Lessons Learned
John 14:15-31
Today, we go back to what Jesus told his apostles before he was killed.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way. - John 14:15-31
Again, he says to them, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."
He knows they are afraid for him and for themselves. What is about to happen?
He is telling them that what he is doing is not the devil having power over him, but, instead, is him choosing to do the will of the Father.
John makes it sound like Jesus has no part in this decision, but I wonder if that is true.
Imagine this. Suppose the plan was always that Jesus would be crucified and would die. That would fulfill the prophecy of the suffering servant.
Jesus talks about the will of the Father, and we get the impression that the Father is in control of all that happens. But what if Jesus was the one who chose to come back?
Having spent a lifetime as one of us, Jesus knows that we will not be easily convinced that God will have mercy on us and judge us fairly, given the painful death Jesus will undergo.
So, what if Jesus convinces the Father to let him come back?
Jesus tells his disciples that he chooses to do the will of the Father, giving us the example of faithful servants of God.
But was the resurrection part of God's plan from the start?
According to all the commentaries, it was, but I would like to consider that it wasn't. God knows everything. We can agree on that, but one thing God didn't know firsthand was what it was like to be human.
Throughout all of the Old Testament, God tried to reach us to guide us to the truth and save us from ourselves, but we failed every time.
From the time of Isaiah, God had planned to send an anointed one, but did He plan for that to be himself?
It is through Jesus that God the Father comes to truly know us, His Creation. And I wonder if He chose to listen to us through His son.
Father, forgive them, Jesus said on the cross. They know not what they do.
There was a spectacle for the people when Jesus died on the cross, and maybe God the Father thought that was enough to show them who Jesus was.
But I like to think that Jesus had a talk with Dad and convinced Him to let Jesus come back and hand over the guidance and teaching to the Holy Spirit in person.
And the Father looked at what Jesus did and said, "That is Good."
More to come...