Le fils de Zébédée - ch.15-16 (I)

As I have skipped happily back and forth through the account of Jesus' life & ministry on earth, as written by John the apostle (the son of Zebedee), I have continuously used the following questions as study points:

1. How to know God [i.e. personally]?

2. How to know God's will
- what He wants for us?
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JEAN 15 et 16
Knowing God
- as our Lord Jesus seems to have made abundantly clear
(on numerous occasions so far) -
is all about..

..Him speaking words to us - & to others
(15:3, 15:7, 15:20).
Jesus tells/says many things to His disciples
(15:11; & also look at ch.16, verses 1, 4, 6-7, 11 and 25).
By His words He makes things known (15:15) to those with Him (apostles/disciples).
The Spirit Jesus has promised does this also - making known what the Father intends (16:13-15).

...God's love for us, AND His choosing us
(Loved ~ 15:9 and 15:12-13; 16:27)
(Chose ~ 15:16 and 15:19)
- a love that sent Jesus to our world to save us (cf. 3:16), & a choice that we had no part in

....the Father's sending of the Son & the Holy Spirit
that people could know Him personally
(15:21 and 15:25; also 16:5 and 16:7)
- esp. the role of the Spirit, in..
> >convicting hearts of guilt (16:8-11)
>> >guiding God's chosen & loved ones (us who believe!!) into all truth (16:13), AND
>>> >glorifying Jesus Christ the Son (16:14)

.....God as the carer (gardener in NIV, or vinedresser in ESV)
of all whom He chose to go & bear lasting fruit to His glory,
e.g. pruning those who need it (15:1-2)

......God with us, as the Son was with the Father,
& knowing all that we think & feel (16:19-32)
- the emphasis again on God knowing us (wanting to know us, & making this possible); also, answering what we ask Him
- ON that day of joy where we see Jesus again (16:22-24)

.......God the Son (Jesus, of course) who has overcome the world (16:33),
that we may have peace & take heart in tribulation (rendered "trouble" in NIV)
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We know a God who wants us to know Him. Such that He's done so much in an effort to draw us nearer to Himself.

How do we know God?

One main reason this is possible (according to John Zebedee's records here) is because of God's work that we may know Him.
Not our work.
Nor our effort.
Nor even our own initiative. (!!)

{Upcoming - my answers to Q.2, based on the 15th and 16th chapters.
That is, when/where God allows a door to be opened for such blog postings in the next twenty, yes 20, hours..}

L/T.