Monday, March 23, 2026

Opening Scripture

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, I praise you for your goodness and grace. By the power of your Spirit at work within me, help me to be fruitful and serve you well this day. Help me to embrace your will, obey your Word, and walk in your ways. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

John 14:1-14

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 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. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 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’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 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 works themselves.”

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Reflection  

Let’s face it. There was a lot for the disciples to be troubled about. Jesus has told them that He was going away, that He would die, that one of them was a traitor, that Peter would deny Him three times, that Satan had asked to sift them as wheat, and that they would all fall away.

Jesus frequently reminded these men that, while they didn’t understand what was happening at the time, it would all make sense to them eventually. Their main task over the next stretch was to trust Jesus, despite their confusion.

In the midst of His teaching and encouragement, Jesus makes His sixth “I AM!” statement: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I believe this is His most important “I AM!” statement (just ahead of the previous one, “I am the resurrection and the life”). It’s another clear declaration of Jesus’ “scandal of particularity.” As Peter proclaimed at Pentecost, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

The Incarnation and Resurrection are absolutely essential for our salvation and are completely unique to Jesus! This core doctrine is “scandalous” (bigoted, biased, narrow-minded) to the universalist sensibilities of most people. Nevertheless, the way we know God the Father is through God the Son.

Jesus concludes this passage with another mind-boggling promise. He tells them, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Greater works than Jesus? Impossible!

And yet, it happened (and is still happening). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, as they are scattered throughout the world, Jesus’ disciples wouldn’t do better things than Jesus, but they would do more things than Him (starting with three thousand saved at Pentecost). The collective ministry of the Church through the ages is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise.

Serving as Jesus’ representatives, we seek to know and do the Father’s will, just as Jesus did. Praying in Jesus’ name means praying according to His will. When our plans and prayers are aligned with His, our goal is for the Father to be glorified in the Son, and we can be confident of His blessing.

Flourishing Habit

Meaning and Purpose

The beginning of today’s passage is understandably often read at funerals. These words provide divine assurance and comfort during the grief of loss and separation over the death of a loved one.

Though Jesus doesn’t describe the particulars of the Father’s accommodations here, the point is that those who die in Christ will be with Him forever. And that’s enough.

Mary of Bethany understood that the goal of following Jesus was being with Jesus. His presence is the reward! He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. As John will record Jesus saying a bit later, “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

Eugene Peterson puts it this way: “So. Jesus the Way, the ways of Jesus. He shows the way. He also is the way. Jesus points out the way, but then he takes the initiative, inviting us to go with him. Jesus is our way to God, but at the same time Jesus is God’s way to us. The way we come to God is the same way that God comes to us. God comes to us in Jesus; we come to God in Jesus. It is the same way, the Jesus way.”

We are called to glorify God by following The Jesus Way.

How’s it going?

In Practicing the Way, John Mark Comer offers this perspective. “Following Jesus doesn’t work as a hobby. It’s not an optional extra to the main point of your life – your career, school, family, sports, or whatever ‘it’ is for you. We can’t simply add Jesus to the top of our already over-busy, consumeristic, emotionally unhealthy, hyper-individualistic, digitally distracted, media-saturated, undisciplined modern ‘life.’ We must come to realize that following Jesus is the main point of life.”

Is following Jesus the main point of your life?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!