Jesus knew the time was short. Only a few more hours lay between the gathering of His disciples in the upper room and the cross. there was so much to say, but He knew the disciples were not ready to hear it all. Only when they received the Holy Spirit after His resurrection and ascension would they grasp the full meaning of all these things and be used by God to communicate the Gospel to the world. But for now, they needed words of comfort and assurance. They needed to hear from their Master’s mouth that He was going to be with them … just in a different way. They needed to know that there was a purpose for His leaving them and they needed to understand the purpose for their ministry going forward. So much to say … so little time … but it was enough for Jesus to tell them what was on His heart, for in doing so He revealed again what is on the Father’s heart: the salvation of those whom He chose to give as a gift to His Son, to be with Him forever! In the short term, there would be tribulation, and they would face much opposition, but the Spirit would be their Teacher, their Comforter, and their Guide, giving the strength and courage to give their lives for Christ and to persevere, with the sure and certain hope that the Father would bring fruit from their labors, for the glory of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We do well to listen to these “words from the upper room,” for they are spoken not only to them but also to us as we live in the world as disciples of Jesus today!
Sermon Dates and Titles:
January 14: “The King Becomes a Servant” – John 13:1-20
January 21: “Glory In the Midst of Trouble” – John 13:21-38
January 28: “Believe Me!” – John 14:1-14
February 4: “Never An Orphan” – John 14:15-31
February 11: “Abide In the Vine and You WILL Bear Fruit!” – John 15:1-17
February 18: “Hated Without a Cause” – John 15:18-27
February 25: “It’s Better This Way” – John 16:1-15
March 3: “One Step At a Time” – John 16:16-33
March 10: “For the Glory of God!” – John 17:1-5
March 17: “The Father’s Gift to the Son” – John 17:6-19
March 24: “Jesus’ Prayer for US!” – John 17:20-26
March 29: (Good Friday) – “My Kingdom Is Not of This World!” – John 18-19
March 31: (Easter) – “That You May Believe!” – John 20:1-31