In this last of the "I AM" statements, Jesus reminds us that apart from Him we can do nothing and that we must remain in the vine (Jesus), in His love, and as His friends. He desires us to bear much fruit as we model Him and are shaped by His Spirit.

Just as the LORD would cause blessings to overtake His people on condition of their obedience, so He would cause curses to overtake His people on the failure to meet that condition. These awful curses are given longer explanation than the blessings in part due to the impending failure of the people to obey the law which the Holy Spirit surely foresaw in inspiring Moses to speak to the people and write the book. How important indeed it is that Christ became a curse for us!

For His obedient people, the LORD Himself will bring blessings which will overtake the people. What a wonderful description of God's covenant relationship with His people.

It is simply hard to believe that the church would do works even greater than Jesus and yet that is what Jesus said to His disciples. Of course that would not be possible without another Exhorter which He also promises to His disciples along with the hope that is present in the love and unity of the believer to Christ and the Father.

The curse of the law and the binding of the people to the covenant curses is no mere ceremony but directly points to the truth of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:10-14. The law puts us all under a curse but the good news of the Gospel includes how Jesus Christ became a curse for us!

In a time when the disciples were troubled and perplexed, Jesus gave them the assurance that He was preparing a place for them in His Father's house. He also reminded them that this Place was only made possible through Himself - Jesus.

The covenant of the LORD should be remembered both for His actions towards His people and His Word. This process of writing on stones and building an altar, accompanied by renewal of the covenant at Shechem was to know the permanence of God's law and His commitment to His people and to remember.

Jesus was glorified in submitting to the plan of salvation by letting Satan use Judas Iscariot to betray Him. To speak of Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial must truly have been a "dark night of the soul." How aptly does John write, "And it was night" in this text and yet how appropriate to know that the light of Christ often shines the most brightly on such a night!