#1523 John 14 Part 6 He Has Nothing In Me

 

25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Advocate, 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 said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. John 14: 25-31 LSB

John 14: 25-31

V. 25 These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you - He has been teaching them for three years, and most recently, in this context, He has spoken to them about His word, and that His word is not His own, but the Father's Who sent Him. Jesus has made it clear that if they love Him they will keep His word, and yet there still seems, well, more than seems, to be some uncertainty among His disciples. 

18I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He. 20Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”… John 13: 18-20

V. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit - This leaves no doubt as to the identity of the Comforter. He is the third person of the Trinity, present at Jesus' conception, present at His Baptism.

…38Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ” 39 He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. 40On hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.”… John 7: 38-40

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.… Matthew 1: 18-20

…10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”… Matthew 3: 10-12

…18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”… Matthew 28: 18-20

More from John 1

V. 26b Whom the Father will send in My name - There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. 

…48You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50When Jesus had led them out as far as Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them.… Luke 24: 48-50

…14He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. 15Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you. 16In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me.”… John 16: 14-16

…5Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ— not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify:…

8the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement. 9Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.…

…11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.… 1 John 5: 5-13

V. 26c He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you - Three years, and that is a lot of ministry, a lot of miracles, and spectacular teaching, much of which has gone over their heads. There is an aspect of this that applies to all believers. You need the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to come alive, to hear, to walk in the Way. The other side of this is that things that were not clear to the disciples when Jesus first said them, like why He has to die, Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, the Holy Spirit will bring deep, rich understanding of this. They also found themselves to be cowards at Jesus death, but the Holy Spirit will draw them back and empower their ministry. He will also bring back to their memory all that happened, perfectly, for the recording of Holy Scripture, the foundation of the Church's teaching. 

…10But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.…

13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.… 1 Corinthians 2: 10-14

…20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. 21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1: 20-21

The Helper (parakletos KJV = Comforter), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name - In My Name signifies all that Jesus is and would include in His authority and in a sense in His place. In other words, the Spirit was the officially designated representative of Jesus. As quoted earlier G. Campbell Morgan referred to the Spirit as "the other Jesus." The disciples would soon experience Jesus' absence and a period of fear and uncertainty. This promise of "another Helper" just like Jesus had been (Jn 14:16+) would (should) have been very encouraging.

Note that here it is the Father Who will send the Spirit but in Jn 15:26 Jesus says "I will send (THE SPIRIT) to you from the Father." We clearly see the intimate interaction of the Trinity in these passages.

Merrill Tenney writes "Just as Jesus himself demonstrated the personality and character of God to men, so after his departure the Holy Spirit would make the living Christ real to his followers." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)

David Guzik on in My Name - Will send in My name: The Holy Spirit is sent to the disciples on the merits of Jesus and in the nature, the character of Jesus. “The Spirit would be Jesus’ officially designated representative to act in his behalf.” (Tenney).... There is something general in this promise for every believer. The Holy Spirit teaches us and brings God’s word to our remembrance (if we are careful to receive it). Yet the fullness of this promise was reserved for those first-generation disciples and apostles, upon whom Jesus established the church (Ephesians 2:20). - Precept Austin

V. 27 Peace I leave with you - The world's peace is always temporal; it can never last. Knowing that Jesus died for our sins, and has risen to glory brings great peace. Knowing that He is sovereign over all that occurs is the sort of peace that can be found even in the throws of life's greatest storms. 

…15until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest. 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field. 17The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.… Isaiah 32: 15-17

…32“Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” John 16: 32-33

V. 28 If you loved Me you would have rejoiced - Separation anxiety is understandable, missing your friend is understandable, but once we realize the truth of God, the gift of salvation, and we know that our loved ones believe, well then it is with great joy that we ponder them no longer being sojourners, but home. 

