Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 17:9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;” In this verse, Jesus identified for whom He interceded and those who were not in view. He directed His Father's attention to those who had believed He was God-sent and had received His words. In verse 8 He said, “for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” But not only His disciples are objects of this divine love, He interceded for all those who were in His Father's view from eternity. For in vs. 20 Jesus broadens the view. "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.” Have you believed in Jesus through the word of His disciples? If so, you have been loved and in the view of the Father and Son from before the foundation of the world! In the following verses we will see what Jesus asked on our behalf. But for today, be encouraged that Jesus prayed for you to be included in His glorious work He was about to do through His death and resurrection. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:8 “for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” When it comes to the good news which provides hope for mankind, who should we listen to? The gospel preached and taught by Jesus' disciples get my vote. They received the words Jesus gave them and have faithfully recorded and explained them because they understood that Jesus came forth from God. They believed Jesus was sent by God to bring us to Him. Here's an example. Peter wrote, 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” One of the ways we love people is to give an explanation of the hope that we have in Jesus. Those who knew Him best, walked with Him the longest, and were His followers were so convinced that He was God in the flesh that their message and lives became the foundation of the gospel and the church. That gospel foundation has stood the test of time. 1989 years to be exact. The Father, God gave Jesus the words to teach, Jesus spoke them, the disciples received and believed them, and they are still speaking them through the Bible. Listening to them is to listen to God. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:7 “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;” Everything Jesus said was from God, and His disciples knew it. Jesus' words changed everything for them. Do we listen to the words, the writings, of His disciples as if they were the words of the living almighty God? Do we believe that everything we have read and studied in this precious gospel of John is from God through Jesus to us? John wrote that the way we know who is from God is that they listen, not to the world, but to him and the other disciples who wrote and testified of Christ. 1 John 4:4-6. “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” The disciples knew that everything Jesus said was from God. It changed their lives. Jesus said He would make a place for them in Himself, and then come dwell in them and they would bear fruit for the glory of God as He loved through them. They believed and kept His word in their hearts and minds. Jesus kept His word, and gave them eternal life in Himself. Those first disciples lived to love with Jesus and started a tsunami of love that pours out down through history until all of those who belong to God are swept up in the deluge of love. Such is the power of God's word manifested in Jesus Christ. Let's keep the tsunami rolling! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:6.2 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” The disciples belonged to God, and were given to Jesus, and so are all those who believe in Jesus and keep His word given to the disciples by Jesus. Here's how John understood Jesus. 1 John 4:6. “We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Here's how the apostle Paul was taught by Jesus. Ephesians 1:3-6. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Before the world was, God the Father and the Son, chose a people out of the world to share their glory, for their glory. In His prayer to His Father, Jesus recalls to mind, the original plan, for Him to manifest His Father's name to those who were given to the Him by the Father. And who are those who belonged to the Father and were given to Jesus? All those who keep Jesus' word. Hear the word of the Lord. Believe in Jesus and love with Him in His name for His glory. Are you one of those chosen and beloved of God? I hope so. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” In vs. 4 we read that Jesus had accomplished the work God gave Him to do. Now we see how He glorified the Father. He manifested His name, which is another way of saying He manifested the work of God. What was that name or work that He manifested? It was love. He loved His disciples with the Father's love and thus gave Him a name to define Him. That name is love. John, wrote of it in 1 John 4:7-11. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Jesus manifested the love of God. Love defines Him like a name defines a person. John, who recorded Jesus' prayer here in John 17, was saying this. If we are His, His name of love should define us. That's why we should live to love with Jesus. We are manifesting His name in the world. We lay down our lives for His own as He did. God's love is the sustained direction of the will toward the highest good of another, no matter what the cost. And their highest good is to glorify God in Christ and enjoy Him forever. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Before the world was, God, the Father and Jesus, the Son existed in glory together. They were united as one. They shared the glory of heaven before they made the earth and everything in it. Their united glory then was their goal in all creation, but especially mankind. As the Westminster Confession begins, “What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Jesus came to fulfill that chief end of man, which we could not do, sinners that we are. Having accomplished that work in the world, which existed in heaven before it was created, He now prays for the glory of God that predated the world, brought it into existence, and sent Him into it in human form. God and man united as one in glorious love. If Jesus lives in us, that is our future state and hope, for if we are united with Him, we will be united with Him in the glory that the Father and Son enjoyed before the world was. “Christ in you is the hope of glory,” wrote Paul in Col. 1:27. I can't wait! How about you? We will see that we predated the world in Christ! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” What person has ever accomplished this work of glorifying God every minute of his or her life on earth? No one. Everyone has fallen short of the glory of God, but Jesus. John wrote in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus defined what it is to glorify God, namely, doing what God sent Him to do. He never did anything on His own initiative or in His own power. Every word and every action was the exact representation of the Father. Hebrews 1:3 “And He (Jesus) is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His (the Father's) nature.” Such is the heart of Jesus. If Jesus lives in us, His heart will be evident in our lives. He does in us what He was sent to do, namely, glorify His father by loving those given to Him. This is why we live to love with Jesus. He continues the work of glorifying His father as we (Jesus and us) love those He puts in our paths today for His glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Jesus is the life—the vine. He was sent to be the life-giver. In knowing Jesus, we know the Father—the only true God. To know and have the life of Jesus abiding in our bodies and souls is to have life eternal dwelling in us—a life that will never die. John wrote in 1 John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Do you have the testimony of God in you—the eternal life of Jesus? Living to love with Jesus is the testimony, for God is love. As Jesus said only moments before these words, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:8. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:1-2 “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.” First, today, let's give thanks to God! He has glorified His Son Jesus by giving Him authority to give eternal life. If we or anyone has eternal life, then it is a gift from God. Glory to God! Second, if we have eternal life, we were given as a gift to Jesus by the Father. We are not our own. We have belonged to God from before the foundation of the world. That's hard to imagine, isn't it? We are Jesus' inheritance. Be in awe! The Father has glorified His Son by creating a people for Himself in Christ that He might save them from their sins, make a place for them in Himself, that He might bring them to God, and unite them as one even as the Father and Son are united as one in love. That's why we live to love with Jesus. Glory to God! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 17:1 “Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,” Jesus had just said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." Then He turned His focus to His Father in prayer. John 17 records that prayer. It is an amazing, wonderful, awe-inspiring, gift to us. We are treated to what makes Jesus' heart beat—the glory of God. When we are filled with the Spirit of the Father and Son, we also will pray, “Father in heaven, glorify Your Son in me that the Son may glorify You.” Isn't this what it means to pray in Jesus' name? To pray as He would pray? To pray with the same heart beat as He prays? Jesus recognized that the hour had come for Him to lay down His life and reveal the love of God. In a small way, but not an insignificant way, each hour of our lives is our hour to do the same thing—lay down our lives, to love with Jesus, for the glory of God. May we be consumed with the glory of God today as we manifest His love. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." What are “these things” of which Jesus spoke that provided a basis for peace in His disciples, and all those who follow after them? The immediate things He had spoken are these: He knows what is to come and is in total control. They are going to be scattered in the next few minutes, and Jesus and the Father are going to accomplish what He was sent to accomplish. But even in that difficult hour, they may have peace in Jesus Himself. Earlier in the evening, He had told them that He was going to prepare a place in Himself for them so that where He was, they could be with Him. The only place of peace in this world is in Jesus. Why? Because He has overcome the world. Jesus told them He had already overcome the world. He didn't say to them that He would overcome the world. What did He mean? I think He was referring to the fact that He had lived for 33 years in this world and Satan, the devil, the god of this world, still had nothing in Him by which to snag Him, trip Him up, or cause Him to fail in His mission of redemption. It had already been settled in Him, He was giving Himself up for His friends, and nothing and no one could stop Him or prevent it. Not only could the disciples take courage from that great truth, so can all who trust in Jesus. We can expect tribulation in this world. It hated Jesus, it will hate us. But, that can't stop us from living to love anymore than it could stop Him from living to love. Nor can it destroy our peace, because our peace doesn't come from anyone or anything in this world. It comes from Jesus, Himself. His life. His death. His resurrection. His presence. As we go through the tribulation in this world, may our hearts take courage as we follow Paul's admonition in Colossians 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:32 “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” Sometimes, it feels like we are all alone. There's no one to stand with us. In Jesus' hour of betrayal, there was no one standing with Him. The apostle Paul faced such an hour. He wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:16-17, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” Jesus and Paul were left alone, yet, they were not alone. The Father was with Jesus in His hour of trial and Jesus was with Paul in his hour of trial. Whatever trial believers face, regardless of how they feel or regardless of the circumstances, they are not alone. Jesus is with them. He promised to be with His disciples forever when He told them in John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” The disciples at that moment did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, so moments later, they were scattered. We do have the Holy Spirit, the power and presence of Jesus, dwelling within us. So even though there are times we may feel alone and it appears there is no one with us, we are not alone. He lives to love in and through us. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:31 “Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?'” The disciples had just declared that they believed that Jesus came from God. Yet, Jesus knew what they were about to face and knew that they nor He could trust their hearts. Our flesh and our hearts may fail, even though we are well-intentioned and think we stand in the moment. Jesus asked this penetrating question, “Do you now believe?” He knew the hour had come for their faith to be tested, and that they would act as if they did not believe that He came from God. There's a lesson in this for us that is vital if we are to live to love with Jesus. We must not trust in our own hearts or faith. Proverbs 28:26, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” Rather, we must trust 100% in Jesus' heart and righteousness. Remember what He had said only minutes before this. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from Me you can do nothing.” Asaph, the Psalmist, wrote in Psalms 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” He said it well, didn't he? Even though we believe, we can still have an “evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God” as the writer of Hebrews warned in 3:12. We need daily encouragement to abide in Christ and place our entire confidence in the fact that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. He is our righteousness and our peace in this troubled world. His love abides in us, and He will love through us today. “Do you now believe?” Our answer is, “Lord, You know all things, and my hope is in You, today.” Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:30-33a “Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God. Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.'” The disciples took confidence in the fact that they understood Jesus and believed in Him. They said, “We believe that You came from God.” However, I think Jesus' response to their declaration of faith, surprised and shocked them. Surely they didn't expect Him to cause them to question their confidence. He had just told them that the Father had sent Him and loved them. Here was further proof of His love. He told them again what was going to happen before it happened. They were going to leave Him alone. Satan was to scatter them and drive them to their own homes— as if all that was said and done was fruitless and wasted. Why did He say these things to them when they were seemingly so confident in their faith? He said them because their confidence was wrongly placed. Their confidence should be firmly lodged in one great truth. Jesus Himself! He was sent to make a place for them in Himself (as He said in 14:1-2) where they could live in peace with God, with themselves, in this world. Peace in this world of tribulation cannot come in any other way, but in Jesus Christ, Himself. He alone is our peace. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:28-29 “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father. His disciples said, ‘Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech.'” Jesus knew where He came from, what He came to do in the world, and where He was going. He told His disciples plainly. “God sent me into this world to accomplish His will, and now I am leaving this world to return to Him with mission accomplished.” There was no figure of speech employed by Jesus, so His disciples understood what what had happened, what was happening, and what was going to happen. If we have the life of Jesus in us, then we should be able to say the same thing—know the same thing. We came forth from the Father (we were created in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world), we have been sent into this world with the same mission as Jesus (namely, to live to love with God), and we will go out of this world to the Father according to His will and timing, having accomplished His mission. No figurative language here. Straight talk. Simple truth. Our testimony should be as clear and plain as Jesus' testimony. We know whose we are. We know we are sent and we know who sent us. We know what we are here for. We know where we are going. May we speak so plainly as we share our testimonies with those He puts in our paths. