Today's Inspiration by Dream Team Member Shelley Brandon
John 14 - Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; 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[b] 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.
I chose this song today to go with the scripture and at first glance it may seem like an odd combination. I would like to rename this song “Thomas’s Song”.
Thomas had so many questions. I don’t believe for a moment that it was because he doubted Jesus. Rather that his human mind wanted so badly to understand the enormity of Christ’s redemption. This was (and is still) too much for a mere mortal to grasp. The other disciples had questions too, like Philip, but only Thomas gets to take the wrap for this quandary. I’m quite convinced that if we were to study the ancient Hebrew we would find somewhere in the fine print that what Thomas was really saying was, “Whoa, slow down just a bit here Jesus. I need this in plain Aramaic please. I know that this is really big and somehow I’m part of it, but it’s too much! I don’t get it. Can’t I just sit here at your feet and let you spoon feed it to me, cause that’s what I need. Just saying. I mean how can I ask the Father for anything? And I’m a bit challenged when it comes to maps but without one I can’t find the back of my hand! So how am I supposed to know where you’re going?”
Ok, so maybe not, but you know he had to be thinking it. And then Jesus died. The One with the answers to his many questions is gone. The One who grounded his spirit, who gave meaning to his life was just gone.
I can feel Thomas’s world being shaken to its core.
“Where are you Jesus? Are you still here? If I close my eyes I can see you, hear you. I want to be like you, but I can’t find you? Can you see me? Please Lord, just show me where you are!”
Thomas is the disciple that I most identify with.
Lord, please just show me. I can’t do this alone. I love you and I’m so lost right now. I know you are with me, but please let me feel you here. I know that you are the way Jesus… show me the way. I know that my purpose lies in you… show me my purpose. I know you are close to me… help me feel close to you. Amen.
John 14 - Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; 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[b] 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.
I chose this song today to go with the scripture and at first glance it may seem like an odd combination. I would like to rename this song “Thomas’s Song”.
Thomas had so many questions. I don’t believe for a moment that it was because he doubted Jesus. Rather that his human mind wanted so badly to understand the enormity of Christ’s redemption. This was (and is still) too much for a mere mortal to grasp. The other disciples had questions too, like Philip, but only Thomas gets to take the wrap for this quandary. I’m quite convinced that if we were to study the ancient Hebrew we would find somewhere in the fine print that what Thomas was really saying was, “Whoa, slow down just a bit here Jesus. I need this in plain Aramaic please. I know that this is really big and somehow I’m part of it, but it’s too much! I don’t get it. Can’t I just sit here at your feet and let you spoon feed it to me, cause that’s what I need. Just saying. I mean how can I ask the Father for anything? And I’m a bit challenged when it comes to maps but without one I can’t find the back of my hand! So how am I supposed to know where you’re going?”
Ok, so maybe not, but you know he had to be thinking it. And then Jesus died. The One with the answers to his many questions is gone. The One who grounded his spirit, who gave meaning to his life was just gone.
I can feel Thomas’s world being shaken to its core.
“Where are you Jesus? Are you still here? If I close my eyes I can see you, hear you. I want to be like you, but I can’t find you? Can you see me? Please Lord, just show me where you are!”
Thomas is the disciple that I most identify with.
Lord, please just show me. I can’t do this alone. I love you and I’m so lost right now. I know you are with me, but please let me feel you here. I know that you are the way Jesus… show me the way. I know that my purpose lies in you… show me my purpose. I know you are close to me… help me feel close to you. Amen.
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