Easter 6
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
The Acts 15 passage is the account of Paul and Barnabas going up to Jerusalem to settle the question of whether Gentiles might become Christians without first becoming Jews. It tells of the action of the Jerusalem leaders in sending a letter with Paul and Barnabas to settle the issue. Acts 14:8-18 was dealt with in the (C) reading last week. The Revelation 21:10-14, 22-27 reading tells of John's vision, in the Spirit, of the new Jerusalem whose temple is the Lord God and the Lamb. There is consensus on the John reading in which Jesus emphasizes love and promises the gift of the Holy Spirit as teacher and reminder. Jesus promises his peace and his return after going away.
Commentary
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 (C) (RC)
This passage is part of a larger section of verses 1-35, dealing with the controversy over the admission of Gentiles. The chapter has raised more problems than any other chapter in Acts, and it is not within the range of this commentary to deal with them. The preacher is referred to a critical commentary for a detailed discussion of the problems. There were two issues that needed a ruling from Jerusalem church leaders: (1) the question of whether a purely Gentile Christianity is legitimate, a question which was dealt with in Acts 11:30 and Galatians 2:1-10; and (2) the issue of "approved foods" and the abolition of all ritual restrictions between clean and unclean.
The "some men" of verse 1 are not identified, but they appear to be from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, as verse 5 says. They came "down to Antioch from Judea," indicating this is written from Antioch.
In verse 2 we learn that Paul, Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ask the apostles and elders about the question of Gentile Christians obeying Jewish laws. This probably means that the church at Antioch made the decision to send a deputation to Jerusalem, although in doing this they admitted the last word lay with the Jerusalem church.
In verse 22 Paul is told of the decree in chapter 21:25 as though for the first time. Notice that Paul did not absolutely forbid food offered to idols and he rejected other restrictions on food. The Silas mentioned here may be the same person identified as Silvanus of 2 Corinthians 1:19. In sending the letter mentioned in verse 23, the Jerusalem leaders assert their authority over a wide area, although it is addressed only to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. The reason the letter is addressed as it is and not to Galatia where this particular controversy was raging was that the debate had arisen from a report from Antioch about this question, as noted in verse 2. Paul himself delivers the decree in Galatia, as noted in 16:4.
The letter denounces those Judaizers mentioned in verse 1, individuals who have troubled the readers of the letter, "unsettling your minds." It commends the carriers of the letter as men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Another translation of the Greek word can be "devoted" their lives. Some scholars think these words referred in the original to Judas and Silas and that the mentioning of Barnabas and Paul in verses 25, 26 is an addition by the editor who attributed to this Jerusalem council decrees which actually were issued at a later time.
To prepare the readers for the message of the letter mention is made of the unanimity of the Jerusalem church which, "having come to one accord," sent messengers. The letter affirms the church at Antioch with its high praise of Paul and Barnabas, and finally comes the real thrust of the letter. The leading of the Holy Spirit in the matter is mentioned in order to motivate obedience to the burden of the message. Four non-negotiable demands are made on the disciples:
1. Abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols
2. Abstain from blood
3. Abstain from what has been strangled
4. Abstain from unchastity or fornication often associated with pagan religious rites (as in sacred prostitution, in which the worshiper thought he was being united with the deity by sexually coupling with a temple prostitute.)
Some scholars think it highly unlikely that Paul would have approved of this letter or would have brought it to Antioch. If it is historical and not composed by Luke for his purposes, then it must have been composed after Paul and Barnabas left Jerusalem. There is a hint of this in the very fact that James does not mention them.
In the Bezean text there is added to verse 29 the phrase "going on in the Holy Spirit." Or, it could be translated "under the guidance of the Holy Spirit." This is the heart of the whole matter: not circumcision or uncircumcision, but life in the Spirit or walking in the Spirit is the key to the Christian life.
