John 14:8-21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
Aside from the nature of the Holy Spirit, the original audience would pick up on the three things that Jesus is instructing them in. Believe. Love. Obey.
Our minds tend to be more formulaic whereas the minds of the ancient readers were more cyclical. They would have noticed the pattern here that is more easily missed to us. If you believe, you will love. If you love, you will obey. You obey because you believe and that reinforces love. The cycle then repeats and advances upon itself.
The first instruction that Jesus stresses is to believe. Even if they are not believing directly in Him, at least believe in His works. Jesus understood that if they believe in His works, the eventual natural conclusion would be to believe in Him. Faith is essential. The other instructions are null and void to an individual that does not believe.
The second instruction that will be continuously recurring throughout the book is the command to love. What is interesting in this section is the the instruction of loving is a little less direct. Instead it is obedience to the commands that show up more directly. But if one is to obey, it needs to come out of love. But one who claims to love and does not keep the Lord's commands is a liar. The truth is not in Him. They go hand in hand. And, as stated before, they reinforce each other.
One final thing that the reader would have understood that we tend to glance over is that the end result of these things and the growth therein is both the Father and the Son and the Spirit. All three are present here. In this pattern of faith, love, and obedience, the Godhead is the reward.
What lessons are you seeing?
Our minds tend to be more formulaic whereas the minds of the ancient readers were more cyclical. They would have noticed the pattern here that is more easily missed to us. If you believe, you will love. If you love, you will obey. You obey because you believe and that reinforces love. The cycle then repeats and advances upon itself.
The first instruction that Jesus stresses is to believe. Even if they are not believing directly in Him, at least believe in His works. Jesus understood that if they believe in His works, the eventual natural conclusion would be to believe in Him. Faith is essential. The other instructions are null and void to an individual that does not believe.
The second instruction that will be continuously recurring throughout the book is the command to love. What is interesting in this section is the the instruction of loving is a little less direct. Instead it is obedience to the commands that show up more directly. But if one is to obey, it needs to come out of love. But one who claims to love and does not keep the Lord's commands is a liar. The truth is not in Him. They go hand in hand. And, as stated before, they reinforce each other.
One final thing that the reader would have understood that we tend to glance over is that the end result of these things and the growth therein is both the Father and the Son and the Spirit. All three are present here. In this pattern of faith, love, and obedience, the Godhead is the reward.
What lessons are you seeing?
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2026
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John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
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