"Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world, and to go to the Father... And during supper, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table..."
(John 13:1-3)
John's version of the Last Supper is a bit different from the other 3 Gospels' account. In John's story, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples first. Before dinner. Servanthood... Love... Devotion... This is what he wants them to learn from him during their final hours together. It's all done out of a well-spring of love.
Though I love the way Jesus modeled servanthood, that's not what caught my spirit this morning. Instead, it was a simple phrase: "knowing... that he had come from God and was going to God..." (v.3). This was one of the foundational statements/truths that enabled Jesus to endure all that was about to transpire (arrest, abuse, trial & death). He had come from God. He was part of the Divine Creator. He was, in the beginning, there with the Father. He has that intimate connection. AND... he was going to God. Though death was looming large, it would not be the final word. God would win. They'd be together again, for all eternity.
Of course, we who call ourselves "Christian" know this because we equate Jesus with God. So, we say, that's how Jesus could be so calm and in control. He's one in the same! But another thought crossed my mind as I was reading this: Why can't WE know the same thing? That we have "come from God" and are "going to God," eventually?
We are not one with the Father like Jesus, of course... but we all have come into this world through the grace and love of God the Creator. And when this earthly life is over, we will go to God for all eternity. That should give us a sense of peace in this life - no matter what we may be facing!
How might our daily lives change if we lived with this knowledge... that we have come from God and are going to God? It seemed to make all the difference in the world to Jesus. What about us?
No comments:
Post a Comment