Monite Sepitema 20, 2021

Pea folofola ‘a Sīsū kiate ia, Ke ke fafanga si‘eku fanga sipi

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

Sione 21 (John 21)

(v. 15-19) Pea kuo fai leva ‘enau pelekifasi, pea me‘a ‘e Sīsū kia Saimone Pita, Saimone, foha ‘o Sione, ‘oku ke ‘ofa kiate au ‘o lahi ‘i ha‘anautolu ni? Pea ne pehē ki ai, ‘Io, ‘Eiki; ‘oku ke mea‘i ‘oku ou ‘ofa mo‘oni kiate koe. Pea ne folofola ki ai, Fafanga si‘eku fanga lami. Pea ne toe me‘a kiate ia, ko hono tu‘o ua, Saimone, foha ‘o Sione, ‘oku ke ‘ofa kiate au? Pea ne pehē kiate ia, ‘Io, ‘Eiki; ‘oku ke mea‘i ‘oku ou ‘ofa mo‘oni kiate koe. Pea ne folofola ki ai, Tauhi ‘eku fanga sipi. Pea ne me‘a kiate ia, ko hono tu‘o tolu, Saimone, foha ‘o Sione, ‘oku ke ‘ofa mo‘oni kiate au? Pea mamahi ‘a Pita ‘i he tu‘o tolu ‘ene pehē mai, ‘Oku ke ‘ofa kiate au? Pea ne pehē ange, ‘Eiki, ‘oku ke ‘afio‘i ‘a e me‘a kotoa pē; ‘oku ke mea‘i ‘oku ou ‘ofa mo‘oni kiate koe. Pea folofola ‘a Sīsū kiate ia, Ke ke fafanga si‘eku fanga sipi. Ko au ē, ko au ē, ‘oku ou tala atu, ‘I ho‘o talavou na‘a ke ‘ai ‘e koe ho no‘o, pea ke ‘eve‘eva ki ha potu pē te ke loto ki ai; ka ‘oka ke ka motu‘a, te ke mafao atu ho ongo nima, kae nono‘o koe ‘e ha taha kehe, pea te ne fua koe ki ha potu ‘oku ‘ikai te ke loto ki ai. Na‘a ne lea pehē, ko ‘ene fakatatau atu ‘a e anga ‘o e mate‘anga te ne fakaongoongolelei ai ‘a e ‘Otua. Pea hili ‘ene lea ko ia, na‘a ne folofola kiate ia, Muimui mai kiate au.

(v. 15-19) When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )

7.    GOD IS INDEPENDENT

            Ko e ‘OTUA´ ‘oku TAU‘ATAINA

         Tokāteline

‘Oku fai ‘e ‘Anisema ‘a e fakamatala tatau:

‘Oku ‘ikai ke tupu ‘a e Natula Taupotu tahaa mei ha toe taha kehe, pe ke toe holo hono tu’unga ‘o’ona ‘i ha toe taimi ange ‘amui. Ko ia, ai ‘oku ‘ikai fakatupu mai ‘a e Natula Taupotu tahaa meiate Ia, pea mei ha taha kehe; pe ‘e fakatupu mai ‘e he me’a ko iaa pe mei ha me’a kehe; pe te ne tokonia ia; pe ‘e tokonia ia ‘e ha me’a kehe ke hoko mai talu mei mu’a.

Ko e tau’ataina ‘a e ‘Otuaa, ‘a ‘Ene fe’unga. Mei he’ene fe’unga, ‘oku fou mei ai ‘a e ngaahi me’a’ofa ke tuha mo natula mo tu’anatula, pea ke fakaai ‘a e me’amo’ui kotoa pe ‘e fakatupu mai. KO e Tamai, ‘Alo mo e Laumalie Ma’oni’oni ‘oku nau fakaai ‘a ‘enau ngaagi fiema’u kotoa. Pea koe’uhi ‘oku nau fakahoko eni ‘i honau tu’unga lau’itani mo ta’eliliu ‘o fou ‘i he felaatani ‘a e ‘ofa, ‘oku malava ke nau fakaai ‘a e kakai kehe ‘i he feohi ‘a e ‘ofa. Kapau ‘oku ‘i ai ha ngaahi mamani kilukilua ‘oku fonu ai ‘a e naahi me’a mo’ui fonu ‘ofa pehe ni, ‘o fakataumu’a kotoa ‘enau fiefia ‘i he ‘Otua, te ne mafeia ke tapuekina kotoa kinautolu ‘o tatau pe mo ha’ane tapuaki’i ha toko taha. 

