After Jesus washed his disciples’ feet to
demonstrate a way of practicing his new commandment to love one another as he
did (John 13:1-17, 34-35), foretelling his betrayal by one of the twelve, Judas
(John 13:18-30), Jesus began speaking of his physical departure, first by
speaking of his impending glorification (John 13:31-33). It was in this context that Jesus gave the
new commandment to love each other as his followers (John 13:34-35) and
foretold Peter’s denial (John 13:36-38).
In today’s Gospel Reading (John 14:1-6) follows
Jesus’ announcement of his departure through his glorification (John 13:31-33),
to console them (John 14:1-14) and to assure with his presence even after hid
departure through another Parakletos,
the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-31).
Jesus wanted to make sure that his disciples
understand that he was not physically departing from them for his own interest
but rather for their benefits. Thus, he explained that his departure is to
prepare a place for them in the Father’s heavenly house (John 14:2-3). So, he
encouraged them not to let anxiety trouble their hearts by keeping faith in God
and in him (John 14:1). Jesus once again reminded that faith, which is
unconditional trust, in God the Father is also faith in him, is the best antidote
to anxiety (cf. Matthew 6:25-34)
Jesus thought that they already knew the way to the
place where Jesus is going by then (John 14:4), not only as they had spent
about 3 years together with him during his public ministry but they must have
hear Jesus saying of his departure (John 12:32; cf. John 3:14; 12:34).
Apparently, the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant by “lifted up
from the earth”(John 12:32). It points not only to him being lifted up on the
Cross, as the serpent in the desert was listed up by Moses on his pole (John
3:14; Numbers 21:8-9) but also from the dead or tomb and from the earth through
ascension. This is why the disciples’
hearts were troubled with anticipatory grief when Jesus reminded of his
impending departure to where they could not come after washing the disciples’
feet (John 13:33).
Hoping the disciples already knew, Jesus said that
they know the way to the place where he is going (John 14:4). But, because the
they had no idea about what Jesus was saying, Thomas said that how they can
know the way since they don’t know where they are going (John 14:5). In other
words, the disciples still did not know that Jesus was going back to the
Father, who sent him.
So, Jesus said:
I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through
me
(John 14:6).
In other words, Jesus is the only way to the Father,
as he is the only gateway to the pen of the Father’s sheep (John 10:7). Jesus
is the truth, because the Word is the truth (John 17:17; Psalm 119:160), and he
is the Word incarnate (John 1:1,14). Jesus is the life, sent by the Father, to
give us life, because of His love (John 3:16). The Father is the source of life
(i.e. Genesis 2:7) and has sent His only begotten Son, who is the way, the
truth, and the life (John 14:6), (John 3:16), as the Living Bread of Life for
us to have eternal life (John 6:51) and as the Good Shepherd for us to have
life in abundance (John 10:10-11), eternal life (John 10:28).
Later on that night, Jesus prayed while the
disciples were with him:
Father,
the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just
as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to
all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only
true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ
(John 17:1-3).
Jesus was sent to us to give us eternal life, with
which we should know the Father, who sent the way, the truth, and life for
eternal life.
Though the disciples did not know, now we know where
Jesus is going upon his departure from this world without leaving us like
orphans. He is returning to the Father, who sent him, to make the place for us
to be with the Father and him in His house in heaven. Therefore, in the fullness
of time, we shall follow him.
So, it is written in “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas
à Kempis:
MY
CHILD, the more you depart from yourself, the more you will be able to enter
into Me. As the giving up of exterior things brings interior peace, so the
forsaking of self unites you to God. I will have you learn perfect surrender to
My will, without contradiction or complaint.
Follow
Me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going.
Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no living. I
am the Way which you must follow, the Truth which you must believe, the Life
for which you must hope. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth, the
unending Life. I am the Way that is straight, the supreme Truth, the Life that
is true, the blessed, the uncreated Life. If you abide in My Way you shall know
the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free, and you shall attain life everlasting. Chapter 56
On the night before his death, Jesus, who is the
way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) was reminding the disciples that he is
returning to the Father, who sent him, through the three-fold glorification of his
death, resurrection, and ascension, to make the way for us to follow him to the
Father. Otherwise, we would not have any way to the Father. As the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus is
the only mediator to the Father (1 Timothy 2:5) of His new covenant with us
(Hebrews 9:15).
Later on that night, Jesus prayed while the
disciples were with him:
Father,
the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just
as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to
all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only
true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ
(John 17:1-3).
Now, being reminded that Jesus’s physical departure is to return to the one who sent him, the Father in heaven, through his death, resurrection, and ascension, is for us – for our place in the Father’s house in heaven, as our mediator: the way, the life, and the truth, with Him, do we need to feel anxious? If we truly believe this, keeping faith in him, in the Father, we have no reason to have our hearts be troubled at all. And, his physical departure does not mean that we would be abandoned like orphans (John 14:18), because the Father will send another Parakletos (John 14:16), as Jesus himself is the Parakletos (1 John 2:1), as the Spirit of the Truth (John 14:17), while Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). And, unless he returns to the Father, another Parakletos would not come (John 16:7).
Yes, Jesus loves us forever, as Parakletos to us (1John 2:1) – as the way, the truth, and the life
(John 14:6)!
While he is preparing the place for us in the house
of the Father in heaven after his ascension, Jesus makes sure that his work, which
is the Father’s work (John 5:17), continues on. That is why he arranged with the
Father to pour down the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
Though Paul (Saul) was not with Peter and the other
eleven, on Pentecost, he, too, received the Holy Spirit to fill him and to
drive him on his mission.
So, we have been reading from apostle Paul’s great
sermon in Pisidia of Antioch, Asia Minor (Acts 13:13-41) on his first mission
with Barnabas, since yesterday for the First Reading. Today, we read from Acts
13:26-33.
In today’s portion, Paul was trying to wake his Jewish audience in the synagogue up to the truth of Jesus, the one, who had him killed by the Romans, out of their ignorance. He rebuked them for not recognizing him as the Messiah, though they have read both the Torah and the Prophets every Sabbath as they gathered in the synagogue. So, he made it clear that Jesus is the one mentioned in Psalm 2:7, the begotten Son of God the Father (Acts 13:33).
Jesus is the begotten Son of God the Father, sent by
Him, as our mediator with him, as the way to Him so that we may be saved by him
and redeemed to Him.
Paul delivered his sermon on Jesus, with an
indication of the way leading to his coming as the Messiah, from the time of
Moses up to John the Baptist, to his fellow Jews.
Do they believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the way,
the truth, and the life?
Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the way,
the truth, and life?
If you do, can you go and speak of Jesus as Paul did - though you may be persecuted?
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