The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

John 15:9-17

The Lord moved away from His analogy of the Vine and its branches (15:1-8) and focused on love and friendship as He spoke to His men on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He would be betrayed and arrested (and knew it).  In this study entitled "The Love of the Lord," we discuss (1) The Depth of Christ's Love (15:9), (2) The Demands of Christ's Love (15:10), (3) The Delights of Christ's Love (15:11, 12), (4) The Demonstration of Christ's Love (15:13-16), and (5) The Duplication of Christ's Love (15:17).

Learn about having joy within and peace without!  Learn of His Self-sacrifice, His special friendship, and His sovereign selection.

John 15:4-8

As the Lord and His men were on their way from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane on the final night before Jesus' death on the Passover, He used the analogy of a vine and its branches to compare His relationship with believers.  In the first part of this two-part study on this beautiful metaphor, we considered "The Vine and its Background" and "The Vine and its Branches," where we learned that Christ is the Vine, God the Father is the Vinedresser (Husbandman), and true believers are the fruitful branches.  In this study, we look at "The Vine and its Bountifulness" (15:4-8).  VERY IMPORTANT discussion on abiding in the Vine and abounding for the Vine!

Did you know that every true believer bears fruit?  What about the thief on the cross?  He died shortly after he was saved by trusting in Jesus as Lord!  He had no time to bear fruit - or did he?  Find out!

John 15:1-3

After the Lord finished comforting His disciples with His words of John chapter 14, it was time to leave the Upper Room to make His way to Gethsemane, where He knew Judas would lead His enemies to arrest Him.  His instruction to His men as they made their way to that garden began with an analogy regarding a vine and its branches, which is the subject of this two-part study on John 15:1-8.  In this first lesson, we will discuss "The Vine and its Background" (verse 1) and "The Vine and its Branches" (verses 2 and 3).

The Lord Jesus declared Himself to be the Vine of His analogy with His seventh "I AM" statement.  He said, "I am the True Vine" (15:1).  His Father is the Vinedresser, and believers in Christ are the "branches" who both abide in and abound for the True Vine. 

THERE IS A LOT OF DEEP INFORMATION in this analogy!  Does verse 2a mean that Christians can lose their salvation?  Are the fruitless branches "professing only Christians" (in name only)?  Do the discarded branches represent the Christian's works?  What about the role of the husbandman (the vinedresser) and the very important pruning process of the Christian?  All these questions are discussed - and many others.

John 14:22-31

In the first part of this lesson, "The Promised Peace," the Lord Jesus answered yet another question from one of His men during His "Farewell Discourse" to them.  Peter had asked Him where He was going and why he could not immediately follow Him there (John 13:36, 37).  Thomas wanted to know the way to get wherever Jesus was going (14:5), and Philip made the request to get a glimpse of the Father (14:8).  Now, Thaddaeus wanted to know how Jesus could manifest Himself to them and not to the world (14:22).  We discuss Christ's answer as to how He manifests Himself only to those who love Him.

In the second part of this lesson, the Lord continued giving His men comforting promises to ease the pain of His announcement about His upcoming death and departure from them (after His resurrection).  Six of those promises were covered in Lessons #149-151.  The remaining two are discussed in this lesson: "The Promise of Assured Perpetuation" (the promise of the believer's undying life) and "The Promise of Astonishing Position" (the union believers have with the Holy Trinity, and Christ's special manifestation of Himself to them).

John 14:15-21

The Lord's promises related to the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers after His departure. The promises are about another Paraclete (One Who comes alongside), His abiding presence, an assured perpetuation, and an astonishing position.  Listen to learn of these four wonderful promises for believers in Christ!!!

John 14:7-14

Jesus told Philip that to know Him is to know the Father; to see Him is to "see" the Father; that He is "in the Father" and the Father is in Him; that when He speaks, it is the Father speaking; and that when He does works, it is the Father in Him doing the works!  He also talked about those who believe in Him doing even "greater works" than His works when He ascended back to His Father.  There is a lot of rich "meat" in this passage of Scripture - including the Lord's promise of answered prayer for believers who ask "in His name" (7:14). What exactly does that mean??  

In-depth commentary/study books to ACCOMPANY EVERY STUDY on our podcast are available through Amazon.com and scripturetruth.com (search under Katherine Caldwell Commentaries)

Sub-titled, "The Heavenly Highway Proclaimed".  This message is about the well-known words of immense comfort from the Lord Jesus on a night when He should have been receiving words of comfort from His men, for He told them He was going to be betrayed and killed.  Instead, He was selflessly concerned for them and how they were going to need to remember the things He was telling them to strengthen their faith for all that lay ahead for them in the days, weeks, and years to follow.  These words have helped millions of Christians go through all manner of troublesome times.  They are words of truth about our sure future with the One Who is even now preparing dwelling places for all who belong to Him, where we will enjoy fellowship with Him forever.

Sub-titled, "The Heavenly Home Promised".  The number one "destroyer" of Christians is heart trouble caused by anxiety and stress.  Anxiety is a killer.  That is why the Great Physician spoke soothing, "medicinal" words of His very anxious men on the night of His betrayal and arrest.  He ministered to their great mental and spiritual needs with words that began with, "Let not your heart be troubled"!

The great, comforting words of Christ in John 14:1-6 have brought immense comfort to Christians in times of trouble and bereavement throughout the Church Age.  We study them in detail in this two-part study (see also Lesson 149b), for they are worth knowing to the depth of our souls.  If you are anxious about living in these troublesome times, take these verses and hide them in your heart!  They will help you remember the fact that Christ Jesus is in complete control of every aspect of your life.  He cares for you from head to toe.  He will never leave you nor forsake you even though you can't see Him!  

Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38; John 13:36-38

After Judas was dismissed from the Upper Room, Jesus immediately spoke of the glory He and His Father would receive because of the cross.  For the first time, He called His disciples "little children," and told them He was going to leave them and where He was going they could not come.  Following a question from Peter, who was perplexed about something Christ said, Jesus gave some shocking "Predictions Regarding the Disciples' Deeds".  Those predictions include His separation from them, Satan's sifting, the sheep scattering, and Simon's (Peter's) shame (he would deny Christ three times before the cock crow in the morning).  In the second part of this lesson, we discuss "Predictions Regarding the Disciples' Needs".

John 13:23-35

The Lord Jesus gave Judas every opportunity to repent and turn from the wicked path he was taking, but He could no longer postpone the inevitable.  There were critical truths to share with His disciples that could not be said while a "tare" was among them, and as long as Satan himself hovered about in the room.  This lesson, "And it was Night" is about the deliberate steps Christ took to expel Judas from His presence.  Jesus was about to transition the Passover Supper into "The Lord's Supper," which was to become an ordinance for His future Church to be observed only by believers.  Thus, Judas (unless he repented) needed to be released so the events that led the cross would begin to transpire.

In this lesson, "The Giving of the Sop," we  discuss Judas and the Devil; Judas and the Disciples, and Judas and the Darkness.

We also discuss Christ's "new" commandment of John 13:34.