         Doctrine

Anselm offers a similar take:

But, in no wise does the supreme Nature exist through another, nor is it later or less than itself or anything else. Therefore, the supreme Nature could be created neither by itself, nor by another; nor could itself or any other be the matter whence it should be created; nor did it assist itself in any way; nor did anything assist it to be what it was not before.

God's independence is his sufficiency. From his self-sufficiency are enough gifts, both natural and supernatural, to satisfy all creatures that shall ever come into existence. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all satisfy each other. Because they eternally and unchangeably do so in loving communion, they can satisfy others with whom they commune in love. If there were infinite worlds of loving creatures, all desiring happiness in God, he could as easily bless all as he could one.

 Sapate Sepitema 19, 2021

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Folofola ‘a Sīsū ki ai, Mele

Sione 20 (John 20)

(v. 14-16) Pea ‘i he‘ene lea pehē na‘a ne tafoki ki mui, ‘o ne vakai kia Sīsū ‘oku tu‘u mai, ka na‘e ‘ikai te ne ‘ilo ko Sīsū ia. Pea na‘e me‘a mai ‘a Sīsū kiate ia, ‘e fefine, ko e hā ‘oku ke tangi ai? ko hai ‘oku ke kumi ki ai? Pea mahalo ‘e ia ko e tauhi ngoue ia, ‘o ne pehē ki ai, ‘Eiki, kapau ko koe kuo ke ‘ave ia, tala mai ‘a e potu kuo ke tuku ia ki ai, pea te u ‘ave ia ‘e au. Folofola ‘a Sīsū ki ai, Mele! Pea tafoki ange ‘a e fefine, ‘o ne pehē kiate ia ‘i he lea faka-Hepelū, Lāponai! (‘a ia ‘oku tatau mo e pehē, Si‘i Tangata‘eiki!)

(v. 14-16) Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

This is the story of a dark morning and a lost Master. The strange excitement of it all is evidenced by the fact that the three disciples named are all seen running. Mary ran to tell the disciples, and John and Peter ran to the grave.

Mary tarrying in the neighborhood of an empty tomb after the disciples had returned to their home is symbolical of what the Church would have been had there been no resurrection. Her cry, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid Him," tells the whole story. It was when she thus spoke that He made Himself known to her as the living One, and she cried out, "Rabboni."

On that memorable resurrection day John records the morning and evening appearances of our Lord. Between the morning interview with Mary and the evening meeting with His disciples He had seen Peter alone, and journeyed with two men who walked to Emmaus. John tells of Jesus appearing in the midst of the assembled disciples. He greeted them with the words, "Peace unto you," showing them His hands and His side. He then repeated the salutation, and declared what their commission would be, and prophetically indicated the power that would be theirs as He breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit."

Very beautiful is our Lord's dealing with Thomas eight days later.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for John 20

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” Jesus had only to say one word, and all was explained. She heard in the name and the tone the voice of her beloved Messiah, and instantly called Him Rabboni (as did another Mary in John 11:28).

i. “Jesus says to her, ‘Mariam,’ the Hebrew name, of which the Greek form is Maria.” (Trench) Jesus didn’t reveal Himself to Mary by telling her who He was, but by telling her who she was to Him.

