through Christ, and as we do that, we guard our heart, and as we preach to our heart, our heart changes, and pretty soon our hearts are preaching the word of God to us, and then, a barrier is formed, the truths are in our heart, and we can live from those truths.

The last few weeks we’ve been looking at some of the most important moments from the life of Jesus. We’ve looked at the raising of Lazarus, the transfiguration on the mountain last week, and we began all this with the crucifixion. Today we come to yet another pivotal moment in the life of Jesus.

Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, thousands had cheered his entrance in the streets waving palm branches.

Over a million people had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of the Passover. The Passover was celebrated once a year by Israel, similarly to the way we Christians celebrate Christmas, or the Resurrection each year.

It was a festival to celebrate how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, how God forced Pharaoh to let his people leave, through his servant Moses.

Jesus had gathered with his twelve disciples to celebrate the Passover. But this would be a very special gathering. Jesus would be giving some of his last instructions to the disciples before he went to the cross.

It was on this night that Jesus would be arrested, and taken before the authorities.

So today we’re looking at the last instructions given by Jesus. And what may surprise you is that these instructions have a lot to do with comfort and with peace. And I think we’re going to see that Jesus told his disciples, and tells us today, that we can choose peace through the difficulties we face in life, if we’ll abide in Him.

The disciples are in an upper room prepared for their dinner together. It’s at night. Judas the betrayer has already left to go inform on the authorities where Jesus could be found. They are sitting around a table, having finished the Passover feast, and now Jesus speaks these words, among many others, to his disciples.

As always, as you listen, listen for how you can apply what Jesus is teaching to your own life.

I want to pull in verse 1, it says this: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.” -John 14:1

He reminds the disciples, don’t let your hearts be troubled. Instead, believe.

First point today, guard your heart. I’m learning about this myself. Sometimes we get so focused on something, we start to turn it around in our heads, we let it in our hearts, and then when it doesn’t go our way, we’re devastated. Jesus says “don’t let your heart…” Which implies that we can block things from our heart, we can block feeling troubled from our heart. And if we need help with that, believe in God, believe in Jesus. That’s trust.

I wanted to start with that, because we want to understand today about peace, we can choose it, we can allow it into our heart, or we can choose to be miserable. Two things, guard your heart, and believe in God, is a great starting point. Choose peace, and choose trust in Him.

Jumping down to verse 15: “If you love me, keep my commands.”

Jesus does this a lot, and it’s echoed in the New Testament letters, I’ve heard preachers say God’s love language is obedience. If we want to show that we love God, by our actions we should keep his commands.

What are the commands of Jesus? The most important are these two:

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ -Matthew 22:37-39

But there are many others as well, and we’d have to go back to our series called the Kingdom of God, in which we looked at the parables of Jesus. Every parable contains teachings we can and should follow as believers.

But love is the greatest command, to love God, and love fellow humans.

Second point today, keep the love commands of Jesus to ensure peace. I have no peace when I’m disobedient to God.

Next, verses 16-17: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.”

Where does the peace of God come from, as it flows through us? The peace comes from the Holy Spirit. God in us. We have the Father who is over us. The son Jesus who is walks beside us through life. And the Holy Spirit, God within us.

He is called the advocate. The Greek word for advocate here is paraklētos which gives the picture of a legal counsel, an advocate who is supporting someone is a court case, or in a more general sense, a helper, one called to be an aid to someone else.

The Spirit of truth Jesus calls the Holy Spirit here, because in this section of scripture, Jesus is emphasizing that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach the disciples after Jesus goes to the cross.

The world can’t accept the Spirit, non-believers don’t have the Spirit, though at some moments the Spirit may use a non-believer to speak to us. But the Spirit dwells within believers, because we know Him and He is in us.

Third point, the peace of God is not produced in us, it comes from Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to us. And peace comes through truth, peace will not rest on lies.

Next Jesus says, “ 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”

Jesus is giving a promise to the disciples about what is about to happen. Jesus knows he about to die on the cross. And he knows how they will feel afterward. They will feel so troubled that they will want to give up completely, even go back to their old lives.

