So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) (John 20:3-9)
A footrace ensued between two very anxious and excited Apostles. Mary’s announcement to them that their Lord’s body had been taken from the tomb rang in their ears and propelled their steps. We can only imagine that her words overwhelmed them–taking them both by surprise and wonder. Surely their thoughts must have run as fast their feet. Had someone taken His body? Were Jesus’ often repeated predictions of His resurrection true? Could it possibly be that their deep sorrow would somehow turn to abundant joy? Perhaps King David’s words in Psalm 30 rushed through their minds, even though surely beforehand, in their sadness, they had missed meditating upon its promise:
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
The disciples had often been slow in their understanding of Jesus’ words. Their hearts' desire superseded what their ears heard–they wanted the glory without the cross–the heavenly kingdom without the cost. Don’t we as modern day followers of our Lord fall into that same pattern as well? We decide what would be best for us and we pray to that end. We even become upset when God doesn’t fulfill our perfectly ordered plans as we see fit. We embrace the instantaneous and kick against the pain of true growth which will make us more like Christ. The pain and suffering of the Lord Jesus is a necessity for our freedom. And so it is with us who believe in Christ–there is the cost of the cross:
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)
Often singled out by Jesus from the rest of the disciples, it is fitting that Peter and John would be the only of our Lord’s disciples to actually enter His empty tomb. They were most likely the closest to the Lord and more willing to take the lead. They certainly wanted to see with their own eyes what had been reported to them–no hearsay would suffice. John gets to the tomb first and simply gazes rather than goes in. Peter makes the discovery. No enemy or thief, in removing Jesus’ body, would have taken such great pains in removing the linen clothes in which our Lord was wrapped.
Interestingly, the linen cloths wrapped around the dead body with myrrh would have stuck to it like pitch. Considering the spices used in wrapping His body, the amount of linen would have been more than likely no small heap. The clearest evidence of an orderly and deliberate transaction, however, was discovered in the napkin which had been tied around Jesus’ head–it was folded neatly in another place. Certainly this was an indication of order without the hurry and haste that would have accompanied a robbery.
Flashes of truth must have come across John’s mind as we are told that he “believed.” We are told both Peter and John had forgotten their Lord’s predictions while His enemies–Caiaphas and his wicked companions–remembered them:
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." (Matthew 27:62-64)
Take It to Heart
Christ left His grave clothes behind–rising never to die again!
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30)
Nearing the end of the greatest accomplishment ever to be done on behalf of mankind, our Lord proclaims, “I am thirsty.” In Psalm 22, King David prophesied what Jesus would someday experience. David’s use of many poetic expressions were literally fulfilled in the Savior’s suffering:
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:14-16)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1)
Having once refused the soldier’s medicinal offer of wine vinegar to dull His pain (Matthew 27:34), Jesus now readily accepts this mocking offering. The vinegar soaked sponge on a hyssop branch would be used to free His tongue. Jesus had words left to say and He needed His mouth moistened to declare them.
Tongue freed, our Lord now offers the three greatest words of triumph ever uttered to a startled universe. Expressed with majestic simplicity, the Savior states from the cross, “It is finished.” Inexhaustible in meaning, these three words are rich and full of deep truths. Jesus had accomplished what He had come to do. He had done all that was needed to save sinners–all that was needful to satisfy the justice of God.
“The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him–something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.” (Oswald Chambers)
Jesus had come to die as our substitute; He had come to fulfill the ceremonial law; He had come as the true sacrifice for our sin; He had come to fulfill many of the prophecies; He had come to accomplish the great work of man’s redemption. Nothing was whimsical or happenstance regarding Christ’s life or death–not one thing in the minutest details was by accident or by chance. The cup of suffering was at last now drained to the last dregs. He was rightfully preparing to enter back into glory–right back to His Father’s side:
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (John 17:4-5)
Take It to Heart
We can rest our souls on the finished work of Christ! We need not fear sin or Satan or the law to condemn us on the last day. Jesus has done all, paid all, and accomplished all that was necessary for our salvation. When we look at our own works, we may well be ashamed at the imperfections we see, but when we focus on the finished work of Christ, we have comfort and peace. We are made complete in Him–not lacking anything:
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10)
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
Our verses for today record a beautiful incident amidst the clamor and hatred of the Jews and the mocking of the Roman soldiers. The tender affections of the pious women who attended our Lord’s needs throughout His ministry until His crucifixion are here amidst the taunting crowds and rough soldiers. These women were determined to stand by Jesus until the very end in a demonstration of their holy affection and gratitude towards Him. While His enemies eagerly crowned Him with thorns, these women crowned Him with their love and compassion, consoling Him with their faithfulness.