Revelation 21:10, 22-27 (C)
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 (L) (RC)
The Spirit carried John away to a great, high mountain and showed him the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. Compare the great high mountain here to that mentioned in Ezekiel 40:2. Jubilees declares that the Lord has four places on earth:
1. The Garden of Eden
2. The mount of the east
3. Mount Sinai
4. Mount Zion, which will be sanctified in the new creation for a sanctification of the earth and through which the whole earth will be sanctified from all its guilt and its uncleanness down through all generations (4:26)
This is the setting in verse 10 for what follows in verses 22ff.
In verses 11-14 the New Jerusalem is described. This is omitted in (C) because it was considered distracting from the main message. Notice that the adjective "new" is added in 21:2 but omitted here.
In verse 12 the great, high wall with twelve gates is mentioned. In the world of that time the walls and gates of a city were of critical importance for the safety of the inhabitants, especially during time of war, and also as protection from lawless gangs. In the rooms in the walls meetings of councils were held. The word in classical Greek translated "gates" means gatehouse, porch or gate tower and can also mean the vestibule of a great house, through which one passes from the street into the courtyard.
The angels at the gates symbolize the special protection God gives and may be compared to the cherubim at the Garden of Eden of Genesis 3:24.
The names of the twelve tribes were inscribed on the gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. We are told that each foundation was a hefty oblong block like the stones. Similar ones may be seen in the walls of Jerusalem in the lower rows of the Herodian stone work.
The reference to "apostles of the Lamb" looks like a term inserted here since "apostle" occurs only in 2:2, 18:20 and 21:14. The sentence structure also points to this being added. Note carefully the omission of any reference to Jesus. All the temple references in the epistles, except in 2 Corinthians 6:14--7:7, have a Christological orientation.
In verses 22-23 we learn there is no temple in the city and there is no need for sun or moon because the Presence and Glory of God pervades the whole city. The glory of God is its light and its lamp is the Lamb, says the writer. But the two references to the Lamb in verses 22-23 appear to be added to the text, like that found in verse 14. Reason argues that if the glory of God enlightens the city then there is no need of another lamp, even the lamp of the Lamb. According to this verse the Lamb does not share in the glory of God. Scholars are not agreed upon the part to be played by the Lamb (Messiah) in the New Jerusalem.
In regard to the sun and moon, Isaiah 60:19-20 hints that the splendor of the sun and moon are greatly outshined by the glory of God.
The nations are mentioned in verse 24 and there are two contradictory traditions about the Gentiles and the New Jerusalem. While one tells of the great battle of the nations against the holy city, the other points to a pilgrimage of the Gentiles to Mount Zion, which is regarded as the center of God's redemptive activity for the whole world.
The kings bring their glory - or their magnificence and honor - into the city. The nations will worship God in the new city through gates which are always open. John borrows from an author who predicted the continued existence of the Gentile nations in the new era of God's rule. It is because John uses this source material without adapting it that we find an inconsistency. Notice that according to 19:21, 20:7-10 and 20:12-15 only faithful Christians will survive the events to happen in the last days and the final judgment. However John did not try to remove inconsistencies. Compare verse 27 with 22:14-15, a section which describes those who wash their robes versus the evil doers. Nothing unclean shall enter the city.
Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter and share in the new age of God's perfect rule in New Jerusalem. The Book of Life is the register of God containing the names of the redeemed and is similar to the register kings kept of citizens.
John 14:23-29
This passage is part of a larger section of verses 1-31, dealing with the believer's relation to the glorified Christ. The themes of our passage are: (1) Fellowship with Christ is dependent on love which leads to obedience; (2) The Holy Spirit interprets Christ's teachings, and Jesus imparts his peace; and (3) Jesus foretells his going to the Father, which will be by way of the Cross, Resurrection and Ascension.
