Day 30. Faith (John 14:1-31)

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.2 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?3 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.4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

9 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'?10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.11 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 works themselves.12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 "If you love me, keep my commands.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 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.18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

23 Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.24 Anyone 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.

25 "All this I have spoken while still with you.26 But the Advocate, 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.27 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.

28 "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.29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,

31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me."Come now; let us leave

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John 14:1-31
Jesus begins the last conversation He will have with His disciples before He is arrested and taken from them to be crucified. These are some of his final instructions as he hands over His ministry to His disciples. We should take special attention to the next four chapters!

He begins with theses words, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me…"
Trust.
Instead of being worried about what will happen, for surely there will be many obstacles, Jesus is asking them to exercise their faith.

Faith is not about having all the answers. It is naïve to think we could ever have all the answers. It is about trusting in Jesus. To trust someone, it is essential to have relationship with them. It is by Faith, because relationship cannot be sustained without it. Faith is often to wait in the not knowing, with confidence not in the outcome, but in God's loving character. Therefore faith has to do with the attitude we hold toward God, which is reflected in our behaviour.

Jesus goes on to say, "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father…"
 Hold up Jesus, greater works? Greater then healing people, casting our demons and raising people form the dead!? Yes that's what he said
 "…You can ask for anything in my name and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father…"
 And just in case you didn't hear Him the first time, He repeats,
 "Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
 If you think this may have been a slip of the tongue, read further, he repeats similar statements another 4 or 5 times.
So keeping in mind "asking in His name," isn't the equivalent of blank checks in which we can fulfil all our dreams and desires (Matthew 7:33), can we say this level of faith is active in our lives?

If faith has to do with our attitude towards God, and our attitude effects how we approach God (Proverbs 3.34). What is our attitude towards these words said by Jesus?

Faith operates in the place of the unknown/ the desert place. When we enter the unknown our first temptation is to control the situation in our own power. Even Jesus was tempted by Satan to take control of His situation when he fasted 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:1-12).

So do we take control in the unknown?
Or do we, not be troubled but instead trust in him?
Do we have a faith that believes we can heal, cast out, and bring to life the dead in His name? Do we believe or even fully understand the power of His name?

My prayer for our church is Paul's prayer for the Ephesians:
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
(Ephesians 3:16-21)

Kylie