As the scene in John 17 opens, Jesus is mere moments away from arrest, torture and eventual execution. Not surprisingly, we find Jesus praying in these crucial moments. This the the longest recorded prayer we have from Jesus, and thus provides a unique window into some of the most important things on His heart at this critical time in His life and ministry. In this chapter, we see Jesus pray for Himself, His disciples (the 11), and for you and me! Through His prayer, we learn how important our unity is, about the viciousness of our enemy, and that we’ve been set apart (sanctified) for a sacred mission.

With just hours before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus amps up his preparation of the eleven with encouragement and direction regarding how to carry on and complete the mission in his physical absence. He understands that they will grieve Jesus’ death and the loss of their companion and Guide, but he instructs them that, as with following the pains of child-birth, there is great reward and joy. Their joy will again be complete as they understand Jesus is returning to the Father, his mission accomplished, and for them to begin asking the Father for their needs and to do so bearing the authority which comes through the name of Jesus. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus responds to our prayers and petitions out of His love for us because of our love for his Son.

As Jesus continues to teach the disciples just moments before His arrest, He makes a shocking claim. It was shocking then and it’s just as stunning today. He tells the disciples that it is better for them if He goes away. Why? Because then the Holy Spirit will come. For the Christian, the Spirit in you is better than Jesus beside you. Shocking! This is because of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. His work also includes comfort for the believer, guidance into truth, and the all important work of spotlighting Jesus. Any real movement of the Holy Spirit will always result in the exaltation of King Jesus.

As Jesus and His eleven remaining disciples walk toward the garden of gethsemane where Jesus is soon to be arrested, He is teaching them some of the most crucial lessons they’ll need in the days ahead. Firstly, Jesus is preparing them to be hated by the world. They need to expect it, and embrace it as a part of following Jesus. Secondly, He’s teaching them to embrace the new super power He’s about to give them. No, He didn’t give them the super power of flight or an invisible cloak, even better! He’s giving them the very Holy Spirit of God who will empower them to be effective witnesses for King Jesus, even while being hated. Finally, He wants to prepare them to endure. The Christian life is not a sprint, it’s an ultra-marathon. Many seem to start the race strong, but are nowhere to be found at the finish line. Jesus wants His disciples to start strong and finish strong, and the only way that happens is when we commit to a life of abiding in Jesus and living empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever wanted to grow in your spiritual walk, but didn’t know where to start? I think a lot of people are in that boat. Well, in John 15 Jesus gives us the key to unlock the spiritual growth code. And it’s far simpler (and deeper) than most imagine! Jesus uses the analogy of a vine and its branches to teach us how to grow. If we abide in Him and He in us, Jesus promises us a fruitful life that will lead to real joy. Abide means to dwell in, to stand in, to stay in a place with intention. This means a personal relationship with Jesus...staying connected with Him not just sometimes, but all the time. Abiding is also fleshed out in community rather than alone, because abiding teaches us to love each other the way Jesus loves us. Finally, abiding in Jesus teaches us to pray big Kingdom prayers...to join Jesus in His mission!

It seems like most churches these days either have bad teaching or no teaching on the Holy Spirit. In fact, it could easily be argued that the Holy Spirit is the most neglected power source on planet earth. As Jesus gathers His disciples into the upper room for one last time before the cross, He spends alot of time teaching them about the Holy Spirit. He even connects keeping His commandments to the presence of the Holy Spirit. The role of the Spirit is crucial in the Christian life. The truth is, we can’t love Jesus well or follow His commands without the power of the Holy Spirit living and breathing in and through us on a daily basis. He is our advocate, comforter, truth-giver and teacher. And the good news? Every single person who places their faith in Jesus has the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them!

Gaining by Losing - Jeremy Woods, Guest Pastor 04.11.21 by New Life of Asheville

In a world full of sorrow and darkness, we’re all looking for a lasting source of joy. Two thousand years ago, the disciples of Jesus were thrust into deep sorrow as their savior was nailed to a tree and then buried in a borrowed tomb. All was lost, or so it seemed. The Apostle John opens his Easter account with a woman weeping in the dark. By the end of the narrative, she’s clinging to Jesus in utter joy. At the end of the day, Easter reminds us that we are broken. It also points us to compelling evidence surrounding the resurrection. I love that the bible doesn’t ask us to check our brain at the door, but instead offers us proof for consideration. Lastly, Easter screams to us that joy can be ours in Christ. We don’t have to wait until the circumstances in our lives are perfectly aligned to find happiness. Jesus lived a perfect life, died a sinner’s death, and rose 3 days later. Friend, that tomb is still empty and our King is alive!

As we step into chapter 14, the disciples are understandably troubled. Jesus has just predicted his death, Judas’ cold-blooded betrayal, and that Peter would deny him 3 times that very night. Their world was spinning as angst filled their minds and hearts. In our day as in that day, many minds and hearts are filled with troubled thoughts and anxious feelings. Jesus says that the antidote to the troubled heart is belief in Him. Why? Because He’s the way to the Father and to Heaven. He’s the only way home. Not only does Jesus prescribe the antidote to troubled hearts, He makes a mind-blowing promise: His followers will follow in His steps as they receive the Holy Spirit and do great things to advance His Kingdom. Jesus’ people will ask for bold things in His name, and He will answer their prayers in astounding ways for His glory. What a beautiful and powerful promise for the follower of Christ!

As Jesus continues to press crucial Kingdom values into His disciples’s hearts before He goes to the cross, we come to some difficult and yet beautiful challenges in the back half of chapter 13. In Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, we see that we have a Savior who is well acquainted with our pain. We also come face to face with the terrifying reality that it’s entirely possible for people to play the part of being a disciple of Jesus, while actually being on the pathway to hell. In the final analysis, we see Jesus lay forth the way forward in His Kingdom; to love one another like He loves us. Our radical love for each other as followers of Jesus is actually how the world will know we belong to Him. In a day and age of cultural division over politics, masks, vaccines & so much more--the world needs to see a community of people unified by love for one another even in our differences! The gospel brings love, unity & healing to the places where our world tears apart, divides & wounds!