Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Friday, July 26: John 14

14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

I know I say this about a lot of passages in the Bible, but seriously, every believer should at least try to memorize this discourse, all the way from 14 to 17. You should also add the “New Commandment from 13 as well.

It begins with the greatest promise of all, that He will return and receive us. I saw a very interesting video called “Before the Wrath”, that gives a depiction of a Galilean wedding, and how it relates to this particular passage, along with Matthew 25. It’s slow, but it’s worth watching. (I left the link below)

After this promise, He tells them that they know the way, which Thomas doesn’t understand. Then Jesus gives those words that separates Him from all “religion”. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (6)

Then He drives this home even further when “Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (8-9)

And before anyone begins to fall into the “oneness” heresy, He says: “The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (10b)

His mission on this earth was to be the perfect reflection of the Father. He set aside His deity and took on human nature, and lived a life obeying the words of God the Father, with God the Holy Spirit working through Him. He, as the perfect “Son of Man” revealed to us that we could live in obedience through the Father’s will and the eventual dwelling of the Holy Spirit, by believing in Him.

We can walk in His will, and He says that “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works that these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (12) And we have seen this accomplished, and still being accomplished as the Gospel has gone throughout the whole world. From this small, upper room of Christ and eleven disciples, the whole world has heard. And it will continue to be heard until the Age of Grace is finished, which could be soon.

Then comes the greatest promise for us while we live in this world: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot received, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (16-17)

This only comes in the rebirth. It is what the world cannot understand. This is what separates them from the true believer. This is what makes the Word of God come to life in us. This is what we sense when we pray, Who even prays for us when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8). The One who fills us with joy and peace.

And He helps us fall in love with Jesus, for He reveals the wonders that God has prepared for us, as it says in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—those things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

When the “other Judas” asked him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered 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 home with him.” (22-23)

And knowing they wouldn’t grasp it until the Holy Spirit indwelt them, He said: “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 have said to you.” (26)

We have the Word of God, and we keep it by learning it and applying it in our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit, constantly walking with us, reminding us, bringing what we have learned to our remembrance as we grow and mature in Christ. And here is the result:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (14:27a) And He closes this conversation the same way He began: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (27b)

And they needed this assurance, for what was coming ahead. “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” (30)

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Memory Helps:

Trying to make word pictures of all these important concepts isn’t easy, but I do it with a cartoon and “text bubble”, as they call it. We see Jesus sitting with the disciples. Above we see the “bubble” with pictures to represent the concepts. First, we have a castle, representing the “place prepared”. In front of the castle there is a “direction sign” that says “I am the Way”. It is pointing to two thrones, representing the Father and Son, with a “Dove” above them as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which flies into the hearts of each apostle, and they suddenly remember everything and are filled with the peace of God.

Make sure you link every picture with the one following it. If you take the time to get the picture in your head, your mind will do the rest if you’ve taken the time to study the chapter.

Quick phonetic alphabet review: 0=S or Z; 1=t, or d; 2=N; 3=M; 4=R; 5=L; 6=J,sh,ch; 7=K or hard g; 8=F or V; and 9=P or b. All vowels, and w, h and y are fillers. Example: “95” could be represented by PauL, or BaiLey, or PaiL, with the consonant sounds representing the numbers, and the vowels fillers.


Before The Wrath