Remember that our Lord was a condemned criminal, hated by the chief priests and executed by the Romans. It was certainly courageous, admirable, and selfless of these ladies to take their place by the Lord throughout His abhorrent ordeal. They were neither deterred by the fury of the enemy nor the horror of the sight. Their actions were glorious proof of their love for their Savior. Yet all the while, their hearts were breaking under the sight of the Suffering Servant. Unable to rescue or relieve Him, their hearts must have been breaking. These women were a testimony to God’s love being made complete in them. Certainly they were strengthened by divine grace and power throughout this ordeal. I am reminded of the words penned by Paul:
But he [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Surely the prophecy Simeon had proclaimed to the Lord’s mother Mary when Jesus was yet an infant reached its fulfillment at this time–a sword had to be piercing her soul at the sight of her suffering Son:
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." (Luke 2:34-35)
And yet, at this very difficult time, Jesus did not forget His mother. He saw her deep distress and tenderly cared for her desolate condition. He commended her to the care of John, the most loving and tenderhearted of His disciples. Jesus’ love surpasses knowledge. The mighty love and affection of Jesus knows no limit.
Surely Jesus’ words from the cross served as yet another example of why these women loved Him so. Suffering and in great anguish, the width and depth of our Lord’s sympathies and affections still shone through His darkest hour. Even in this trying season of bodily and mental anguish, Jesus did not forget others. Every word He uttered from the cross benefitted His hearers.
Take It to Heart
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
“His love is unfailing, His Word unchangeable, His power ever the same; therefore the heart that trusts Him is kept in ‘perfect peace’ … I know He tries me only to increase my faith, and that it is all in love. Well, if He is glorified, I am content.” (Hudson Taylor)
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)
It is the desire of our Savior to be in communion and fellowship with His followers throughout all eternity. He comforts us with these words earlier in John as well. He wants us to be with Him, sharing in His glory:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
We are eternal beings, though our natural body is perishing and our mortal frames will one day expire. Whether we choose to believe this fact or not does not negate its truth. Our physical bodies are mortal, but we have immortal souls. One day, depending on our response to Jesus Christ, each one of us will either be with the Lord Jesus throughout eternity or be separated from Him in a place our Lord repeatedly described as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Those of us who cling to the truth of Christianity–that apart from belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redeeming work for us on the cross we remain eternally damned–should certainly be motivated to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. The apostle Paul was a master at tirelessly presenting the Gospel. He took seriously the ministry of reconciliation that all believers have been entrusted with:
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)
Take It to Heart
“Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all–except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” (C.S. Lewis)
“You believe at last!” Jesus answered. “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:31-33)
Certainly our Lord’s words to His disciples must have stung bitterly. They could not have imagined forsaking their Master. Over-confidence in our actions and abilities can be our downfall, can it not? Preoccupation, distraction, lacking a fixed focus, selfish indulgences, vain conceits and fears all have a way of catching us off guard. Before we know it, we, like the disciples, find ourselves doing something we could never have possibly imagined doing. They were sure of their stick-to-itiveness, seemingly unable to comprehend that they could forsake or flee from the One they so dearly loved. Paul tells us:
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
(1 Corinthians 10:11-13)
Even the most committed followers of our Lord know little of their own hearts–loudly professing loyalty, yet scattering for cover as soon as difficulty strikes. The disciples simply did not know themselves–they were unaware of the shallowness of their convictions, the weakness of their flesh, and the depth of human depravity that was
buried within their hearts. Scripture tells us:
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
We would do well to mark this in our memories–we are all capable of a fall.
