1. IV. THE DISCIPLES’ PREPARATION BY THE SON OF GOD (13:1 – 16:33) A. THE DISCOURSE IN THE UPPER ROOM (Jn 13:1 – 14:31) 5. The Promise of Residence (14:1-3) 6. The Way to the Father (14:4-6) 7. The Oneness with the Father (14:7-11) 8. The Performance of Greater Works (14:12-15)

2. 9. The Sending of the Holy Spirit (14:16-17) 10. The Pledge of Love (14:18-26) a. Through the Promise of His Indwelling (vv. 18-20) b. Through the Obedience to His Commandments (vv. 21-25) c. Through the Teaching of His Spirit (v. 26)

3. 10. The Pledge of Love (14:18-26) a. Through the Promise of His Indwelling (vv. 18-20)  Read Jn 14:18a.  This statement showed Jesus’ fatherly love and care for His own. (Cf. Jn 13:1).  This passage shows what people are and what they can do without the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit – they are like orphans.

4. ~ So here, the Lord reminds the disciples of their weakness, and in so doing they are not to trust themselves but rather rely only on Christ. ~ Here also the Lord raises their hopes – “I will come to you” (v. 18b).  But which coming is in view here? ~ First, it refers immediately to His appearing and coming to them right after the Resurrection (see v. 19).

5. ~ Secondly, it refers eventually to His coming through the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (see v. 20). ~ The knowledge of the believers’ intimate union with Christ was a fruit of Pentecost.  Read Jn 14:19a. ~ To see Jesus fulfilling His program in the church through the Spirit, one must be spiritually alive.

6.  Read Jn 14:19b. ~ The intent behind these words is to inform the disciples that through the Resurrection, the living Jesus became the disciples’ life because they became united to Him. ~ THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION BECOMES THE BASIS FOR OUR HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE.

7. ~ He affirmed His resurrection as a fact to support and as a firm basis for our way of living and dying.  Read Jn 14:20. ~ In this coming new phase of God’s redemptive program, beginning at Pentecost, the disciples will recognize and joyfully acknowledge the closeness of the relationship between the Father and the Son.

8. ~ They will then also understand that this oneness, this union is in turn the pattern for the relationship between Christ and His followers.  So close is the relation between Christ and believers that Jesus in Jn 15:5 says that He is the vine, we are the vine- branches. ~ We are the members of the body of which He is the head (cf. 1Cor 12:27).

9.  The significance of these words is to show that we cannot know by pure human wisdom and speculation what is the holy and supernatural union between us and Christ, and again, between Him and the Father. ~ The only way of knowing this is when Christ pours His life into us by the invisible working of the Spirit. ~ This is the experience of saving faith.