Knowledge will increase, but will wisdom and power?

John 13:31-14:14 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus  said, “ Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; ³²  if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. ³³ Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” ³⁷ Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” ³⁸ Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Oneness with the Father

⁷ If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

⁸ Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. ¹² Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Today’s brief portion of scripture is packed with foundational truths. Jesus knew His time on earth was nearing its end and in those last days He accelerated the knowledge that He imparted to His disciples.  We are perhaps in the last days before Jesus will return.  Daniel 12:1-4 says:  “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”  There is no question that knowledge is increasing in our day. In fact, in many areas it is increasing exponentially. But additional knowledge does not necessarily mean additional wisdom. A person can have all the knowledge available and still have no common sense. Much of the knowledge that is available to people today is not based in fact or truth, but rather in theory or with a motive to establish an agenda.  For believers though, we can increase in both wisdom and knowledge, as long as our source is God the Father, Jesus, His Son and the Holy Spirit. If we will trust both the written word of God, what He said and did and the living word of God what He is saying today through His Holy Spirit in conjunction with and in alignment with what He said, we will increase in both knowledge and wisdom. Today marks the day that the church celebrates Pentecost, the outpouring of the Spirit on the early church. As we near the days of Jesus return, we should expect to see an additional outpouring and increase of the Spirit, to give us the wisdom, knowledge and discernment we need in these times.

In the text Jesus says:  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”    Truly walking in this commandment is vital to the effectiveness of the churches ability to minister for and testify of Jesus who is and was and is to come. Currently the church is so divided about so many things, that the world does not know who the disciples of Christ are. We don’t need to agree with everything that other believers say or do, but we need to love one another, so that the world knows who we are.   Ephesians 4:11-16 says:  He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.  As believers we need to build up the body in love.

In the text Jesus says:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  Truth is not a concept or commodity that can be manipulated or adjusted to serve an agenda. Truth is what God says it is. If we want to know the truth and the way we should go in these uncertain times, we must know Jesus.  Jesus says:  “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him… He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”

Finally in today’s text Jesus says:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”   We as believers are called and empowered to do the works that Jesus did, but in truth it is He that will do them. If we want to be the church that Jesus has called us to be it begins with trusting in His words; with increasing in wisdom. It will require that we love one another so that the world knows who we are. It will require that we walk in step with Jesus, yielded to the Holy Spirit, so that the Father may be glorified.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit; for knowledge and wisdom and power. May we truly experience a new and exponential release of the Spirit in this latter season of Pentecost.  Amen.