We must remember that we can do nothing of eternal value apart from Christ. It is only when we are weak in the estimation of our own abilities that we are strong in God’s perfect, all-achieving power. Paul tells us:
But he [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Life is difficult. We can expect trouble and hardship. The word which Jesus uses for trouble in our verses for today is translated from the Greek word thlipsis meaning “to crush, press, compress, squeeze; tribulation, trouble, affliction; conveys the picture of something being crushed or squeezed as from a great weight; used to denote grievous physical affliction or mental and spiritual distress” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids). Yet, Jesus goes on to say that in Him we can have His perfect peace amid the turmoil, trials, and testings of this life. He is our only sure and continuous fountain of true and lasting comfort. Paul tells us:
“For he himself is our peace.” (Ephesians 2:14)
Take It to Heart
Jesus said:
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)
As we live in close communion with the Lord–with a steadfast mind and focus on the Prince of Peace and His achieving power–we are able, like the eagle, to soar above the storm clouds. This does not mean that we will not feel the pain or the loss or a hurt, but rather that our pain can be seen with a view of “the big picture.” Whatever God allows can ultimately be used for our good and His glory.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
“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)
True peace is not derived from circumstances, people, or things; true peace is derived from Jesus. Christ’s peace is peculiarly His to give as He purchased it with His precious blood, He being the substitute for a perishing world. Jesus was commissioned to bring peace to mankind.
The peace Jesus offers is precious and dearly costly compared to the world’s transient variety. The world gives temporary satisfaction in all things. The excitement that gratifies our passions and affections and pride for a season always leaves us longing for more. The world is unable to offer what Christ’s peace affords, for it does not possess it to give–there is no rest with the world. Indeed, what Jesus bestows, the world cannot offer at all–peace of heart, peace of conscience, and a peace that comes from knowing our sin is forgiven. The peace Jesus gives results in an inward calm and rest for the soul amidst even the greatest trials and tribulations, when circumstances become stern and severe. Those who possess the peace of Jesus experience strength and hope.
Our Lord is neither unwilling nor sparing in the distribution of His precious peace to those who believe–amazingly, being far more willing to give than the world is to receive.
“Peace is Christ’s peculiar gift: not money, not worldly ease, not temporal prosperity. These are at best very questionable possessions. They often do more harm than good to the soul. They act as clogs and weights to our spiritual life. Inward peace of conscience, arising from a sense of pardoned sin and reconciliation with God, is a far greater blessing. This peace is the property of all believers, whether high or low, rich or poor.” (John Charles Ryle)
I am reminded of the prophet Isaiah’s words:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)
There will never be lacking anything on Christ’s part for the believer’s anguish–when we come to Him. He provides every medicine for a troubled heart and provides it in abundance–always doing more than we can ask or imagine. Scripture tells us:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
This peace from Jesus is not mere formality; it is a real and true blessing–enriching the soul eternally. This is sufficient reason for our hearts not to be burdened down with the troubles of this world where sickness and death, hunger and poverty, deceit and betrayal press down upon us as heavy weights.
Take It to Heart
Jesus tells us to be courageous:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The peace of Jesus provides calm in the midst of a storm. We are to be as a child in the comforting arms of our Father who remains with us. He enables us to soar above our circumstances as we take captive our thoughts in obedience to Jesus.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26)
Sent from the Father, in the name of Jesus, every true believer in Christ receives the gift of the promised Counselor–the Comforter–the precious Holy Spirit. It is He who is promised to teach us all things and to remind us of all the things Jesus taught. What a blessed assurance for the followers of Jesus! Who among us does not have a weak memory when our spirits have become troubled or disheartened? Perhaps we even find ourselves fumbling and stumbling and losing our way. The Person–not influence–of the holy Trinity is promised to abide within every believer of Jesus, teaching and enlightening all true lovers of the Lord in every age for all time, shedding light on the truth and bringing back to our memories all those things that have been taught. It is the Holy Spirit’s special responsibility to open the eyes of our understanding–teaching, leading, and empowering us into all truth:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”
(John 16:13-14)
Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians:
We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"–but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:7-11)
What a needful promise this is! How many times do we, like the original disciples, stand scratching our heads in our lack of understanding, or find ourselves discouraged or shaking with fear for our lack of power? We need only listen to and heed the Spirit’s leading. Sometimes hearing His still small voice over the world’s megaphone is not easy. We must be still before the Lord and listen carefully for His voice.
