Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

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

John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"
Have you ever been afraid that God wasn’t going to do what you thought He was going to do? You question what’s happening because the events aren’t lining up with what you expected. I think that’s what happened to Judas, not Judas Iscariot, but Judas the son of James. If he was thinking that Jesus was going to establish the kingdom in Israel and drive out the Romans, how was He going to do that by revealing Himself to them and not to the world. In Judas’ mind, something must have happened that changed the plan. The natural mind has a worldly perspective, but the spiritual mind envisions God’s kingdom in the hearts of men and women. In reality nothing had happened to change God’s agenda of glorifying Himself in His Son by loving His own and bringing many sons to glory.
From our vantage point, something has happened that changed everything and made it possible for Jesus to disclose Himself to us and not to the world. His death, resurrection, and glorification have occurred and as a result, the living, Lord Jesus Christ lives united with all who believe in Him. Who are those people who are united with Him? We will rejoice in the answer in tomorrow’s live to love encouragement.

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