But, Jesus gives them this promise that he won’t leave them like orphans, he will come to them.

This is an important reminder for us as well: When difficult things happen, God will not leave us like orphans, God will come to us, help us, encourage us, and lead us toward something better.

Many times I’ve felt so alone and depressed. Many times I’ve felt like I can’t handle the situation I’m trapped in, but God, as I pray, gives me the strength I need to endure.

Next point today, God will not leave us like orphans, he will be with us in the difficulties. And when we know that, we can have peace.

Verse 20, “ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

On that day you will realize, I love that! In the future you will understand what I mean.

It takes years of walking with Jesus and living the faith, and slowly we understand new concepts about who God is and who we are. These are moments of revelation. Wow, I get it now. You can probably remember a few times when you finally understood something from the Bible that had alluded you for a long time. We’re slow to learn, God understands that, he’s patient with us.

After everything would happen, Jesus would be crucified, the disciples would go into hiding, and Jesus would entombed, the disciples would be confused, praying, seeking answers, waiting, but finally, Jesus would rise from the dead, and appear to them by the sea of Galilee. And at last they would understand who he really was.

They would realize, that Jesus is in the Father, and they are in Jesus, and Jesus is living within them.

Once again, this realization is powerful. When we realize that Jesus is one with God the Father, we know Jesus has total authority over us, he came from God. When we realize we are in Jesus, then we know that we can exercise kingdom authority because we’re already seated with Jesus on the throne, and when we know Jesus is living in us, we know that we don’t have to be afraid. We can have peace beyond measure.

Next, verse 21: "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Jesus already loves the disciples and he loves each of us. We live from a place of safety and security, already fully loved by Him. But, Jesus once again reminds us, if you want to express your love for me, obey what I taught you. That’s how we communicate to Jesus that we love him back, by following the pattern of life he taught us. All of that is based in love for God and love for neighbor. And if we obey Jesus, it’s an expression of love for God. God loves us as well. Jesus loves us too, and shows himself to us.

I’ve found, as we walk in faith with Jesus, we know God more and more, and as we love God more and more, we obey Jesus more and more. And as we obey Jesus, our relationship becomes so intimate, that Jesus will show us profound mysteries. He will share his great secrets with us. And we will be amazed. On the deep end of the Christian life, we find supernatural experiences. That is the spice of life of the Christian life. So many stay in the shallow end, go in deep in your obedience, your prayer, your chasing after God, and you will experience Jesus in powerful ways. This experience of Jesus deepens our experience of peace.

Next, we get a question from one of the followers:

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

It’s a question we’ve all wondered about I’m sure, why doesn’t Jesus just show himself to the entire world, then everyone would follow him, right?

Jesus wisely reminds the disciples, it’s not about seeing, it’s about the heart. God doesn’t just show up to every person on the planet visually. But it is God’s desire that everyone be allowed to make their own decision. No one should be forced to believe.

Instead, Jesus says, the real test is, anyone who loves Jesus will obey him, and those who don’t, will not obey him.

The doorway is faith. Believing in Jesus even though we don’t see him, yet we know he’s real from his word, and his Spirit. Then, after believing, we show our love by obeying Him, then Jesus reveals himself to us. And we go from believing in Him, to knowing Him.

This deep trust that leads to knowing leads to profound peace. In short trust leads to peace.

Next, verses 25-26: “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

What’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit in you? First, to teach you all things. The Spirit is always teaching me something. It’s not always from the word of God itself, but it lines up with the word. Second, the Spirit will remind us of the word of God, the Bible.

That’s why it’s important though to know the word, because the Spirit will remind you of the word, but if you don’t’ know the word, how can the Spirit remind you of it?

The Holy Spirit is your teacher.

Next, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” -John 14:27

The more important portion of the scripture for our purpose today, we’re told very clearly that Jesus gives us peace.

Do you long for peace? Do you often feel anxious and afraid? Keep this scripture close to your heart. Store it in your heart. Write it on a piece of paper and put in your fridge. Recite it each morning in your prayers.

Peace I leave with you. Now I believe the peace he speaks of here is a person. Peace I leave with you. Peace is the Holy Spirit with them.

