Friday, January 3, 2014

Twelve Days of Christmas Reflections - Day 10

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

I've jumped ahead to the last supper. Jesus has just washed the disciples' feet, predicted His betrayal and Peter's denial. This was clearly not a comfortable time for the disciples. They had been told one of them would betray Jesus, Peter was told, despite his insistence that he would never leave Jesus, that he would deny knowing Jesus three times before dawn and Jesus would be leaving them soon. But Jesus assures them that He is going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house.

The disciples are struggling to understand Jesus and they are clearly not comforted by Jesus' words. Thomas asks the question we all are asking, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus' response is to say that He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. He goes on to say that because the disciples know Him, they know God. They are still confused; Philip says, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." After three years of watching Jesus heal, teach and forgive the disciples still want more! 

They lived, ate, talked to and listened to Jesus for three years. Yet, they still didn't understand that knowing Jesus is enough. Jesus had given them everything they needed to know. That means that knowing Jesus is enough for you and me. Everything we need to know to get to His Father's House is in the Bible. If we study Jesus' life, ministry, teachings we know the Father! 

This means that we must walk with Jesus everyday. We must continually spend time in prayer, Bible study and around other Christians. This is how we can get to know Jesus and as the disciples show us, it takes a lifetime to know Jesus. And to know Jesus is to know the Way; we won't get lost if we follow Jesus!

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