John 14

Scripture
Jesus Comforts His Disciples

"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. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Jesus the Way to the Father

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 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. 11Believe 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. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

"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. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But 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. 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. "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave.

Observations
To love God is to do as he says (obey his teaching) - I like that - that's the kind of person I want to be, saying things is one thing, doing something that demonstrates it is more powerful to me. I like, here, that the obedience is out of love, not duty! It changes things. For so long, I didn't go to Church because I wasn't being fully obedient. My sin separated me from God. God did not separate me because of my sin. I had not accepted grace. I gave up on being perfect before showing up at Church, primarily because I found a Church that made it possible to explore and be as involved or uninvolved as I needed to be. My relationship with Christ began to develop and grow and a desire out of love, gratitude, etc. came over me. Conviction would hit me on one area of my life or another, and then I would seek God's help in addressing that. I've got a long and winding road ahead of me, but I stopped trying to start fruitlessly, at the destination and work back.

Still have many questions about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and how that whole thing works, but I have learned more throughout the years and I look forward to learning more.

Heaven being described here is hard for me to imagine with all the people that have gone before and will go after.

The questions about why Jesus shows himself to the disciples, but not to the world are interesting. It is hard to understand why God doesn't do something big and give people today the opportunity that people had in Jesus' day to believe. Maybe he just can't handle being rejected that blatantly? I know, he can handle it, it seems though that it would make him very sad.

Application

I'm not sure what to apply from this right now - I think I'm storing it up for the future by labeling, etc.

Prayer
Dear Lord,
When I read this I am awed by Jesus' willingness to die for us knowing what was coming and his compassion for others through it all. I am so grateful to have a developing relationship with you and for the gift of grace that makes that possible. Help me to use this scripture in my life to understand that no matter what I have going on in my life to comfort others and continue to follow you. In Jesus' name. Amen