Gospel of John (2nd Yr Study 11 of 19, Chap 13 Cont, 14 Start) — G.W. North

Let's pray, shall we? Dear Lord, thank you for loving us. Take our love, Lord, feeble though it may be, and grant unto us that sharing in thy great love this morning, we may understand. Lord, we glory that you say, rejoice in this, that you understand me.

We pay thee no compliment, Lord, by seeking to understand thee, for every heart taught of God knows that it ought to do that. Feeble though our understanding be, we bless thee, Lord. Help us by thy grace this day, a more complete understanding of thee, End of thy book.

Thank you, Father. This is the responsibility thou hast placed upon us. This is a responsibility placed upon us by thee, by thy Spirit. If thou didst not call upon him, that blessed Holy Spirit, to come and help us, we couldn't know.

If thou hadst not sent him, we could not know, by ourselves or of ourselves, though we be the most educated person on earth. So we praise thee, and magnify thy name, that thy name comprehends everything, except sin.

Therefore we glory in thee, that in thy grace thou hast called us, and thus make sure that we shall understand, by sending thy Holy Spirit. Therefore, Lord, we commit ourselves to thee, in thy presence, and in the presence of each other, that we shall be unto each other a worthy representative of thy only Son.

We bless thee, and glorify thee, in his great name. I'm sure Dot's been eyeing me to make sure I did that. Let's come together then, shall we? You know whereabouts in Scripture we are. I was asked this morning when I was sitting at breakfast, by the Principal, asked by the Principal, not breakfast by the Principal, well, I'm eating his food, but, you in John 14 yet?

He said, I said, no, I hope to be today. He tries to keep an eye on me, or perhaps on you, for he doesn't want John's gospel to be spread over three years of lectures, so I'd better hasten a bit. If I appear to hurry, it's against my wish, certainly against the number of days I've lived on this earth, but never mind.

The Upper-Room Discourse in John 13–17

Let's turn to John, chapter 13, mentioning yesterday that this 13th chapter is a great dividing place. It's devoted to the last few days and hours of the Lord Jesus on this earth. John considered this, or was instructed, no doubt, when he wrote this glorious gospel, how wonderful it is.

Here, I want to ask you a question, if I may. If, as the Lord Jesus said to his disciples when he was on earth, not in this gospel, but you will have read it, I hope, the days will come, time will come, when you would wish you could see one of the days of the Son of Man.

Well, if I gave you that offer, which day would you choose? Which day would you choose? I would ask Dot, I think she's heard me say this before. It's good, though, to think, well, which day would you choose?

I won't tease you, I've heard ever so many answers to it. People venture to answer and invariably finish up wrong. Well, in my estimation, this is the day I would choose. It covers the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and probably the 17th chapter.

Just given to one day. Some have said, oh, the day of resurrection, or the day of this, or the day of the other. But this is the one, and I'll tell you why. They had all these hours in the presence of the Lord, just the disciples and him, learning, learning, and what he taught in this upper room, from which he excluded all but his disciples, his chosen ones, deliberately.

And just to sit there and hear these wonderful words falling from the lips of the Savior. So, here we come then, into this great chapter of blessing. I love going over, and I want, and I'm just telling you this, I just want to go over it with you.

And let the blessed Spirit open our hearts, and pour in this great love of God. He must love you, you understand, to let you into secrets. You only really let loved ones into the choiceless secrets, don't you?

Christ’s Love and the Betrayal of Judas

I may remind you that yesterday, in the 13th chapter, we started, having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them. That's what happens with love. If you love, you love, and love, and love. Unless you're nowhere near like Christ.

Nowhere near. People sometimes act as though all that Jesus had was the gift of the gab, as we say in England. Talk, talk, talk, tell wonderful stories, and all sorts of things. No, he poured out his heart, out of pouring out his blood.

And so here then, we're in this 13th chapter, and you remember, he chose the most wonderful way of pointing out this one. They wanted to know who was going to betray him. He said, this one to whom I give the salt.

And then, bringing you right up to the finish of yesterday, this slight synopsis, he ordered him out. At last, the traitor was revealed to the other 11 people in the room. Jesus knew, and Judas knew, but none of the others did.

So he pointed out this terrible man, Judas. Alright then, verse 13. Having received the salt from Jesus, he went out immediately. And I think this is very ominous, the last phrase. And it was night. It was night.

