The Abiding Cycle

113 Pages·2014·5.04 MB·English

The
Abiding
Cycle
Glen A. Whatley
Beckon&Muse Press
Alexandria, La
The Abiding Cycle
Glen A. Whatley
Beckon&Muse Press
To report errors, please report to [email protected]
Copyright © 2013 by Glen Whatley
Project & Production Editor: Joshua A. Eldridge
Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or trasmitted in any form
by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. To pursue granted
permissions, contact: [email protected].
Scriptural Quotations
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News
Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1
Abiding in Christ
A Cyclic Experience
T
he concept of “Abiding in Christ” is arguably one of the most
significant teachings in Scripture. Even though the terminology
is almost exclusive to John’s Gospel and his epistles, the prin-
ciples that come from the “abiding” concept are found throughout the
Bible. There are a number of things about the presentation of these truths
that show their significance.
Final Hours
First, the context of this teaching is significant. Jesus is speaking to his
disciples, and it is among the last lessons he will teach them prior to his
crucifixion. Three years before, Jesus carefully chose twelve very unlikely
men to be his disciples and designated them as apostles. He spent every
day and night teaching them, sharing life with them, answering ques-
tions for them, ministering to them, and providing an example of what
meant to live in an intimate relationship with the Father. They had shared
so many incredible, life-changing moments together. Many of those
moments were opportunities that seemed to simply arise out of the day’s
events, like the healing of the woman with the issue of blood or sharing
a sacrilegious meal in the grain fields. The Final Supper and the events
of that night, however, were very intentional and Jesus was purposeful in
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all that he did.
Jesus sent out some of the disciples to find a special place to share the
Passover meal. In typical form, Jesus gave a prophetic word about how
they would locate the place. They would be met by a man carrying a water
jar, would follow him to a location, and would then tell the master of that
house that Jesus asked, “Where is the room that I can share the Passover
meal with my disciples?” (Lk 22:11). So, the location was divinely chosen,
revealing that Jesus was setting the stage for an evening of monumental
significance.
When they gathered, Jesus began by washing the disciples’ feet,
a shocking display of servitude that was not even required of Hebrew
slaves. This action revealed the type of servant spirit that Jesus possessed
and the type of spirit the disciples would be challenged to emulate. The
idea of the teacher or master serving his disciples was a counter-cultural,
pride-destroying challenge that had been reserved for this final retreat
with his disciples.
After sending Judas out to complete his betrayal, Jesus shared a new
commandment with them; a commandment reserved for his last hours
with his disciples. “Love one another as I have loved you. This will be the
way people recognize you as my disciples.” (Jn 13:34-35) Then he made
clear what he meant by the statement “as I have loved you,” by revealing
himself as the Passover Lamb. He told them that because of his great love
for them, he would shed his own blood for their sins and for the sins of
the world. He would die so they could live. With this in mind, the tradi-
tional Passover meal took on a whole new meaning. As they broke bread
and drank wine, Jesus changed the symbolism. These elements would be
now and forever symbolic of his body that would be broken and his blood
that would be shed.
It was in the context of this night of special events and teaching that
Jesus told the disciples to abide in him. The teaching about abiding has
tremendous significance because it was part of this divine encounter. It
Abiding in Christ 3
was among the final lessons Jesus gave to his disciples prior to his cruci-
fixion. What would the Son of God say to his followers in the closing
moments of his life? These would be most significant. Though all of the
teachings of Jesus are true and life-changing, what he would say in this
setting and at the close of his life, knowing that he would soon be offered
up, is especially meaningful. As I have studied and discussed this topic
over the last twelve months, I can see why.
John Was the Author
Along with this being among Jesus’ last lessons, another thing that makes
this teaching about “abiding” significant is that John records it. John is
considered by most to be the “beloved disciple” who is mentioned in the
story of the last supper. He is only recorded as such in his own gospel,
but there are some events that seem to show that John shared a uniquely
intimate relationship with Jesus.
John was a part of what some call the inner circle of Jesus. Along
with Peter and James, he was there when Jesus raised Jarius’s daughter
from the dead. He was one of the three who was with Jesus on the mount
of transfiguration and who according to Matthew’s gospel was taken by
Jesus deeper into the garden for prayer prior to his crucifixion.
