THE PASSING OF THE TORCH
John chapters 14-17 gives us the words of Jesus, the incarnate Word of God (Logos) as he describes the imminent upcoming death of his physical body and the “passing of the torch”. This is the last opportunity he will have before his death to sit down with his disciples and have an extended conversation. His objective is to give them encouragement to carry them through a time of transition that will try their faith.
Logos is speaking to the disciples. He knows that they accept him as the Son of God come from heaven, the very Word of God. But he also knows that when they look at him they see flesh and blood and rightfully so for Logos chose that form, the flesh and blood, to present himself to the world.
But now he is moving on to the next phase of his mission. In the process he will demonstrate for his disciples that death of the body, death of the presentation or interface with the world, is not the final event in a person’s life. It is a transition into the fullness of life in the presence of God. The death of the body is the means by which one is released from this world. The flesh and blood presentation must be put aside as it is no longer useful for him, Logos, and is now a restriction, a ball and chain, holding him in this physical world.
He tells them that He is going away, going to the Father, and that they should rejoice because the Father is the greater one. But He also tells them that He will send another advocate, that is, He will not leave them as orphans but will come to them in another form. They will know him as the Spirit of Truth.
They will recognize him although the world will not know him or accept him. That is to say that anyone that does not love, accept and receive him will not obey his commands but the ones that do love, accept and receive him will obey his commands and that they will be loved by the Father and both the Father and the Spirit of Truth will come to those and abide or live with them.
Logos goes on to tell them that they know the Spirit of Truth already because he actually has been living with them day to day and that when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes back to them he will actually live in them just as he has lived in the flesh and blood presentation known as Jesus of Nazareth. The disciples will become the flesh and blood presentation of the Spirit of Truth to the world. They will be the ones to continue the work, God’s work, that has been accomplished in Jesus of Nazareth. This promise is extended to those that believe through the testimonies of the eye-witness apostles.
John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Jesus tells them that they can not come with him as he “goes to the Father” but that they will come later when they have fulfilled their time, individually, as the presentation of the Spirit of Truth to the world. He encourages them to be united in love for one another and to remain in him, that is, do not forsake his teachings. He tells them that the world will hate them as it hated him but that the Father will love them.
John chapter 17 is a beautiful prayer of Jesus (Logos) for the disciples. Jesus prayed for the Father to carry the disciples into and through their time as the presentation of the Spirit of Truth. He acknowledged that they would remain in the world but were not of the world. He also expressed his deep desire for his disciples to come to him, when their time in this world was finished, and share his glory in the Kingdom of Heaven.
John chapters 14-17 convey important information about the physical death of Jesus, how He returned to be with his disciples as the Spirit of Truth and his provision for us when we experience the death of the body. This is a first-hand, eye-witness account of what Jesus (Logos) taught about these matters.
Let us, as long as we remain in this world, take up the torch and be the light of the world, proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, manifesting the power of that Kingdom, and showing others how to live in that Kingdom, all the while knowing that we are eternal, spiritual beings with an indescribably wonderful future in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Listen to Yeshua,
DB
02-24-25