He went out into the dark. It was a tremendous thing. For Jesus said, I am the light. But he ordered this man who was dark and sinful, and filled with the devil, pointed and sent him out into the dark.

He had sinned beyond forgiveness. Any man or woman that would betray the trust of Jesus Christ, or Christ had entrusted him even to be the treasurer of the group, finished. A dreadful thought. You know, there's lots in the Bible we ought to read with tears in our eyes, or at least in our hearts, to understand.

When you come to understanding, you will weep. Oh, I never weep. To which Jesus spoke, he said, weeping and wailing. Have you ever wailed in your heart unto God about your sin? Given all, forgiven. Until you've had your heart broken, you can't really be a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Brokenness, Repentance, and Joy

Great David knew that animal sacrifices were no good in his day. He said, you require not offerings. The sacrifices of God, listen, are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite. Now that word contrite in the Hebrew is ground to powder.

That's the exact translation. It might be translated that way. A broken heart ground to powder. That's the sacrifice God wants from you if you're a sinner. I mean, still a sinner. What a tremendous thing this is.

Perhaps I speak from this because about the last thing I could do, I stood up in front of a company of people once. And I said, I know God's got to do more in me. I can't cry. I couldn't weep. In about a week's time, when I admitted it and confessed it, I was weeping.

Does that surprise you? David once said, you keep all my tears in a bottle. So precious, so few, so rare. You know the truth. Salvation isn't to make you clap happy first. It's to make you dead and miserable.

And then, emptying out all the things of you, he'll give you his joy. Joy isn't happiness. You know that, don't you? Joy is an experience of the heart of God. As when the father looked upon his precious son.

You'll never be right in God's eyes till you're like his Jesus. Never. Never. But I mustn't just go on like this. Let's get down to the scriptures. I shall have to confess again that I've not read chapter 14 with you.

The Glory of the Son and the New Commandment

But let's go on. There's not enough time to study the Bible. When he was gone out, verse 31, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified. And, now you listen to Jesus, you take it to yourself. And God is glorified in him.

If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself. And shall straightway glorify. That's perhaps, maybe the explanation to you. I don't know each heart that I'm talking to. Why you haven't got any glory.

Read those words again. The Son of Man is glorified. God is glorified in him. Well, now ask yourself this question. If God is glorified in you. If God be glorified in him. God shall also glorify him in himself.

And shall straightway glorify. Whatever is he talking about. Now this would take a whole morning to explain. I'm not going to do that. Because of the enemy called time. You and I, beloved of God. I advise you all to keep reading those two verses.

Three verses. Two verses. Until you know in your heart. That as it is in scripture. So it is in you. It's not sufficient for you to feel happy and joyful. Though I hope you are. But for God to be joyful.

About you. And in you. How wonderful this is. Little children, he says. Yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me. And as I said unto the Jews. Whither I go. You cannot come. So now I say to you.

A new commandment I give you. That you love one another. As I have loved you. That you also love one another. That's why he loved you. So that you should love one another. Now I'm not talking about mere fleshly love.

I'm not talking about that kind of thing. What the cinema or the television would have you believe is love. I'm not talking about that. It's you really loving. This is how all men shall know it. My disciples.

If you have love one another. Of course not because you've walked to a building called a church. With a Bible in your hand. Or anything like that. Though I always carry a Bible. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't.

But these are the things that count. Do you understand beloved? We're in the searching eyes of God. And I want to be here. This is how you are known as a disciple. And John doesn't talk about discipleship much.

If I was you. I would get a concordance. If you can't. If you don't already know it. And find out how many times the word disciple is used. And there's another thing. He never uses the word apostle. Because they were only trainee apostles.

Nobody is an apostle who isn't baptized in the Holy Ghost. Or filled with the Holy Ghost. Or whatever term you want to use. They were trainee apostles. And they failed often. John himself had. Remember once.

This is in Luke's Gospel. He wanted to call down fire from heaven. And consume a whole village. City as it would have been called then. You know. Got big ideas of being like Elijah. Who called down fire from heaven.

Under an old covenant. In the new covenant. The only enemies you must have. Are the devil and his demon hosts. No one else. You understand don't you. I was talking yesterday about going to prison. You understand what it's about.

Love as the Mark of Christ’s Disciples

You've got to be like Jesus. That is my great longing. I confess to you. The wonderful thing beloved. Is exactly this. Jesus said this. These were his last words. At this time. A new commandment I give you.

You are to love one another. As I have loved you. This is the reason I've loved you. So that you also should love one another. This is how all men will know. That you are my disciples. If you do miracles.

