20th April 2008 (5th of Easter)
John 14:1-14
The gospel passage begins with the reassurance that Jesus is preparing a room for us in his Father’s house, and will come and take us there. He could be thinking of his return to earth which he mentions in John 21; after that, and after the judgement, we will begin life in the new creation, ‘for ever with the Lord’. It could be that Jesus is thinking of what happens after death, when we will go to be with him while waiting for our own resurrection morning. It could be that Jesus is thinking of his coming in the Holy Spirit to guide us through life’s journey to the Father. It could be all three! In any case, the final destination is the same: eternal life with our Father, in a situation specially prepared for us.
The journey to that destination is along one way only, says Jesus: himself. ‘Way’, ‘Truth’ and ‘Life’ are intimately connected. He is the only way to the Father, for the birth, death and resurrection of the Son of God was the only way to bring imperfect human beings to perfection. He himself was the perfect representation of God, as he goes on to explain; he is the Truth, and he speaks the truth – words that are not only true but are life-giving. It is the truth that sets us free, it is through believing the truth that we receive eternal life from him. He is the Life: he has eternal life in himself, and he imparts it to his people. No other religious teacher can make such claims. Jesus has the right to do so.
The journey to the Father is at the same time a journey with the Father, since he is in Jesus and Jesus is in us by his Spirit. In a true sense, we can see the Father whenever we look at Jesus – Jesus shows us what the Father is like. Since we are journeying with God, we can and should expect God to reveal himself through us, in answer to our prayers. The Church should provide glimpses of the supernatural greatness of Jesus, to the glory of the Father.
Questions:
1) Do we expect Jesus to keep his promises? Do we see amazing answers to our prayers? If not, why not?
2) Is Jesus still the only way to the Father? What makes you sure of your answer?