“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
When you walk in the way of obedience to My Word you always know you are doing My Will.
Jesus told His disciples: “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19. There is more I want to share with you about keeping My Word, but I would like to pause here to have you ponder something you may not have thought about before.
When Jesus walked among you as one of you according to the flesh, everyone living who came in contact with Him could see Him, touch Him, hear and listen to Him, and follow Him around. He was one like you but He was not like you in another aspect. He was son of David according to the flesh, but He was My Son according to the Spirit. And though He put His God powers aside to operate as one of you, He was still God and Man. And in seeing Him, you were seeing Me. So when Jesus walked the earth as man, everyone saw Me. This is the only time so far in the world since Adam that everyone—believers, unbelievers, Jews, Gentiles, and men and women of all walks of life and ages could actually see and touch Me. For I was in Christ reconciling the world to Myself not counting your trespasses against you. And it pleased Me to make all the fullness of the godhead reside in Him bodily.
My beloved John wrote about this: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3. Fellowship with Me in Jesus. They touched Him, knew Him. I called them friends. Friends know each other. They are not like slaves who do not understand what their masters are about. Jesus told you everything He heard from Me. In Him we got to know each other and join as friends. Not as distant strangers to one another but good friends who had the same goals, the same purposes and the same desires and delights.
And Peter felt this amazing relationship too that they had with Me in Jesus, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’—and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18.
All saw Him but seeing was not enough for most, even seeing Him heal the lame and the blind, to cleanse lepers, raise the dead and multiply loaves and fish did not persuade the Pharisees and religious leaders that they had something so precious and awesome and supernatural step into their midst that if they just reached out and touched just so much as the tassels of His garments My healing power would pour into them giving life to their mortal bodies. Blessed are those that have not seen and have believed, because seeing does not always bring believing. Even the disciples of Jesus after three precious power-packed years with Him were saying, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us,” when they had Me there right in their midst, for Jesus was in Me and I was in Him and we are One. But nothing would have been enough for those whose hearts are hardened in unbelief. Jesus could do no awesome miracles in Nazareth, where they should have loved Him best, because of their unbelief.
Faith does not come from seeing but from hearing My Word and taking it into your heart and cultivating it to grow into maturity and harvest. And then others will see Me in you as they see your good and fruitful lives and give glory to Me through you. The fruit of the branches reveals the vine to which the branch is attached. People know you are your words and works and that is how I am revealed in the world now that Jesus has returned to Me and is at My right hand. I am revealed by you who abide in Me. And you abide in Me when you remain in My Words and keep them.
But back to the words of Jesus the night before His death as He shared His heart with His friends, “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19. Because He lives, you live. He is the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Him will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die. John 11:25-26. I gave you Jesus that you might live your life through Him.
And Jesus continued, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” John 14:20.
“If anyone loves Me,” Jesus said, “he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.” John 14:23. If you are keeping My Word, I am abiding in you and you are abiding in Me. And that is the safest and best place to be. And it is there you bear fruit. John 15:4. “If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you may ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” John 15:7. And Jesus went on to tell you, “If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:10-11. “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” John 15:12. And how did He love you? As the great good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. He carries the lambs in His bosom. He leads you along paths of righteousness to green pastures and quiet waters of peace. “Greater love has no one than to lay down His life for his friends.” John 15:13.
Remember the one question He asked Simon Peter three times? It was, “Do you love Me?” When he said “yes” I entrusted My sheep to him to feed, teach, and lead. But without love you cannot be a leader. You will not feed and shelter the sheep, you will lord it over them and abuse them. But love does not make you mistreat others but bring them out of darkness to light.
Because I live you also will live. Eternal life is in My Son and nowhere else. And the way you abide in Him and Me is by remaining in My Word and letting it remain in you. Be rooted and grounded in Christ, drawing all you need up out of Him in whom I have hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Him I have put eternal life and when you abide in Him and stay rooted and grounded in Him, you are drawing up that eternal life into yourself, strengthened in the inner man, giving life and peace to your body and soul. A strong spirit will make the rest of you strong. Whoever has My Son has life. 1 John 5:12.
Because I live, you also live. And it all has to do with My Word. Life is in My Word. You have the Words of eternal life available to you, why would you want to use other words that have no power to save? Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My Word, he will NEVER see death.” John 8:51.
I love you. There is life in My Word, and because of it you will live. And all those who you share it with who are willing to receive it.