I really love this picture that I’ve posted here, because when I read the Gospel According to John, the message that constantly touches my heard is the intimate love of our Lord Jesus.

Similarly, this picture illustrates the theme of John very well, for it brings out the deep emotion of love and compassion from our Lord; and also His embrace gives the assurance, the comfort and the satisfaction in the bosom of our Lord Jesus shown on the face of the lamb.

Bible Passage: John 14

The disciples were troubled to hear from the Lord that He would be leaving them. But He assured them that He would come back to bring them to the mansions that He was going to prepare for them.

Indeed, who would mind the tedious and rugged journey if the road leads home?

But Thomas could not understand, then he asked a question and Jesus revealed to Thomas and to us today an extremely important but assuring truth that we as Christians must diligently hang on to:

            “I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Yes, the only way to the Father is only through Jesus, the One who shows us the Way, He is the only One who holds the Truth, and He is the only One who can give us eternal life.

Jesus has given us the answer and the grace to go to the Father, but we have to stretch out our hands to receive His grace with a joyful and willing heart.

The implication behind stretching our hands to receive His grace is to do our part in keeping His commandments. And keeping His commandments is also showing our love to Him, for Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (v.15). And also, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (v. 20)

God knows our weaknesses and the dangers that are always lurking around us in the world; and being a loving Father, He is ever ready to stay with us, in fact, He is even willing to come into us.

…the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John 14: 17 – 18

God is a Spirit, therefore our Heavenly Father is a Spirit for He is God. And when Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” clearly reveals to us that Jesus is the same Spirit, the Spirit of truth who will dwell with us and in us.

We know that we are all sinners, we tend to sin in many ways, but this does not hinder our Lord from being so willing to come into us as the Holy Spirit; because He knows we need Him.

Let us all be diligent in keeping the commandments of God, for in so doing we are showing our love to Him through our actions of obedience.

And also we must realize our need for Him every moment of our lives, for without Him, we are nothing. Do not let pride and complacency over take us as we busy ourselves with our daily chores.

May God help us to treasure the Holy Spirit that is freely bestowed upon us, and may He also allow us to truly realize the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit as we journey on the road to the mansions He has prepared for all of us who love Him.

Shalom

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