Hope Alliance Bethlehem Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Jesus sends his disciples into the world in the very same way the Father sent him. They are agents of the gospel for the glory of God. His prayer for them is for their protection from wandering and from the evil one who seeks to destroy. Moreover, he prays that they would have joy and be set apart.

Jesus begins his prayer by asking to be glorified. He is praying for the reality of resurrection in the face of the cross. This resurrection will not only glorify Jesus, but also the Father. And it will bring eternal life to all who are in Jesus. Eternal life is knowing God - both then and now, in both quality and quantity.

When Jesus tells his disciples he is going away, he also urges them to abide or remain in him. Not only is this counterintuitive, but it seems impossible. Yet Jesus is talking about being so immersed in his love that they live his way and follow his commands in this world and in so doing glorify God. We glorify God by remaining in Jesus. And we remain in Jesus when we follow his commands. When we follow his commands we enact his love to each other.

Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will come to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Spirit exposes the truth about sin and the emptiness of human effort or religion so that there might be repentance. The main modes of this testimony are the Scriptures which the Spirit will lead the disciples to write and ongoing witness of the church.

Jesus is careful to tell his disciples that the world will be resistant the gospel message. If the world hated Jesus, they will also hate those who follow him. This rub comes when his followers refuse to give full allegiance to anything other than Jesus. In the midst of this, Jesus reminds them that he has intentionally left them in the world to testify about him. While the world resists and even hates, Jesus calls his disciples to engage and even love.

Intimacy with God and obedience to him are inextricably bound together. If we want the full life that comes from seeing and knowing God, then we have to follow his commands. And if we want to follow his commands, we must grow in our love for him. Thankfully, we have been given the Spirit as an advocate to help us grow in our love for God and thus pursue his ways. To continually form and direct us, the Spirit teaches us and reminds us of all that Jesus has said and done.