"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things
to your remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you" John 14:26

The disciples had almost forgotten about the
Holy Spirit and Jesus had to remind them.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide
with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you. I will not leave you confort-
less: I will come to you" John 14:16-18

Jesus knew that all He had said to His disciples
was a big mystery to them. They didn't know
how they could do the things He had done; OR
how He was going to be able to do these thing
for them after He was gone.

Jesus then let them in on a secret. John the
Baptist had fortold that Christ when He would
come would baptize them in the HOLY SPIRIT!

How were the disciples to do these works of
Jesus and even greater than He had done?

The secret was in that Name!

They were to be given power of authority to
do what He had done. They were to act in His
stead [place] that is in His Name:
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified
in the Son" John 14:13

"Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and
greater works than these shall he do; because I
go unto my Father" John 14:12

These words must have seemed unreal to the
disciples. Sure, they had seen with their own eyes
the miracles that Jesus did. No man had ever done
these works before.

Now Jesus was telling them that they would do
them and all believers would be able to do what
He was doing! And even greater works they would
do!

Philip, who seemed rather slow in spiritual
understanding said, "Lord, shew us the Father,
and it sufficeth us."

That was a disappointment to Jesus, and He
said to him, if He had been with them so long
and he had not known Him, for "he that hath
seen me hath seen the Father" John 14:9.

Merry Christmas 2010

Jesus told the disciples not to be troubled, they
knew where He was going and the way. But not
Thomas, he didn't know where Jesus was going
nor the way. Apparently he was thinking it was
some earthly way.

Jesus corrected his thinking and showed him
that the way He was speaking of was spiritual.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me" John 14:6

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in me. In my Father's house
are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also"
John 14:1-3

These words are commonly quoted by many
ministers at funerals.

But Jesus told His disciples that He was going
to go and prepare a place for them and then
He would come back to receive them to Him-
self.

Peter became very sullen at Jesus' words and
fell silent. Then Jesus continued on with His
teaching.

He now was about to speak to His disciples as
a dying father might speak to his sad children.

Jesus had prayed for Peter that his faith would
not fail. His prayer would make the difference.

When Peter repented and was fully converted,
would strengthen his brethren.

Later we see Peter in 1 Peter 5:10 doing that
very thing: "But the God of all grace, who hath
called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while, make you
perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you"

Jesus knew that the possibility of Peter becom-
ing His first apostle or a fallen apostle was very
iffy.

He told Peter that Satan had desired to have
him that he might sift him as wheat. "And the
Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath
desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren" Luke 22:31-32

Jesus had just seen a man who had sold himself
to the devil. He sensed Satan was around to
possess and destroy Peter too.

At times Satan did put words into Peter's mouth
so that for an instant he became his spokesman,
"Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him,
saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not
be unto thee.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me:
for thou savourest not the things that be of God,
but those that be of men." Matthew 16:22-23

Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, whither goest thou?"
Jesus explained that he couldn't follow Him now.
but that he would follow him later.

Peter couldn't understand why he couldn't follow
Him then, so he said, "I will lay down my life for
thy sake."

Jesus could have told Peter why, but instead He
told him that when the cock crowed he would
have denied Him three times.

Peter didn't realize what events were at work
to catch him and show him how weak he was.

Jesus began teaching them by giving them a new
commandment of love. He had just seen how a
man full of coveteousness, sell his soul to the devil.

So He told the disciples that they needed a new
commandment. They were not to srive with one
another any more, but should love each other
with the love He had given them.

Read John 13:33-35

Jesus' disciples were nothing but ignorant
fisherman. They weren't heard of except in
their little towns.

But the time was coming that they were to
become patron saints, cathedrals and cities
would be named after them.

All their glory is only the reflection of the One
who sat before them.

After Judas had left the group, the heaviness

seemed to lift and Jesus taught the disciples

some of the deeper truths of His whole ministry.

The time that remained for Him to be with them

was only a few hours. He had to give them all He

could and as much as possible.

We are told that at that moment, "Satan entered
into him. . . . After receiving the sop Judas went
"immediately out: and it was night." John 12:27,
30.

This man had everything going for him but he
chose darkness and evil rather than Him who is
the light of the world.

Judas' name has gone done as one committing the
worst crime in history. Jesus even said, "it would
have been better for that man if he had never
been born" Mark 14:21.

Judas didn't dare to refuse the sop and must of
heard the whispering. He must have known
what Jesus meant. Jesus already knew his
actions and now it was too late.

Judas got up; his heart had to have been full of
rage, greed, anguish and shame, that he had been
discovered. And he must have felt he had to get
out of there before the disciples understood what
Jesus had said.

But before he could go Jesus spoke to him that
they all heard, "That thou doest, do quickly."

The disciples didn't know what to make of Jesus'
announcement of a betrayer. They began to say,
"Master, is it I?"

Peter would have questioned Him but He already
was dumbed by the foot-washing.

John was closer to Jesus so Peter nudged John
to ask whom He meant. John did and Jesus
responded, "He it is to whom I shall give a sop,
when I have dipped it." Then He gave it to Judas.

A while before, Jesus had spoken of His up-
coming betrayal. He told the disciples that
among them was one who would betray Him.

There was a man sitting with them that was to
draw a curse on himself. Jesus said this about
the scripture being fulfilled, "He that eateth
bread with me hath lifed up his heel against
me."

Jesus did the foot-washing to teach His disciples
humility. Jesus who would be raised above the
heavens did the most humblest service.

He warned His disciples not to look for earthly
reward.

His throne and kingdom and mansions did't
pertain to this world.

So He set the pattern of humility Himself; His
disciples were to follow it: Read John 13:13-17.

Jesus said, "Ye are clean, but not all." He was
referring to the traitor who was with them.

Jesus went around washing the feet of each of
them including Judas. He also knew the errand
those feet had taken and still washed and wiped
them.

But for Judas there was no purification of his
dark heart and the devil wasn't cast out by His
touch.

Peter had to give up his way and accept not only
what Jesus wanted but the way He wanted.

A total washing wasn't necessary, only a daily
cleansing of any defilement.

Peter had already experience the baptism of
regeneration and didn't need a total washing
again.

Once Peter had cried, "Depart from me; for I
am a sinful man, O Lord," and "This shall not
be unto thee."

Again, not understanding what Jesus said, he
cried out, "Thou shalt never wash my feet."

Jesus showed him his false humility and said,
If I wash thee not, thou hast not part with me."

With that Peter came around; if that were the
case then "Lord, not my feet only, but also my
hands and my head."