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:26-27 “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” What day was Jesus referring to? If we look back a few verses we learn that it is the day they see Jesus risen from the dead. John 16:22 “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” In vs. 23, we see Jesus reference “that day” and in vs. 26 He said it again. This gives us insight into the power and significance of Jesus' resurrection, namely, that in Jesus' name, we have personal, individual access to our Father in heaven. Jesus implied that the resurrection gives Jesus' disciples confidence to ask the Father directly to supply whatever they need to obey Jesus' commands to believe and love. If we love Jesus and believe He was sent by the Father to express His love for us, we know He loves us. The faith and love that we have testifies to God's love for us. Why was it important for Jesus to clarify that He will not request on their behalf. I think it is “plain speaking” from Jesus. He wanted them to know without question that God would answer their request because of His love for them, and not just because of His love for His son. Since we can do nothing apart from Jesus, let us have confidence to ask our Father for everything we need to live to love with Jesus—to love those He puts in our paths, today, for His glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.” What are “these things” about which Jesus had spoken to them of the Father in figurative language? He had used the agricultural illustration of the vinedresser as the Father. It was the figurative language needed at that hour. But Jesus encouraged them that another hour was coming when He would tell them plainly of the Father. The hour of which Jesus spoke was only seconds away because in the next few verses, Jesus spoke plainly to them of the Father. We can be grateful for Jesus' figurative language regarding His Father. We learned that this is our Fathers world, and He has planted one true vine in the world—His Son—who is the way of life for the branches so they can display the fruit that pleases the Father. We can also look forward with great anticipation to Jesus telling us plainly of the Father. Until tomorrow, let's live in gratitude by receiving from Jesus all that He has for us to display His love in this world, and look expectantly toward the future when we will have a greater understanding of the Father's love. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” Until “now.” Up to that point in history, no one asked for anything in Jesus' name. To what does “now” refer. I think Jesus was referring to the time after the cross and the resurrection—after Jesus returned to His Father. Minutes earlier, remember what Jesus had said in 14:12-14. “… because I go to the father. Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.“ Having received the commandment to love from Jesus and knowing He went to the Father to give them access to the Father (make a place for you) through Him (who is the way), the disciples then had a reason to ask in Jesus' name. His name is now the way to love, which is the new and excellent way to live. In speaking of love Paul wrote, “I show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:30)—the way of love. Fullness of joy comes when we ask for the grace to love in Jesus' name, and Jesus loves through us. May that be our experience today as we live to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” Jesus knew that the disciples had many questions regarding all that He had told them about His relationship with His Father and His going to the Father and His sending the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name. They would carry those unanswered questions until they saw Him in His resurrected body. The day they saw the risen Jesus Christ, they knew they had access to God, the Father, through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. His intercession on their and our behalf has opened the door for us to ask the Father directly for anything we need to know to love with Jesus in this world. To ask in Jesus' name is to approach the Father through Jesus' work. His work is represented when we call in His name. We can ask our Father for whatever we need to love with Jesus because Jesus commanded us to believe in Him and love as He loves us. We also know that His command came from our Father. So we can have confidence when we say to the Father, “I need help loving in this situation as You commanded me in Your son. How do You want to love through me?” We can be confident when we ask our Father for the grace to love in Jesus' name, that He will give it to us. Let us rejoice and be glad today. Because Jesus lives, we can ask our Father for whatever we need to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

This month we celebrate our country's 250th anniversary. Since my word of the year is truth, the basis for our declaration of independence caught my attention. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The founders believed it to be a self-evident truth that God created all men equal and gave each one the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. They maintained that since those rights were given by God, they could not be taken away by any government. Therefore, the responsibility for securing those rights falls upon the people when a government fails to honor God and the rights of the people. I intend to springboard off of these self-evident truths and zero in on God's provision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in and through Jesus Christ. “In Him was life.” John 1:4: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'” 1 John 5:11-12: “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” The idea the Founders had in mind when they used the term life certainly referred to bios or mortal life. If God creates and gives life, it is self-evident that no one has the right to take or destroy that life. The verses above refer to eternal life, one which swallows up mortal life (2 Cor. 5:4). Mortal life is valuable and to be protected, but God has allowed it to be taken away by the devil and his agents, whether they be governments, parents, or enemies. The life that no one can take away is the life of Jesus Christ. If God gives eternal life to someone, that right to life is eternally secure. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one” (John10:27-30). This is a life worth pursuing. Yes, we, the people, should protect the right to life in this world because it is true that God created each individual at conception and gave them bios, mortal life. We have the right and responsibility to elect people to offices of government that promise to secure that right. I hope you will take that responsibility seriously. However, the bios life you have received from God is not eternal. It will be taken from you. David penned in a psalm the temporal nature of life on this earth. “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Ps. 139:16). Earthly life is limited. I hope this July 4th, you'll consider celebrating this Truth: Jesus is the life, eternal life. Do you have it? If you have Jesus, you have the life we should all pursue and celebrate.

