John 14 NLT
Jesus, the Way to the Father
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. 2 There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. 7 If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak are not My own, but my Father who lives in Me does His work through Me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen Me do. 12 “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. 13 You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!
Doesn't it just make you shake your head? The unbelief of Thomas and Phillip? If you had spent three years with Jesus, would you still have doubt? Maybe you would, maybe, like Thomas and Phillip all you had seen and heard would be too much to wrap your brain around, too much to absorb, too much to comprehend. We have to remember, they were only working with the knowledge of the Old Testament, we have the benefit of the knowledge of the New Testament to help us comprehend the magnificent significance of Christ.
There are a couple of controversial verses above. Let's take a quick look at them.
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
"No one can come to the Father except through Me." "No one can."
Jesus is the narrow gate. You only get to heaven by a relationship with Him. Plain and simple. Not by good works, not by being a good person, not by just believing God exists. Satan believes God exists and God kicked him out of Heaven. Don't force God to kick you out of Heaven. That's not what God wants. He wants to welcome you to Heaven with open arms but He can't unless you accept His Son as your Savior.
13 "You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!"
This does not mean if you have a relationship with Christ you can ask for a new car, better house and no financial worries. It means If you have a relationship with Christ, what you pray for is in direct proportion to God's will in your life. Just as Jesus prays in the garden before His arrest, "Your will be done", we want our will to be in line with God's will. If it's not, we are operating under our own power and desires and that can only spell disaster.
Blessings, Cecilia
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