And if you do this. But he did not say that. If you love one another. If you preach great sermons. Or if you become famous in the modern world. Because you are a great evangelist. That's not what he said.

If you love one another. I'll tell you who will be greatest among us. Including myself. The greatest lover in the sight of God. And I mean pure heavenly love. That has nothing to do with the fact. That I had the misfortune to be born a male.

And you had the same misfortune. Excuse the word. To be born a female. Makes no difference. Do you understand that? You get a proper idea of love. And if your idea of love isn't pure. In the sight of God.

It's not love. God can only give you pure love. Can't give you any other. Now. Having said that. Now look at Simon Peter. And see what he says. Simon Peter says unto him. Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him.

Whither I go. Thou canst not follow me now. But thou shalt follow me. After it. He said. Lord. Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him. Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?

Verily. Verily I say unto thee. The cock shall not crow. Till thou hast denied me thrice. Now don't stop there. This is the awfulness of the chapter divisions. You missed the point. You're going to deny me thrice.

Peter’s Zeal, Failure, and the Necessity of Love

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. We'll go on shall we. But what I want to point out to you. Is people. This Peter. That so many people have magnified. And say the church is built upon Peter.

And Peter never once went to Rome anyway. As Paul went to Rome. Here is the thing. This. Oh. He. Listen. He never heard what I've magnified before you this morning. Jesus said. You're the loved one. And that went over his head.

All he thinks about is loyalty. I'm going to stick by you. And he thought he was telling the truth. And he was telling a lie. I'll lay down my life for you today. He's one of the first to run away. You heard me say the other day.

This is why I love John's gospel so much. He was the only one. That stood by the cross. With that lonely Mary. That's all. Now you keep these things in mind. There are all kinds of things said. You be an avid reader of this Bible.

Get to know it. He didn't hear anything about love. His great thing was loyalty. And you can't be loyal to anything else but an idea. Unless you have love. And that's why there are so many divorces on here.

No loyalty. Listen, beloved. If you haven't got a loyal love. You haven't got the true love from heaven. You haven't got it. Don't delude yourself. It isn't just being clap happy in a service. Or whatever it is.

Although I can clap. Do you see, beloved? Have you got to the kernel of this gospel? Do you know? Have you got into God's heart? Or has God's heart got into you? The world doesn't know anything about this.

Love, Denominational Division, and Loyalty to Christ

See, when Jesus said, I give you a new commandment. He added to the ten commandments. Love one another. Love one another. So you get all this sort of so many Christian churches. Hating one another. Roman Catholics hating the Protestants.

Protestants hating the Catholics. Baptists against the mere teaching of the Methodists. And practice baby sprinkling and all this business. They can't, beloved. They haven't got love enough to stand. We say, we're Arminian.

We're Calvinists. You should be ashamed to call yourself that. You belong to God. But you see, we're pandering to other people's understanding. We're not to pander to other people's understanding. You've got to understand God.

You may remember I mentioned it when I was praying. That's the thing. People are divided on lovely texts of scripture. Let me appeal to you. I told you this. I don't care a rap. Whether you get high marks at the end of your course.

Not a rap. I'm interested in you becoming. Oh Jesus. Excuse me males. But females. You're included. Did you know that? Like Eve was included in Adam. And she, then God came and took her out of him. So we're in the generic term.

And understanding. I believe there are plenty of people loyal to their denomination. And in doing so, disloyal to Christ. Being so, I mean. Alright. Finish that chapter. Now let's go on into the 14th.

Christ’s Comfort, the Cross, and Crucified Life

Where it says, it was spoken as a word of comfort. Don't, you're going to deny me Peter. Three times you're going to deny me. In the same room where I'm being tried for my life. By the Roman judge. You will even deny me.

He didn't say that. So much. He was on the love of his heart. That's the big thing. Beloved you. You get onto your knees. And you love God. And if you like. Get on your knees. One for another. In this sense.

If not in literally. That you're prepared to wash their feet. And in so doing. You tell everybody there. That person is a better person than you. And you kneel at their feet. This is the big thing. Beloved.

To get into your heart. If you don't know anything about the love of God. You think you do. So may the Lord teach us. We can't do better than be like Jesus. On this earth. They taught me that. When I went to Sunday school.

They don't teach them rubbish today. You know. Always monster. But when I was a kid. They taught me to be. Sing. Like Jesus. Like Jesus. I want to be like Jesus. I love him so. I want to grow like Jesus.

