John 14:1-14 We’ll Be Together Again
Jesus is continuing to share His last words with His disciples. They don’t understand that He is saying goodbye to them. He is preparing them for their future. He’s not focusing on the immediate but eternal future.
Jesus just told His disciples that He was going somewhere they couldn’t go and that they wouldn’t be able to find Him. Now He is talking about bringing them to that place to share it with Him. I can understand some of the disciple’s confusion. We need to remember His words to Peter on this too. He told Peter that he couldn’t go NOW but that he would be with Him later. That is the same promise He is giving to the rest of His disciples. “In a little while.”
A “little while” to God is a lot different than it is to us. Once we enter into His eternity our perspective will change. But for now, it feels REALLY long! I have NO doubt that Jesus will come for us. I just don’t know how long that will take.
When my father-in-law was dying he wondered why he had to wait so long for God to take him home. My mother-in-law said that Jesus must still be working on getting his house just right. I don’t know why God waits sometimes and other times it seems He took someone too soon. I can’t begin to know the mind of God, but I trust Him fully, in spite of my ignorance.
“And you know the way to where I am going” (verse 4). I can certainly understand Thomas’ question here. “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?” (verse 5). Thomas was referring to Jesus’ comments to the Jews about them searching for Him and not finding Him. He never told His disciples that they wouldn’t know where He was but that they couldn’t come yet. He told His disciples straight up where He would be; “In my Father’s house” (verse 1). That was where He was going. And by now His disciples should probably have known the way to God. But they needed more “road signs.”
Jesus had drawn the “map” throughout His entire ministry, now His disciples needed to follow the signs He would leave for them. Jesus’ blood is the roadmap He was leaving for them. In His teachings. Through His miracles. With His impending sacrifice. Because of His upcoming resurrection. Those signs would lead them straight to where He was going. “No one comes to the Father except through me” (verse 6b).
I wonder if Jesus next statement and His disciples response brought Him to another face/palm moment. “’If you had known me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.’ Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, how us the Father, and it is enough for us’” (verses 7-8).
What had He been saying all along? He was there only on the authority of the Father. The Father was operating through Him. They were part of the same unity.
I know this is going to sound a little off track but I think of the Trinity like an egg. An egg has three parts: shell, white, and yolk. They are each usable in their individual parts but incomplete without the other two parts. Life is impossible without all three working in unity. I’ll let you decide for yourself which part represents each part of the Trinity. Only when we separate the parts do we call it anything but an egg. And each part is recognizable as part of the whole when it is used. The parts even carry the name of the whole with them in their individual forms. Egg shell, egg yolk, and egg white. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
So when Philip asked to be shown the Father, he was not recognizing the part standing before him as part of the whole. “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (verse 11). Life only happens because of the combined whole.
We see this now but they wouldn’t understand for a little bit longer. Once Jesus’ work was complete the Holy Spirit would bring clarity like never before to their hearts. Jesus cleared up a lot before finally leaving to be with the Father but the Holy Spirit completed the work. Again it took all three to bring lasting life. We will look at that promise tomorrow.
Father God, thank You that You work in our lives through You Son and Your Spirit. Thank You that You have a home for me that will last for eternity. Thank You Jesus for preparing it specifically for me. I’m looking forward to seeing just what You included in it. But more than that, I’m looking forward to seeing You face to face and spending eternity learning more of You all the time. I’m SO looking forward to bench time!
Thank You for the simple explanation You gave me for Your Trinity. I don’t know if it makes sense to anyone else, but thank You for sharing it with me.