Take It to Heart
Now it is God who makes us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
“If a man is drawing on his own resources, he will soon run dry. It matters not what his powers may be, or how extensive his reading, or how vast his stores of information; if the Holy Spirit be not the spring and power of his ministry, it must, sooner or later, lose its freshness and its effectiveness. How important then, that all who minister (and live) in the gospel … should lean continually and exclusively on the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows what souls need, and He can supply it. But he must be trusted and used. It will not do to lean partly on self and partly on the Spirit.” (C. H. Mackintosh, Notes on the Book of Numbers, 1861)
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17)
Our Lord Jesus came to this earth modeling a love and obedience for the Father that His disciples were and are expected to follow. Love and obedience do not spring from a legalistic set of rules, but flow freely from a life of love for our Lord–all that He is, and all that He has done, and all that He continues to do for us. The Bible tells us:
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us … In this way, love is made complete among us … We love because he first loved us … And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:16-21)
Jesus desired for His disciples upon His departure to demonstrate their love for Him, not through a lamenting grief, but through a loving obedience to His commands. Throughout the Bible, this message is reiterated. I am reminded of one such passage in the Old Testament:
“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:21-24)
Obedience to God is grounded in our trust that He has our best interest at heart. It is a faith that is based on a firm knowledge of who He is and a solid understanding of His ways. The more we know Him, the more we will love Him, and the more we love Him, the more we will trust Him and desire to be obedient to His will. John tells us:
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)
It is when we go our own way, leaning upon our own flawed understanding and abilities that we stumble and fall.
In our verses for today, Jesus gives the disciples this great and glorious promise–as long as He is in heaven, they shall never want for a fresh supply of grace and comfort, wisdom and strength–given to them by the precious Holy Spirit. They shall never know the lack of a Comforter. This blessed promise was not only sure for them but also for every believer in Jesus thereafter. The Holy Spirit will never depart from a believer in Christ–we are sealed–indwelled until He returns. The promise remains that He will never depart from us. Paul writes that the Holy Spirit is our identification of ownership to God as well as our authentication and approval–our certification of genuineness so to speak:
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Take It to Heart
The Spirit is poured out upon us, equipping us to be like our Lord–not just outwardly but inwardly as well. The presence of God in this world is to be the Spirit indwelling in the heart of every believer:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
(2 Corinthians 4:7-9)
The Spirit constantly abides within the believer–equipping and comforting, encouraging and strengthening.
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: “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. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” (John 14:8-11)
Our Lord’s words to Philip seem to be full of discouragement. Certainly Philip should have known better. It appears that in every age there is a natural wish of man for some extraordinary revelation of the Father, an earnest desire for further light, a yearning for the miraculous. “Show us the Father” was Philip’s plea, yet here this request reveals not only the weakness of his faith but also the lack of his understanding of God’s way of revealing himself. To see with earthly eyes is one thing, but to see with eyes of faith is quite another. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews 11:1-2)
Faith is not only having a surety and certainty regarding unseen realities and hopes, it is also to be the lens by which we are to view all of life’s experiences. It is not a blind hope; it is a firm grounding in the truth of the Lord Jesus. When Jesus was on earth, he prayed:
"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:25-26)
Jesus tells His disciples to believe Him–based on the credibility and reliability of His Word and on His miraculous Works. These two convincing truths point to the fact that to know Jesus is to know the Father as well.
Christ’s miracles were proof of His divine mission. His miracles–the finger marks of God–things too hard for man to do. Only God can make the blind miraculously see, the dead rise, and the insane sane. These signs were given both for the conviction of the unregenerate and for the confirmation of the faith of His disciples. Indisputable proofs–who but God could do such things as these?
“Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:37-38)
Take It to Heart
There is a close and mysterious unity between the three persons of the Trinity with which our finite minds can perhaps grasp but only a glimmer. How very little we realize the fullness of this unity! Jesus taught His disciples many things when He walked on this earth and of these, certain mighty truths simply passed right over their heads. It was not until afterwards that His words were remembered and became clearer.
“Want of trust is at the root of almost all our sins and all our weaknesses, and how shall we escape it but by looking to Him and observing His faithfulness. The man who holds God’s faithfulness will not be foolhardy or reckless, but will be ready for every emergency.” (Hudson Taylor)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
In these verses, we discover three glorious names which Jesus gives Himself–He is the way, He is the truth, and He is the life. To be sure, He is the only way, the only truth and the only life. Entirely exclusive while all the while offering inclusivity, He offers the only way to all, the only truth to all, and the only life to all.
Jesus is the way: No one may come to the Father except through Him. He is not only the path, the journey, the manner of life or action we are to take, He is also the only door through which anyone may enter into the presence of the Father. Faith in Jesus is the key to heaven–it is also the key to the fullness of life in the here and now. The person that believes in the Lord is on the right road. Through His blood we may draw close with boldness and have access with confidence into God’s presence.
