Written by
Anne
Through the exposure of Judas’ betrayal and the prediction of Peter’s denial, Jesus has made it plain to the disciples that His departure was at hand. To prepare them for the trial ahead, Jesus repeatedly reassures them that He will not leave them alone, but that He will come to them again. Similarly, Jesus — through His love — shows us that we will not be left alone in this uncertain and volatile world. What exactly is His love?
Love: Being Together
John 14:5 — Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
There is a desire to always be near to the person you love. Jesus talks about preparing a place in God’s kingdom for us, and where He is, we will be too. This expresses Jesus’s deep love for believers. If we believe that Jesus is the way, He comforts us by stating that there is no need for our hearts to feel troubled because He is the Way, the Truth and the One who can grant us eternal life.
Love: A Helper Promised
John 14:18 — I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
The promise of the precious Holy Spirit displays Jesus’s love for us. The Holy Spirit not only abides with us forever, but teaches us all things and brings to our remembrance all things that Jesus has told us. The Holy Spirit given to us is special; the world cannot receive Him because they do not know Him — but because we do, He will dwell in us and be with us.
It is also out of Jesus’s love that we have His commandments. His commandments are given to the precious and for our own good. On our part, our love for Christ motivates us to keep His commandments, so that we may reign with Him.
Love: The Gift of His Peace
John 14:27 — Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
How much can listening to our favourite music, delighting in the hobbies we enjoy doing, talking to our closest ones — truly fill up that void within us? Another spring of love from Jesus is the gift of His peace, a kind of peace that even the most exciting things in the world cannot offer.
In life, we are indeed weakened by many things. However, the life we share with God now is a fulfilment of John 14. When we are united to Jesus through love, there is nothing that can take away the hope we have. ‘I will fear no evil, for You are with me.’ — Psalm 23:4.