The Gospel of John Lesson 55 (12-08-2013)
Lesson 55 – John 14:7-12
In our last lesson we saw Jesus preparing His disciples for
His departure and for the task that was ahead of them. We remember that their
reaction to His statement that He was going away was one of bewilderment and
fear of their being left alone without Him, probably having the feeling of
abandonment. Peter had voiced their true desire wondering why they could not
just go with Him. But, Jesus had other plans for them, important plans that they
had not yet understood.
They had been enjoying the ride so to speak, the excitement
of the moment with Jesus present, and, from Jesus’ statement they thought that
their ride was about to end. They did not realize that Jesus still had plans
for them…big plans.
It is important to mention at this point that the next few
chapters actually consist of less than 24 hours and that Jesus does most of the
talking. He addresses them on many levels building a framework on how they
should see and relate to Him, God the Father and to each other. In essence He
lays down the framework of the Church.
Some of His instruction is more on a personal level, one to
one or small group orientated, such as John 15 where He talks about abiding in
the vine and a little later in that chapter He calls them friends letting them
know that they are not just servants, that their relationship is with Him and
each other is personal.
However, also, if we were to step back and take a so called
aerial view, His overarching theme is one of His being One with the Father and at
the same time one with His Church, the Church being also one with the Father as
it is with Him, Jn. 17:21.
As we study the next few chapters it is helpful to construct
our understanding in the parameters of the relatively short time frame that
Jesus’ words were given and in the parameters of the overarching theme of unity
or oneness with Jesus and the Father. The purpose of having a personal
relationship with Jesus is to be a part of the big picture being one with
Jesus, the Father and the Church and the purpose of being a part of the big
picture is to have a personal relationship with Jesus and the Father. They are
mutually inclusive. You cannot have one without the other. The Church was meant
for fellowship… As we continue this study, especially over the next few
chapters, be sure to think on these things letting God’s Spirit speak to us
concerning these things.
We saw that the first thing that Jesus did to reassure and
strengthen their faith after they found out that He was leaving was to reassure
them that He was not leaving them for good and that He was committed to them
for the long haul. We saw in our last study that He assured them that they did
indeed belong…belong to Him. So much so that He tells them that part of His
leaving is that He is leaving to prepare a permanent home for them.
However, the second thing that Jesus does in preparing them for His departure and the task
ahead of them is that He connects them to their power source. Peter, at the end
of chapter 13, was still trusting in himself to establish the Kingdom. (This is
a good question for us. Are we trusting in our strength or God’s strength to
establish the Kingdom?)
They basically had operated on the principle ‘if it is going
to be it is up to me’. This would not work for what was ahead of them. It was
going to take more than any ability or power or force found on earth or in man to
overcome the power of sin and death found on earth. Only God could do this.
And, only God and His Power could establish His Kingdom using His Church in the
process. Without God’s power working in them the task ahead of them would not
be possible. They would need to see their source of strength clearly, being
able to resort to it and rely on it if they were going to be able to perform
and establish God’s plan for them. Human effort would not be enough.
It is clear from their reply in v. 8 that as yet they did
not see the full picture. In v. 7 Jesus begins to sharpen their focus of
reality. He in essence tells them to look again…to take a closer look, that
they were not paying close enough attention.
They were living too fast, riding high on the wave of
excitement. They did not slow down and pay attention and get to know the real
Jesus. He actually tells them at the beginning of v. 7 that if they had really
known Him that they would have not only seen the Family resemblance between Him
and the Father, but they would have literally seen and known the Father
Himself.
Most of their relationship at this point was centered on
their benefits in this relationship. Life was good with Jesus and even though
they did have a relationship with Him it was one mostly centered on the
benefits of being with Him. As yet they had not understood fully what Mary had
seen and understood when she found herself at His feet unashamedly worshiping
Him as she would God the Father.
Mary saw no difference between Jesus and the Father. As a
matter of fact, she saw Them in reality and perception as One in the same. It
was evident that His disciples were not there in practice as yet. If they had
been watching they could have learned something from Mary. What Mary did went
right over their head.
However, now it was time for them to get it. We in reality
cannot fault them too much. They did recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the
Messiah who was the chosen One of Israel, the coming Savior of the world. But,
for some reason they still for the most part saw Jesus and the Father as
separate entities. They saw Jesus as great and coming from God and as the
Messiah, but somehow still they did not quite see the Father.
This is not totally unusual. It is easy for us to do this
too. To see the God of the universe and the power of all of creation seemingly
squeezed into one man is difficult for anybody to see and acknowledge, even if
it appeared to be so. Even we as His followers have the same trouble.
However, most of the world, like the Pharisees, were way
behind them at this point. They saw Jesus as special, but refused to accept
what they were seeing concerning Him being God. His disciples had missed what
Jesus was saying all along, that one must choose to believe what they saw to
come to where Mary found herself, seeing clearly that there was no difference
between Jesus and the Father.
Vs. 9-11 is a wake up statement for Phillip and the other
disciples. Many of our failures or shortcomings as followers and members of the
Church are found here. Much of the time we are found wanting to use Jesus, or
our perception of Him, for our benefit when in reality our real benefit and
power comes from seeing Jesus for who He really is and aligning ourselves with
that truth.
He was telling them that there was Power in this knowledge
that Jesus is indeed as much God as the Father, seeing and acting upon them as
One. They would need to draw and depend on this power when He left and they were
left with the task of establishing the Church.
When we see the Supernatural we tend to want to put it in a
box instead of receiving it and letting it overcome us prompting us to actions
that are not normally our own. These are actions that are not contrived by us,
but are truly acts initiated and performed by God. Mary was a good example of
this. Her sincere act of worship was God generated. She allowed God to overcome
her moving her to act in sincere worship. Her faith in Jesus as God including
the fullness of the Father was what prompted her act of worship.
Peter voices somewhat the disciple’s perspective at this
point found in Matthew chapter 17 when
he wanted to put the supernatural into 3 boxes or booths to somehow manage what
he experienced better. Jesus was telling them that if they would/could see Him
for who He really was, One and the Same as the Father, then they would let God
overcome them and they would ask the things of God, v. 12, that they may be
done. When we truly see the reality of Jesus and the Father being One we are
then offered the opportunity to abandon our self and to join with them being
one with them also.
The power found in the answers to prayers is found in doing
the works of the Father performed and prompted by Him as exemplified and
demonstrated by Jesus. It was imperative that they see and recognize the fullness
and completeness of the Father in Him being able to act in full faith on Jesus’
teachings and instructions as from God the Father Himself. The potential of
God’s power being performed on their request depended on it.
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