This
Sunday, March 10th, we begin the Liturgical season of Lent in the Western
Church. Lent is a 40-day period of spiritual
preparation before celebration of Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday. This period of spiritual preparation is a penitential
season, in which we acknowledge and lift up our sins and short-comings. It is a special time for confession and
self-sacrifice, as we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross to demonstrate
the depth of God’s love for us.
During Lent
this year, our proclamations and worship services will focus on the “Farewell
Discourse” in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16. This discourse occurs in the evening, just
before Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
Jesus is together with the disciples—except for Judas—and some other
followers. Jesus uses this time to
prepare followers for his imminent betrayal and crucifixion. He uses this moment to teach them about his
relationship with God the Creator and to reassure them that God will continue
to look over them and lead them, even after Jesus has gone.
My first
proclamation on the “Farewell Discourse,” centers on John 14:8-18. Of principal interest in this passage is
Jesus’ discussion of his relationship with God the Creator and the Advocate,
who will come to the disciples after Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven. The passage begins with the disciple Philip
querying, “Lord, show us the Father , and we will be satisfied” (verse 8). Jesus is exasperated with Philip’s question
because it appears as though he hasn’t been paying attention during Jesus’
ministry.
Jesus says, “Do
you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that
I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his
works. Believe
me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then
believe me because of the works themselves.” There is no other
proof. Philip must believe. If he cannot
believe, then Jesus urges him to consider all of the works and miracles
which Jesus has performed.
In this exchange, Jesus lays out
what Christians understand to be the relationship between God the Creator--and
Jesus. This is our conviction as
Christians: God loves humanity so much
that God became incarnated as human flesh in the person Jesus of Nazareth. The Immanent Divinity became incarnated in
order to teach and model for us the way God intends for us to live and love. Through the life, teachings, ministry, and
death of Jesus’ life, the Incarnated God models how God intends for us to live
and love.
Jesus continues, “The one [that is,
the humans] who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact
will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (verse
12). The term, “works,” refers to all the
acts of Jesus’ ministry. For the
disciples to share in Jesus’ “works” is for them to share in Jesus ministry; to
share in revealing God to the world; and to share in establishing God’s Reign here
on Earth.
The disciples’ “works” are
dependent upon Jesus’ departure to be with the Father because the success of
the disciples’ works has nothing to do with the disciples themselves. Through his life, death, and resurrection,
Jesus has ushered in a new, eschatological age in which God will redeem humans
and the world. The Resurrection of
Christ is the cosmic tipping point towards the transformation of the world into
a New Creation.
Jesus will act in and through the
disciples and their work. So, the
disciples “works” are in reality Jesus’ works through the disciples. These “works” grow out of one’s love for God
and Jesus, which reflects the love of God for each human person. Jesus promises to “do whatever you ask in my
name, so that the Father may be glorified” (verse 13).
So far, Jesus has focused his
discourse on the importance of belief, but at verse 15 Jesus shifts the
emphasis to loving Jesus. Verses 15-18
describe two dimension of the disciples’ love relationship with Jesus. The first dimension is the inseparability of
one’s love for Jesus through keeping his commandments. In verse 15, Jesus tells the disciples, “If
you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
The key here is living a life grounded in love for Jesus: To love Jesus is to keep his ‘commandments’
or teachings, while to keep his commandments is to love Jesus.
The second dimension of this love
is the abiding and indwelling presence of God for those who love Jesus. Jesus promises that God’s presence will
continue even after his death and ascension.
Central to this second dimension of love is Jesus’ promise to send the “Spirit
of truth.” Jesus says, “And I will ask
the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,
to be with you forever. This is the
Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, [but] …You know him because he
abides with you, and he will be in you” (verses 16-17; my emphasis).
The Greek word for “Advocate” is Parakletos. It can be interpreted as “Advocate” or “Comforter”
or Counselor.” In the Gospel of John,
the Paraclete takes the place of the
term “Holy Spirit,” used in the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and
Luke. What the Paraclete does is not new
but is a continuation of the work of Jesus.
(see verse 17) As the Spirit of
truth, the Paraclete shares in the work of Jesus. Since Jesus is the truth
(14:6), the Paraclete, or Holy Spirit, is an extension of Jesus himself.
In this scriptural passage, we
encounter a deep theological explanation, which later emerged in the early
Church as the Christian notion of the Trinity.
Jesus’ description can be summarized as follows:
1.
Out of love for Creation, God the Creator became
incarnate—that is, became a human person—in Jesus of Nazareth.
2.
God the Divine Creator and God incarnated in
Jesus of Nazareth are one with each other.
The Creator is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Creator. God the Creator works through Jesus, and
Jesus’ works—that is, ministry—are done through God.
3.
When Jesus ascends into Heaven, he continues to
work through the works of his followers here on Earth. In this way, Jesus’ followers are invited to
help build God’s Reign.
4.
Jesus’ followers love Jesus by obeying his
commandments.
5.
After Jesus leaves his followers, he will send
the Paraclete (or, Holy Spirit). The
Holy Spirit is an extension of Jesus himself.
The Holy Spirit will guide Jesus’ followers and teach them more.
6.
The Holy Spirit resides with and inside Jesus’
followers.
This discussion by Jesus provides a thorough description of
what Christians came to call the Trinity.
And yet there is one more
thing. Jesus pledges to his followers
that he will not abandon them, but rather he will always abide with them and in
them (through the Holy Spirit). Jesus’
last words in this passage sum up his love for the disciples, “I will not leave
you orphaned.” (verse 18a).[i]
If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not
have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us at Christ United
Methodist Church this Sunday, March 10th, as we begin our spiritual preparation
before celebrating the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. We will be examining this passage of
scripture, from Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse.”
Christ UMC is located at 4530 “A” Street. We have three worship services on Sunday
mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00. The
8:30 and 11:00 services feature a traditional worship format and the services
are held in our Sanctuary. “The
Gathering” at 9:45 is held in our Family Life Center (gym), and it is more
informal and interactive.
Come, join us. Everyone is welcome and accepted because God
loves us all.
[i]
My interpretation of John 14:8-18 was informed by the following commentaries: Gail R. O’Day, Commentary on the Gospel of John
in the New Interpreter’s Bible, vol 9,
(Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2002), CD-ROM Edition; Raymond Brown, The Gospel According to John (xiii-xxi)
in “The Anchor Bible series (New York, Doubleday and Company, 1966); and John Wesley,
Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House, 1981) vol 1.
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