Her eyes failed her, but her ears could not mistake that voice saying her name. “Many had called her by that name. She had been wont to hear it many times a day from many lips; but only One had spoken it with that intonation.” (Meyer)

“Never was a one-word utterance more charged with emotion than this.” (Tasker) “Jesus can preach a perfect sermon in one word.” (Spurgeon)

“In the garden of Eden, immediately after the Fall, the sentence of sorrow, and of sorrow multiplied, fell upon the woman. In the garden where Christ had been buried, after his resurrection, the news of comfort — comfort rich and divine, — came to a woman through the woman’s promised Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ. If the sentence must fall heavily upon the woman, so must the comfort come most sweetly to her.” (Spurgeon)

Tokonaki Sepitema 18, 2021 

kae ‘i loto ‘a Sīsū

and Jesus in the center

Sione 19 (John 19)

(v. 17-18) Ko ia na‘a nau ma‘u ‘a Sīsū. Pea ‘alu atu ia ‘oku ne fua mo‘ona hono kolosi, ‘o ne a‘u ki he potu ‘oku ui koe potu ‘ulupoko, ko hono ui faka-Hepelū ko Kolokota. Pea ko e potu ko ia na‘a nau kalusefai ai ia, pea ai mo ha toko ua, ko e taha mei hē, mo e taha mei hē, kae ‘i loto ‘a Sīsū.

(v. 17-18) And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Here once more we have the story of the Cross, and once again it is a story to be read almost without note or comment. The picture of our Lord led forth and presented to the crowds by Pilate is one of appalling solemnity. Whatever Pilate's intention, the vision of Jesus failed to arouse in the hearts of the multitude any pity for Him, and they clamored for His death. In spite of all Pilate's protests, the clamor continued, and he yielded to it, and handed Jesus over to the mob.

Referring to the Cross itself, John is careful to say that it was when Jesus knew that all things were accomplished that He cried, "I thirst," and after that declared the fulfilment in the words, "It is finished."

Presently we have the beautiful picture of mo disciples secretly paying the last tender offices of respect to the body of their Lord. Joseph found Him a grave in a garden, and Nicodemus brought great wealth of spices for His entombment.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for John 19

And Jesus in the center: This was literally true; of the three crosses, Jesus was in the middle. Yet as a concept, there are many ways that it could be said that it was Jesus in the center.

· Jesus was centered among humanity. Jesus never distanced Himself from common men, and freely interacted with those thought to be great men. From His incarnation, through His whole life, He lived as one of us. Jesus died among men and women, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, high class and no class, the educated and the uneducated, the religious and the secular, the guilty and the innocent, the weepers and the mockers, those deeply moved and those indifferent, those who hated Him and those who loved Him

· Jesus was centered among sinful men. His enemies thought this would make His sufferings worse. They thought it would bother Him more to see the low company He died with. In His death the righteously religious mocked Him and His disciples forsook Him; yet Jesus was centered among sinners to the end

· Jesus was centered among confusion. Matthew 27:46-49 says tells us that when Jesus cried out in agony to His Father, the people around Him didn’t understand and some even thought it kind of amusing

· Jesus was centered between believing and rejecting. Matthew 27:44 told us that both robbers mocked Him, but Luke 23:39-41 tells us of a change in one of the criminals. The last human voice testifying to Jesus was a criminal converted right before his death. The disciples were gone and all Jesus healed and taught were nowhere to be found. The religious leaders mocked Him and spit upon Him, and even the faithful women were silenced by their grief. Yet there was one lone human voice that told the truth about Jesus when all others were silent

· Jesus was centered between saved and perishing. The thief on the cross was the last companion of Jesus on this earth before His death – and Jesus brought Him to salvation. Not with a sermon, but with every sermon He had already preached, every righteous deed He had done before. This was perhaps the only comfort to Jesus on the cross. Still, one thief was saved, but one was lost, and Jesus was in the center between them. To pass between one side and the other, you must go through Jesus

· Jesus was centered between God and man. Jesus on the cross took all the punishment our sin deserved. At the cross Jesus was both the priest and the offering

· Jesus was centered in all God’s history and work. We do not look at Jesus in the center with pity, as if we should all feel sorry for poor Jesus. He was the winner at the cross. This was the greatest victory of all time

Falaite Sepitema 17, 2021 

Jesus said to them, “I am he.”

Pea folofola ia kiate kinautolu, “Ko au ‘eni.”