Jesus is the truth: When we search for truth we need look no further than the truth that is in Jesus. He is absolute truth, ultimate truth, true truth. He satisfies every desire of the human mind. Being very God of very God, He is boundless and measureless in the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge. He is truth, reality, and fact. Truth is not relative–truth is Jesus. We are to know Him, study Him, learn from Him, and follow Him. As his disciples, we are to bear His image. We grow in this process by studying and applying His Word to our lives and through prayer.
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that … they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3)
Jesus is the life: Those who believe in Jesus not only have eternal life, but also have access to the abundant life in the here and now as they walk in the power of the Spirit. Christ is the source of all life. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing of eternal value because those works always lack life.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Take It to Heart
Jesus clearly says in our verse for today that He is the only means of entrance to the Father–shutting out all other ways to the Father. He stresses that, contrary to what many might believe, salvation is not obtainable through any other means. Only one way exists, and it is through the purifying and redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus.
“It avails nothing that a man is clever, learned, highly gifted, amiable, charitable, kind-hearted, and zealous about some sort of religion. All this will not save his soul if he does not draw near to God by Christ’s atonement, and make use of God’s own Son as his Mediator and Saviour. God is so holy that all men are guilty and debtors in His sight. Sin is so sinful that no mortal man can make satisfaction for it. There must be a mediator, a ransom-payer, a redeemer, between ourselves and God, or else we can never be saved. There is only one door, one bridge, one ladder, between earth and heaven – the crucified Son of God. Whosoever will enter in by that door may be saved; but to him who refuses to use that door the Bible holds out no hope at all. Without shedding of blood there is no remission. Let us beware, if we love life, of supposing that mere earnestness will take a man to heaven, though he know nothing of Christ. The idea is a deadly and ruinous error. Sincerity will never wipe away our sins. It is not true that every man will be saved by his own religion, no matter what he believes, so long as he is diligent and sincere. We must not pretend to be wiser than God. Christ has said, and Christ will stand to it, ‘No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.’” (John Charles Ryle)
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
Ever experienced a heart that was stirred with agitation? More than likely, Jesus looked into the faces of His disciples and saw anxiety heavy in their eyes. Our Lord, who sees the unrevealed sorrows and wounds that bleed inwardly, would certainly not have missed the many things troubling His disciples at this point. Jesus had just told them of His imminent departure which would occur with immense suffering. He had told them that one of their own would be a traitor and that Peter himself would deny Him three times. Jesus would be leaving them and they could not come with Him. He was their leader–He was the one in whom they placed their hope. He was the One who was to deliver Israel! The weight of all these recent revelations must have greatly pressed upon them leaving them downtrodden and depressed and feeling quite deserted and exposed.
In our verses for today, our Lord prescribes a sure and precious remedy for the disease of a troubled heart: Trust–both in God and in the Son. Trust used here means to be persuaded in the truthfulness of and to have total confidence in and reliance upon. Our trust in God and our Lord Jesus turns our troubled hearts into comforted ones, keeping us freed from the stirred agitation that confidence in our own abilities brings.
In the midst of our anxiety, we are not to be like the troubled sea when it cannot rest. Scripture encourages us with these words:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
The Great Shepherd, always knowing the condition of His sheep, sweetly begins to speak in their ears these wonderful words of encouragement–rich in precious truth:
“In my Father’s house are many rooms … I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
These words are certainly just as true for every believer in Christ as they were when they were first spoken to Jesus’ disciples. He would indeed be going, but in His going He would be preparing a place for them (and for us) so that we all may always and forever be where He is. Our assurance is built on the veracity of our Lord’s word as well as the sincere love and affection He has for all who follow Him.
It is important for us to remember that we are only travelers here–earth is not our home, heaven is! That is the promise of Scripture. Heaven is a house–not a tabernacle. Heaven is the Father’s house–my Father’s house, your Father’s house. It is a place of mansions–lasting, eternal, and permanent. A place where we will be settled–a place where we will be loved for our own sakes–not for our gifts or possessions. A place where we are always welcomed.
Heaven is a place where Christ is continually present. He will be in our midst forever. Christ is our reason for peace and our power for a calm and steadfast heart.
Take It to Heart
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)
All true believers are welcome to this happiness. There are rooms in heaven, durable and lasting. Our estate is not for years, but rather for eternity. Jesus is not preparing our lodging in order for it to stand empty; neither are His preparations in vain. As He is preparing the place, He is also preparing the servant, so that in due time we will be put in possession of it.
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