John 16:22 “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” Let's imagine the joy of the disciples when they first saw the risen Christ. Unspeakable joy must have filled their hearts. Peter and the rest of the disciples saw Jesus, risen from the dead, on the third day after He spoke these words. Peter spoke of this joy when he wrote about our new birth through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:8-9). No one can take away this inexpressible joy any more than they can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. I hope you'll take a moment and join the disciples in that moment that Jesus appeared to them for the first time after His death. For them and us, it means that our all sin has been removed, death has been conquered, we are never to die, and we know we will forever be with the Lord. We are the beloved of God. May our hearts be filled with His love and joy today so we can love others with Him as a testimony that Jesus lives! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:21 “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.” Jesus chose the example of the anguish and joy of giving birth to a child to give hope to His disciples who were about to go through deep emotional and spiritual pain. Just as the pain is unavoidable in labor, so the pain of the cross and their anguish was unavoidable. There will be no joy in the arrival of the child unless the pain is endured. In the same way, the disciples had to endure great anguish before the resurrection appearance, which signaled the new birth of the children of God. Peter used the birth figure in his first epistle. Let these words be your live to love with Jesus encouragement today. 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 1 Peter 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Expect various trials each day. We are in labor pains. But we do not labor without hope. There is a resurrection—a revelation of the fruit of the seed of the Holy Spirit—to come to the praise and glory and honor to God. Live with expectation of that future joy. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:19-20 “Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, 'Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, “A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me”'? Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” When Jesus was put to death, the world rejoiced and Jesus' followers grieved their loss. The same happens today as we hear of our brothers and sisters in the faith suffering for His name sake. The world rejoices. As Jesus said only moments before this statement, recorded in 16:2 “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.” In 15:18, He had said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” Even though we have been given a “heads up” to these things, we still weep, lament, and grieve when the world casts its hatred for Jesus upon His followers. But we are not without hope just as the disciples were not without hope. They had the hope of joy set before them, much like Jesus. The writer of Hebrews wrote about Jesus, “Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). As we know, they did weep, lament, and grieve when Jesus was crucified and laid in the tomb. However, in a very little while He was raised and appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you. And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” And thus, Jesus' words in this verse were fulfilled. Today, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who has promised us that our weeping, lamenting, and grief will be turned to joy. May the hope of joy fill our hearts in this fallen world as we live to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:17-18. “Some of His disciples then said to one another, ‘What is this thing He is telling us, “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me”; and, “because I go to the Father”?' So they were saying, ‘What is this that He says, “A little while”? We do not know what He is talking about.'” Obviously the disciples were confused and puzzled by Jesus' remarks about being seen, not being seen, then being seen again, and His going to the Father. After the resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, all that confusion was cleared up. Jesus, the living God, changed everything! We are now in the age of history where Jesus has come and the Holy Spirit has been given. We have the record of the life and ministry of Jesus as well as His disciples. They went from a confused band of followers of Jesus to a world-impacting, history-making, kingdom-consumed, love-empowered strike force. Their ministries in the world still ripple today. Believers of every generation stand on their shoulders and are encouraged by their testimonies and understanding of Jesus Christ. Have you ever been confused about Jesus and what He said? If so, just wait a little while. In time, at just the right time, the Holy Spirit will disclose to you what you need from God to manifest His life and light in your world. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:16 "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." That's exactly what happened. Again, Jesus told them of things to come before they happened so that when they occurred, they would believe and trust in Him. Within less than 24 hours, a little while, Jesus was placed in the tomb, out of their sight. However, He was only there “a little while.” On the third day, while gathered in the same room where they had observed Passover, they saw Him again. John 20:19 “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.' And so it was. A little while and they no longer saw Him, and then a little while and they saw Him. These things have been recorded so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, the savior of the world. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way for any human being to have access to God, the Father. What's the main point? Jesus died, was buried, and was raised to give eternal life to all who believe. Those who believe have been called to testify to the risen Jesus by displaying His love, bearing fruit, for the glory of God. It's why they breathe, eat, sleep, work, exercise, read their Bibles, pray, and serve. May the life of Jesus be the fullness of our lives today, so that the world may see that Jesus lives and saves sinners. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” The concept of the Holy Trinity is reflected in this verse. Jesus spoke of His father, Himself, and the Holy Spirit as one, yet distinct. All that belongs to the Father, belong to Jesus, and the Father and the Son both sent the Holy Spirit (14:16; 15:26). Jesus informed His disciples that the things the Holy Spirit discloses are the things of the Father and the Son. Jesus said, those things “are the Fathers” and “are Mine.” What are we? All who belong to the Father and the Son are recipients of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called “the Spirit of truth.” The apostle Paul referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 3:16), “the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17), “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6), “the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:9), “the Spirit of adoption”(Rom. 8:15), “the Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13), and “the Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2). The writer of Hebrews spoke of “the Spirit of grace.” Living to love with Jesus is the same as living to love with the Holy Spirit. This life is not a normal, natural life. His love is supernatural—literally it is a superpower. The worldview, mindset, and attitude of Christ is the way God's love flows in our lives to everyone He puts in our paths. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son, and those in whom He dwells, have received the things freely given us by God. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” Even as Jesus glorified His father by revealing the Father, so the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by revealing Him. We may glorify God also as we reveal Jesus in the world. The Holy Spirit takes the mind and love of Christ and discloses it to us as He did to His disciples. Listen to the fulfillment of Jesus' words explained by the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 12-13. “But just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.' For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” 12-13. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” The only way to live to love with Jesus is to receive that which is of Jesus given to us by the Holy Spirit. In this way, Jesus is glorified. His life is manifested in and through the lives of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and thus they think like Jesus, speak the words of Jesus, and love like Jesus. I hope you are encouraged today to abide in Christ by receiving what He gives you through your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Tune in to the Spirit of truth, your Helper and Guide. What a privilege Jesus' disciples have to receive from the Holy Spirit the things that belong to our glorious Savior, Jesus Christ. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” Jesus had just told His disciples that He had more to say, but He had restrained Himself because they were not able to bear it. But that didn't mean that they would miss out on those things He had to say. They would receive them from Him later, once the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, came to them. We have some hint from this verse about the things on Jesus' mind—they were things “to come.” The Holy Spirit would guide them when they needed it. The Holy Spirit speaks what He hears from Jesus just like Jesus spoke what He heard from the Father. Again we may be encouraged by the union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the son of truth, and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Neither of them spoke on His own initiative. If we walk by the Spirit, then we also should be careful not to speak when we feel like it. Just as love restrained Jesus with His disciples, we can expect love to restrain us as the Holy Spirit guides us. John referred to this wonderful truth of the Holy Spirit's guidance and teaching when he wrote in 1 John 2:27 “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” This is the reason I pray in the Live to Love prayer these words, “Father, anoint and fill me with the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of Christ, so that I can love and trust You and love the people You put in my path today, for Your glory.” May we abide in the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, as we live to love with Jesus today. Whatever we hear from Him, let us speak in love with confidence. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:12 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” Jesus had given them much to bear or carry since they had eaten their last meal together in the upper room. Because Jesus is the incarnation of the love of God, we know it is love for His Father and for His disciples that gave Him freedom to speak to them as He had. At this point, apparently there was an inner restraint in sharing more with them about what was to happen to and in them in the future. Love restrained Him. He knew they were not able to carry more than He had given them. As we live to love with Jesus, we also need to have His sensitivity to the spiritual state and circumstances of those He puts in our paths. We might ask ourselves, “Are they spiritually able to receive the things I want to share with them? Are their circumstances in life such that more information would be overwhelming? Do they have ears to hear? Is it in their highest good for me to share with them? This verse informs us that there are times when we should restrain ourselves from saying things, even if they are words of encouragement, insight, and wisdom, out of love for someone. My guess is that most of us have “many more things to say,” but that doesn't mean it is best or loving for us to say them. May the Holy Spirit give us discernment and discretion as to when and what to speak to those we love. Remember, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. If He isn't speaking, then neither should we. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:11 “and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” Let's consider how the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers convicts the world of judgment. Jesus said He convicts the world of judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged. Who is the ruler of this world to whom Jesus referred? Certainly, it is the devil, aka Satan. Only minutes before, Jesus told His disciples, “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (14:30). We know Satan was at work in those who were his in the world from the betrayal of Jesus by Judas through the burial of His body in the tomb. God gave Jesus, an innocent, righteous man, into the hands of the devil and his world, and judged him as a hater and murder of God. He saw it in him, gave him the occasion to confront Jesus, and God's judgment was right. Satan killed the righteous Son of God. Now what does the presence of the Holy Spirit have to do with that judgment? The sending of the Holy Spirit testifies to the world that they are just like their father, the devil. As the disciples, and all in whom Jesus dwells, express His life in this world, those in the world hate them and want to kill them. The world wants believers our of their lives! They hate Jesus and murder Him, just like their father. God sees it in them, gives the occasion to confront Jesus in His disciples, and God's judgment is righteous. They are children of the devil. Their ruler has been judged, and so have they. Jesus loves those who are in the world through us. They will never be able to say that Jesus did not love them. We should not be surprised that they will sabotage His love and twist it, just like their ruler did when Jesus was here on the earth. As we live to love with Jesus, the Holy Spirit is at work. He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:10 “and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;” After Jesus' resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were transformed by the presence of the life of Christ dwelling in them. Even though the disciples no longer could see Jesus with their physical eyes, their testimony was that Jesus was in them. So it is with everyone who lives to love with Jesus. They convict the world of what they lack—the righteousness of God. Unlike the world, who cannot see Him, we practice righteousness (live to love with Him) because He lives in us. We love because He first loved us. His love was seen in His coming to perform a righteousness for us, bearing our sins in His body on the cross, going to the Father, having made a place in Himself for us to live with Him, and then sending the Holy Spirit to us. The presence of His love in us testifies concerning righteousness. Rom. 5:1-5 says it best. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” There is the truth that convicts the world concerning righteousness. Believers have the love of God poured out in them and through them. May Jesus' love flow through us today for the glory of God. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” Do you believe this? The world doesn't. Jesus commanded in John 14:1, “If you believe in God, believe also in Me.” To obey Jesus' command is to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that He is the way, truth, and the life, and is the only way to the Father that God has provided for mankind. Those who believe in Jesus, realize and therefore believe that Jesus is life and the source of all that is life. Everything they do that isn't connected to Him or doesn't come through His life in them, they believe to be sin. Why? Because the standard is the glory of God. If the words and work are not from and through Jesus, then God doesn't get the glory, and their words and works fall short of the glory of God. Falling short of the glory of God is another way to define sin. Paul also wrote to the Romans, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Look how convicting this is to the world concerning sin! Jesus said that we can do nothing apart from Him. So we conclude that apart from faith in Jesus, all is sin. Since the world has no connection to Jesus, everything they do is sinful. That's convicting! We should not be surprised if they hate us as we live to love with Jesus, because holiness exposes sin and unbelief. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; The Holy Spirit's presence in believers, as their Helper, impacts the world. After telling His disciples that the Helper would be with them forever, He said, “that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him” (14:17). The world's problem is that they have no understanding of sin, righteousness, and judgment because they can't see who Jesus is nor do they know Him. But those who do know Jesus, have His life in them. Therein lies the source of the conviction. As long as Jesus was present in this world as a distinct, separate, unique individual, He could be rejected, denied, and accused as an imposter and fraud. But after the resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, came to transform sinners into saints, the difference between believers and the world is evident. Their holy lives, characterized by the faith and love of the living Christ, exposes the blindness and ignorance of the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. As we live to love with Jesus, we are participating in the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in the world. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” How important the truth is, indeed! Jesus was going to the Father who had sent Him to make a way so that He could be with us forever! Remember what He had said only minutes before. “I will ask the Father, and He will send you another Helper, that He may be with you forever. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (Jo. 14:16, 18). Compare the two statements. In this verse, Jesus said that He will send the Helper to them. In 14:16, He said that the Father will send the Helper to them. Which is it? As we have learned, it is both the Father and the Son who send the Helper to us. They are distinct, yet one. But more to Jesus' point, Jesus could not and would not be with us if He had not come to earth to bear our sin and shame and offer Himself as a sacrifice according to the will of His Father. In this we see what love is. Laying down one's life for His friends and then coming to be with them in order to help them do what the Father commands, namely, to believe in the Son and love as He loves. Thank you, Jesus, for first coming to help us by removing our sins, and then coming to be with us forever for the purpose of loving through us for God's glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:5-6 "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Had the disciples been tuned in to what was happening with Jesus, they would have asked Him where He was going? Instead, apparently all they could think of was the loss and disappointment they were going to experience. This is natural for us all. It is supernatural for us to be Christ-conscious and ask Him questions like, “Where are You going? What do You think? What do You want to do now? What opportunity lies before Him to glorify His Father in my life?” These are questions we ask when we are living to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:5 "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' Most of the time when we talk of Jesus' return, we are thinking of His return to earth. In this verse we know Jesus was referring to His return to His Father in heaven. He was sent by the Father to be the way, the truth, and the life and to be the only way for fallen, sinful human beings to be reconciled to God. He was sent to make atonement for sins and to return to His Father with the only acceptable sacrifice—His life in this world. The point here is He came to do the Father's will. Hebrews 10:7 "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.'" And the disciples knew this because they did not ask were He was going. Our salvation was willed and designed by our Father because He is love: the sustained direction of His will toward our highest, no matter what the cost. To Him be the glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:4 “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.” We are witnessing an age of apostasy and hostility toward the gospel. Many fall away because they were told that if they accept Jesus they will have a good and happy life. Then when persecution or trials occur, they are not prepared and get offended at God, the church, and believers. In this verse we see the truth. As long as Jesus was with them, the hatred of the world was focused on Him. So it was not the time to tell them of the hatred, trials, and rejection they were going to experience. But now that He was leaving them, they were entering the last days of great tribulation. What should be our response? To trust Him and obey His command to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:3 “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.” Why can we expect to be rejected, cast out, and possibly killed by others who think they are serving God? We can expect it because they do not know the Father or Jesus, His Son. Again, John applied this truth in his first epistle. “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 Jo. 3:1). If they know Jesus, they know the Father. If they know them, they know the children of God. God is love. Jesus revealed the Father's love. His children live to love with Jesus. The children know one another because they are siblings, having received their life and love from the same Father. Since the world doesn't know the Son, they cannot know the Father. They are from a different father, and therefore, the children of God are aliens to them. They are strangers and enemies to their family and values in this world. Therefore, since they live their lives to love the world with its lusts and pride, we can expect them to want to cancel or kill us as a service to their god. This was not spoken to discourage us. We should all the more live each day looking for those God puts in our paths to love with His love. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:2 “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.” What will make the disciples outcasts from the synagogue? Jesus' words and their love for Him and others made them outcasts in the synagogue. The disciples went into the synagogues preaching Christ crucified and risen and giving His commandment, namely, if you believe in God, believe also in Jesus and love one another as Jesus has loved us. We know this because of John's letters. He took those two commandments and made them into one. “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us” (1John 3:21-23). Their message testified of a new covenant in His blood, which replaced the old covenant worshipped in the synagogues. The new commandment fulfilled all of the Law. Do you think that was a welcomed message? We know it wasn't. The book of Acts and Paul's testimony to the Galatians confirms these words of Jesus to His disciples. When Saul (later known as the apostle Paul) and his companions stoned Stephen because of the gospel, they thought they were serving God. Paul wrote to the Galatians recorded in 1:13-14, “For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.” We may experience the same rejection if we reduce all of the Christian walk down to believe that Jesus is God, and that living to love with Him on a daily basis is God's call on your life. It seems too simple. But what about all those standards that identify us as Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Mennonites, etc.? Hm. These words of Jesus are prophetic, but they are still the words that keep us from stumbling. Let us love on with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:1 "These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.” One of the ways we know what Jesus meant is by looking to see how the disciples took what He said. We are able to do that in this case because the author of John commented on it in his first epistle. In 1John 2:10 he wrote, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” To what is Jesus referring when He said, “these things”? John narrowed it down to the new commandment. The one who loves his brother, (shall I be so bold as to say it in these words?) who lives to love with Jesus, is walking in the light. That light keeps him from stumbling just as walking in the bright daylight keeps you from stumbling over something. You don't usually stumble over things in the daylight, do you? Why? Because you can see