Sione 18 (John 18)

(v. 4-6) Pea ko Sīsū, neongo na‘a ne mea‘i ‘a e ngaahi me‘a kotoa pē ‘oku tu‘unuku mai kiate ia, ka na‘a ne hā‘ele atu pē, ‘o ne folofola kiate kinautolu, Ko hai ‘oku mou kumi ki ai? Pea nau tali ki ai, Ko Sīsū mei Nāsaleti. Pea folofola ia kiate kinautolu, Ko au ‘eni. (Pea na‘e tu‘u mo kinautolu foki ‘a Siutasi ko hono lavaki.) Pea ‘i he‘ene me‘a ko ia kiate kinautolu, ‘o pehē, Ko au ‘eni, na‘a nau holomui, ‘o tō ki he kelekele.

(v. 4-6) Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground..

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

From the sacred hours of teaching and prayer our Lord passed to the final acts in His mighty work. This brought Him to Gethsemane, where we have a revelation of His majesty and His meekness. He suffered Himself to be seized and bound, and led away, and so He passed to the court of the high priests.

In all the annals of human crime there is nothing more utterly degraded and despicable than the procedure of what is spoken of as His trial before them. Unable to deal with the situation, they sent Him to Pilate, and once again we have the amazing story of the majesty and dignity of His dealing with this' representative of the Roman power. It is quite evident that Pilate would have preferred to release Jesus.

It was during this period that Peter came to the full realization of his appalling weakness as it had been declared to him by his Master. Under the pressure of the hour he uttered the threefold denial. Carefully observe how at this moment of finality and his failure he was not abandoned.

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for John 18

Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground: When Jesus declared His divine identity (in the words I am), Judas and soldiers all fell back. There was such a display of divine presence, majesty, and power in those two words that the enemies of Jesus were powerless to stand against Him.

“Here our Saviour let out a little beam of the majesty of his Deity, and 500 men fell before him.” (Trapp)

This shows that Jesus was completely in control of the situation. As a practical matter, Jesus did not have to go with this arresting army led by Judas. With God’s power expressed through His words alone, Jesus could have overpowered them and easily escaped.

“Our Lord chose to give them this proof of his infinite power, that they might know that their power could not prevail against him if he chose to exert his might, seeing that the very breath of his mouth confounded, drove back, and struck them down to the earth.” (Clarke)

“The question on the miraculous nature of this incident is not whether it was a miracle at all (for it is evident that it must be regarded as one), but whether it were an act specially intended by our Lord, or as a result of the superhuman dignity of His person, and the majestic calmness of His reply.” (Alford)

“Wherever in our Lord’s life any incident indicates more emphatically than usual the lowliness of His humiliation, there, by the side of it, you get something that indicates the majesty of His glory.” (Maclaren)

· Jesus was born as a humble baby, yet announced by angels

· Jesus was laid in a manger, yet signaled by a star

· Jesus submitted to baptism as if He were a sinner, then heard the Divine voice of approval

· Jesus slept when He was exhausted, but awoke to calm the storm

· Jesus wept at a grave, then called the dead to life

· Jesus surrendered to arrest, then declared “I am” and knocked all the troops over

· Jesus died on a cross, but in it He defeated sin, death, and Satan

 Tu‘apulelulu Sepitema 16, 2021

All mine are yours

‘Io, ko ‘eku ngaahi me‘a kotoa pē ‘oku ‘a‘au

Sione 17 (John 17)

(v. 9-10) ‘Oku ou fakakolekole ‘e au koe‘uhi ko kinautolu; ‘oku ‘ikai ko ‘eku fai koe‘uhi ko māmani, ka koe‘uhi pē ko kinautolu ne ke foaki mai; he ‘oku ‘o‘ou ‘a kinautolu: (‘Io, ko ‘eku ngaahi me‘a kotoa pē ‘oku ‘a‘au, pea ko ho‘o ngaahi me‘a ‘oku ‘a‘aku) pea kuo fakalāngilangi‘i au ‘iate kinautolu.

(v. 9-10) I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

This chapter records for us words of our Lord addressed to His Father. In the first movement He was dealing strictly and only with relationships between Himself and the Father, referring to a past glory, and anticipating the coming glory, first, that resulting from the Cross, and then the return to that which had been abandoned.

In the second section He spoke to His Father of His relationship with the men immediately surrounding Him at the time. His prayer for them was not indifferent to the world, although He prayed at the moment not for the world, but for these men as the instrument by which He would yet reach the world. For them He asked that they might be kept from the evil that is in the world, and that to this end they might be sanctified in the truth. These men no longer belonged to the world in its degradation, but they did belong to it for its salvation. This He indicated as He said, "As Thou didst send Me into the world, even so send I them into the world."