V. 28b For the Father is greater than I - Many of the cults thinks this verse gives them credence to suggest that Christ was only a man, or that He was an angel, but it misses the Trinitarian context that is throughout all of John's gospel. He has made it clear that, "I and the Father are One, if you have seen Me then you have seen the Father". He has mentioned in this chapter that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in His name, and in chapters 15 and 16, Jesus says that He will send the Holy Spirit.

…6Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things. 7But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:… John 16: 6-8

…25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’ 26When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father— He will testify about Me. 27And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.… John 15: 25-27

The Father is greater than I speaks of Jesus' emptying and incarnation, but does not detract from the essence of Jesus and the Father. (See more discussion of this statement below)

Merrill Tenney - The statement "the Father is greater than I" refers to position rather than essence. Jesus was speaking from the standpoint of his humanity, the incarnate state he assumed in order to fulfill the purposes of redemption. (Ibid)

Norman Geisler - (When Cultists Ask) JOHN 14:28—Did Jesus think of himself as less than God?

MISINTERPRETATION: Jesus said in John 14:28, “The Father is greater than I.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses say this verse proves that Jesus is a lesser god than the Father. Because Jehovah is “greater” than Jesus, Jesus cannot be God Almighty (Let God Be True, 1946, 110).

According to Christian Science, this verse proves that “Christ is not God, but an impartation of Him,” just as “one ray of light is light, and it is one with light, but it is not the full-orbed sun” (Eddy, 1901, 8).

PROBLEM: Orthodox Christianity confesses Jesus is both fully man and fully God. Yet Jesus said in John 14:28 , “My Father is greater than I.” How can the Father be greater if Jesus is equal to God?

SOLUTION: The Father is greater than the Son by office, but not by nature, since both are God (see John 1:1 ; 8:58 ; 10:30 ). Just as an earthly father is equally human with, but holds a higher office than, his son, even so the Father and the Son in the Trinity are equal in essence, but different in function. In like manner, we speak of the president of our country as being a greater man, not by virtue of his character, but by virtue of his position. Therefore, Jesus cannot ever be said to say that He considered Himself anything less than God by nature. The following summary helps to crystalize the differences: Precept Austin

JESUS IS EQUAL TO THE FATHER	THE FATHER IS GREATER THAN JESUS
In essence	In function
In nature	In office
In character	In position

V. 29 So that when it happens you may believe - Just like prophecy, He says what will take place and they will remember that He said this, and so when it occurs they are strengthened in their faith and in the knowledge that nothing occurs outside His sovereignty. 

V. 30 And he has nothing in Me - Jesus is without sin, and so He does not fall under Satan's rule. There is nothing inside of Jesus for Satan to grab hold of, all his temptations of the Son of God end in failure. Since there is no sin then death also has no permanent grasp upon Jesus. The wages of sin is death, and so Christ pays my wages on the cross, but He is without sin and the eternal God, so His life cannot be permanently taken from Him because He has done nothing to earn the wage. When you think of it this way, that God is infinite, and so infinite in His holiness and all of His divine nature, including His justice. It is against this eternal Being, this infinite nature, that man has sinned. Man has been made a responsible being, meaning that there has been, by His Creator, conditions placed upon him, do this and you shall live, or eat of the fruit of this particular tree and you will die. It is man that has sinned, but it is against an infinite being, and so it is man that must pay, but He must be without spot and also be able to take upon Himself the wrath of an infinite Being. He must be of both natures, the God/man, the perfect bridge between God and man, the only possible sacrifice to satisfy the eternal Being. 

V. 31 But so the world may know that I love the Father - He does not go to the cross at the behest of anything but love, since sin and Satan have no claim on Him. 

but so that the world may know that I love (agapao) the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me - Jesus reiterates that His accomplishment of the will of His Father by dying on the Cross, would demonstrate to the world that He loved the Father. Note how Jesus had previously said our love will be shown by our obedience. Now His obedience would demonstrate His love. - Precept Austin

…4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.… Hebrews 10: 4-6