That final week: words of comfort

Jesus knows that he is about to leave his followers. His mission here on earth as a human being is drawing to an end. His followers have loved him, relied on him and given up their jobs to follow him.

How will they now cope without him?

It’s distressing for them to hear all this talk of Jesus leaving this life. They’re not ready. Jesus knows that they are afraid. His words of comfort in John 14 speak into their distress.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  John 14:1

It all comes down to trust again.

You believe in God’s love and goodness. You believe that God knows best. Now believe in me. Believe that what I am doing is for the best. 

Jesus says he is going to prepare a place for them in his father’s house. He’s not leaving them forever. He’s going to come back for them.

Jesus: You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thomas: Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?

Jesus: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:4-6

These words of Jesus are beautiful, life-giving words. Unfortunately, they’ve been hijacked by those who have made them into something prescriptive and narrow, who’ve created a ‘way’ to come to Jesus as the only way, when maybe, just maybe, Jesus is there in the most unexpected of places and people can come to God through him in the most unexpected of ways. Where there is truth, there is Jesus. Where there is life, there is Jesus.

Let’s stop trying to work out and define whether ‘the way’ means ‘the only way’. All we need to know is that following Jesus will lead us down the right path towards love and life and light and truth. God created all living beings and knows the best way for us to live as He created us. This is the opposite of restrictive – it’s the most life-embracing way to live imaginable.

The disciples struggle to grasp what Jesus is getting at. It’s all a bit abstract.

Jesus: If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.

Philip: Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.

Jesus: Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.  John 14:7-9

If we want to see God, we look to Jesus.

It is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. John 14:10

If we want to see Jesus, we look to his followers.

It is Jesus, living in me, who is doing his work.

That’s quite a challenge for those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, isn’t it?

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  John 14:12

This isn’t a relay race, however. Jesus isn’t passing on the baton and saying ‘There you go. Go for it. It’s all on you now.’ He’s not just leaving his followers high and dry to get on with it on their own. Far from it. God is going to send a helper, the essence of God in spirit form that we have come to call the Holy Spirit.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth.  John 14:16-17

Advocate: a person who puts a case on someone else’s behalf, who supports and speaks up for.

upholder · supporter · backer · protector · spokesperson for · pleader

Jesus’ followers are not being abandoned. The spirit of God will always be with them. Forever.

The same promise is true for us today. So how can we live in this light and love and truth and life? How can we know the spirit of God with us always?

Simply walk in the way.

Love me.

Keep my commands.

Obey my teaching.

We often over-complicate what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Let’s strip it back to this: Jesus is the way. Walk in his way. That way lies peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14:27

This chapter finishes where it started.

Do not let your hearts be troubled…

Don’t worry. You are not expected to do this alone.

Walk in the way of Jesus, one step at a time.

And then see where this adventure that is life will take you!