NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 58
J ohn 1 4
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treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some
money to the poor. 30So Judas left at once, going out into the night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial (212/Luke 22:31-38)
31As soon as Judas left the room, J
esus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man* to
enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32And since God receives
glory because of the Son,* he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.
33Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders,
you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34So now I am giving you
a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each
other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
36Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”
And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”
37“But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”
38Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows
tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.
Jesus Is the Way to the Father (213)
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2There is
more than enough room in my Father’s home.* If this were not so, would I have
told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?* 3When everything is ready, I will
come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4And you know the
way to where I am going.”
5“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so
how can we know the way?”
6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father
except through me. 7If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.*
From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
14
13:31 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. 13:32 Several early manuscripts do not include And since
God receives glory because of the Son.
14:2a Or There are many rooms in my Father’s house.
14:2b Or If this
were not so, I would have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you. Some manuscripts read If this were
not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.
14:7 Some manuscripts read If you have
really known me, you will know who my Father is.
13:30
Luke 22:53
13:34
Lev 19:18
Eph 5:2
1 Thes 4:9
1 Pet 1:22
1 Jn 2:8; 3:23;
4:10-11
13:35
1 Jn 3:14; 4:20
13:36-38
Matt 26:33-35
Mark 14:29-31
Luke 22:33-34
13:36
John 21:18
2 Pet 1:14
14:2
Ps 90:1
John 2:16, 19-21
14:6
John 1:4, 14, 16;
8:32; 10:10; 11:25
Rom 5:2
Eph 2:18
Heb 10:20
1 Jn 5:20
14:7
John 6:46; 8:19
1 Jn 2:13
13:34-35 Jesus says that our Christlike love will show we are his dis-
14:1-3 The disciples were obviously worried about death and what
ciples. Do people see petty bickering, jealousy, and division in your
church? Or do they know you are Jesus’ followers by your love for one
another?
Love is more than simply warm feelings; love reveals itself in action.
How can we love others as Jesus loves us? By helping even when we are
too busy; by giving sacrificially; by devoting energy to others’ welfare
rather than our own; by absorbing hurts from others without complaining, fighting back, or seeking revenge. These are just a few examples,
but this kind of loving is hard to do. That is why people notice when you
do it. When they do, you can explain that your actions are empowered
by a supernatural source. The Bible has another beautiful description of
love in 1 Corinthians 13.
13:34 To love others was not a new commandment (see Leviticus
19:18), but to love others as much as Jesus loved others was revolutionary. Now we are to love others based on Jesus’ sacrificial love for us.
Such love will not only bring unbelievers to faith in Jesus but also keep
believers strong and united in a world hostile to God. Jesus was a living
example of God’s love, as we are to be as well. When you are faced with
Jesus’ teaching, do you automatically think about the people in your
life who are hard to love or whom you feel like you can’t love? The love
Jesus calls us to show seems humanly impossible. In order to have this
kind of love, we need to humble ourselves by realizing that Jesus died
for us and our unlovely sins. Then we need the Holy Spirit to pour out
God’s love in our hearts so we can love others (Romans 5:5).
13:37-38 Peter proudly told Jesus that he was ready to die for him, but
Jesus corrected him. He knew Peter would deny that he knew Jesus that
very night to protect himself (18:15-18, 25-27). In our enthusiasm, we can
make impulsive promises, but God knows the extent of our commitment.
Paul tells us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans
12:3). Instead of bragging, demonstrate your commitment step-by-step
as you grow in your knowledge of God’s Word and in your faith.
happens afterward. Jesus’ words still comfort us today. We know from
what Jesus said that the way to eternal life, though unseen, is secure
for us if we trust him with the future. He has already prepared the way
to eternal life. The only issue that may still be unsettled is our willingness to believe him.
14:2-3 Few verses in Scripture describe eternal life in detail, but these
few verses are rich with promises. Here Jesus says, “I am going to prepare
a place for you” and “I will come and get you.” We can look forward to
eternal life because Jesus has promised it to all who believe in him.
Although many specifics about eternity are unknown, we need not
fear, because Jesus is preparing for us and will spend eternity with us.
14:5-6 This most basic and important passage in Scripture opens the
door for doubters to come to Jesus. Thomas asked, in effect, “How can
we know the way to God?” And Jesus essentially answered, “The way is
open through me.” Because Jesus is both God and man, he gives us the
invitation to heaven. He himself is the entry point, and he paid the full
price for us to get there with his own life. By uniting our lives with Jesus’
and becoming his followers, we are united with God. Trust Jesus to take
you to the Father, and all the benefits of being God’s child will be yours.
14:6 Jesus says that he is the only way to God the Father. Some
people resent Christianity because they think it is too exclusive and
too narrow. In reality, the way is wide enough for the whole world if
everyone would accept Jesus. But some people want to go their own
way. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one
way to eternal life, we should be saying, Thank you, God, for providing
a sure way to get to you!
14:6 As the Way, Jesus is our path to the Father. He provides clear
direction to God. As the Truth, he is the reality of all God’s promises. He
provides certainty to people whose lives seem confused and unstable.
As the Life, he joins his divine life to ours, both now and eternally. Jesus
