The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.  And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

” I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. ( Jn 14:1-14)

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I read something a while ago: A ship had radioed for a  pilot to help make its way through dangerous waters. The pilot who showed up looked no more than sixteen. The ship’s captain  was understandably, a little nervous at turning his ship over to such a young looking pilot – a boy – so he asked the young man,” Do you know where all the dangerous rocks are?” The boy answered, “No sir. But I know where they aren’t.”

And you know, when  a pilot takes a boat through a dangerous waterway, the captain has to turn the boat over to him. And the captain doesn’t look over the pilot’s shoulder, or over the side of the ship, to look for hazards.  He trusts him. The actual path the ship will take is not so important. What is important is that he has placed his ship in the hands of a pilot. 

That’s something that in the church we have gotten kind of mixed up about.

We are Christians and we claim to follow Jesus, but sometimes, we are like a ship’s captain who doubts his pilot, and is constantly worrying about where the rocks are.

The thing is, that with Jesus as our guide, we don’t have to look around every corner, or steal a peak at the road ahead, or worry about what is coming our way.

We just have to follow Him. 

The disciples still hadn’t grasped that truth, even that night before his crucifixion.

Jesus told them not to worry. ‘ I am going to prepare a place for each of you. I will come back and will take you with me.’

Thomas said, “Lord we don’t even know where you are going. How can we know the way?

Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life. Without me no-one can go to the Father.”

Don’t focus on the path. I am the  path – the way – the pilot. Focus on me.

The church needs to remember that!

The truth of this is that because of his sacrifice on the cross, we have access to the Father. We are able to be in a right relationship with God.  That is why Jesus is known as ‘the way.’ 

He is the way to the Father.

Philip still didn’t understand. “Show us the Father. That is all we need.”

Jesus asks,  “Don’t you know who I am? If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” 

You see, Jesus came to earth to show us God in himself.  To bring God closer to us.

He said to them, “Have faith in me when I say that the Father and I are one, or, have faith in me because of the things you have seen me do.”

Believe me because of what I say:  Jesus’ spoke with an authority and knowledge that eclipsed that of religious leaders of the time. The truth is, he had inside knowledge. How could he silence critics, scribes, lawyers, who had studied the law, and Israel’s history, and theology, and had high standing as experts? Only someone who knew the mind of the Father could do that.

Believe me because of what I say

Or believe me because of what I do:  the healing of lepers, the giving of sight to the blind, the giving of hearing and words to those without hearing or speech, the giving of life and movement to those whose bodies were paralyzed, the raising of the dead,  the feeding of the five thousand, the stilling of the storm on Lake Galilee, and many other miracles – signs – signs –  that the Father endorsed Jesus as His Son.

His words and his works, evidence the divinity of Jesus the Son. 

And that Jesus is the way, the pilot, to eternal life, and all  we need do is  follow him.  

You know there have been others who put themselves forward as being the way, the end-all-and-be-all. Alexander the Great’s soldiers saw him that way.  He  generated such loyalty in his men that they would do anything for him.

Alexander would ask to meet with the leaders of the city he wanted to take, and he would give them a demonstration of his men’s  unquestioning loyalty.  He would order his soldiers to march forward, straight over a cliff. They did it without question. The city leaders, seeing this unswerving loyalty, knew they could not withstand his army and capitulated right there and then.

For his soldiers, Alexander was the way. No need to ask why or where, or how, they just did as he commanded.

Of course, Alexander didn’t lead them over the cliff. He led them from behind. Isn’t  that always the case with human leaders?

Jesus shows that he is the way by going over the cliff for us, as it were. He shows us sacrificial death. He shows us unconditional love. And in his conquering of death, he shows his divine  power.

Not only that, but he promises his followers that they will have the power to accomplish even more than he did. “You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father, Ask me and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring glory to the Father.”

“Ask me and I will do whatever you ask.”

That doesn’t mean that we can pray that we will win the lottery. Or become a Canadian Idol. Or lose fifty pounds. Or get a better car, or a bigger house. Or be better looking.

It means that whatever we want to do in His Name, and if it is done for the glory of God, then he will help us accomplish it. 

Jesus’ prophecy on this came true. On the day of Pentecost, which we will celebrate soon, Jesus’ disciples,  filled with the Holy Spirit, and burning to carry the Good News of Jesus to the world,  spoke so forcibly to the crowd gathered around them that 3,000 people – three thousand –  decided to make Jesus their pilot, through this world’s tricky waters.

They went on from there until literally thousands, and then later, millions, of people became followers of The Way. Many, many more than the number that Jesus had persuaded to follow him.

 And still today greater things are being done in His Name. There is a church in Texas that has 40,000 members. They have to meet in an arena. It isn’t the only church with massive numbers either.

These churches have wonderful ministries raising money for the underprivileged, providing counseling and spiritual advice, providing legal and financial services for their flock; ministering to the sick and lonely, supporting thousands of the world’s poor overseas, and so on.

Forty thousand in that one church. That’s probably more than all the people who heard Jesus during his three year ministry.

But they didn’t do it by themselves. 

A lot has been accomplished in our little church over the years, and you can be proud of that. There is more to do.  Much more to do, as we witness to our love of Christ to the world outside.

But we make a mistake if we try to do it by ourselves.

Because it just won’t happen.

If we think we can do it without Christ.

