“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3)
When many of us think of “pruning” happening in our lives as Christians, we may immediately of trials that God allows — and they surely may be a part of that process. But here Jesus indicates that His disciples are “clean” — a horticultural term, meaning “pruned” — but He says they are clean BECAUSE OF THE WORD which He spoke to them. In other words, it was His WORD that had “pruned” them! Continue reading
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2)
Christians who undergo trials or difficulties may be tempted to think that this is a chastisement for some sin in their life. Although that sometimes may be the case, it is not always. And here Jesus gives us an alternative explanation: Continue reading
Jesus had just said to His disciples, “Get up, let us go from here” in the last verse of John 14, so perhaps it was passing some grapevines on the way to Gethsemane which occasioned Jesus to talk about how “I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” in John 15:1.
We see here an example how Jesus used whatever was at hand to teach truth to His disciples. Continue reading
“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28)
Here Jesus seems to mildly rebuke His disciples for being grieved at His leaving them and going to the Father. “If you loved Me”, He said, “You would have rejoiced”! He was going to His “Father’s house”; to heaven; to “the glory He had with (Him) before the world was”! (17:5) Being so enveloped by this world, it was hard for the disciples to comprehend anything besides their own loss; they couldn’t see how much better for Him it would be to leave and be with His Father.
And don’t many of us today experience the same limited perspective with our own loved ones? Continue reading
“Beware!” If you are out driving, and you come across a sign in the road that says “Beware!”, you are going to pay attention, and proceed very carefully, aren’t you? And you should. You know there is something dangerous ahead, that you need to be very careful about.
Well if we pay attention to the warnings of men from the highway department, how much MORE should we heed it when Jesus begins Chapter 6 here of the Sermon on the Mount by saying, “BEWARE!” It’s like He’s waving a red flag in front of our faces, saying, you need to careful; there is something dangerous here. Every one of us needs to “perk up our ears” and LISTEN to the warning Jesus gives us here. What He talks about here IS a danger, because it can take what could be some of the BEST things for your relationship with God, and turn them into the tools of the devil.
So, Jesus starts Matthew 6 with this warning: “BEWARE of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” Continue reading
“Do not let your heart be troubled.” (John 14:1)
Many of God’s people are familiar with the opening words of this chapter. But they may not remember that Jesus REPEATS these very same words again later, near the end of the chapter, in :27: “Do not let your heart be troubled.” It is as though He is “enclosing” what He tells us in between with these two commands; that in between them we find those truths which will help our hearts not to be troubled. What are those things? WHY, in light of what He said, should His disciples’ hearts not be troubled? Continue reading
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21)
It is not without purpose that several times in John 14, Jesus emphasizes the importance of keeping His commandments. This should be instructive to us: there can be NO disconnect between “loving God” and keeping His commandments. Continue reading
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” (John 14:16)
Jesus, knowing that His disciples were grieved by His impending departure from this world, comforts them with the promise of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, He also reveals an important truth about the Triune nature of God: Continue reading
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
Much attention is focused on Jesus’ promise in John 14:14, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it”, and rightly so. And yet it is interesting how many focus on that promise, while completely neglecting the next verse. It contains only nine very brief words, and yet in them Jesus shares some very convicting truths: Continue reading
I'm a retired Southern Baptist pastor of almost 40 years. My wife Cheryl & I moved to Norman, OK in March of 2025. I share a weekly overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, as well as texts of my sermons and other articles.
shawnethomas 