A traditionally Jewish greeting common during the time of Jesus was, “shalom” which means peace, or peace to you. If you want to speak it strongly, you would say, “shalom shalom.” Peace peace to you. Jesus says it twice, shalom I leave with you, my shalom I give you.

Peace of the Spirit Jesus gives us. But also the peace of Jesus he gives us. Shalom shalom. A double portion of peace is heaped upon us, placed gently into our souls.

We need peace is a difficult world. But we can have peace. Double peace. Peace from the Spirit and peace from Jesus.

Jesus says I don’t give to you as the world gives. When the world gives there’s always a price tag involved. "You help me and then I'll help you." It's quid pro quo. And what the world gives quickly rots away and doesn’t last. But, the shalom shalom we receive from Jesus lasts the test of time. It’s new every morning, as we receive it and hold onto it.

He says again: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Like verse 1 today, guard your heart, guard the shalom, and tell fear, you’re not welcome here.

Declare it over your life: I choose peace. I choose shalom. I say no to fear. I say yes to Jesus love. I guard my heart. I will obey my Jesus. I let peace rule in my heart. I receive the shalom shalom of Jesus and the Spirit. Amen.

Next, verses 28-29: “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.”

This is another reminder to the disciples, Jesus is predicting his death on the cross, and his rising again to life, and his appearing to them again later. He reminds them that they should be glad, because he’s going to die for them, and he’s going to do the will of the Father.

He’s telling them ahead of time, so when they see him die, they will know, he said this would happen, we believe in Him.

God does the same for us. He will tell us a hard time is coming, so that when we go through it, we can remind ourselves of what God said to us, and it helps bring us through. God has done that for me numerous times, often using a particular scripture for a particular era of my life. For one era it was Isaiah 40:31, another it was Hebrews 12:1-3. What scripture has God spoken over this era of your life? Ask Him in prayer, and search the word. And like I said earlier, as you know Him more deeply, you’ll receive more revelation from Him, whispers about the past, the present, and the future.

Lastly, verses 30-31: "I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me."

“Come now; let us leave.”

Who is the prince of this world? It’s Satan, the adversary. Jesus reminds them, I’m not a victim of Satan. I could strike him down at any time. I could call on angel armies to overcome him. But, Satan is coming because the whole world must see that Jesus loves the Father, and does exactly what the Father commands.

Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow, Jesus obeys the Father so completely, not because he fears the devil, he doesn’t, not because he fears God, though I’m sure Jesus walked in the fear of the Lord, but, because He loves the Father so dearly, because the Father is pure love and entirely good.

God is the truth. In a world of lies, God gives us the Spirit of truth. And as we walk in obedience to God, our peace is total. If we walk in disobedience we won’t have peace. But, as we love God, and obey God, the double peace of God fills our hearts, and we can have peace in any situation, even in difficulties, even when the enemy attacks, our peace is made complete through Jesus.

Last thought, the last thing Jesus says is come lets us leave. It’s a great reminder, that though we have peace in God, this peace does not sit by itself, it’s an active peace, a shalom that is active, moving from place to place, doing the will of the Father.

Review of Main Points:
1. Guard your heart: Don’t allow grief to take over, choose Peace and pursue it

2. God’s love language is obedience: If you love Jesus obey His commands, this brings peace

3. The Holy Spirit of Truth is In Us: Peace of God flows from God within us

4. God will not leave us like Orphans: In struggles, God comes to us and helps us

5. When we realize that Jesus in our Hearts, we are no longer afraid

6. As we go deeper in our relationship with God, peace increases

7. The doorway is faith: Trust in God leads to peace

8. The Holy Spirit is our teacher showing us the way/lifestyle of peace

9. Jesus gives us a double-portion of peace, shalom shalom: Choose to allow this peace to reign in your heart

10. In difficult seasons of our lives God will speak a scripture over that season to give us peace through it, to return to the promise over and over

11. Like Jesus, we obey God because we love Him: Obedience in love leads to peace

12. The Peace of God is Active, it means serving faithfully wherever he sends us