SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Our text today is The Gospel of John 14:15–21. This is a portion of the farewell narrative – the words of Jesus on the night before the cross. The disciples are anxious, confused, and afraid. Jesus has told them He is leaving. Their world is about to collapse.
And into that fear, Jesus gives three promises: Love is shown through obedience. We are not abandoned. And Christ lives in us.
Listen to verse 15: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” That sounds simple, but it cuts against the way many people think about faith. Jesus does not say, “If you love me, talk about me.” He does not say, “If you love me, feel emotional during worship.” He says, “If you love me, obey me.”
Real love always moves beyond words. A parent knows this. A spouse knows this. A friend knows this. Love that never acts is not really love at all. Jesus connects love and obedience because obedience is trust in action.
When Jesus says forgive, and we forgive, that is love. When Jesus says serve the poor, and we serve, that is love. When Jesus says deny yourself, and we surrender pride, that is love. Obedience is not earning salvation. It is the fruit of a transformed heart.
Too often people think Christianity is mainly about avoiding punishment or following rules. But Jesus describes a relationship. “If you love me…”
The Christian life begins not with fear, but with love for Christ. And yet Jesus knows something important: obedience is hard. The disciples are weak. We are weak. Left to ourselves, we fail repeatedly. So Jesus immediately gives the second promise.
In verse 16 he says: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” The word “Advocate” can also mean Helper, Counsellor, Comforter. Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit. Notice the word “another.” Jesus is saying, “In the same way I have been with you, the Spirit will now be with you.” The disciples feared losing Jesus. But Jesus says they will not be abandoned. God Himself will dwell with them.
And this changes everything about the Christian life. You are not called to follow Christ by your own strength. The Spirit gives power to obey. The Spirit convicts us of sin. The Spirit comforts us in suffering. The Spirit reminds us of truth when the world becomes confusing. Some people imagine the Christian life as gritting your teeth and trying harder. But the New Testament teaches dependence, not self-sufficiency.
The Spirit is not merely an idea or symbol. The Spirit is the living presence of God.
Jesus says in verse 17: “He lives with you and will be in you.” Under the old covenant, the presence of God was associated with the temple. But now, through Christ, believers themselves become the dwelling place of God’s Spirit.
Think about the intimacy of that promise. God is not distant. God is not absent. God is not watching from far away. The Spirit is with us and in us. That matters especially in seasons of loneliness. Many people today live surrounded by others yet still feel deeply alone. Some carry grief nobody sees. Some feel forgotten. Some wonder whether God has moved on from them.
Listen to the tenderness of Jesus in verse 18: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” What a beautiful image. Jesus knows the disciples will soon watch Him arrested, crucified, and buried. They will feel abandoned. But He says, “You are not orphans.” An orphan is someone without protection, without guidance, without belonging. Jesus says that is not your identity. In Christ, you are not abandoned children trying to survive alone. You are received into the family of God.
And Jesus fulfils this promise in several ways. He comes to them after the resurrection. He comes through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And one day He will come again in glory. The Christian life is lived in the presence of a living Saviour. That leads to the third promise: Christ shares His life with us.
In verse 19 Jesus says: “Because I live, you also will live.” This is the heart of Christian hope. The disciples are about to see Jesus die. But death will not have the final word. The resurrection of Jesus is not only an event to admire; it is a life to participate in.
Because Christ lives, forgiveness is real.
Because Christ lives, death is defeated.
Because Christ lives, despair is not permanent.
Because Christ lives, believers have eternal life.
Christian hope does not rest on optimism, personality, or circumstances. It rests on the risen Christ.
And then Jesus says in verse 20: “On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” This is one of the deepest truths in Scripture: union with Christ. The believer is joined to Christ spiritually. His life becomes our life. His righteousness covers us. His Spirit dwells within us. Christianity is not merely imitation of Jesus from a distance. It is participation in the life of Christ Himself.
And finally, Jesus returns again to obedience in verse 21: “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” Why does He repeat it? Because obedience is evidence of relationship. Not perfection. Not sinless performance. But a heart that truly loves Christ begins to desire what Christ desires.
And Jesus adds this astonishing promise: “The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” As we walk with Christ, obey Christ, and depend on the Spirit, we come to know Christ more deeply. Not merely information about Him – but fellowship with Him.
So what do we take from this passage today?
First, love for Jesus must move into action. Faith is not merely spoken; it is lived.
Second, you are not abandoned. The Holy Spirit is God’s abiding presence with His people.
Third, your hope rests in the living Christ. “Because I live, you also will live.”
And finally, you are not an orphan. In a world full of anxiety, instability, and isolation, Jesus still says to His people: “I will not leave you.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Cover image artist – Amanda OutsideTheBox
