John 14:18-24

       The fifth provision Christ made for his disciples was His personal presence. 
          The Old Testament was full of evidence that men could do great things if God was with them.  God’s presence made Moses a great leader (Ex. 33:12-17), gave Joshua courage (Josh. 1:5,9), and dispelled Israel’s discouragement (Isa. 41:10; 43:2).  God’s presence was the difference between Saul’s failure (1 Sam. 28:15) and David’s success (1 Sam. 16:18).
          This passage promises that believers not only have access to God (v5-11, the second provision) and the indwelling Holy Spirit (v15-17, the fourth provision), but will have available the presence of the Father and Son in a deep a wonderful relationship.
          They will experience the love of the Father and Son (v21); The Father and Son will be at home with them (v23).  This presence of God will be so real to the believer it will be as if they see Christ (v19).  It will provide a relationship that will satisfy their feelings of being orphaned (v18).
          How can this be?  In v19 Jesus ties this presence to life itself.  He is about to die and then will be raised to life.  For the believer in Christ the same thing can be said.  In coming to Christ they die to themselves and to sin.  In receiving Christ they become alive to God.  And the life they have and live is the very life of Christ.
          This is plainly taught and can be studied out in passages such as…
          – Rom. 6:1-11:  we are identified with Christ in His death, burial and
              resurrection.
          – Gal. 2:20:  I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.
          – Col. 3:1-4:  our life is hidden with Christ in God; Christ is our life.
          Note that this experience of God’s presence is conditional.  It is for believers in Christ and not for the world (v19,22).  It is tied to obedience to His commandments.  When Jesus says this He is not saying “obey Me or I’ll be very distant to you” as if to threaten us.  This obedience is tied to our love (v15,21,23-24).  It is the means by which we draw near to Him (James 4:8).  Further, it is in the keeping of His word that sin, which separates man from God, is removed.
          This promise brings us to the crescendo of Christ’s provision.  He has more to give us but this is what it is all about.  God is not only in the believer but is at home in the believer.  This is Peter’s promise of sharing in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), Paul’s prayer of being filled with God’s fullness (Eph. 3:14-19), and John’s promise of joyful fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:1-4).  Though physically separated from Christ His disciples will have a joyful, satisfying, personal relationship with Him.
          Are you enjoying this fellowship?  Or by disobedience are you denying yourself this wonderful provision of Christ?