Reflection on the Sixth Sunday of Easter

John 14:23-29

This is a very beautiful passage. Picture the apostles coming to terms with the deepest identity of their friend Jesus.  

Maybe it will give us some insight into our own response to the words of Jesus in the Gospel.

One of the things that is really interesting to me is how much Jesus refers to the father — Jesus says I’m nothing by myself; the father is everything.

What’s so clear in the Scriptures is that Jesus is a man.  

I tend to think more of what Jesus does as the word of God,  but the Scriptures make it very clear—Jesus depends on God. I usually think of Jesus as God but Jesus sees a clear distinction between himself and the father, God. That’s a new thought for me.

For Jesus, the first requirement is “love me, keep my word”  then, “my father will come to you, and we will make our dwelling with you. The Holy Spirit will come in my name and teach you everything you need to know and remind you of all I tell you.”

Jesus is trying to prepare his followers to expect change. Things are going to look different; they will no longer have the patterns, the writings, they used to have.

They will have to be ready to rethink and change, and that may be very uncomfortable. They are not in charge. Jesus wants them to understand that he’s not making this up. It is His relationship with his father, God, that is instructing him. Jesus is always careful to keep emphasizing that God, his Father, is in charge. The father is the one who matters. I want to end with a promise. It’s the promise of Jesus. If you love me you will keep my word and the Father will love you and WE will come to YOU  and make our dwelling with you.