Wed.’s Devo - Jesus’ Lasts Words to his Disciples

Read: John 14-17
These are Jesus’s last words to his true disciples. Judas has left to go do his betrayal and Jesus is left with the eleven. He gives them the whole plan in a nutshell. He is leaving and going to prepare a place for them to come to later. He explains that he is God come down in the flesh and that if they can believe this they can do the same things Jesus did and more. Whatever we ask in the name of Jesus, he will do. Jesus was sending the Holy Spirit who is the Comforter to live in them. He is the Spirit of truth. His name is the Holy Ghost and he would teach them about God and help them remember all the words Jesus said. He left them with his peace.
Then he talked about the vine and the branches. He is the vine and God is the keeper of the vineyard. We are each branches of that vine that God has to prune and purge so that we can keep bearing fruit. He speaks of the most important fruit which is love. He said that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend. He called them his friends and in a short time he would do that very thing for them. He then told them to go out and do the same.
Next, he gave them a picture of what was going to be their future: persecution, rejection from the organized church and eventually martyrdom… all this because they knew the truth. He was going to leave them so that the Comforter could come. The Holy Spirit would reprove the world of sin and of righteousness, and of judgment. He would tell them what to say and guide them into all truth. He would glorify Jesus.
He comforted them with this. It would be hard, but if they waited, their sorrow would be turned to joy. This joy would come through asking and receiving and in the fact that Jesus has overcome the world.
Chapter 17 is Jesus prayer for his disciples and also for us. He knew us and loved us before the foundation of the world was laid. The love that Jesus had in him has been given us.
Lord, how wonderful is your love!