Notice that in verse 23 the mystical communion of the believer with God the Father and Jesus the Son involves an ethical fellowship also and is thus not a mere emotional "In the Garden" alone-with-Jesus experience. It requires keeping Jesus' Word. The person who does not love Jesus disregards his words which are also the words of God (7:16-17). In this same verse Jesus emphasizes that God's indwelling with the disciple flows from the Father's love for the disciples of his Son. In John 3:16 we are told that God loved the world so much he gave his only Son. The incarnation and atonement was an act of God's love for the world, and the post-resurrection indwelling of God is a special act of love for Christians. Recall that in verse 2 Jesus spoke of the Father's house with many rooms, a place to which Jesus would take his disciples. Here the emphasis is on the indwelling of the Father and the Son with the believer. This indwelling of God fulfills some of the expectations of the last period. Zechariah had spoken God's word, "For look, I come to dwell in the midst of you." (2:14) While the Jews had expected this indwelling to take place in the Temple, God's house, for John worship is not confined to Mount Gerizim or the Jerusalem Temple but is in Spirit and truth." (4:21-24)
In an oblique way verse 24 deals with the reason why the world cannot see the Father. It refuses to hear the word of Jesus since it does not love Jesus. Augustine has written that "Love separates the saints from the world." Compare the theme in verse 24 with what Jesus said in 12:48-49, where he promised that the word he spoke would condemn the disbeliever on the last day. This happens because the Word cuts the disbeliever off from the source of life that the true disciple of Jesus enjoys.
With verse 25 we begin a discourse in which Jesus shares his final thoughts before his departure. It is difficult to determine where one unit ends in chapter 14 and another begins. Some scholars include verses 25-26 with verses 15-24, using the reference to the Paraclete in verse 26 as an inclusion to the earlier Paraclete section in verses 15-17. But another approach puts verses 25-26 with verses 27-31 since these verses collect the various themes that have been scattered through the whole of the first division of the Last Discourse and Last Supper scene that prefaced it.
This writer takes verses 25-31 as the conclusion of the Last Supper scene. Note that the refrain of verse 25 of Jesus, "I have spoken to you," is used elsewhere in the Last Discourse to introduce other concluding comments. Reflect on the following:
Verse 26 The Paraclete parallels 14:16-17
Verse 27 Do not let your hearts be troubled parallels 14:1
Verse 28 I am going away parallels 14:2
Verse 29 I am coming back to you parallels 14:3
Verse 28 If you loved me (which is not the case) parallels 14:7
Verse 29 I have told you this even before it happens parallels 13:19
In verses 25-26 Jesus promises the sending of the Holy Spirit who will teach them all things and bring to their remembrance all he has said to them. The Paraclete will not speak on his own but will speak only what he hears because he receives from Jesus what he speaks to the disciples. While in 14:16, the first Paraclete passage, it is said that the Father will give the Paraclete at Jesus' request, this passage says that the Father will send the Paraclete in Jesus' name. While these two phrases are related, the phrase "in my name" of verse 26 implies union with Jesus. Appreciate the fact that when the Father acts in Jesus' name the action flows from the union of Father and Son. "In my name" may refer to the conduct of the mission, since the Holy Spirit's mission is the completion of the mission Jesus inaugurated. Consider that Jesus bore God's name because he was the revelation of God to human beings. Now the Spirit is sent in Jesus' name because the Spirit unfolds the meaning of Jesus for human beings. Note that in verse 24 Jesus says that "the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me," and so here in verse 26 the teaching of the Paraclete is not his own but Jesus'.
The themes of peace, joy and security are dealt with in verses 27-31. Like the theme of a music selection, the closing verses of this farewell discourse of Jesus deal with peace, a theme introduced in the opening verse where Jesus tells the disciples "Let not your hearts be troubled." Jesus' gift is peace, not trouble, even though he is going away from them. Jesus doesn't just teach peace, or admonish them to have peace, but he gives peace. How strange that Jesus can give the peace he possessed at that critical moment when death was hanging over his head like Damocles' sword. This was not "positive thinking" or "possibility thinking" or "peace of mind." The preacher would benefit from doing a word study of "peace" in a word book of the Bible.