John was the one to whom Jesus entrusted his mother. While hanging
on the cross he looked down and said to his mother, “Behold your son,”
and to the disciple whom he loved he said, “Behold your mother.” John
was the first one to the tomb on Easter morning. He was the first to
notice the resurrected Christ on the beach in Galilee when Jesus prepared
breakfast for the disciples, and he was the one who leaned on Jesus’ breast
at the supper. I believe that since John was the disciple who shared a
special intimacy with Jesus, he is best equipped to share Jesus’ teaching
about abiding.
The time in which John’s gospel was written also adds significance.
The Gospel of John, though the exact date is disputable, was the last of the
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four gospels written. This means that John probably had the other three
at his disposal and was able to add some of the elements they had not
included. He was able to take a look at the whole of what had been said
about Jesus and his message and present a clearer conclusion. In addition,
he had lived longer than any other disciple so he had spent more time
abiding in Christ and teaching others how to do the same. Those things
that he may not have understood in the upper room he clearly understood
after living them out for what few would argue was less 50 years.
John was equipped to see the importance of Jesus’ teaching about
“abiding,” and he tried desperately to communicate its meaning and
significance. The term “abide” or “abiding” occurs forty times in John’s
gospel and eleven times in chapter fifteen alone. In addition, it occurs
twenty-seven times in his epistles. In all of his writings, John shed some
beautiful light on a topic that is one of the most pivotal in Scripture, and
my prayer is that we can all see it.
The third reason this teaching is significant is because it shows us
how to bear fruit and thereby see the glory of God. As we will see in the
remainder of this book, the cycle of abiding that Jesus taught and John
presented is the key to living life as a disciple. The secrets that Jesus gave
the disciples in the upper room were the very secrets to which the Old
Testament was pointing. In this very simple lesson, Jesus teaches how we
can produce his fruit and reveal his glory. In a time when Christians seem
to have a fixation on things that we can produce for our own glory, this
lesson is greatly needed.
The Vine and Branch
As I was preaching through what Jesus taught in the upper room, I noticed
a pattern or cycle in his lessons on abiding. I was able to see clearly in
the Scripture and in my own walk with the Lord a definite pattern that
I would like for you to see also. These thoughts are not complicated. The
Scripture itself speaks clearly. The applications and fixations described
Abiding in Christ 5
in the following chapters, however, may be something you have not yet
considered. Let’s look at some of the Scriptures related to abiding and
illustrate this cycle.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by
itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in me. 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. (John 15:4-5)
There are some very simple, but profound things that we can learn
from these verses alone. They are simple because the thoughts are not
complicated. They are profound because of their significance to Kingdom
life. Jesus is the vine. He is the source of all life. He is the one from
whom all fruit comes. He is the beginning and the end of anything that
is produced in the Kingdom of God. Without Jesus nothing of kingdom
value comes into being. He must initiate it, produce it, and sustain it.
We are the branches. We can bear no fruit on our own. Though we
may think we are independent and can produce eternal results, we cannot.
The only way that we can produce any eternal fruit is to remain vitally
connected to the Vine. If we do abide in the Vine, we will absolutely
produce his fruit. In fact, we will produce MUCH fruit! Of course it
is really his fruit produced through us. So, all of our efforts should be
to abide in the vine. We should not strain to produce fruit. The process
should be natural. We simply abide and fruit is produced.
Abiding
So, if our role as a disciple of Christ is simply to abide, then what does
it mean to abide? The answer to this question was given to John and the
other disciples in the upper room. After years of living it out under the
power of the Holy Spirit, John also shared personal insights in his epistles.
6 The Abiding Cycle
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you
wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As
the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as
I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
(John 15:7-10)
The clear message that Jesus is giving us here is that abiding in him
means abiding in his words, or obeying his commandments. When we
obey the commandments of Jesus, we will bear his fruit. This is how
the world will know that we are his disciples and how the world will
see the glory of God revealed. God’s words need to abide in us. They
need not only to make their way into our minds, but also to be lived out
through our lives. For this to be accomplished, we are totally dependent
upon Jesus. He must reveal his will and empower us to carry it out. Very
simply, abiding is obeying. John reiterates this truth in his epistles.
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you
heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide
in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 1:24)
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of
Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has
both the Father and the Son. (2 John 9)
Abiding in the Son is living according to the things that the Son
gives us to do. Because Jesus loves us, he reveals to us what we need to
do. This is the way that the Father loved Jesus, and this is the way that
Jesus loves us.