Every day. Were you brought up on that stuff? You were robbed. If you were. In the mania to be modern. But let's go on. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe in me. In my father's house.

Are many mansions. Now you can see why. If I may go back. And draw your minds through past times. We've been together. Why he sent a couple of men. To discover a man. In a town or village. Who was carrying.

A pitcher of water. And he was to follow him. Into this. Selected house. Which turned out to be. The elected house. Because he was going to teach them. Among other things. Not only that they should learn.

To wash one another's feet. And love one another. He was going to talk about. The good man of the house. And related to the good God. His father of the house. In my father's house. Many abiding places.

That's the word. Many abiding places. If it were not so. I would have told you. I go to prepare. A place for you. Now that's why. Peter could not follow him now. Because he was going. To the cross. You can't follow me to the cross Peter.

I've got to prepare this place for you. Just like this man. And those two men that came here. Prepared this great thing. For us to come. The Passover service. As they thought. Now you can't go yet. Now listen to this.

If you would have been in that room. That's what he would have said to you. But. Thou shall follow me hereafter. So I'm asking you a question. Have you been to the cross? Now it was prepared. For you to go there.

Jesus prepared it for you. Bore the wrath of God. Bore your sin. Your whole lifetime of sin. There. And when he took away the sin. He's prepared for you now. Now in Paul's fifth gospel. As you heard me call it.

That's the thing he said. I. Am crucified. With Christ. Nevertheless. I live. And I want to tell you. You can't live. You can't live the eternal life of God. Because it begins on this earth. Here and now.

Unless you've been crucified with Christ. You understand me? He will not have you. In the mere condition. Of your life on earth. The human condition. Until that great human. God. Christ. Has. Come into your heart.

And you've seen. That he only prepared the cross for you. You say. He died instead of me. He died for you. As you. That'll stop you sinning won't it? That's the gospel. Have you heard it preached before?

Ah me. I am certain. In very few people. Places. Is it preached as it ought to be? God came. On to earth to prepare. A place for you. But he said to Peter. Now you can't follow me now. I'm going to the cross.

To prepare it for you Peter. You John. You Andrew. And he could have gone for them all. Now this is nothing to do with weary little gold and things. It's only made for decoration. It means nothing. At all except that you're enslaved to modern ideas.

And this love of gold and silver. The. Marvellous thing beloved. Is. This. If I go. And prepare a place for you. I will come. Again. He's only coming. For people who've been. To that place that he prepared for them.

So I'm a believer. But are you believing right? Are you believing according to this scripture? The direct statement of Jesus Christ. I'm coming for those. For whom now I am going to prepare a place. We keep talking about.

Having our sins forgiven. You've got to be like Paul. I was crucified. The Christ. He didn't have the what's called the stigmata. Holes in his hand or scars on his forehead. That's all a deception of the devil.

We've got to understand what ground we're on beloved. We've got to be plain speaking in this gospel. That we preach or shut our mouths. And you will be prepared. You may not all go out to be preachers.

But you'll say you're preparing yourself to serve the Lord. That's what it's about. Jesus had to follow Peter up. Clearing up the messes Peter made. You say what? Well of course he did. You know that when they came to take Jesus.

Peter drew a sword. Meant to cut off somebody's head. He ducked and he only got his ear. And Jesus had to clear up the mess. And he gave him his ear back. Never said anything. He knew that Peter didn't understand.

Neither does anybody understand. Until they've received the same spirit that's in Jesus Christ. They're just mild words. This is the solemn fact. Probably this is the greatest thing I shall ever say to you.

I'd love to have been in that upper room. I wouldn't have understood any more than them. We're on the heavenly secret. You must understand that I. Put yourself, your I in there. And it's that crucifixion of me.

Not our lone terrible torch. As when Jesus hung on the cross. Not that. But faith. Laying hold of it. Faith. Seeing the truth. Faith. Beginning to understand and emerge further and further into the light of God.

That came from heaven in Jesus Christ. That. All terms on that. Whether you call yourself Protestant, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist. Or a nothing either. I don't know what you want to call yourself. Makes no difference.

Schemes of doctrine will not save you. It must be personal. That Jesus made his cross. Then you get the real resurrection life. Not until. This is the main thing beloved. Listen. Where I go you know. And away you know.

Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life

Now you listen to these men. Here's one of them. Thomas. Remember that in the famous eleventh chapter. Thomas was the one that suggested that they all go with Jesus. To the place where they fully thought Jesus would die.

