Greetings!
As people grow older, they naturally spend more and more time thinking about the legacy they will leave behind. They begin to consider how they will be remembered, and what they will hand down to those coming after them. Like never before, they reflect on the heritage they have built over their lifetime.
On the financial front, many plan for the distribution of the wealth they have accumulated, wanting to make sure it goes to their heirs of choice, and not to the government or an unacceptable third party. Not surprisingly, addressing such concerns has become big business. There are innumerable estate planners, investment counselors, and attorneys offering means to accomplish people's differing objectives. Television commercials tout life insurance and exhort seniors not to burden their families with expensive funeral costs. Local bookstores are fully stocked with self-help books and computer programs dealing with estate planning. Special seminars are frequently offered on how to handle wills and trusts. All of this is predicated on people's desire to preserve their wealth and pass it on to the next generation.
Such concerns are valid. The Bible speaks of the importance of wise stewardship (cf. Prov. 27:23-27; Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 16:11), and assumes that people will leave an inheritance to those who come after them (Prov. 13:22; 17:2; 19:14; 20:21; Matt. 21:38; Luke 12:13; 15:11-12). But of far greater importance than the corruptible, earthly inheritance they leave others is the incorruptible heavenly inheritance God has for every child of His. That inheritance is "imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for [them]" (1 Peter 1:4; cf. Eph. 1:11). It is far beyond human understanding, prompting Paul to write,
Ephesians 1:18 (HCSB)
[I pray] that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,
I pray you will be challenged, convicted, encouraged, and blessed by today's devotional to the glory of God.
THE LEGACY OF JESUS
JOHN 14:15-26
Part 3
LEGACY 2
THE PRESENCE OF THE SON
John 14:18-20 (NASB)
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19 "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.20 "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
Like a dying father concerned about his children (cf. John 13:33), Jesus promised the disciples that He would not "leave [them] as orphans" (John 14:18) The reference to His leaving is a veiled reference to His death, and graphically expresses the sense of loss the disciples would experience. As foreboding as that loss seemed, it would only be temporary, as the Lord's promise "I will come to you" indicates. The primary reference is to His resurrection, after which they would see Him again (cf. John 20:19-29; 1 Cor. 15:3-8). But because of His union with the Holy Spirit in the Godhead, Jesus would also abide with them through His Spirit, who would be poured out at Pentecost (cf. John 16:16; Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:19; 1 Peter 1:11; 1 John 4:13).
- Acts 1:3 (NASB)
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To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
- Acts 1:3 (NLT2)
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During the forty days after his crucifixion, He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NASB)
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For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
"After a little while" (John 14:19)—only a few hours remained until the crucifixion—Jesus would be dead, and the unbelieving world would no longer see Him (John 14:20). They would not see Him physically after His resurrection (since He apparently appeared only to His disciples [cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-11]) nor would they have any capacity to know Christ's presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit (since they are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1) and "devoid of the Spirit" (Jude 19]).
In contrast to the unbelieving world, the Lord promised His disciples, "you will see Me; because I live" (John 14:19; cf. John 1:4; 6:48, 57; 14:6) "you will live also" (John 14:19; cf. John 3:15-16; 3:36; 4:14; 5:24, 39-40; 6:27,58; 11:25).
As witnesses to the resurrected Savior, the disciples would be given visible proof that they too would one day be raised (1 Cor. 15:20-21, 35-58). Moreover, being spiritually alive because of Christ's resurrection and the indwelling of the Spirit, believers are able to perceive Jesus' presence in this life (cf. Heb. 13:5-6).
The Son is not only in union with the Spirit but also with the "Father. In that day (after the resurrection and the coming of the Spirit), He said, "you will know that I am in My Father" (John 14:20). Though no human mind can fully understand that union, being hidden in the mysterious depths of the Trinity. Compare:
- Job 11:7 (NASB)
- "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?"
- Romans 11:33 (NASB)
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Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
- Romans 11:33 (NLT2)
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Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!
The disciples and all believers have recognized the reality of the mysterious depths of God. They would soon come to understand the truth that baffled them at the present (cf. John 14:8-9).
Then Jesus made a profound promise. Not only would the disciples "know" that He is "in [the] Father," (John 14:20) but also, as He went on to tell them, "you" will understand that you are "in Me, and I in you" (John 14:20). Through the indwelling of the Spirit, believers are united with Jesus. (That union, of course, is not one of essence; believers do not become part of the Godhead.)
- Romans 8:10 (NASB)
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If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. (emphasis added)
- 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NASB)
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Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (emphasis added)
- Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
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"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Several New Testament metaphors depict the nature of that union.
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Jesus is the vine and believers are the branches (John 15:5);
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they are the body of which He is the head (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15-16; 5:23; Col. 1:18; 2:19);
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they are stones in the spiritual house of which He is the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:4-6);
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they are the bride and He is the groom (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:22-24; Rev. 19:7).
Further expressing that union, the Bible teaches that believers are "in Christ."
Jesus proclaimed,
- John 14:20 (NASB)
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"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."
- John 17:26 (NASB)
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and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
Paul declared,
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NASB)
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But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. (emphasis added)
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 (AMP)
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But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. (emphasis added)
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
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Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (emphasis added)
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2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)
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Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (emphasis added)
- Ephesians 3:17 (NASB)
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So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love. (emphasis added)
- Colossians 1:27 (NASB)
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To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (emphasis added)
Peter also exhorted believers to,
- 1 Peter 3:16 (NASB)
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Keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. (emphasis added)
Not only are believers in Christ; He also abides in them.
- John 14:23 (NASB)
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Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
- John 15:4-5 (NASB)
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"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Jesus thus reassured His worried disciples that His death would not end their relationship with Him. Their union with Him was indissoluble, as is true for all believers. Nothing can separate His own from His presence or His love.
Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Proverbs 22:19 (NASB)
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you.
Amen.