The disciple who loves the Master can rejoice at his homecoming because he goes to the Father and he can rejoice over the joy this will bring Jesus. While the earthly life of Jesus places restrictions on his activity as God's Son, these will be removed when he returns to the Father. The faith and hope of the disciples will be strengthened.
While Jesus' final separation may shake the disciples' faith, he forewarns them so that their faith may not give way to fear or even despair. One great source of hope for the disciples is Jesus' promise that he is coming back, verse 28. Christians live by hope - hope in the coming again of Jesus at the last Day when he comes to reign as the Prince of Peace.
The Hebrew word for peace, "shalom," means more than absence of conflict. While "shalom" was the salutation of greetings and leave-taking, Jesus says his peace is the gift of salvation. So peace, along with grace, becomes part of the traditional greeting Christians give one another. Although used frequently, the word peace kept its deep religious meaning as found in "Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15). In the Old Testament the messianic king sent by God was to be a prince of peace. Peace is one of the blessings of the souls of the just who are in the hand of God, but for John with his realized eschatology peace is enjoyed by Christians even during this life. Such peace is a divine gift.
Theological Reflections
The theological thrust of the Acts 15 passage is that Gentiles need not obey Jewish laws in order to become Christians; instead, a few simple rules are given. The church leaders felt led by the Holy Spirit in setting forth these rules, and the Bezean text adds that the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the key to Christian living, not circumcision or uncircumcism. In the Revelation reading, John has a vision on a high mountain of the holy city Jerusalem that did not need a temple since the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are in it. The glory of God and the lamp of the Lamb give it light and its gates are never shut, and there is no night there. While nothing unclean will be allowed inside, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be allowed inside. In the reading from John the writer stresses that fellowship with Christ is dependent upon love which issues in obedience, the Holy Spirit interprets Christ's teachings, and Jesus imparts his peace. He promises that he will come again even though he is going away to the Father (by way of the cross and resurrection).
Homiletical Moves
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 (C) (RC)
The Church Becomes Inclusive of Gentiles
1. Some were teaching the Gentiles that unless they were circumcised according to Mosaic law they could not be saved
2. The Antioch church sent representatives to Jerusalem to ask for the question to be settled by the apostles and elders there
3. The Jerusalem leaders sent a letter saying that their decision was united and was led by the Holy Spirit: they included Gentiles in the church, provided they did four necessary things (v. 29)
4. The Christian life is thus not a matter of laws but of living in the Spirit; let us seek to follow the Spirit's leading in our daily living
Revelation 21:10, 22-27 (C)
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 (L) (RC)
The Glory of the Lord is the Light of the New Jerusalem
1. John saw a vision of the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God with a great high wall and gates and twelve angels to guard it
2. There was no temple in the city for the Lord God and the Lamb (Christ) were in it and gave it light
3. By the light of the city shall the nations walk and its gates shall never be shut
4. Nothing unclean shall enter the city, but only those persons whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life
This Preacher's Preference
John 14:23-29
Jesus Gives His Peace to the Disciples
1. If a person loves Jesus and keeps his word then God the Father and the risen Christ will come and make their home with that person
2. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father in Jesus' name to teach the disciples all things and bring to remembrance all Jesus said to them
3. Jesus gives his peace to his disciples
4. Jesus foretells his going away, which should be cause for their rejoicing (because he goes to the Father), and he will come again
5. Believe in the risen Christ who gives peace and who is coming again at the End
6. Love the risen Christ, obey his words and the Father will love you and come with the Son to dwell with you always
In building this sermon the preacher may want to contrast the world's peace with the peace Jesus gives. This contrast can be the dynamic tension of the sermon.
