What Jesus Makes Known to Us

Morning

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends.

The LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?--It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.--God hath revealed [them] to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, even, the deep things of God.-- [Even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world to our glory.

Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [to thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.--The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.--I have given to them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatever I command you.

Joh 15:15 Ge 18:17 Mt 13:11 1Co 2:10,7 Ps 65:4 25:14 Joh 17:8 15:14


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Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional
Tuesday February 8, 2011
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml
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Evening

Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.--If indeed ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. To whom coming, [as to] a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, [and] precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion.

Isa 60:18 Re 21:14 Eph 2:19-22 1Pe 2:3-5 Ps 65:1

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Commentary from Christine:

Despite the fact that these devotionals are written in the form of Olde English, they are classic pieces of biblical literature. What makes them so great is that each devotional is chiefly written through the act of quoting directly from the Scriptures.

For example. Let's look at the wording in John 15:15 (using the NIV version throughout this post) -

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Knowing that Jesus is Lord and Master should make us realize that we ought to be called his servants. However, He chooses to call us his friends. Being a friend is a much more intimate relationship than being a servant. In today's world, we could compare the term "servant" as being a subordinate co-worker. Sometimes, even a relationship with a co-worker can grow into a friendship.

What is important in this passage is the reason WHY Jesus can call his followers friends. He said, "for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." Elsewhere in the Bible, Jesus tells us that "I (He) and the Father are One" and "he who has seen me (Jesus) has seen the Father."

Statements like this do not give us any leeway in determining who has the ability to save us from eternal death. Only Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, those who believe in other religions that exclude Christ as the Son of God are lost.

Jesus never minces his words. The entire chapter of John 15 is blunt and direct about who is saved and who is not. The two main themes within the chapter proclaim what Jesus teaches about the Vine and the Branches, as well as Jesus' warning about the world's hatred.

Here is the entire chapter:

Jhn 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.


Jhn 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes [fn] so that it will be even more fruitful.


Jhn 15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.


Jhn 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.


Jhn 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.


Jhn 15:6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.


Jhn 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.


Jhn 15:8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.


Jhn 15:9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.


Jhn 15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.


Jhn 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.


Jhn 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.


Jhn 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.


Jhn 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command.


Jhn 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.


Jhn 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.


Jhn 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.


Jhn 15:18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.


Jhn 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.


Jhn 15:20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' [fn] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.


Jhn 15:21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.


Jhn 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.


Jhn 15:23 He who hates me hates my Father as well.


Jhn 15:24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.


Jhn 15:25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' [fn]


Jhn 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.


Jhn 15:27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

NIV Footnotes:
(15:2) The Greek for prunes also means cleans.
(15:20) John 13:16
(15:25) Psalms 35:19; 69:4

Commentary from Christine:

Keep in mind that Jesus was speaking to Jewish believers in Him before he went to the cross. Jesus lived as a Jewish God-man during the Incarnation. When he said the following words to his disciples, the term "Christian" wasn't in existence yet:

Jhn 15:18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.


Jhn 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Today, after the fact of the sacrificial death on the cross of Christ and his subsequent resurrection to life, we can also apply those words to Christian believers.

With all the turmoil happening in Egypt today and the virulent Muslim hatred for Israel and the Jews (especially the Zionists), plus the hatred againt Christ and Christians, we can see what Jesus was referring to when he said, "if the world hates you."

The chosen people of God (my people, Israel) and of God's Son, Jesus Christ, were prophesied in the Bible as being hated. Jesus himself warned us and we have the words written down in Scripture to remind us of that hatred. This is all the more reason to take Jesus' admonition in the following verses seriously:

Jhn 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.


Jhn 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.


Jhn 15:6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. We must "remain in Him."

Jhn 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

What does this mean? It means that we believe that he is God's Son (1 John 4:15). It means that we receive him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12). It means that we do what God says (1 John 3:24). It means that we continue to believe in the gospel (1 John 2:24. It means that we are to relate in love to the community of believers, Christ's body (John 15:12).

We are to be like a branch attached to the vine. Apart from Christ our efforts are unfruitful.

Keep in mind that the farming analogy in this passage shows how God is glorified when people come into a right relationship with him and begin to "bear much fruit" in their lives.

It is important to know that "bearing fruit" is not limited to soul winning, although that is a very important part due to the commandment of The Great Commission. Bearing fruit also includes answered prayer, joy, and love (as mentioned in John 15:7,11, 12). Galatians 5:22-24 and 2 Peter 1:5-8 describe additional fruit: qualities of Christian character. As you can see, we have our work cut out for us!

At the end of John 15, Jesus offers us much hope. He speaks about the Holy Spirit being given to us to help us endure the unreasonable hatred and evil in the world as well as the hostility many groups and individuals have towards Christ. The Holy Spirit is given two names, Counselor and Spirit of truth. The term 'counselor' conveys the helping, encouraging and strengthening work of the Spirit. 'Spirit of truth' points to the teaching, illuminating and reminding work of the Spirit. As we can see, the Holy Spirit ministers to both our minds and to our hearts.

John 16 is a wonderful passage where Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to read and study it.

Once I became a born again Christian, I recognized the fact that the world's value are often the opposite of God's values. This can make a believer feel like a misfit. However, even though life can be very difficult now, one day we will rejoice. As believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of the universe, we can look with confidence ahead as we keep our eye on the future because we can rely on God's promises! Remembering that the ultimate victory has already been won enables us to keep and claim the peace of Christ. Not the peace that the world gives, but the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. Even in the most troublesome times we can take heart! For Christ has overcome the world for all eternity.

Hat tip: Christians Unite.com devotionals via email.