OCTOBER 2 - Nº 275 John 13:36; 14:1-24; 15:1-17; 17:1-26
When they left the Passover meal, the disciples insisted that they would follow Jesus wherever he went. But as they headed toward the Mount of Olives, Jesus informed them that this was not possible. Later on, they would be able to follow him but not right now. This puzzled and upset the disciples. “Don’t be troubled,” Jesus said. “You need to trust me and my Father. I am going to His house to prepare a place for you to live. But I will return. And when I do, I will take you back with me. You already know the way to get there.” “But we don’t know where you are going,” Thomas answered, “so how can we know the way?” “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can get to my Father’s home except through me,” Jesus responded. Philip then made a huge request. He asked Jesus to show them the Father. He felt that if the disciples could just see God, they would know that everything was going to be okay. Jesus replied, “You have already seen the Father, because you have seen Him at work through me. He is in me, and I am in Him. The words I teach are from Him. The miracles I do are through His power. If you have faith in me, then you have faith in Him. And you will be able to do even more things than I have done. Just pray and ask for whatever you need in my name, and I will answer so that I can bring glory to God.” “If you love me, you will obey me,” Jesus added. Then he made an amazing promise. He said, “I will ask the Father to send you a Helper who will stay with you forever.” He explained that the Holy Spirit would live inside them and be their comforter, their teacher, and their counselor. He would remind them what to say and do. He would also bring them peace so they would not be afraid during difficult times. As they walked up the Mount of Olives, they passed a small vineyard. Jesus may have pointed to some vines. Using them as an illustration he said, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off the branches that don’t bear fruit and they wither up. Then He prunes the branches that do, so they will bear more.” Then Jesus explained, “So if you want to bear fruit, you must remain attached to me. That means you must listen to my words and obey them. If you do, you will experience my love and you will be filled with my joy. I love you so much that I am willing to lay down my life for you. There is no greater love than this! Now I am commanding you to love each other in this same way!” A little while later Jesus looked toward heaven and began to pray. First, he prayed for himself—that as he went through the next several hours, he would bring glory to God. Then he prayed for his disciples—that God would protect them and keep them focused on Him. Finally, he prayed for future believers (us!)—that we would live peacefully with each other in order to share God’s love with the rest of the world.
The main role of a disciple is to bear fruit. And the main evidence of that fruit is love—love for God and for others. If we love God, we will obey His commands. If we obey His commands, we will love others. Is this kind of love evident in your life?
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