Finally, He said, "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on Me through their word." Thus He looked on and prayed for the world. Therefore He prayed that they might be one. The closing words of this intercessory prayer reveal our Lord's final purpose for the Church. It is that all His own might be with Him. The first application undoubtedly is to His Cross, with Him in its fellowship; and the last inevitably to the glory, with Him in the glory that will follow.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for John 17

“There is an old proverb, and I cannot help quoting it just now; it is, ‘Love me, love my dog.’ It is as if the Lord Jesus so loved the Father that even such poor dogs as we are get loved by him for his Father’s sake. To the eyes of Jesus we are radiant with beauty because God hath loved us.” (Spurgeon)

All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine: Jesus already spoke of the shared glory between God the Father and God the Son (John 17:5). Here He spoke of their shared role in the life of the redeemed, that believers belong to both God the Father and God the Son.

Everything we have belongs to God, but not everything He has belongs to us. Anyone can say to God the Father “all mine are Yours“; but only Jesus could say “and Yours are Mine.”

“Each has full title to the possessions of the other; they share the same interests and responsibilities.” (Tenney)

I am glorified in them: In a sense, this is what it means to be a believer, to be born again, to be a true follower of Jesus Christ – to have Him glorified in us. Jesus does not merely want to dwell in or live in the believer, but to be glorified in them.

“Just as the world’s values were all wrong concerning the cross, so were the world’s values all wrong concerning the apostolic band. In them the Son of God, none less, was actually glorified.” (Morris)

The Apostle Paul later understood this, using phrases such as Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27) and noting that God’s work in us moves from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).

No one other than Jesus should be glorified in the believer. Leaders have a tendency to glorify themselves in their followers, but it should only be Jesus.

 Pulelulu Sepitema 15, 2021

he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment

te ne lea o‘o ki māmani ‘i he angahala, mo e mā‘oni‘oni, mo e fakamaau

Sione 16 (John 16)

(v. 8-11) And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

(v. 8-11) Pea ‘i he ha‘u ‘a e Toko Taha ko ia te ne lea o‘o ki māmani ‘i he angahala, mo e mā‘oni‘oni, mo e fakamaau: ‘i he angahala, koe‘uhiā ko e ‘ikai te nau tui pīkitai kiate au; ‘i he mā‘oni‘oni, koe‘uhi ko ‘eku ‘alu ki he Tamai, pea ‘ikai te mou kei sio kiate au. Pea ‘i he fakamaau, koe‘uhi kuo fakamāu‘i ‘a e ‘eiki ‘o e maama ko eni.

 

* G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible*

Throughout these discourses our Lord was preparing His disciples for all that He saw coming to them. He told them that they would have sorrow resulting from their suffering. Because of this, it was necessary that they have the Comforter, and He could come only after the bodily departure of the Lord Himself.

The world was still in the heart of Jesus, and He told His disciples in very clear terms what the office of the Spirit would be in the world. To gather up the teaching, we see that the testimony of the Spirit is to be wholly concerned with Christ, and is to convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. As to His own, the Comforter will guide them into the truth, and into the perfect knowledge of Christ Himself. Here we see they displayed their ignorance, not understanding what He meant by "a little while." This, with great patience, He interpreted to them.

In the closing section of His discourse our Lord told them that He had been speaking in proverbs, but undoubtedly again referring to the coming Comforter, He declared that He was henceforth speaking to them plainly of the Father. All ended with the august words, "I came out from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father." In those sentences we have a declaration of the whole redemptive progress of the Son of God. From the Father into the world; from the world unto the Father.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for John 16

He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Sin is the truth about man, righteousness is the truth about God, judgment is the inevitable combination of these two truths.

“Each man’s conscience has some glimmering of light on each of these; some consciousness of guilt, some sense of right, some power of judgment of what is transitory and worthless; but all these are unreal and unpractical, till the convicting work of the Spirit has wrought in him.” (Alford)

He will convict: The ancient Greek work translated convict has a broader range of meaning than simply our word convict, especially as it is understood in a legal sense. It also carries the ideas to expose, to refute, and to convince (Bruce). This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the world and in individual hearts; to convince and convict of these truths.

