John 14:18-20 – Life in Christ
Christ’s second coming is to be the comfort of believers. In a sense we are orphans until Christ comes again. Our best things are yet to come. Faith has yet to be exchanged for sight and hope for certainty. Our peace and joy are at present very imperfect: they are nothing compared to what we will have when Christ returns. For that return let us look, and long, and pray.
These verses also teach that Christ’s life secures the life of His believing people. There is a union between Christ and every true Christian. The man or woman that is once joined to Him by faith, is as closely united as a body part is united to the head. So long as Christ his Head lives, he will live; he cannot die unless Christ can be taken from heaven and destroyed, but this is impossible. Christ’s life gives us not only spiritual life but continual spiritual life. We will not fall away; we will persevere unto the end. Christ’s life also gives us resurrection life. Just as He rose again from the grave, because death could not hold Him one moment beyond the appointed time, so shall all His believing members rise again, in the day when He calls them from the tomb.
Finally we learn from these verses that full and perfect knowledge of the things of God will not be ours in this life. The Fall has corrupted our understanding as well as our heart and will. Even after conversion, we see things darkly. But one day we will be in heaven. Sin will no longer affect our understanding, and we will be able to serve God perfectly.
Questions
- How can Christ’s second coming comfort us?
- What does it mean to be united with Christ?
- What has affected our knowledge?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for union with Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.