REMEMBER THE WORD…
JOHN 15:20-27
Introduction:
The Lord admonishes the disciples that they need to keep in mind some things that the Lord had said about being associated with Him.
Several things were mentioned. He referred to persecution as a result of their faith in Christ and at the end of His discussion He mentions the “Comforter” who the Father would sent to help the believer cope with these difficulties and others.
I. THE SERVANT IS NO GREATER THAN HIS LORD
A. We as His servants are not greater than our master, John 13:16, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”
B. They will persecute you, Matthew 10:24, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.”
C. If they keep my sayings, they will keep yours also, Isaiah 53:1-2, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
1. Some people followed and obeyed Jesus’ teaching, but some did not, Ezekiel 3:7,“But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.”
2. Those that believed Jesus also responded to the apostles’ message, 1 Corinthians 3:5, Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?”
II. THEY DO THESE THINGS UNTO YOU FOR MY NAME’S SAKE
A. The root cause of the world’s hatred against the disciples is their identification with Jesus, Matthew 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
B. They hate Jesus because they are ignorant of God, the One who sent Him, v. 23; John 8:40-42, “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”
C. They hated the Lord Jesus because He told them of their sin, v. 22.
1. They knew that there had been a prophet among them, Ezekiel 2:5, “And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.”
2. Now they have no cloak for their sin, Romans 2:1, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
D. They hated both Jesus and His Father, vs. 23-25; 1John 2:23, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
1. They hated both the Son and the Father because they did not know them, 2 John 9, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son,”
2. This fulfilled the Scriptures, v. 25; Psalm 35:19, “Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.”
III. THE COMFORTER COMES FROM THE FATHER
A. He is the Spirit of Truth, v. 26; John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 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.”
1. He will guide you into all truth, John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
2. How we know the Spirit of Truth, 1 John 4:6, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
B. He shall testify of Me, John 16:14-15, “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
C. You also will testify of Me, v. 27; John 21:24, “This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.”