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Chapter 96

Seven Promises

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me…But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.”

(John 14:1-31)

All the promises of God are in Christ Jesus; and all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are sure promises. They are all “yea and amen.” Here in John 14 we have seven of God’s great yea and amen promises that fell from the lips of our blessed Savior just before he died as our sin-atoning Substitute at Calvary. Grace was poured into his lips when he stood forth as our covenant Surety before the world was made (Psalms 45:2); and grace poured out of his lips as he prepared his disciples for the troubles they would face in this world.

Everything in this blessed chapter is intended by our dear Savior to comfort our hearts, strengthen our souls, and steady our spirits in a world of woe. May God the Holy Spirit graciously write them upon our hearts.

1. Our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is coming again (vv. 1-3).

I find it delightful that the very first thing our Redeemer promised his disciples, after telling them that he was going away, was “I will come again!” He was going away to die for us, to obtain eternal redemption for us, to prepare a place for us, to be our Advocate and High Priest in heaven, to make intercession for us, going away to save all his chosen, blood bought people by the power of his grace. But the very first thing our Redeemer promised his disciples, after telling them that he was going away, was “I will come again!”

“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.”

“I will come again and receive you unto myself.” — Christ will not wait for us to come up to him. He will come down to us, to raise us from our graves and escort us to our heavenly home. As Joseph came to meet Jacob, so the Lord Jesus will come to call his people together and guide us to our eternal inheritance in heaven. O Spirit of God, give us grace ever to live in the immediate expectation of our Savior’s glorious second advent, anticipating the fulfilment of that “blessed hope,” the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

2. There is a way to God, a way to heaven, a way to eternal life and salvation (vv. 4-11).

There is a sure way of salvation for poor, needy sinners; and that Way is Christ himself. Jesus Christ himself is Salvation (vv. 4-11).

“And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.”

Christ is the Way. Without him there’s no going. He is the Way, not a way, the Way of salvation. Salvation is by his obedience alone. Salvation is by his death alone. Salvation is by his grace alone. — “Salvation is of the Lord!”

Christ is the Truth. Without him there’s no knowing. He alone is the Truth, the very embodiment of all Truth. He alone reveals the Truth. He alone makes God known to men. And he alone is faithful and true.

Christ is the Life. Without him there’s no living. Christ is the Author and Giver of life: natural, spiritual, and eternal. He is the only Way of life, “the living way.” He always has been, and ever will be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All who are in the Way, know the Truth, and have the Life. None shall ever be put out of the Way. None shall ever depart from the Truth. And none shall ever die who have the Life!

“No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” — Christ is the only way of access to the Father. There is no coming to God by your works. There is no coming to God by religious duties and ceremonies. There is no coming to God without a Mediator; and the only Mediator between God and man is the man Christ Jesus.

3. The Lord Jesus promises us that his cause in this world is never in jeopardy.

The purpose of God never alters. The cause of God is never injured. The Church of God is always safe. And the glory of God is always sure (vv. 12-14).

“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. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

As if to endear himself yet the more to our hearts and to convince us that his whole heart and soul is ours (Jeremiah 32:41), our Lord Jesus urges us to continually send our hearts’ desires and prayers to him in heaven, that he might present them to his and our Father (Hebrews 4:16). And he assures us, that whatsoever we should ask the Father in his name he will do it for us, that the Father might be glorified in the Son. — What a promise!

He who is possessed by the desire that God may be glorified has in this assurance a wondrous promise before him of successful, effectual prayer. To pray in Christ’s name is to identify ourselves with him who ever seeks the fulfillment of the will and purpose of God. Such prayer is always effectual prayer.

4. God the Holy Spirit will abide with us, dwell in us, keep us, and comfort us forever.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. 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” (vv. 15-17).

5. Throughout the days of our sojourn through this vale of tears, our blessed Savior has promised that he will come to us with his all-sufficient grace.

This is the promise set before us in verses 18-24.

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” — The Son of God promises to come to each of his elect in the power of his saving grace and to come to every believing sinner, every sinner saved by his grace, in restoring mercy when he falls, reviving grace when his soul languishes, and sufficient grace as needed. Then he says, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me.” We see him by faith, through the eyes of faith he created in us, and by the light he gives us. And then our dear Savior declares, “Because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” — O blessed, wondrous, indescribable union!

6. Our Savior promises us that God the Holy Spirit, the Divine Comforter, will be our Teacher.

“These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 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” (vv. 25-26).

He comforts us by teaching us all things, by giving us the mind of Christ, by giving us spiritual understanding, by bringing to our remembrance the sweet revelations of grace in the Gospel (Isaiah 40:1-2).

7. The Son of God has promised to keep us in peace.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father” (vv. 27-28).

If they had known, how they would have rejoiced! He was going to the Father as our Surety and Savior, as our God-man Mediator, as Jehovah’s Righteous Servant, having accomplish all his covenant engagements, to obtain eternal redemption by his blood! — Read on…

“For my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence” (vv. 28-31).

Blessed Lord Jesus, almighty Preacher, give us grace to sit at Your feet and hear by faith Your sweet, omnipotent voice in this great message, in each of these great promises. Graciously cause them to sink deep into our hearts. You are indeed the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. By You alone we have access to God. We own none but You. We claim none but you. We plead none but You.

Thank You, blessed Savior, for the gift of Your Spirit, God our Comforter! Thank you, O Holy Ghost, for constantly showing us the things of Christ, for constantly reminding us of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, for constantly turning us to Him, even as we turn ourselves from Him! Thank You for sealing us with Your grace and never leaving us.

O Father of mercies, God of all grace, we bless and praise Your holy name forever for Your free, everlasting love by which You have given us Your dear Son and all the grace of Your Holy Spirit. — “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s