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"If you Love Me
Keep My Commandments"
John 14:15-31 Bible Study

The disciples had many questions. They still did not comprehend Jesus total mission, or that His death on the cross would be a manifestation before the entire world, and (not only for the Jews)

Keep My Commandments

Verses 15: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

"If you love me."  Faith is priceless, and at times may even seem to supersede Love.  Yet the greatest commandment is to love. 

It is love, not faith that fulfills all the commandments. In 1 Cor. 13:2, Paul said, though one might have all faith, he would yet find it worthless without love.

"The disciples of Christ are required to show that they are attached to him supremely by yielding to all his requirements, and by patiently doing his will in the face of ridicule and opposition"   "Barnes' Notes on the New Testament."

Verses 16: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever," 

This is one of the first statements indicating that the Holy Spirit would indwell the Believer. 

Verse 17: "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

The disciples would recognize the Holy Spirit because He already dwelled with them, in Jesus. They had seen Jesus identified with the Holy Spirit on many occasions, such as, the descending dove at his baptism.

The concept of the Holy Spirit indwelling the disciples affirmed from the very first; however, those who have not been born-again cannot receive the Spirit, nor are they capable of seeing or recognizing Him

Verses-18-19: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

In the Old Testament, orphans were powerless and needed a legal defender. It is in this context that Jesus comes to them and leaves His presence in them by the Holy Spirit.

"I will come to you," is not speaking of the second coming, but of His coming to His followers in the form of the Holy Spirit.


Verse 19: "Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live."

This is a prophetic statement concerning the resurrection. Just as Jesus died, was buried and then resurrected, so do we, symbolically die, are buried, and resurrected in baptism. And we will live in eternity with Him.

Verse 20: "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you."

On that day it will all come together. Believers will understand what it means to be at one with the Father and the Son.

You in me:" We are perfected in Christ. Other than seeking Christ and becoming born-again, there is nothing a sinner can do to be accounted righteous in the sight of God.

The identification of Believers with Christ is the same as the identification of Christ with God. God is in Christ; Christ is in God; Christ is in those who have been born again, and they in Christ.

The loss of personal identity to find justification, was what Jesus was referring to when He said: "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it," (Matt 10:39).

Verse 21: "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

Keeping Jesus' commandments is an indication of our love for Him.

This is very similar to verse 15 with Christ's loving whom the Father loves, and the Father's loving them that love Christ.

"Manifest myself to him:" Israel believed, and rightly so, that God had given them a special revelation in the Law that the nations of the world did not have.

Verse 22: "Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

This is not the Judas who betrayed Jesus, but, is believed to be Thaddeus. We don't hear much about Thaddeus, but Bible background sources tell us he is the one who brought the Gospel to Armenia. (A small country located south of Russia, near the Black Sea).

So, Thaddeus wants to know how it is that they would be able to recognize Jesus, and the world could not. 

According to John 3:16, Jesus' death was for all the world.

Verse 23: "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."

Jewish teachers taught that God's presence resided in a unique form among those who studied His Law. 

That God dwelt in His temple and among His people, was standard Old Testament teaching. His laws were written in the hearts of His faithful, and His Spirit moved among His prophets.

Verse 24: "Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me."

This is a repeat of what Jesus had been teaching in John 12:14-15. John 14:23.

There were numerous occasions, where Jesus was forced to repeat what He had previously taught. 

The disciples were confused because they did not understand the true nature of Christ's Kingdom; a misunderstanding that would not be cleared up until after Pentecost.

Verse 25-26: "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26But 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."

Jesus, realizing the human weaknesses, again promises the Holy Spirit, and tells them the Holy Spirit will not only teach but will also bring remembrance and comprehension to His sometimes difficult to understand doctrines.

Verse 27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus speaks these incredible Words of peace squarely in the middle of the greatest storm of evil ever to appear on earth. Later, we see Paul expressing this kind of peace while writing from a dungeon in Rome.

This is the peace described in, Philippians 4:7  that "passes understanding." There is no logical way to explain the peace received from Christ.

Verses 28-29: "You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe."

Jesus was strengthening and comforting his disciples. Attempting to help the disciples to understand He begins by telling them the Father is greater than He, and that He will be crucified, and after that will come His resurrection and ascension to the Father. 

He wanted them to know these things, so that when it happened they would remember and believe His Words and understand His mission.

Verse 30: "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,"

Satan is, "the ruler of the world." Another similar reference to Satan is John 12:31.

It was impossible for any man to take Jesus life, but Satan had done his best. Then, Jesus announced that no one would take His life; instead, He would lay it down of His own accord, (John 10:17,18). 

Scholars believe that upon hearing these Words, Satan knew he was beaten, and began exhausting every satanic resource to make Jesus' death shameful, repugnant, and humiliating.

Verse 31: "but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here."

Regardless of the pain, shame and suffering, Jesus declared that He would do as the Father had commanded. Then He said, "rise, let us go." 

This concludes our study of, "If You Love Me Keep My Commandments."

Our Next Study Is:

"The True Vine"

Jesus teaches, "that love, and joy are perfected in Him" - the world will hate those who follow Him -  and promises a "Helper," (the Holy Spirit). 

Gospel of John Bible Study, Main Page

Trusting in Jesus, Home Page

If You Love Me Keep My Commandments

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