Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 14:28 You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
It was clear to Jesus what he had said to them. He was going to leave them, go to the Father, and then return to them. Apparently, there were no signs in the disciples that they understood the significance of His going to the Father and returning to them. They should have rejoiced, but didn’t. Jesus said they didn’t rejoice because they didn’t love Him. The word Jesus used was a form of agape. When they heard Him say that He was leaving and then going to come again, they should’ve rejoiced if they loved Him for they would have known that his greatest desire was to return to the Father having done His will. When you love someone, you know their heart’s desire, and you want their highest good, their greatest joy. But when you don’t love someone, you are concerned with your own happiness, you’re self-occupied. All events are filtered through what makes you happy or unhappy, what pleases you or disappoints you. The disciples didn’t know that it was for their highest good and greatest joy for Jesus to go to the Father on their behalf. They didn’t know how Jesus loved the Father and that His greatest satisfaction was knowing by experience His Father’s love and presence. Our joy should flow out of love for Jesus’ joy. Do we realize that we have Jesus’ life and heart in us? If we love Him, we identify with His life and love. Are we more interested and consumed with being loved as if we are the greatest, or are we interested and consumed with the relationship of the Father and Son that dwells within us? With Jesus, let us love the Father, for He is greater than we are and greater than the Son.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
The disciples were about to enter into the greatest disappointment and test of their faith in their lives up to that point. They were going to watch their Master, Teacher, and hope betrayed, arrested, falsely accused and tried, and then hung on a cross until dead. They needed peace in their souls—not a peace that comes from happy circumstances in this world, nor a peace that comes from all your expectations being met. They needed a supernatural peace—a peace that only God can give. A peace that comes from knowing God’s will is being done. A peace fostered by righteousness, justice, and love being perfectly executed by Almighty God. That peace, the perfect peace of Jesus stood before them so they could make a withdrawal equal to the challenges ahead. They looked into His face, heard His voice, received His words. There was no terror, fear, trouble, or regret detected. He was peaceful, and He knew what was coming, but they didn’t. He was giving them His peace, right then. He was leaving it with them as He was leaving them. As things began to unfold, they were to receive and live out of His peace. For a second time He admonished them not to let their hearts be troubled or be fearful. Love can’t flow when our hearts are troubled and fearful. Love flows from a peaceful heart that trusts in the wisdom and authority of Our Almighty Father.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 14:25-26 "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
It’s almost as if Jesus wanted them to know that the words He had spoken to them in the previous 5-10 minutes or so were spoken so that they would know He and the Holy Spirit were working together. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, sent from the Father upon Jesus’ request will come to them and teach and explain all that Jesus had said. They didn’t have to be worried about remembering everything. It’s also true for us in our time. We have the same Spirit who spoke these words to the disciples while Jesus was with them. Those words were recorded by John when the Holy Spirit brought them back to mind. We are now experiencing the fruit and fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in these verses. That’s amazing and encouraging! We can trust in the Holy Spirit, who is in us in Jesus’ name, to teach us and help us keep His words. Thank You, Father, for giving these wonderful words to Jesus to give to His disciples. And thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to remind them of them so they could write them down and pass them on to every generation after them, even down to us. We receive You and worship You in Jesus’ name as we rely on the Spirit to teach us and guide us as we live to love with Him.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 14:24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
Walking with Jesus is an expression of love for Jesus. The one who loves Jesus, loves and keeps His words. Jesus certainly made that clear in the previous verses. In this verse, we hear the contrast. Those who don’t love Him are those who don’t keep, watch over, and guard His words or commandments. Consequently, they don’t trust in Jesus in troubled times and they don’t love those who do love Jesus and His words. Again, Jesus underscored His union with His Father. “The word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” Only minutes before, Jesus had told them, “He who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” In John 17:7-8, Jesus revealed that these disciples loved Him for He said, “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” Only those who love Jesus believe that He speaks the words of the Father, and they know, as the disciples did, that love for Jesus is love for the one true God. Let this encourage us who live to love with Jesus. As we trust in Jesus and live to love with Him, we are expressing our love for the Father and the Son.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 14:23 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.
This is a repeat of verse 21 so it must be important. How do we know who loves Jesus? It’s those who keep His word. And what is the reward to those who love Him by keeping His word? They become the dwelling place of the Father and the Son. They become the temple of God—the holy place where God and man meet in worship, honor, and celebration of the greatness, mercy, grace, and love of God. If people want to meet the Father and the Son, where can they go? There was a time when they had to go to a physical tabernacle or temple. Now, we, those who love Jesus and keep His commandments to believe in Jesus and love with Him, are the temple where they can meet up with God. Every person God puts in your path today will be standing, sitting, or passing by the place where God dwells. It is His love, that wonderful, fragrant aroma of Christ that will draw them into His presence to find mercy, salvation, and peace. Glory to God in the highest!

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com