The… pt 3 Promises
Jesus knew that his little band could and would be shaken not only by his words concerning his departure but also by the fact that he would soon become the crucified Lamb. Accordingly, he called for them to place their “trust” not in the power evident in the world but in God and in himself
the idea is a typical Semitic word picture describing a relationship of God with the people of God like the picture of heaven in
The Gospel of John is not trying to portray Jesus as being in the construction business of building or renovating rooms. Rather, Jesus was in the business of leading people to God
Thomas’s question once again identifies him as the realist of the company who wants the facts (cf. 11:16; 20:24–25), and he certainly should not merely be categorized as a doubter. In his response Thomas splits the goal as destination (“where”) from the route or way (hodon). Thomas wanted a road map, but he did not know how to get one if he did not know “where” he was to end his trip
Thomas had misinterpreted the metaphor to be a statement of taking a journey. Instead, Jesus was talking about the ultimate relationship of life that humans have with God and that has implications for their eternal destiny. When one understands the metaphor from this perspective, “the way” then becomes more akin to “a way of life
the Logos is identified as “life” (1:4), who is the “true light” (1:9) that provides the way to the Father by dwelling among us (1:14) and supplies humans with abundant grace (1:16) in order that we might receive or believe in him
What people are willing to die for is the measure of who they are. When such people become prosperous and respected, however, they frequently minimalize the basic reason for their existence. The Johannine concept of mission is uncompromising on the issue of the uniqueness of Jesus. For this assertion they were willing to die or be excluded from the synagogues in the pattern of the blind man
The focus now moves to Philip, who has been introduced earlier at 1:43–48 as being from Bethsaida and who was responsible for bringing Nathaniel to Jesus. Then he appeared in 6:5–7 offering his logical deductions concerning the impossibility of feeding the multitude with more than half a year’s wages. Next he is found in 12:20–22 at the entry into Jerusalem seeking to assist the Greeks in their endeavor to see Jesus. Practical Philip in the present context is portrayed as trying to make sense out of what must have seemed to him as Jesus’ ethereal talk about himself and God. So he asked Jesus to get practical and show the disciples the Father. If Jesus did that, they could dispense with any further discussion on the subject
The problem is that he did not realize what he was asking. He asked to see the Father, to see God. In several places the Old Testament indicates that people saw God, such as in
The meaning of the statement must therefore arise out of the context of the discussion involving the fact that Jesus is speaking of his departure to the Father, namely, his death and resurrection. If that is the case, then, the basis for the “greater” is rooted in the expansive implications of Jesus’ mission in light of his “glorification”
strategically this work would also require the work of those who believe because their task would be to communicate to the world the forgiveness of sins
Jesus knew very well that the requirement of love and keeping his commands would necessitate a resource of divine proportions and accordingly he prayed that his followers would have “another” resource. It is, however, crucial to recognize that the gift of the Paraclete is not to be understood as some kind of quid pro quo between Jesus and his followers, as though the market exchange for the Holy Spirit was our obedience. We do not earn the Holy Spirit anymore than we can earn our salvation. But in the process of responding to the Son of God we discover that Jesus has provided a divine agent to us for living in this world
