“Rise, Let Us Go From Here”

John 14:23–24 ²³Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

          Jesus is talking about one of the ways we should love, and in this case how we should love Him.  Jesus says “keep my word,” what does that mean?  First we should know the words of our Lord and Savior.  Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30-31 love God and love our neighbor.  How do you love God?  How do you love your neighbor?  These are important questions we should ask God and ourselves in our morning prayers.  How am I going to love God today?  How am I going to love my neighbor today?  And then, Dear Lord help me fulfill my love to you and help me fulfill my love to my neighbor.

          Doing good things is surely a means of showing our love, but even a non-believer can and does good things.  To show our love to God is to get to know him, and to get to know God is to know His word.  You do your best to get to know those whom you call friends and especially those whom you call your life long spouse.  We should also take time to know God, even the commands that our Lord Jesus Christ has given us.

          Jesus did not come to abolish the law; rather He came to fulfill the requirements of the law.  The law demands payment for the crime, and Christ came to pay it in full for us.

          What are the words of Jesus?  In Matthew 5:1-16 we can read about the beatitudes and that we the believers are the light of the world.  If we just stop there, we gain nothing of what Jesus is teaching us.  We must be compelled to follow Christ’s word through to the end so that we glean all that we can and know our Lord through His love for us.  Knowing ones love makes it easier to love one back.

          Jesus instructs us through Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 and gives us an example of what it is to follow His word.  In those same chapters and verses Jesus also gives us an example of what happens when you do not follow His words.

          Matthew 5:21-26 talks about anger.

          Matthew 5:27-30 talks about lust

          Matthew 5:31-32 talks about Adultery

          Matthew 5:33-37 talks about make no oath just yes and no

          Matthew 5:38-42 talks about retaliation and resisting

          Matthew 5:43-48 talks about love your enemy

          Matthew 6:1-4 talks about give to the needy

          Matthew 6:5-15 talks about the Lord’s Prayer and forgiving

          Matthew 6:16-18 talks about fasting in secret

          Matthew 6:19-24 talks about lay-up treasures in heaven

          Matthew 6:25-34 talks about do not be anxious

          Matthew 7:1-6 talks about do not judge lest you be judged

          Matthew 7:7-11 talks about ask and it will given

          Matthew 7:12-14 talks about do unto others as you wish they would do unto you.

          John 14:25–27 ²⁵“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

          How do we keep our Lord’s words?  We keep Christ’s words by the works of the Holy Spirit the helper who works through our Lord’s words.  As we know Christ’s words the Holy Spirit then works through them and in our hearts so that we can accomplish what we cannot accomplish on our own.  Our love for our neighbor and our love for God is accomplished through the works of the Holy Spirit and our faith. And our faith comes from Christ, Romans 10:17, hearing the words of our Lord, and not just hearing with our ears but also hearing with our minds and hearts as we read Christ’s words.  It is the works of God’s Holy Spirit in and through us that we are prepared for our salvation.

       John 14:25–27 ³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, ³¹but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

          Is this another command or a leading to the fulfillment of the gospel? “Rise, let us go from here,” As the Holy Spirit works to prepare us for Heaven our gift of entrance is through the works of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  (Ephesians 2:8-10) We know that not through our works but through the works of our Lord we are saved to an eternal life and relationship with God.  It is through God’s word and the Holy Spirit’s continuous work that He prepares us for this life, but it is the works of Christ’s  sacrifice on the cross that fulfills the requirements of the law.  Now the requirements have been met, and the way is paved.  Christ our Lord and Savior calls to us and says, “Rise, let us go from here,” Heaven is waiting for you. Amen.

Written by: Pastor Curtis A. May

Let us go forth in the Peace of our Lord and Serve the Lord who loved us first.