SCRIPTURE: John 14
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. [John 14:11]
Jesus is “God with us”; Jesus is also “us with God”.
When we look at Jesus, we see God’s heart, God’s truth, God’s love in action.
What he values, what He practices, what He taught, these are the best representation of God the world has ever seen.
There is no better way of describing what God is like than by describing Jesus.
But Jesus is also the best picture of what we ought to be like in relationship to God.
He is the best representation of “us with God”, surrendered and devoted and obedient to Him, secure in His love.
The church has confessed that Jesus was fully God and fully human, and that is an amazing confession.
Jesus is the perfect mediator, the perfect “priest” that stands between God and humanity.
We can trust Him, because He and God have got us covered, He is preparing our eternal home.
We can imitate Him, surrendering ourselves to His purpose, and to His power.
Amazingly, we will be able to do the kinds of things that Jesus did – even greater – when we like Jesus submit to God.
He will give us God’s Spirit, and through the Spirit God and Jesus will live with us… in us!
And together they will generate in us the supernatural life – the fruit of the Spirit – that Jesus lived.
This passage is why I focus most of my attention on Jesus, because Jesus is the best way to know God.
This is why I may spend some time in the old testament (Gen-Mal) and some time in the new testament (Act-Rev), but most of my time in the gospels (Matt-John).
And this is why I always look for a gospel connection in every other passage I read in the bible.
Its all centered in Jesus – He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.
And if someone asks me what the christian life ought to look like, I will respond, ‘look at Jesus, listen to Jesus!’
If you ask me where my confidence lies, I will say ‘in God, in Jesus!’
And if someone asks me what they should do, I will say ‘trust in God, trust also in Jesus!’
He is the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to God except through Jesus.
PRAYER:
Jesus, You are the best picture of God to me, but You are also the best picture of me to God, of how I ought to live. Help me to keep my focus on You, and with Spirit help me to live and love like You!
“the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”
And the selection also states
“If you really knew me, you would know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
The gospel in one word is Love. Love = doing = knowing.
God with us. Emmanuel. In knowing Christ we know the Father. In knowing Christ, we live for Him in all we do and say. In knowing Christ we will know the Father. In knowing Christ we will do His will. In knowing Christ we will obey His commands. In doing this we will be loved by Christ and therefore also the Father. Love Jesus = Love the Father = doing His will.
This is all a possibility because He has given His Spirit to teach me and remind me of all that has happened. Christ has equipped me for service, Therefore I too must do all what the Father has commanded me.
He brought me to his banqueting table
(Brought me to his banqueting table)
He brought me to his banqueting table
(Brought me to his banqueting table)
And His banner over me is love
I am my beloved’s and He is mine
(I am my beloved’s and He is mine)
Yes, I am my beloved’s and He is mine
(I am my beloved’s and He is mine)
And His banner over me is love
Yes, His banner over me is love