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Jesus and His Promises to the Disciples
January 25, 2014

Last week I wrote about Jesus came across a woman caught in the act of adultery and the compassion that Jesus showed her when the law required no compassion. Jesus extended his compassion to his disciples and explained they would be comforted after his departure through the arrival of the comforter and that was one of his promises to his disciples.

John 14:15-20
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

The promise of the Holy Spirit was one of the promises given by Jesus to his disciples. There were multiple promises made and we will look at some of these in this study. Another promise made by Jesus was what a disciple could do. Many think of the works of Jesus, and Jesus taught that disciples would do even greater works.

John 14:12-14
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Jesus showed that if we believe Jesus and keep his commandments that we can do even greater works than Jesus did. When Jesus showed compassion as we studied last week to the woman caught in adultery we know for example that as we obey Jesus we can have even more compassion. There are those who ask what would Jesus do? I like to apply that standard when there are examples I can directly reference from the Bible remembering that Jesus said those who believe Jesus and keep his commandments would do more. One of the commandments given by Jesus was a new commandment, a commandment to love each other.

John 13:33-35
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The Apostle Paul would later expand on the concept of love and conclude that without love what we do is nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Jesus promised his disciples that they would be sent the comforter after Jesus left and that all who believe in Jesus and keep his commandments would do works that were greater than the works of Jesus. Paul would later show that our works must be based on love and love for one another is a commandment of Jesus. As we live in this turbulent time, may we all have works that exceed the works of Jesus as we return to a time of faith based on the truth. I invite you to join me in this quest.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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