Hymn for Easter 6: Praise the Lord! You Heavens Adore Him
Prayer
Loving God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that you will come anew to dwell in our hearts by the power of the Spirit. Forgive us when we have excluded those who are of a different race, or thought of the Christian faith as a legalistic religion. Give us a version of the New Jerusalem in which the glory of God is the light. May our names be found written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Amen
The Acts 15 passage is the account of Paul and Barnabas going up to Jerusalem to settle the question of whether Gentiles might become Christians without first becoming Jews. It tells of the action of the Jerusalem leaders in sending a letter with Paul and Barnabas to settle the issue. Acts 14:8-18 was dealt with in the (C) reading last week. The Revelation 21:10-14, 22-27 reading tells of John's vision, in the Spirit, of the new Jerusalem whose temple is the Lord God and the Lamb. There is consensus on the John reading in which Jesus emphasizes love and promises the gift of the Holy Spirit as teacher and reminder. Jesus promises his peace and his return after going away.
Commentary
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 (C) (RC)
This passage is part of a larger section of verses 1-35, dealing with the controversy over the admission of Gentiles. The chapter has raised more problems than any other chapter in Acts, and it is not within the range of this commentary to deal with them. The preacher is referred to a critical commentary for a detailed discussion of the problems. There were two issues that needed a ruling from Jerusalem church leaders: (1) the question of whether a purely Gentile Christianity is legitimate, a question which was dealt with in Acts 11:30 and Galatians 2:1-10; and (2) the issue of "approved foods" and the abolition of all ritual restrictions between clean and unclean.
The "some men" of verse 1 are not identified, but they appear to be from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, as verse 5 says. They came "down to Antioch from Judea," indicating this is written from Antioch.
In verse 2 we learn that Paul, Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ask the apostles and elders about the question of Gentile Christians obeying Jewish laws. This probably means that the church at Antioch made the decision to send a deputation to Jerusalem, although in doing this they admitted the last word lay with the Jerusalem church.
In verse 22 Paul is told of the decree in chapter 21:25 as though for the first time. Notice that Paul did not absolutely forbid food offered to idols and he rejected other restrictions on food. The Silas mentioned here may be the same person identified as Silvanus of 2 Corinthians 1:19. In sending the letter mentioned in verse 23, the Jerusalem leaders assert their authority over a wide area, although it is addressed only to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. The reason the letter is addressed as it is and not to Galatia where this particular controversy was raging was that the debate had arisen from a report from Antioch about this question, as noted in verse 2. Paul himself delivers the decree in Galatia, as noted in 16:4.
The letter denounces those Judaizers mentioned in verse 1, individuals who have troubled the readers of the letter, "unsettling your minds." It commends the carriers of the letter as men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Another translation of the Greek word can be "devoted" their lives. Some scholars think these words referred in the original to Judas and Silas and that the mentioning of Barnabas and Paul in verses 25, 26 is an addition by the editor who attributed to this Jerusalem council decrees which actually were issued at a later time.
To prepare the readers for the message of the letter mention is made of the unanimity of the Jerusalem church which, "having come to one accord," sent messengers. The letter affirms the church at Antioch with its high praise of Paul and Barnabas, and finally comes the real thrust of the letter. The leading of the Holy Spirit in the matter is mentioned in order to motivate obedience to the burden of the message. Four non-negotiable demands are made on the disciples:
1. Abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols
2. Abstain from blood
3. Abstain from what has been strangled
4. Abstain from unchastity or fornication often associated with pagan religious rites (as in sacred prostitution, in which the worshiper thought he was being united with the deity by sexually coupling with a temple prostitute.)
Some scholars think it highly unlikely that Paul would have approved of this letter or would have brought it to Antioch. If it is historical and not composed by Luke for his purposes, then it must have been composed after Paul and Barnabas left Jerusalem. There is a hint of this in the very fact that James does not mention them.
In the Bezean text there is added to verse 29 the phrase "going on in the Holy Spirit." Or, it could be translated "under the guidance of the Holy Spirit." This is the heart of the whole matter: not circumcision or uncircumcision, but life in the Spirit or walking in the Spirit is the key to the Christian life.
