Sermon Tone Analysis

*JOHN 14:22-31 *

 

#.

*THE REVELATION *

*1.        **The New Dawning *

The groundwork is being laid for the “oneness” between Jesus and his disciples that mirrors the oneness between Jesus and his heavenly Father.

*a.        **The Resurrection *

The reference point in their development: “/at that day you shall know that/…” [14:20].

§        ἐν - “/at/” [14:20], ‘withinness’;

§        ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ - “/that day/” [14:20],

*b.        **The New Light *

The revelation of that day: “/you shall know that/…” [14:20].

§        γνώσεσθε - “/know/” [14:20], future middle indicative, ‘to know by experience or personal relationship’;

*2.        **The Triple Union *

There is a triple union in God’s way of salvation:

*a.        **Mutual Indwelling – Father & Son *

There is the union of the Father and the Son: “/that I am in the Father/…” [14:20].

§        ἐγὼ - “/I/” [14:20], that is, Jesus;

§        ἐν τῷ πατρί μου – “/in my Father/” [14:20],

§        This was the fundamental teaching with regard to saving faith: “I am in the Father…” [14:7-11].

*b.        **Mutual Indwelling – Jesus & Disciples *

There is the union of the disciples and Jesus: “/you in me, and I in you/” [14:20].

§        ὑμεῖς - “/you/” [14:20], that is, the disciples;

§        ἐν ἐμοὶ - “/you in me/” [14:20],

§        κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν - “/I in you/” [14:20],

*Application*

 

#.

*THE CONDITIONS *

It is assumed that as the Messiah Jesus would naturally have revealed himself publicly.

What has happened to change this?

That is the background to Judas’ question: “/Lord, how is it that/…” [14:22].

The power of receiving the revelation of Jesus rests on two interrelated actions:

*1.        **Discipleship & Faith *

The emphasis so far has been on encouraging the disciples to believe: “/believe in God/…” [14:1].

§         Need for constant faith: “/believe me that I am in the Father/…” [14:11].

*a.        **Ongoing Faith *

The ongoing emphasis on faith: “/he that believes on me…/” [14:12].

§        ὁ πιστεύων - “/believes/” [14:12], present active participle, ‘knowledge, conviction and trust’;

*2.        **Discipleship & Love *

*a.        **The Disciples’ Love *

The first characteristic of discipleship: “/he that loves me/…” [14:21].

§         ὁ ἀγαπῶν - “/loves/” [14:21], present active participle, ‘devotion and delight based on regarded value’; ‘a spontaneous feeling which impels to self-giving or to the seizure of the object which awakens the feeling, or to the performance of the action in which pleasure is taken’.

§         The /articular/ participle draws attention to the /constant/ exercise of “love” which make love /characteristic/ of discipleship.

§         με - “/me/” [14:21], ‘personal devotion to the Lord Jesus’;

*b.        **The Reciprocated Love *

The disciples’ love is reciprocated by Jesus: “/I will love him/…” [14:21].

§        ἀγαπήσω - “/love/” [14:21], future indicative active, ‘a spontaneous feeling which impels embracing and self-giving’;

§        αὐτὸν - “/him/” [14:21], ‘the one loving me’;

*3.        **Discipleship & Obedience *

*a.        **The Inner Relationship *

The condition of discipleship: “/if you love me keep my commandments/” [14:15].

§        Ἐὰν - “/if/” [14:15], a combination of the conditional *eiv *and the  particle *a;n *to denote uncertainty or indefiniteness;

§        ἀγαπᾶτέ - “/love/” [14:15], plural present active, ‘devotion and delight’;

*b.        **The Public Characteristic  *

*i.         **The Object *

The characteristic of love is devotion: “/keep my commandments/…” [14:15].

§        ἐντολὰς - “/my/ /commandments/” [14:15], ‘order, commission or command’; usually in the context of a command given by ‘a king, official, or general’;

§        τὸν λόγον μου - “/my words/” [14:23], ‘statement or speech’; ‘the gospel statement’;

*ii.

**The Action *

The action(s) that characterises love: “/keep/...” [14:15]; “/has and keeps/...” [14:21]; “/keep/” [14:23].

§        τηρήσετε - “/keep/” [14:15], future indicative active, ‘to continue in a state’; ‘to guard, observe’;

§        ὁ ἔχων - “/has/” [14:21], present active participle, ‘to possess’; ‘to own’; in this context ‘to grasp with the mind’; ‘to have as one’s own’; ‘to take into one’s inner being’;

§        τηρῶν - “/keeps/” [14:21], present active participle, ‘to watch over’; ‘to guard’; ‘to observe’;

§     The /articular/ participles draw attention to the /constancy/ of obedience which makes obedience /characteristic/ of discipleship.

*c.        **Christlikeness *

To obey is to follow the example of Jesus Christ:

§         The presence that is consequent to pleasing: “/and he that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I do always those things which please him/” [8:29].

§         The Son’s love for the Father: “/but that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do/…” [15:31].

*Application*

Obedience to the word of Jesus is obedience to the word of the father: “/the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me/” [14:24].

§         The lover does what the loved one asks: “/By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments/” [1Joh.5:2].

§         Jesus insists that the theophany of which he has been speaking occurs within the circle of love that displays itself in obedience to the Son’s teaching.

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*THE REVELATION  *

The consequence of this it threefold:  

*1.

**The Father’s Love *

The first consequence of love and obedience is the Father’s love.

This emerges in the passive sense and also in the active sense.

*a.        **The Passives Sense *

The disciples’ love for Jesus also draws the love of the Father: “/shall be loved of my Father/…” [14:21].

§        ἀγαπηθήσεται - “/loved/” [14:21], future passive indicative, ‘a spontaneous feeling which impels embracing and self-giving’;

§        ὑπὸ - “/of/” [14:21], with the genitive and the passive ‘denoting the immediate agent’;

*i.         **The Meaning *

The /passive/ form seems to bring out the idea of the conscious experience of love by the object of it.

§        The believer loves and feels in himself the action of the Father through Christ.

§        It points to the personal, sensible assurance of faith; “/the Spirit bears witness/...” [Rom.8:16]

but here it is the “witness” to the Father’s love; “/we know that we have passed from death unto life/...” [1Joh.3:14].

*b.

**The Active Sense  *

The Father’s love is also spoken of in the active sense: “/my Father will love him/...” [14:23].

§         ὁ πατήρ μου - “/Father/” [14:23],

§         ἀγαπήσει - “/love/” [14:23], future active, ‘a spontaneous feeling which impels embracing and self-giving’;

§         The /active/ form seems to draw attention to the action of the one loving: “God’s so loved the world that he gave…” [3:16].

§         This then becomes personalised: “/he loved me and gave himself for me/…” [Gal.2:20].

*i.         **The Relationship of Triple Indwelling *

The Father’s love for them is explained through the model of indwelling: “/I am in the Father/…” [14:20].

§        There is an unbreakable unity of life between him and them that will be expressed in the same ‘reciprocal formula of immanence’ as that of the unity of the Father and the Son.

§        The nature of the Father’s love: “/hast loved them, as thou hast loved me/…” [17:23];

§        The Father’s delight in the Son: “/you are my beloved Son/…” [Luk.3:22].

§        The Father’s delight in those who delight in the Son: “/the Father himself loves you because you have loved me/…” [16:27].

*Application*

 

*2.

**The Revelation of Jesus *

*a.        **Jesus & Disciples *