EASTER 6
May 9/10, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: John 14:23-29

“A MOTHER’S DAY EXAMINATION”
1. Of Jesus love for us.
2. Of our love for Him.

John 14:23-27 (NIV) “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. 24He 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. 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

There are some special things going on today, aren’t there? As a nation we are observing Mother’s Day. It’s a day for children to show love for their mothers. At St. Jacobi it’s also Examination Sunday where our 2010 confirmands are publicly examined as to what they have learned in preparation for becoming communicant members of St. Jacobi. In addition to that, for much of the visible Christian church today is the 6th Sunday after Easter where God’s word encourages Christians to live every implication of the fact that Jesus lives. That’s a lot going on! Actually we can fit all three of those special days together by looking at some words Jesus spoke to his disciples before He died and rose as a chance to have a Mother’s Day Examination of love.
Now if your mother loves you, you will know it. There will be all kinds of things you can think of that she does. Does Jesus love us? Absolutely! Naturally we think first of what He did. But let’s also examine what He does. In the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday Jesus said to the disciples. “These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Jesus’ love is a giving love. To His disciples Jesus first of all promises to give the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful gift He is! First for the disciples. Can you imagine how confusing this must have been for them? Jesus appeared in good health. Things seem to have been going well. Now He was talking about not being with them. Can you imagine how frightening it must have been after Jesus died and rose and then ascended when the reality set in that Jesus would not be with them visibly like He had in the past? When they realized that they would carry out the work of leading the Church and teaching people what Jesus had done and had said. What should they do? What should they say? How comforting it was for them to look forward to the gift of the Holy Spirit. He would teach them all things and remind that of the very words Jesus said.
Talk about a gift that keeps giving. We are the recipients of that gift too, aren’t we? This is how we got the New Testament. These disciples and later the Apostle Paul were reminded by the Holy Spirit of all the teachings of God that He wants us to have. They were reminded of the very words Jesus spoke. We have them in the Bible as proof of Jesus’ love for us. We also have the Holy Spirit working among us and in us. Here’s another reason Christians are so eager to be into God’s Word daily and why the Devil works so hard to keep you out of it. The Spirit is there, sent by God in Jesus’ name to rush to our side and help us.
That reminds us of a second gift Jesus’ love moved Him to give to us. Peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus gives His peace to His disciples. He describes it as a peace that is different from the way the world gives. How is that? Well the world gives to get right? There’s strings attached. Quid pro Quo. Something for something. Not so with Jesus. His peace is a true gift. His peace is a gift so that hearts won’t be troubled. His peace is a gift to help with fears. Have you ever wondered what it means when at the end of sermons pastors often quote from Philippians 4 and say “And the peace of God that transcends all understanding…” What does that mean to transcend understanding? I’ve often look at it as the difference between understandable peace and the kind that makes no sense to those with faith. Understandable peace is the absence of conflict, the absence of what’s got you afraid. So if you have a disease or sickness and you are cured and feel at peace, that is understandable. If there is conflict in your family and it is resolved, there is peace, that is understandable. Jesus’ peace is different. It’s that inner calmness in the midst of turmoil. These disciples had it. They sat in prison and sang hymns. They were opposed, arrested and whipped by the chief priests and they rejoiced. They had Jesus’ peace. It’s a gift Jesus has for you too. Turn to His word in time of trouble. Remember His teaching. Who He is. What He has done. No matter how rough things look, feel, or are, you can count on Jesus to be there with you, for you and making everything work out just right. As we examine Jesus’ love this Mother’s Day His is clearly of love that gives.
Now how about our love for Him? Mother’s Day is a gentle reminder for children to show love to their mothers. During the examination the confirmands answered questions about the many great things God has done to show love for us in creating and preserving us, redeeming and sanctifying us. They also answered questions about how we can show our love back. Our Mother’s Day examination of love continues with a chance for us to examine our love for Jesus.
It’s easy really because Jesus tells us what love for Him looks like. “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.” How much more simply can Jesus put it? Those who love Him obey His teachings. Do you want to examine your love for Jesus? Look at how and why you are obeying Jesus’ teachings. When you plan your weekend events around your worship of Jesus it says to Him, “I love you.” When you watch the words that come out of your mouth because you don’t want to offend Jesus’ ears it says, “I love you.” When you respectfully obey your parents and others in authority it says, “I love you.” When you are content with your possessions when you serve others without complaining, when you defend them it says, “I love you, Lord.” All these are daily ways we who love Jesus get to show it and what does He do but turns around and gives more.” My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” What a blessing. A Christian home where the Lord lives with us.
Now like a good mother Jesus also has a word of warning. “He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” Has it bothered you living in America and watch our moral standards slide? Are you puzzled why those who stand up for instance for same sex marriages are treated as the heroes in the media and those like us who because God said so, call it a sin, are pretty much demonized? Jesus has told us why. It may be hard for us to grasp but some people don’t love Jesus. That’s why they will not obey Him. They don’t want to. The word of warning for us is to watch out for the same Devil’s trap they have fallen into. The trap of disobedience. When you examine your life do you have some acceptable sins, sins that maybe you hold your rally to demand you right to? If so repent. For Jesus said, “He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” May those words never apply to you or me. And they don’t have to. Jesus loves us with an everlasting love. He did give His life for us. He continues to bless us with the Holy Spirit and with peace and so much more. That’s why we love Him in return.
Loving in return brings us back to Mother’s Day. You know on this Mother’s Day the type of appreciation or love that every child wants to show his loving mother is the type of appreciation or love that she wants. For some it’s a meal. For some its flowers. For some it’s a gift. But, kids, the gift I know she really wants is your obedience all year long, right? So also with our Lord Jesus. He did not love us with one action although even that would have been enough. He keeps loving us all year long. In response let’s not show our love for Him once a year or even once a week, but all day long. And of all the ways we could show our love the one way that is most important to Him? Obedience. Amen.