Revelation 21:10, 22-27 (C)
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 (L) (RC)
The Spirit carried John away to a great, high mountain and showed him the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. Compare the great high mountain here to that mentioned in Ezekiel 40:2. Jubilees declares that the Lord has four places on earth:
1. The Garden of Eden
2. The mount of the east
3. Mount Sinai
4. Mount Zion, which will be sanctified in the new creation for a sanctification of the earth and through which the whole earth will be sanctified from all its guilt and its uncleanness down through all generations (4:26)
This is the setting in verse 10 for what follows in verses 22ff.
In verses 11-14 the New Jerusalem is described. This is omitted in (C) because it was considered distracting from the main message. Notice that the adjective "new" is added in 21:2 but omitted here.
In verse 12 the great, high wall with twelve gates is mentioned. In the world of that time the walls and gates of a city were of critical importance for the safety of the inhabitants, especially during time of war, and also as protection from lawless gangs. In the rooms in the walls meetings of councils were held. The word in classical Greek translated "gates" means gatehouse, porch or gate tower and can also mean the vestibule of a great house, through which one passes from the street into the courtyard.
The angels at the gates symbolize the special protection God gives and may be compared to the cherubim at the Garden of Eden of Genesis 3:24.
The names of the twelve tribes were inscribed on the gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. We are told that each foundation was a hefty oblong block like the stones. Similar ones may be seen in the walls of Jerusalem in the lower rows of the Herodian stone work.
The reference to "apostles of the Lamb" looks like a term inserted here since "apostle" occurs only in 2:2, 18:20 and 21:14. The sentence structure also points to this being added. Note carefully the omission of any reference to Jesus. All the temple references in the epistles, except in 2 Corinthians 6:14--7:7, have a Christological orientation.
In verses 22-23 we learn there is no temple in the city and there is no need for sun or moon because the Presence and Glory of God pervades the whole city. The glory of God is its light and its lamp is the Lamb, says the writer. But the two references to the Lamb in verses 22-23 appear to be added to the text, like that found in verse 14. Reason argues that if the glory of God enlightens the city then there is no need of another lamp, even the lamp of the Lamb. According to this verse the Lamb does not share in the glory of God. Scholars are not agreed upon the part to be played by the Lamb (Messiah) in the New Jerusalem.
In regard to the sun and moon, Isaiah 60:19-20 hints that the splendor of the sun and moon are greatly outshined by the glory of God.
The nations are mentioned in verse 24 and there are two contradictory traditions about the Gentiles and the New Jerusalem. While one tells of the great battle of the nations against the holy city, the other points to a pilgrimage of the Gentiles to Mount Zion, which is regarded as the center of God's redemptive activity for the whole world.
The kings bring their glory - or their magnificence and honor - into the city. The nations will worship God in the new city through gates which are always open. John borrows from an author who predicted the continued existence of the Gentile nations in the new era of God's rule. It is because John uses this source material without adapting it that we find an inconsistency. Notice that according to 19:21, 20:7-10 and 20:12-15 only faithful Christians will survive the events to happen in the last days and the final judgment. However John did not try to remove inconsistencies. Compare verse 27 with 22:14-15, a section which describes those who wash their robes versus the evil doers. Nothing unclean shall enter the city.
Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter and share in the new age of God's perfect rule in New Jerusalem. The Book of Life is the register of God containing the names of the redeemed and is similar to the register kings kept of citizens.
John 14:23-29
This passage is part of a larger section of verses 1-31, dealing with the believer's relation to the glorified Christ. The themes of our passage are: (1) Fellowship with Christ is dependent on love which leads to obedience; (2) The Holy Spirit interprets Christ's teachings, and Jesus imparts his peace; and (3) Jesus foretells his going to the Father, which will be by way of the Cross, Resurrection and Ascension.
