I Will Not Leave You

Christmas songs—we all, I assume, have them blasting through our car speakers….Have you noticed how many songs deal with the desire to be with friends and loved ones on Christmas day? It seems appropriate…what is Christmas without the ones you love there to celebrate it with you? Christmas is a time of giving and it is difficult when the ones you love are not there for you to give something to.

This morning Our text is situated in a similar context….We are nearing the end of John’s Gospel and we don’t find ourself in the pages of the Christmas story but at the front end of the Easter story…we are not dealing with the COMING OF CHRIST but the LEAVING OF CHRIST!  And the Disciples are very distraught  to say the least….They are confused, concerned, and frankly, scared…. But in our Text –this upper room discourse (Olivet Discourse) Jesus seeks not his own comfort for the comfort of his fickle disciples.

In this message we will see how Jesus comforts his disciples by showing them why it is for their good that he leave them…and it is in this comforting word that we discover marvelous gifts the savior has for those who believe in Him…and what receiving that gift looks like..