No Other Way?

 Of my top ten favorite verses in the Bible, two are in this chapter. Number one is definitely Philippians 1:6 but running a close second is John 14:6. John 14:21 is probably about number 7 but that verse has a very good quarterback coming back so I look for it to move into the top 5 next year.

  Jesus has just told the disciples that He is going away and that where he is going, they can't come. Not yet. They are finally beginning to understand this and are becoming quite sad about it. I don't know what to compare this to. Kid's going away to college? You can still talk to them and see them from time to time. Maybe someone with a terminal disease and saying the last goodbyes to them? Maybe. But think for a minute about the last 3 years they'd spent together and now it's over?

  Verses 2 and 3 is a promise to them and to us. He took 6 days to create the Universe. He's been preparing a place for us for 2000 years. Can't wait to see it but mostly, I can't wait to see Him. 

 
 Verse 4- Jesus tells them that they know the way to where He is going. Thomas doesn't understand and so Jesus answers Him with perhaps the most controversial statement ever spoken. It is the phrase that when repeated by Christians brings accusations of arrogance, ignorance, intolerance and hate. But Jesus said it:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

  Why does that phrase bring these accusations? Well because it means that Joseph Smith(Mormons), Buddha and Mohammed were all liars. It means Judaism is wrong. It means Atheism, Scientology and Universalism are all leading people to a place other than Heaven. Who am I to say that? I just said that billions of people who think they are going to heaven, aren't. Well Jesus said it? So the question should be, who am I NOT to say it?

  But that's not fair. What about the poor little Muslim children that are born into that faith and who risk life and limb(literally) if they decide, when they are older, to leave that faith. What about them? Do you have an answer for them?

  No. But, without sounding flippant or uncaring, it's not my problem. It's Jesus' problem and I have a great deal of confidence that He knows what He is doing and will handle it...perfectly.

  Verse 8- Philip makes the statement, "Lord show us the Father and that will be enough." And for the final time but clearer than ever before, Jesus explains that He and the Father are one. Jesus is saying that if God the Father came to earth in human form, he would be me. Well God did come in human form and I(Jesus) am that form. Jesus asks, "Don't you know me Philip, even after three years? Even after all these miracles? The miracles were for your benefit. That you would see the miracles and would then know who I am... PHILIP!! I...AM...GOD."

   Verses 12 thru 14- Tough verses to understand. Anyone who has faith in him will do even greater things than He?! Well Peter, John and Paul are all recorded as having raised people from the dead. And certainly Paul was responsible for probably thousands of more conversions to the faith than Jesus. He is responsible for bringing the faith from Jerusalem, through East Asia and on into Europe through Rome. But what about today? Well Billy Graham is responsible for seeing thousands more conversions to the faith than Paul. As are Greg Laurie, Billy Sunday, Charles Finney and George Whitefield.

   But what about miracles today. Did Jesus mean miracles, too? He says anyone who has faith in Him will do greater things than He and He says this in the sentence that follows Him talking about miracles. If that is true, where are the miracles today? I know some happen today but not like then. I don't know. I have a video at the bottom where John Piper addresses this. He pretty much says that when God was first forming Christianity, He gave the Apostles miraculous powers to "Authenticate" their message. That is, to show that what they were preaching was true. God endorsed the message through miracles, so to speak. I hope John Piper is right but I wonder. Is there any faith today like that of Paul or John or Peter? The question might not be "Where are the miracles?" but "Where is the faith?"

  Finally, Verses 13 and 14- Ask Jesus anything in His name and He will do it. Anyone here ask for things in Jesus name? Has He always done it? Does He at least do it often? No? Well then, is He a liar?

  No, He's not? All of these men that He is talking to are about 43-44 days from being filled with the Holy Spirit. After that moment, they are truly willing and able to surrender all. All fear, all doubt, all possessions, all family ties, all they used to know, EVERYTHING! They then and only then, became people who prayed in accordance with the will of God because they no longer had a will of their own. And God answers prayers from those kinds of people.

  I'm not there yet. It is verses like those(John 14:12-14), that are what you could call transforming verses. It's verses like this that let me know that Jesus still has a lot of transforming to do in my life.

Romans 12:2- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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.” 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 knew me, you would know 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 are not just my own. 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 miracles themselves. ¹² I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He 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 Son may bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.