Notice that in verse 23 the mystical communion of the believer with God the Father and Jesus the Son involves an ethical fellowship also and is thus not a mere emotional "In the Garden" alone-with-Jesus experience. It requires keeping Jesus' Word. The person who does not love Jesus disregards his words which are also the words of God (7:16-17). In this same verse Jesus emphasizes that God's indwelling with the disciple flows from the Father's love for the disciples of his Son. In John 3:16 we are told that God loved the world so much he gave his only Son. The incarnation and atonement was an act of God's love for the world, and the post-resurrection indwelling of God is a special act of love for Christians. Recall that in verse 2 Jesus spoke of the Father's house with many rooms, a place to which Jesus would take his disciples. Here the emphasis is on the indwelling of the Father and the Son with the believer. This indwelling of God fulfills some of the expectations of the last period. Zechariah had spoken God's word, "For look, I come to dwell in the midst of you." (2:14) While the Jews had expected this indwelling to take place in the Temple, God's house, for John worship is not confined to Mount Gerizim or the Jerusalem Temple but is in Spirit and truth." (4:21-24)
In an oblique way verse 24 deals with the reason why the world cannot see the Father. It refuses to hear the word of Jesus since it does not love Jesus. Augustine has written that "Love separates the saints from the world." Compare the theme in verse 24 with what Jesus said in 12:48-49, where he promised that the word he spoke would condemn the disbeliever on the last day. This happens because the Word cuts the disbeliever off from the source of life that the true disciple of Jesus enjoys.
With verse 25 we begin a discourse in which Jesus shares his final thoughts before his departure. It is difficult to determine where one unit ends in chapter 14 and another begins. Some scholars include verses 25-26 with verses 15-24, using the reference to the Paraclete in verse 26 as an inclusion to the earlier Paraclete section in verses 15-17. But another approach puts verses 25-26 with verses 27-31 since these verses collect the various themes that have been scattered through the whole of the first division of the Last Discourse and Last Supper scene that prefaced it.
This writer takes verses 25-31 as the conclusion of the Last Supper scene. Note that the refrain of verse 25 of Jesus, "I have spoken to you," is used elsewhere in the Last Discourse to introduce other concluding comments. Reflect on the following:
Verse 26 The Paraclete parallels 14:16-17
Verse 27 Do not let your hearts be troubled parallels 14:1
Verse 28 I am going away parallels 14:2
Verse 29 I am coming back to you parallels 14:3
Verse 28 If you loved me (which is not the case) parallels 14:7
Verse 29 I have told you this even before it happens parallels 13:19
In verses 25-26 Jesus promises the sending of the Holy Spirit who will teach them all things and bring to their remembrance all he has said to them. The Paraclete will not speak on his own but will speak only what he hears because he receives from Jesus what he speaks to the disciples. While in 14:16, the first Paraclete passage, it is said that the Father will give the Paraclete at Jesus' request, this passage says that the Father will send the Paraclete in Jesus' name. While these two phrases are related, the phrase "in my name" of verse 26 implies union with Jesus. Appreciate the fact that when the Father acts in Jesus' name the action flows from the union of Father and Son. "In my name" may refer to the conduct of the mission, since the Holy Spirit's mission is the completion of the mission Jesus inaugurated. Consider that Jesus bore God's name because he was the revelation of God to human beings. Now the Spirit is sent in Jesus' name because the Spirit unfolds the meaning of Jesus for human beings. Note that in verse 24 Jesus says that "the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me," and so here in verse 26 the teaching of the Paraclete is not his own but Jesus'.
The themes of peace, joy and security are dealt with in verses 27-31. Like the theme of a music selection, the closing verses of this farewell discourse of Jesus deal with peace, a theme introduced in the opening verse where Jesus tells the disciples "Let not your hearts be troubled." Jesus' gift is peace, not trouble, even though he is going away from them. Jesus doesn't just teach peace, or admonish them to have peace, but he gives peace. How strange that Jesus can give the peace he possessed at that critical moment when death was hanging over his head like Damocles' sword. This was not "positive thinking" or "possibility thinking" or "peace of mind." The preacher would benefit from doing a word study of "peace" in a word book of the Bible.
