“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus 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. Whoever 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.”
Comment: Jesus is about to leave His disciples. A week ago was the celebration of the Ascension of Jesus when He returned to Heaven as our High Priest. (10 days before Pentecost) Before He leaves as they are about to go into the garden, where Jesus will be captured, taken for trial and slain as the Perfect Sacrifice for our rebellion. God the Father was the Instigator of what is to happen. Jesus’ departure would not mean that they would be left alone to fumble into the future. Jesus promises to send Someone as a Helper for them. In two days time we will celebrate the fantastic display when the Helper, the Breath of God (the Ruach Jehovah), the Advocate (He has many Titles) comes. Tomorrow we will read of some of the other functions which the Holy Spirit will perform but in this passage Jesus reminds them how basic to the whole of their future lives (and to ours as Christians) is love for Him, Jesus, and obedience to Him! Our Christlike love, and obedience to His words, is the way to show the reality of our being the followers of all the members of the Triune God! Judas, the Judas who did not betray Jesus, asked the question, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answer is somewhat oblique but in His answer to Judas we can see that the knowledge comes from obeying Jesus’ call to the steadfast love and obedience which He has displayed for them to see!
Prayer: Thank You that You fulfilled this promise Triune God!
As I read it! 