And they were wrong. But he did say I'll go. Peter said he would follow Jesus everywhere. Thomas said I don't know where we're going. No one. They weren't apostles you see. They were trainee apostles.

Nobody is a true apostle of Jesus Christ. Until they know these great truths. No matter whether they can perform miracles or not. Here is the thing. Thomas says. Lord we don't know where we are. We know not whether thou goest.

How can we know the way. Jesus said that to him. I am the way. Now let's just read it carefully. Let it explain itself. It's easily understood. You cannot know the way. Jesus said I am the way. I am the truth.

I am the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. If you had known me. You should have known the Father. And nobody knew the Father. Because they didn't know Jesus. And they had been following him for three years.

If you had known me. You should have known my Father also. And from henceforth you know him. And have seen him. Philip said. Lord show us the Father. And it will be sufficient for us. It suffices us. Jesus said.

Have I been so long time with you. And yet thou hast not known me. Philip. He that has seen me. Has seen the Father. And how sayest thou then. Show us. You have seen the Father. Have you seen me. He was the human manifestation of the triune God.

He was not just a manifestation of Jesus. The Christ. The Son of God. He was the manifestation of the Father. But. And of the Holy Ghost. We'll come to that a little later. I hope to get there today. But here is the great truth.

And they hadn't got a clue. They'd been following him. And they hadn't got a clue who he was. Oh Jesus. But you do know that Jesus was a very common name. Out there. And still is. I remember walking down the street when I went to.

To. Cyprus. Jesus somebody. I could have fallen over when I first. Jesus. But it's quite common name. Out there. Here's a little aside. I went to India. Right up on the Kashmir border. And so on. And I had a.

It's strange these ways they name people. This is really an aside. I walked along. And I saw a name on the shop. Abdul the Damned. Why is he being called that? Of course you're sure he was a Muslim. Abdul.

The Damned. You never credit it. The names you can read. But let's know the name Jesus anyway. That's an aside. Here is the thing. Beloved. They openly confess. We do not know. How about that? How long have you been calling yourself a Christian?

You don't know the things I'm saying to you now. Or your heart doesn't respond to it. Even though you might not have heard it. With your brain. Yeah. This is what it's about. So is the Father. That suffices us.

The Father in the Son and Dependence on God

Jesus said. Have I been so long with you? And you haven't seen. You believe this. Verse 10. Believest thou not that I am in the Father. Now listen. He didn't say. I am going back to my Father. And I will be in my Father then.

He says. He's in him. Here. And now. Talking to you. You do know this. Don't you? A pity we couldn't all come together for two years without stopping. You would have been through what we've been through.

This is before. He himself said. Chapter 5. I can do nothing if my Father doesn't show me. You say. What? But you could do lots of things that God doesn't show you to do. Can't you? Oh. Hence the poverty in the churches.

I don't mean money. The words that I speak unto you. They are not mine. And in another testimony of himself. He said. It isn't me that's doing them. It's my Father that doeth these miracles. Not me. You have read your Bible.

Seven children. Because it's all in John. This is the Gospel to get them over. You master this. Or let it master you. It's a tremendous thing. I can't do a thing if my Father doesn't show me to do it.

You say. What do you mean? You just lay your hands on people and that's it. No. He didn't say. Show me how to do it. He said. Show me. To do it now. Or. Do the things I did yesterday. He was walking as a human.

He was the wonder man of the whole world. He was walking in the light of another day. We said this in chapter 11. He did not live as any normal human being could live. Because he wasn't normal. He was a perfect human being.

The kind of person you will be in heaven. Perfect. But he was already that. When he came. You know. I'm really indulging myself. I ought to get on with this story. Scripture. I just love talking like this.

I want to share myself with you. Apologies. But I want chiefly to share God with you. I've got to be transparent. So have you. This is what it is. And it's so glorious. The words I speak in the middle of verse 10.

Here it is. I don't speak of myself. But the Father that dwelleth in me. He doeth the works. Believe me. Pleaded with them. Believe me. That I am in the Father. And the Father in me. Or else. Just believe me for the works sake.

That's what you look on. You look on the works. Don't you? Just the fact that I've raised a man from the dead. Just believe me for that. You see these men would possibly have been with him all these years.

And they were still as dead as the top of that table. And didn't understand. It's a tremendous thing. And oh dear. We'll continue after my cup of tea please.