The disciple who loves the Master can rejoice at his homecoming because he goes to the Father and he can rejoice over the joy this will bring Jesus. While the earthly life of Jesus places restrictions on his activity as God's Son, these will be removed when he returns to the Father. The faith and hope of the disciples will be strengthened.
While Jesus' final separation may shake the disciples' faith, he forewarns them so that their faith may not give way to fear or even despair. One great source of hope for the disciples is Jesus' promise that he is coming back, verse 28. Christians live by hope - hope in the coming again of Jesus at the last Day when he comes to reign as the Prince of Peace.
The Hebrew word for peace, "shalom," means more than absence of conflict. While "shalom" was the salutation of greetings and leave-taking, Jesus says his peace is the gift of salvation. So peace, along with grace, becomes part of the traditional greeting Christians give one another. Although used frequently, the word peace kept its deep religious meaning as found in "Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15). In the Old Testament the messianic king sent by God was to be a prince of peace. Peace is one of the blessings of the souls of the just who are in the hand of God, but for John with his realized eschatology peace is enjoyed by Christians even during this life. Such peace is a divine gift.
Theological Reflections
The theological thrust of the Acts 15 passage is that Gentiles need not obey Jewish laws in order to become Christians; instead, a few simple rules are given. The church leaders felt led by the Holy Spirit in setting forth these rules, and the Bezean text adds that the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the key to Christian living, not circumcision or uncircumcism. In the Revelation reading, John has a vision on a high mountain of the holy city Jerusalem that did not need a temple since the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are in it. The glory of God and the lamp of the Lamb give it light and its gates are never shut, and there is no night there. While nothing unclean will be allowed inside, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be allowed inside. In the reading from John the writer stresses that fellowship with Christ is dependent upon love which issues in obedience, the Holy Spirit interprets Christ's teachings, and Jesus imparts his peace. He promises that he will come again even though he is going away to the Father (by way of the cross and resurrection).
Homiletical Moves
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 (C) (RC)
The Church Becomes Inclusive of Gentiles
1. Some were teaching the Gentiles that unless they were circumcised according to Mosaic law they could not be saved
2. The Antioch church sent representatives to Jerusalem to ask for the question to be settled by the apostles and elders there
3. The Jerusalem leaders sent a letter saying that their decision was united and was led by the Holy Spirit: they included Gentiles in the church, provided they did four necessary things (v. 29)
4. The Christian life is thus not a matter of laws but of living in the Spirit; let us seek to follow the Spirit's leading in our daily living
Revelation 21:10, 22-27 (C)
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 (L) (RC)
The Glory of the Lord is the Light of the New Jerusalem
1. John saw a vision of the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God with a great high wall and gates and twelve angels to guard it
2. There was no temple in the city for the Lord God and the Lamb (Christ) were in it and gave it light
3. By the light of the city shall the nations walk and its gates shall never be shut
4. Nothing unclean shall enter the city, but only those persons whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life
This Preacher's Preference
John 14:23-29
Jesus Gives His Peace to the Disciples
1. If a person loves Jesus and keeps his word then God the Father and the risen Christ will come and make their home with that person
2. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father in Jesus' name to teach the disciples all things and bring to remembrance all Jesus said to them
3. Jesus gives his peace to his disciples
4. Jesus foretells his going away, which should be cause for their rejoicing (because he goes to the Father), and he will come again
5. Believe in the risen Christ who gives peace and who is coming again at the End
6. Love the risen Christ, obey his words and the Father will love you and come with the Son to dwell with you always
In building this sermon the preacher may want to contrast the world's peace with the peace Jesus gives. This contrast can be the dynamic tension of the sermon.
Hymn for Easter 6: Praise the Lord! You Heavens Adore Him
Prayer
Loving God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that you will come anew to dwell in our hearts by the power of the Spirit. Forgive us when we have excluded those who are of a different race, or thought of the Christian faith as a legalistic religion. Give us a version of the New Jerusalem in which the glory of God is the light. May our names be found written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Amen
