08/30/2026
"Arise, let us go hence" (John 14:31)
At the close of Chapter 14, the feast in the upper room draws to a close. The Lord instructs His disciples to Arise from setting at the table, and put on their garments, and prepare to leave the upper room and head for the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus would enter into the last hours with His disciples. We are not sure just how much time passes between the command "Arise" and their actual having gone forth. But within this phrase, "Arise, let us go from hence (meaning from this place) to Gethsemane, we have Jesus teaching and His disciples learning as they are walking to the garden.
Along their journey from Bethany to Gethsemane, Jesus is comforting His disciples by teaching them and giving object lessons to them, while all along Jesus knows that eventually He would be betrayed, and brought before Pilate, and would be scourged and mocked, and then crucified, buried in a tomb, and then resurrected (John 15 -21:25).
There are lessons that we can learn from this one command given by Jesus to "Arise, let us go hence."
1. Today is the first day of the week (Acts20:7), Sunday. Today is when Christians assemble and worship the true and living God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Christians today will - Arise (get up, from your home, and go from that place) and will go to worship services and will worship with those of like precious faith, with those you have all things in common (Acts 2:44).
2. Christians are to teach others the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 6:1-12). Arise (stand up, rise up), let us (Christians) go from this place (our respective homes each day) into the mission field of our communities we live in and "look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest" (John 4:35), that we will teach others about Jesus, and that we as Christians will produce "much fruit" for the kingdom of God, the vineyard of the Lord (John 15:1-8), "And he that reapeth recieveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth and another reapeth" (John 4:36,37). Will you, "Arise, and go forth from your home and teach others today? We have all been commanded to "Go"
3. Friend, if you are reading this today and have never obeyed the gospel. May I encourage you to study your New Testament and to find the New Testament church in your city or community you live in, and my prayer is that you will have the same questions as Saul of Tarsus did as he asked, "What Shall I do Lord? And the Lord said unto Saul, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there is shall be told of thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do" (Acts 22:10). What shall I do? Just as Saul of Tarsus asked and Ananias gave Saul the answer: "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
1. Jesus & His disciples - "Arise, let us go hence" to Gethsemane.
2. Christians - "Arise, let us go to Worship upon this first day of the week.
3. Christians - "Arise, let us go and teach others about Jesus.
4. Friend - "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.
- Mitch Sparks