where you are going. You can see what's in your path. So it is when you live to love with Jesus. You know where you are going. You're on your way to love the next person God puts in your path. And when they appear, you won't stumble over them because you are there to love them, rather than be loved by them. When we live for ourselves, there is great cause for stumbling. We live in a fallen world, and everyone who shows up in our path is fallen. More than likely they are not going to think about our highest good no matter what the cost. So what happens to the person who isn't living to love with Jesus, to the one who is living to get his or her agenda done or to be happy and comfortable, or to gain significance in this world? They will not walk in love, but will stumble and react, usually in hurtful, unloving ways. Knowing they were to love one another through the life of the indwelling Christ, would keep them from stumbling. Whenever you stumble in a relationship, you can be assured, you have forgotten that your purpose in life is to walk in Jesus' light and live to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:27 “And you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” God has provided two witnesses to the living, risen Jesus, the Son of God. The Holy Spirit bears witness by producing the life of Jesus in His disciples. Jesus' first disciples, provide a second witness to the life of Christ as they testify that the Holy Spirit is the same spirit as was present in Jesus when they walked with Him in the flesh. The writer of Hebrews declared this phenomenon when he wrote, “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. 2:3-4). Remember, Jesus said He was telling them of things that were to happen before they occurred, so they would know that He was God in the flesh. We are so blessed. Here we have Jesus declaring they would be witnesses with the Holy Spirit, and then we have the fulfillment of it described in Hebrews. This gives us a hope both sure and steadfast. It gives us confidence that indeed, this gospel of salvation is the great salvation proclaimed throughout all of history from the promise to Adam and Eve through all the gospel promises in the Scriptures. As we live to love with Jesus, the love of Jesus through us is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Then we also testify about Him as we present the gospel recorded in the word of God. Amazing! In this way, the kingdom of God is advanced in this world. God has granted authority to these two witnesses in the world: His Spirit and His people. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,” This verse helps us discern the spirit of truth from the spirit of error. It helped John. He wrote in 1 John 4:2, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth, testifying that Jesus is God in the flesh. In Jesus' words recorded in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” These words were surely spoken so that there would be no confusion between the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the antichrist. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Son, proceeds from the Father for the purpose of testifying, witnessing to, and glorifying the Son of God. The spirit of antichrist, sent by the devil, testifies to and glorifies man without Jesus. It is the spirit of the world contrasted with the Spirit of God. Let's not miss this incredible reality. The Holy Spirit could not be sent if Jesus were not alive, having conquered death by the resurrection. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, testifies to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, to His union with the Father, and to our union with Him. Only minutes before this, Jesus had said, “In that day [the day the Holy Spirit is sent to you] you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20). His presence in our lives, loving through us, is the testimony to the world that Jesus lives and we are His. Hallelujah! Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:25 “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'” I'm not sure where in the Law Jesus was referring, but in Psalms 69:4 we find these words. “Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies.” To say that they “hated without a cause” is to say that the hatred was within them. There wasn't something that Jesus did that caused them to hate Him. He healed people, which they could't do, and they hated Him. He spoke with God's authority. It brought out hatred in them. He spoke the truth, but they hated the truth and therefore hated Him. God doesn't cause people to hate Him. They hate Him because they have sin within them. Hatred for God is the fruit of sin whereas in contrast, love for God is the fruit of righteousness. That's why living to love with Jesus gives us confidence in the judgment as John wrote in 1 John 4:17. We know love for God and others isn't natural. Rather it's a supernatural work of grace in the heart of a person, which shows that God has loved them with an everlasting, redemptive love. It reveals that the righteousness of God has been given to them and His righteousness flows through the vine into the branches and bears much fruit—the fruit of God's love. Hatred for God has been replaced with hatred for sin and love for God. If this describes you, then rejoice in the Lord! Give Him praise and thanksgiving for the privilege of living to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:24 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.” It's miraculous and supernatural for anyone to live to love with Jesus. It takes a work of grace and glory to transform a hater of God into a lover of God. Look what sin has done to mankind. We live to hate God. We don't know we hate God until He shows up and does what only He can do. He does the works of God—works that no one else has ever done or can do. We all died when Adam sinned. Death is all we know, and we think it is life because our hearts are beating and we are breathing. So it was with that generation at the time of Jesus' coming. They didn't know they were dead in their sin until Jesus came and revealed the life of God. They saw His works, heard His words, and hated Him because He did things they could not do. He exposed them. John described the coming of Jesus this way in John 3:19-20. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” The same will be true of all those who are His and who walk in the Light of Christ. God is light and the light is love. As they love with Jesus, it will expose those who walk in darkness. Their love is a supernatural love just as the works of Jesus were supernatural. Like Jesus, they will be hated because in everyone who has sin ruling their lives, the love and works of Jesus bring out hatred for Jesus and His Father. Father, give us courage and the love we need to walk in Your light today. Accomplish your work for the glory of your name. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:23 “He who hates Me hates My Father also.” Hate is a strong word, isn't it? In Deut. 5:9, God speaks to us. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.” Hatred for God is judged and revealed when we put anyone or anything in His place. He alone is worthy of our worship and service. This foundational understanding of hatred for God expressed through idolatry seems to relate to these words of Jesus. Another way of stating this truth is this: He who is most delighted and satisfied in Jesus above all else loves Him and loves God, the Father, also. Whoever hates Jesus and His words, also hates God. What great truth underlies this statement? Jesus and God, the Father, are one. Let's follow the line. Jesus and the Father are one. If you hate one, you hate the other. Believers in Jesus and Jesus are one. If you hate one, you hate the other. The converse is also true. If you love the Son, you love the Father. If you love those who are His, you love Jesus. What a privilege it is to love with Jesus each day. We are expressing our love for Jesus and the Father, for His glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

