John 14:8
And they still didn’t understand. So much hope here for me. They have been present with Jesus and didn’t comprehend. They had a vision of God in their minds, which blinded their sight of what was right before them. God incarnate—Jesus, who, in His humanity, shows us how to channel God the Father through openness to Him. If Jesus had relied on Himself, His Godly powers, He would have failed to be an example for us. He came to show us the character of God and, in doing so, revealed to us our ability, through His Spirit, to access God. I encourage you to take the time to let this sink in.
John 14:9
Jesus was misunderstood by His closest friends. Their preconceived notions of God blinded them to the truth He was walking in and revealing to them each moment. Can we relate? Is it possible to be a lifelong Christian in a religious society and have “walked with Him” for so long but failed to see Him, to perceive His mission? His mission was to reveal the Father, but the disciples sought more. Raised on religion, the law of Moses, grace was an unfamiliar concept. The deep, Holy love of the Father had been buried under years of legalism. Have I been this long with you, and still you don’t know Me? Jesus’ words cut to the soul. Have we buried His mission so deep under expectation? Expectations of what we have been taught, passed down, never questioned? Have we taken the time and made the effort to know Jesus instead of the law? Jesus in Christianity for 2000 years, and do we still not know Him? Take these words of Christ to heart. If He spoke these words to one of His closest friends, dare we think we are immune? Let him ask you the question. Be brave enough to answer and adventurous enough to imagine that maybe there is something more.
John 14:10
He is our example. Not in how to act but how to be. He is in the Father, and the Father in Him. Oneness, intimacy. Every word He speaks are words of the Father, not His own. He is God and man, yet He chose to be an overflowing of the Father versus exerting His power. What if we learn this and take this submission to heart? Laying our pride and self-sufficiency at the altar of grace, “The Father that dwelleth in Me,” every word, every action was God in the flesh. Jesus fully human, channeling God. He is our example.
John 14:11
There it is again, Jesus urging the disciples to believe. He acknowledged their humanity, full of stubbornness and unbelief, reminding them of the supernatural evidence of the power of God flowing through Him. The blending of words, faith, and actions—works. Preparing them for what He will say in the following verse…
John 14:12
He calls us to do as He did. I used to assume Jesus was talking about giving us the power to perform miracles. And I fully believe He performs miracles through us today, but there is something deeper here we can apply. Our actions are the evidence of the Holy within. His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control become part of us. Not because of ourselves but because we stay out of the way and allow Him to flow through us. I must consider which is more miraculous, performing a miracle or spending a lifetime overflowing with God and consistently showing others who He is. Is this the bigger miracle, God giving us the power to reflect all He is, despite our humanness? The only way to encourage others to believe in the life-changing power of God is to allow His life-changing power in our lives. Belief in Jesus will affect every aspect of our lives, and from this place of being filled, we overflow with His power!
John 14:13
Lord, teach me not to ask amiss and to trust Your Holy Spirit to guide my requests, aligning my heart with Your Will. Teach me to pray, trust, and dream without limits! Your possibilities have no boundaries…Lord, teach me to consider the why for each request, keep going deeper, and not stop at the tangible! I am learning; the answer is in the process of discovering the Father’s heart while He changes mine! Every hope, prayer, and request: I will hold it, turn it over, and go deeper…
John 14:14
This concept is paramount— Jesus emphasized it again, and I needed to hear it again. Building on my thoughts from yesterday, when we bring our prayers to the Father, we must ask with sincerity and depth. The superficial will always have our selfish desires tied to it…we have to dig deeper. In getting to the bottom of our desire, we uncover our motives, what is worth asking for, and the Father’s heart. Our relationship with our Father deepens as we learn to ask of Him with intentionality. And it’s here we must acknowledge that this relationship with our Creator and Holy God is only possible because of Jesus.
Catching Up
If you are joining in, it’s not too late to read John 14 daily. I encourage you to read the entire chapter daily, focusing more deeply on the verse corresponding to that date. You can find my blog post from The First Week here.
Gaining Momentum
I hope you are beginning to get glimpses of God’s peace and presence as you spend time in these words of Jesus! I encourage you to let them gain momentum in your soul as you lean in for another week of reading them daily. And I would love to hear what you discover as we go! Feel free to share in the comments here or on Instagram.