John 14 - Africa Study Bible

Jesus told his disciples that he would not leave them as orphans. He promised to send the Holy Spirit after he went back to heaven. The Holy Spirit would remind them of all Jesus had taught them.

In some rural areas, meals are cooked over a wood fire and dished out of a common pot. The women in the household take turns preparing the meals. Some children get extra and others not enough, depending on the woman who is cooking. But a proverb says, “A child whose mother is cooking will not have to eat his food without soup or sauce.”

For believers, our Lord Jesus Christ is watching over us, so we can be confident that he will ensure that we are well cared for. This does not mean that problems will not come. Yes, we will hunger and thirst as we serve God, but that does not mean that he has abandoned us. We should live in confidence and joy that he is in control even when things are not going well for us.

Status is determined and fixed in most parts of Africa. A student can never be above his or her master. This is captured in the saying, Ngingo ndivitaa mutwe, meaning, “The neck cannot supersede the head,” or “The stream cannot rise above its source.” But Jesus told his disciples that they would do greater things than he had done, on the condition that they believed in him.

So can the stream rise above its source? Yes, when Jesus is the source and we are the stream. Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.” The condition is that you must believe in Jesus and abide in him as he abides in you.

Goodbye • John 14

When a loved one leaves or a way of life changes, the transition can be especially hard. Often, these events are marked by a ceremony or ritual that answers people’s questions such as, “Where are you going? Why? How long? What happens to us now?”

We see the same questions and concerns in the disciples when Jesus told them he was leaving. “Where are you going? How are you going to leave us?” First, Jesus assured his dis­ciples that he was going to a place where they would ultimately go. When they die, they will find a place he has prepared for them. Second, while they were still on earth, Jesus would send them the Holy Spirit, who would guide them into all truth.

We should be comforted when our loved ones die in Christ, because we know we will meet them in the place Christ has prepared for all believers. But while we are still alive, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and comfort us. In contrast to the spirits of traditional beliefs, the Holy Spirit brings life, strength, comfort, and wisdom to Christ’s followers. The Holy Spirit is our Friend, Teacher, and Guide.

Cyprian (c. ad 200–258) was a bishop of Carthage, in modern Tunisia. Cyprian prepared his people for persecution. He wrote:

Near the end of three years of public ministry, our Lord added to his many teachings this promise: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.”

He gave peace to us as an inheritance. If we are heirs with Christ, let us live in the peace of Christ. If we “share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children” (Ephesians 3:6), we ought to be peacemakers. Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

A person of peace ought to seek peace and follow it. Such a person should refrain from speaking evil of another and causing disagreement and discord. The gifts and rewards of which Christ spoke are ours through the preservation of peace. The children of God are to be peacemakers, gentle in heart, simple in speech, agreeing in affection, and faithfully linked to one another in bodies of unity.