This summer, we're walking through the life story of Jesus in the Gospel of John. While the other three New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) overlap each other in many of their accounts and sayings of Jesus, John presents a lot of material unique to his gospel. Watch for Jesus' seven "I am" statements and other important speeches about the identity of who exactly Jesus is.

Read John 14:15-24

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."

Reflect

These words of Jesus were meant as an encouragement to his disciples as he described how the Counselor—the Holy Spirit—would become a tangible part of their relationship with God. What should stand out as the distinguishing characteristic of someone who truly loves Jesus?

Respond

Father, I want people to see my relationship with you in the way that I live. Help me to live out my faith today in the circumstances of my life.