He will convict: “Or undeceive the world, by refuting those odd conceits and erroneous opinions, that men had before drunk in, and were possessed of.” (Trapp)

It is a serious thing to resist and reject this work of the Holy Spirit, which is especially prominent and powerful in seasons of great spiritual advance (sometimes called revival or spiritual awakening).

Before the convicting work of the Holy Spirit one may say, I make a lot of mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. After the convicting work of the Holy Spirit one may say, I’m a lost rebel, fighting against God and His law – I must rely on Jesus to get right with God.

“The Spirit does not merely accuse men of sin, he brings to them an inescapable sense of guilt so that they realize their shame and helplessness before God.” (Tenney)

“The Spirit is the ‘advocate’ or helper of those who believe in Jesus, their counsel for the defence. But in relation to unbelievers, to the godless world, he acts as counsel for the prosecution.” (Bruce) It’s important to have the Spirit of God to defend rather than to convict.

In the great awakening of 1860-61 in Great Britain, a high-ranking army officer described the conviction of sin in his Scottish town: “Those of you who are ease have little conception of how terrifying a sight it is when the Holy Spirit is pleased to open a man’s eyes to see the real state of heart. Men who were thought to be, and who thought themselves to be good, religious people... have been led to search into the foundation upon which they were resting, and have found all rotten, that they were self-satisfied, resting on their own goodness, and not upon Christ. Many turned from open sin to lives of holiness, some weeping for joy for sins forgiven.” (J. Edwin Orr, The Second Evangelical Awakening in Britain)

 Tusite Sepitema 14, 2021

apart from me you can do nothing

he ka māvae mo au, ‘oku ‘ikai te mou fa‘a fai ha me‘a

Sione 15 (John 15)

(v. 5) Ko au pē ko e vaine, ko kimoutolu ko e ngaahi va‘a: ko ia ‘oku nofo ma‘u ‘iate au, mo au ‘iate ‘ia, ‘oku fua lahi ‘a e toko taha ko ia: he ka māvae mo au, ‘oku ‘ikai te mou fa‘a fai ha me‘a.

(v. 5) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Our Lord now uttered the great allegory of the vine. Certain words in it arrest our attention, "the vine," "the branches," "the fruit." The close interrelationship between these is emphasized, and our Lord declared, "I am the Vine, ye are the branches." The vine includes all-root, stem, branches, leaves, and fruit. No figure of speech could more perfectly set forth the intimate relationship between Christ and His own.

In applying the truth, the commandments of the Lord are found in remarkable setting. The first, "Abide ye in My love"; the second, "Love one another." In this connection He dealt with the ministry of the Spirit in this application.

Their relationship to Him, issuing in likeness to Him, must bring on them the hatred and persecution of the world which already had been brought on Him. Jesus declared this hatred to be finally hatred of the Father. The measure in which His disciples produce the fruitage of His life will be the measure of their revelation of the Father, with its protest against worldliness; and so it must be the measure of the world's hatred of them. Nevertheless, in the Comforter there would be a ministry directly for the world. That testimony is to be borne by the Spirit in His co-operation with the Church.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for John 15

Without Me you can do nothing: It isn’t that the disciples could do no activity without Jesus. They could be active without Him, as were the enemies of Jesus and many others. Yet they and we could do nothing of real, eternal value without Jesus.

“The ‘I am’ comes out in the personal word ‘me,’ and the claim of all power unveils the Omnipotent. These words mean Godhead or nothing.” (Spurgeon)

“It is only by union with Him that any branch can bear fruit: once that union is broken, the sap no longer flows; and fruit in that branch is no longer possible, though the remains of the sap that lay in it may be enough to bear leaves and so for a time give semblance of life.” (Trench)

“Paul does not use the Johannine idiom but he expresses the same truth when he says, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’ (Galatians 2:20), and ‘I can do all things in him who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13).” (Bruce)

“‘Without me ye can do nothing;’ if this be true of apostles, much more of opposers! If his friends can do nothing without him, I am sure his foes can do nothing against him.” (Spurgeon)