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Author: Stephen Weller
606 words, 3 minutes read time

Love and Relationship

Scripture: John 14:18-22

In the previous lesson we learned that love and obedience are inseparable. If one loves God it will be evidenced by keeping the commandments of Jesus and loving those in the body of Christ. In this lesson the disciples will be told again that Jesus will leave them but that they would see him soon.

^{Jn 14:18} “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Jesus tells his disciples that they will not be left alone but that he will soon return to them. His appearance would occur after his resurrection and will be seen when we cover chapters 20 and 21. Even after his ascension they will not be left alone as the Holy Spirit will come to dwell within them (John 14:16 – 17).

Jesus makes a distinction between two groups of people: the world and the disciples. Once Jesus is placed in the grave he will not be seen again by those of unbelief. One might argue that maybe the guards at the tomb saw him when he rose and maybe a few others at a later time, but he would not be seen except by those who God allowed to see.

After his death, Jesus would come from the grave alive and those who come to him in believing faith and are born again will also live eternally. That day, when after his resurrection, he appears to them alive, they will know that he is in his Father and that they are in him and he in them. Even though the Father, Jesus and we are separate individuals, we are one in the Spirit. The idea is of one God three persons (Matthew 18:19) and like one body and many members (1 Corinthians 12:12 – 13, 27).

Jesus then points out the importance of obedience: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” This is a repeat of verse 15 and in 1 John 2:5 (ESV), we read, “whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” Later in John 16:27 (ESV) Jesus will tell his disciples that “the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”

^{Jn 14:22} Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

In parenthesis it is noted that the Judas referred to is not Judas Iscariot, who will betray Jesus. The footnote in the RSV Study Bible for verse 14:22 reads, “The Judas referred to here is probably “Judas the son of James” mentioned in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, not Judas the half-brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3).”

Conclusion

Again, we see the connection and importance of love, obedience, and relationship in the Christian experience. Without love for God and obedience to his instruction there cannot be a true relationship with God. More specifically, we must first love Jesus and his commands if we are to love and have access to the Father.