February 25, 2021
John 14:18-21, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
This is how close the family bond is in the family of God, that if we are not present with God, we are called ‘orphans.’ We need the Lord. It’s outstanding that Jesus would say ‘I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.’ Remember in previous verses he emphasized the oneness of Father and Son as members of the Trinity, but now we, believers in Christ, are included in that oneness. Our union with Christ is mysterious and strange, but beautiful all the same. It helps us to remember that though we feel like purely autonomous creatures, we were created for unity with our creator. By God’s grace, that union does not turn us into spiritual robots, as God emphasizes our uniqueness as individuals in His Word - individuals with gifts and experiences and opportunities - individuals that he knows by name. Because this is the true, our union with God in Christ, then we must be individuals who obey God’s Word. This is how we show our love for the Lord and display Christ’s love in the world.
Notice how much Jesus points towards the resurrection all throughout this dialogue. “On that day,” you will get it, he says; and that would prove to be true. Some would see Jesus bodily in his resurrection body, but others would still “see him” by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And thus it is true as Peter says in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.'“ Let it be so in our hearts.
Prayer: Lord, let us not forget this reality of our union with Christ, for those who trust in the Lord. It’s more than God’s acceptance of us - this means that you actually dwell in us and are forever connected to us. It’s strange beautiful and empowering; let it change the way we live our lives, God; by your Spirit give us strength to understand and appreciate the unsearchable riches of your grace.
40 Days of Joy: Check out the photos from the Mars Rover. Just beauty - God’s magnificent artwork on display; almost completely unfound before now, and yet this beauty has always been present in that place. Here’s to space exploration! It’s God’s universe, let’s go see it! This extraordinary panorama was taken on Feb. 20.
