John 15 Analysis - Part 2

Tuesday 15th June 2021

When  I first started this website on Sunday, I was a bit reluctant and doubtful. But now I'm really feeling it, I love coming on here to update something. And I just want to thank God for always being there for me as well. Including all the nice messages I've received!

I actually wanted to post this tomorrow because I believe I said that I'll be updating every three days or so- that was until God reminded me last minute:

So here we are.

On Sunday, I posted my John 15 analysis that I did on a word document in April, but I didn't finish it because it would have been too lengthy. Here is the second part; I stopped at verse 12, this will end at verse 21.

 ¹³ No one has greater love than the one who gives their life for their friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I do not call you slaves anymore. Slaves do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father. ¹⁶ You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit that will last. I also appointed you so that the Father will give you what you ask for. He will give you whatever you ask for in my name. ¹⁷ Here is my command. Love one another.

If you are a selfless person and you help your friends, then you are a very genuine person and Jesus loves this kind of person. Be the kind of person that you or someone else would want to be friends with. You will be God’s friends if you do what he says. Jesus has told you everything that he has learnt from his father.

Verse 17 says that we should love one another.

Mark 12:31  “And here is the second one. ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) There is no commandment more important than these.”

Leviticus 19:18 Do not try to get even. Do not hold anything against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbour as you love yourself. I am the Lord.

Love your enemies, not just your friends, because what are you gaining from that? Your enemies might not even hate you, they might just hate the situation that they’re in and they take it on you. Pray for them, and love those who might persecute you.

I've met a lot of people in my life where we didn't get along at first then I became friends with them afterwards. Or if I didn't consider them my friend, they were still nice to me regardless. And that can happen a lot. That's why Jesus said love your enemies, they could become your friends after. This isn't 100% guaranteed however if you hold unto that hope then you never know, perhaps it could actually come true one day.

I don't talk to them now though I do hope they're well.

The World Hates the Disciples

¹⁸ “My disciples, does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you. I said, ‘A slave is not more important than his master.’ (John 13:16) If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the one who sent me.

John 13:16 ¹⁶ What I’m about to tell you is true. A slave is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him.

A slave is less important than its master because a master tells a slave what to do and not the other way around. It also doesn’t matter if you have enemies or not because Jesus had enemies himself too.

You should try to not love the things of the world because not only could they be taken away from you at any time, when you die, your worldly possessions will not be going to the grave with you, or anything else you own either.

Matthew 5:10-12 says Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right.

    The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

11 “Blessed are you when people make fun of you and hurt you because of me. You are also blessed when they tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12 Be joyful and glad. Your reward in heaven is great. In the same way, people hurt the prophets who lived long ago.

Jesus has chosen you out of the world, which is why the world hates you. But that’s okay because they hated Jesus first.

People treat you like this because of Jesus. They do not know the one who sent you.

The followings sentence was from  Care What God Thinks, Not Man

Whenever God calls you to do something and people rise against you, attacking you, ridiculing you, making fun of you, or slandering you, don’t be discouraged or feel alone. They did the exact same thing to Jesus and His disciples. 

This is what Jesus Himself told His followers about this kind of treatment...

then the website made some references to Matthew 5:10-12, which I just mentioned, and also Matthew 10:24-31

it also said this:

Jesus warns us many times that the enemy will, not might but WILL, use this tactic against us but He also reminds us that “God is on our side”! If we hold true and do not break under the pressure, He will turn it toward our good and His glory in the end. In time, He will use the pressure to turn the ugly coals of our situations into diamonds and He will cause those that ridiculed you to see it and know that He is God and you are His child.

The disciples and early Christians were no strangers to this common and timeless tactic, either. We find numerous accounts throughout scripture of their encounters with the “in crowd”, the trendies,.. the men pleasers. We read in scripture of the relentless effort of these people to sooth their convicted consciences and justify their sin by attempting to pressure those that were walking in obedience to God’s instructions, to instead, give-in to “their” instructions and be excepted. Unlike today, this tactic rarely worked against the early followers of Christ. Paul writes concerning this when he says:

“But God chose us to tell people the good news. And so we do not speak to please men, but to please God. He is the one who knows what is in our hearts.” – ‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬‬‬

So is it really that bad to want people to like you? Generally, no. However, when that approval comes at the cost of God’s approval then, yes. We ought to care more about what God thinks of us then what classmates, workmates, friends, or even our family think of us. We all have an engrained desire to please and be loved. Make sure the focus of that desire is in the right place, set firmly on God and His will rather then on man or the things of this world.

Yeah, so for the 1 Thessalonians verse, I had to use a simpler version because I didn't fully understand the version they used. I mentioned the word slave earlier and how A slave is not more important than his master. Let me tell you a story. I read this somewhere but I forgot where I read it from, I think it was Open Heavens but don't quote me on that.

There were two men, one was destined to be a slave and one was destined to be a king. The man destined to be a king had accepted this so therefore he had felt as though he didn't have to work hard. He was lazy, he didn't do much - if anything, procrastination was his favourite thing to do. Procrastination was more or less his best friend.

However, for the slave- he thought to himself: no, I am not accepting this position. I am going to work hard.

So he put his hard work into everything- and it paid off. In the end, the man destined to be a king had ended up being a slave to the man destined to be a slave.. who was now a king. You don't have to accept labels given to you. If you do, then that is called a Self Fulfilling Prophecy, which I learnt in Sociology. You will be a master and not a slave in Jesus name.

That's it for now, I will see you on Thursday by God's grace. Have a good day / night.

Lola