Scripture
By Janice Hall
Lesson Text: John 14: 1-11
Related Scriptures: John 13:31-38; John 14:12-21; Colossians 1:15-20;
John 12:44-50; John 5:19-30
In the Scripture Lesson Text, John 14:1-11, we see Jesus continuing His discussions with His disciples in anticipation of His death. Jesus is consoling His disciples and revealing a greater understanding of Himself to them. John 13:31-38, reveals Jesus focusing on his mission and preparing his disciples for what is to come. He speaks of being glorified and of glorifying God. These passages include Jesus response of the prediction of Peter’s denial of him.
In John 14:12-21, Jesus gives three assurances for the troubled disciples. He exclaims that when Jesus departs to the Father, His work will continue on earth; He will send the Holy Spirit; and He will make Himself known to his disciples. This passage In Colossians 1:15-20 is one of Paul’s most profound and powerful descriptions of the person, Jesus Christ. Paul shows that Christ is preeminent over His natural creation (universe), as well as His spiritual creation( the church).
John 12:44-50, shows the last public statement Jesus makes prior to His crucifixion. In His final appearance before the cross, Jesus is crying out for people to believe in Him. The verses of John 5:19-30, Jesus explains His relationship to the Father, “The Son can do nothing of himself”. Jesus explained to the astonished religious leaders that those who heard his word, would have everlasting life. “The hour is coming. In which all who are in the graves will hear His voice”.
Synopsis
By Doug Smith
Jesus’ words show that the way to eternal life, though unseen , is certain as assured as your trust in Jesus. Here Jesus says, I go to prepare a place, and I will come again. We can look forward to eternal life because Jesus has promised it to all who believe in Him. How can we know the way to God? We believe it is only through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the way because He is both God and man. Jesus is one Person who has two natures: a divine nature and a human nature. By uniting our lives with His, we are united with God. As the Way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the Truth, He’s the reality of all of God’s promises. As the Life, He joins His Divine Life with ours both now and eternally.
Jesus is the visible, tangible image of the invisible God. He is the complete revelation of what God is like. Jesus explained to Philip, who wanted to see the Father, that to know Jesus is to know God. There were sufficient reasons for belief, because all the works that were done was by the power of the Father.
Practical Application
By Raufu Spagnoletta
Before salvation, I was influenced by a group that professed to know the Father apart from the Son. “God, who will have all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), sent a friend, a believer, who knew truth in the person of Jesus Christ. They told me, “Your approach to the Father is illegal!, you cannot get to the Father without going through the Son!” Jesus is explicit: “I Am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me” (AMP-John 14:6).
In his letter to the Ephesians (1:17-18), Paul prays, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Let this be our prayer request whenever we read, study, teach, preach and hear the Word.
In the lesson, the disciples questioned Jesus, when they did not understand and they were not ashamed to ask Him questions He had already answered. Let us adopt this same approach in Bible Study.