God has spoken. Man has no excuse for sin. John 15:22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” Notice the importance of Jesus' words. They judge sinners. Jesus said this earlier in the day that He said these words recorded in John 15:22. John 12:48 “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” The same reasoning applies in both instances. Jesus spoke. The only reason one would reject His word is that they have sin in them. His word became the occasion for the revelation of their sin. There is no excuse for the creature who rejects the word of his creator. This reminds us of Romans 1:20. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” The apostle Paul explained how God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. It is revealed in the fact that God has revealed Himself, and they suppress the truth that God has spoken or revealed Himself. God came and spoke to Adam and Eve. In speaking to them, He spoke to all of mankind, to them, and to us. “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Had He not spoken to us, we would not have sin. But that word judged all mankind, even us, for God's Word also says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law” (Rom. 5:12-13). And so we are without excuse for our sin. For Paul also wrote, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:19-20). Jesus' words are the words of God. They are like the law to us. They are spiritual. They show where the Spirit of God is working and where He is not working. God has spoken to us in His Son. Are we listening to Him? Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” What are “these things” that Jesus referred to? Persecution and rejection of what you say. The reason we will be rejected, ignored, and dishonored will be for Jesus' name sake. If we live by and keep His words, then we identify with Jesus, His name. Those who know God, know that Jesus was sent by the Father and that His words were His Father's words. Jesus commanded His followers to love one another because God is love, and He came to live to love with His Father. So those who know God will love. John expounded on this in his first epistle. “We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 Jo. 4:6-9). Today, we live because Jesus lives. We have His life in us, which is the manifestation of God's love for us. To God be the glory. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Earlier in the evening, after Jesus washed His disciples' feet, He had said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.” It was said in the context of Jesus' telling them to serve each other as He had served them by washing their feet. In that case, the message was do as I do. In this case, the idea is the similar. It's you'll receive the same from others that I receive. Those who persecute Me will do the same to you, and those who honor Me by keeping My word will do the same with you and your words. As we live to love with Jesus, those who reject God's word will also reject our words. Love won't make a difference in how they treat us or what they think about us. However, we should not shrink back from speaking God's word in love. As we do, we can know that those who love God's word will receive our words as we are faithful to say what He says. They will receive and honor our words because we are repeating Jesus' words. That's a vital aspect of living to love with Jesus. Because we love Him, we keep His words and share them with others in His name. As Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.” (John 14:24). Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:19b “But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” Jesus reminded them that they did not choose Him but He chose them out of the world. He chose them because their source isn't the world, rather they are “of” God. The world hates those who go “out from them” to Jesus. It exposes them for who and whose they are. But let's pause and consider. Those Jesus chose out of the world looked exactly like those of the world. He didn't choose us, who are His friends, for any other reason than we have a different source. So how do we know who are His friends. Like He said in John 15:14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” We were “of God” and not “of the world”. However, we didn't know we were of God until He chose us and revealed His love in us. For this reason, the world hates us. As you live to love with Jesus, humbly consider that you are blessed if the world hates you and speaks all manner of evil against you for His name sake. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:19a “If you were of the world, the world would love its own;” The word Jesus used for “love” in this verse has the same root as the word for “friends”. Philos, friends. Phileo, love. So we can understand that Jesus was saying that if the disciples were of the world, the world would be friendly toward them. Friendship with the world reveals that the world is your source. Friendship with Jesus reveals that God is your source. It is clear that John understood this principle because of what he wrote in his first epistle. “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:18-19). Then in 1 John 4:5-6, speaking of the same group who are antichrists and unfriended them, he wrote, “They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Those who are of the world only befriend those who think like them. They have the same lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and boastful pride of life in this world. They love their lives in this world and so are friends with others who loves their lives in this world. This should speak to our hearts as it did the disciples' hearts. We should not try to reach the world by being friends with them—showing them that we desire the same things in this world and boast of the same things as they do. If we live to love with Jesus, we can expect no one in the world, who is of the world, will consider us their friends. They won't listen to the apostles' writing or teaching, so they won't listen to us either. Don't let that discourage you. All who are His friends, will listen and will not reject your witness or love. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:18. "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18-25 comprise Jesus' commentary on the unbelieving world. The previous verse revealed the most identifiable characteristic among the believing community—love. They love one another because they love Jesus and He lives in them. In contrast, verse 18, reveals the most identifiable characteristic of the unbelieving world—hatred for Jesus expressed in hatred toward His followers. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” Hatred for Jesus precedes hatred for those who are His. Let's keep in mind that Jesus told them of these things before they happened, so they would know that He is the Son of God. Up to this point, Jesus had been the target of the unbelieving ones, such as the Pharisees and Scribes. But within days, their bitterness became focused on Jesus' followers. Nothing has changed since the moment these words passed through Jesus' lips. The world still hates the vine and therefore hates the branches of the vine. The branches of the vine that do not bear fruit for the glory of God are the world of which Jesus spoke. If branches suck up the blessings of life from the vine, yet fail to produce fruit, their love for their existence in this world is destructive and counter to the purpose of the vine and the branches. Hatred flows through the branches and produces hatred for Jesus and His followers. Why tell this to His disciples? So they would know when it happened to them that Jesus is the Son of God and that they belong to Him. As we live to love with Jesus, we may expect to be hated by those who hate Him. The point is: don't think that you did something wrong when others hate you. You may or may not have done something to offend them, but they hate you because they hate Jesus. If they loved Jesus, they would gladly forgive your offense(s) because they too have been forgiven of their sins and have believed Jesus' commandment to love as they have been loved by Him. So do not be discouraged to live to love with Jesus. Even more so, love as you've been commanded. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com