I like the story of a little boy who was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. While he was making roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he found a large rock right in the middle of the sandbox. 

He dug around it and managed to dislodge it from the dirt and then exerting himself to the fullest, he pushed and pulled it across the sandbox.  But when he got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.  He shoved, pushed, and pried, and managed to get the rock teetering on the edge, but it tipped and fell back into the sandbox.

The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved again, but all that happened was that the rock fell back once more and mashed his chubby little fingers, and he burst into tears of pain and frustration.

Unknown to the lad, his father had been watching this little drama from the living-room window.  And just when the first tear trickled down the boy’s cheek,  a large shadow fell across  the sandbox. It was the boy’s father.

Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”   The little boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!

 “No, son,” said his father, “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.” 

And dad reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it.  [1]

Think about what you would like to see accomplished by your church. Think about what you would to accomplish in your own life of faith.

The first thing we have to realise is  that we can’t do it alone.

The second thing to remember is that Jesus assured us that if we wanted something that would glorify God. If we wanted something that would further the work of Christ in our life. Then all we have to do is ask. 

That’s the promise.  We have not been left alone.  Not alone.

Amen.

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[1] Bible.Org.Trustworthy Bible Resources.

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to John 10:1-10

Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

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Since what has been named the 2026 Iran War, originally ‘ a military operation’

Information – trusted information is scarce. False information is aplenty.

There are many examples of this, including  the original forecast of the expected duration of the war – two to eight weeks, or as some forecast – three to four days.

As of today, no-one knows when the war will end.

Trust has been destroyed, lives lost or ruined, as the duty of care has been discarded like so much trash.

Jesus tells his listeners to be on the look out for those who can’t be trusted –  thieves,  robbers, wolves –  predators. 

Predators!

With so much duplicity in  our world, where do we turn?  To whom do we look?

” At me’  Jesus  says.

”  I am the shepherd. The sheep know my voice. I am the gate for the sheep,” he says, using an example people would understand.

The sheepfold at that time would have only three complete sides. The shepherd would be there, at the fourth side, checking the sheep as they came in, slowing them down with his rod, so he could check them for injuries. And when all were safely in he would lie across the entrance so that anyone wanting to come in to do harm would have to deal with him first. .

The shepherd  had a heavy wooden rod with which to beat off any lion or wolf or bear that might try to attack the sheep. The staff was used to rescue lambs from thickets or crevices where they might have fallen into danger.  The rod was the protection.

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

He might also have a slingshot.

A famous shepherd by the name of David fought off a lion and more with a slingshot, didn’t he?

When you care about your charges, you will fight ferociously to protect them won’t you?

You won’t exploit them.

Who is being a shepherd?

And who is being a wolf?

There are plenty of stories about governments wasting our resources – not safeguarding what belongs to the people.

There are many who are only interested in their own welfare?   Some of those who manage major corporations seem more interested in lining their own pockets rather than worrying about their shareholders, and their employees.  And their customers.

Some who claim to represent us are in the pockets of other interests.

Financial analysts have given so-called independent advice, which later was found to be just a come-on for stocks they were actually selling. 

We should do what Will Rogers suggested when investing.  He said, “ Take your money out of your savings, invest it in a stock, and when it goes up, sell. If it doesn’t go up  – don’t buy it!”

It looks like  no-one is out there looking after you, doesn’t it?

So what do we do?

I think the only answer is to look elsewhere for protection, for guidance, for an example in how to live.

I think you have to look to someone with good references; someone who has proven to be a good friend; someone who has delivered what he promised to deliver; someone who is a good shepherd.

Someone you can follow.

Like Jesus.

The early disciples, and those who joined them chose to follow Jesus. And to live as he would.

We read in Acts that in the early days of the church, no one wanted for anything. The reason was that those who had much, gave so that those who had less could eat.   Those who could, helped those who couldn‘t.  Those who could work helped those who were too sick to work. 

A few years ago, such people would have been called communists  – those who had much, sharing with those who had nothing, and all property held in common.

But it was just that the followers of Jesus were trying to live as he might have.

Simply put, we have to try and live as Jesus did. We have to share with those less fortunate. We have to see that no brother or sister goes hungry.

We have to try each day to be more and more like him; loving others; putting him before wealth and power; and looking after our neighbour rather than preying on him, or her.  

We have to show the world that we are God’s people,  spreading his word where we can, and encouraging and exhorting those in positions of power to serve rather than to exploit.

And if we are chosen to lead, leading as a shepherd would – protecting and watching over those for which we have been given responsibility.

This might sound idealistic.

Naïve.

People  say  you have to look after yourself first, and last.  The wolves are out in front, winning at every turn. Money makes money.  And that is good for everyone they say, even those who somehow don’t get the chance to share. 

It is good that some people are rich and powerful.?  The system somehow takes care of people?  Isn’t that what they say?

Don’t believe it.

In 1923 at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, eight of the most powerful money magnates in the world gathered for a meeting. These eight, if they combined their resources, and their assets, controlled more money than the US Treasury. The group included such men as Charles Schwab. He was the president of a steel company. Richard Whitney was the president of the New York Stock Exchange, and Arthur Cutton was a wheat speculator. Albert Fall was a presidential cabinet member, personally a very wealthy man. Jesse Livermore was the biggest bear on Wall Street in his generation. Leon Fraser was the president of the International Bank of Settlements. Ivan Krueger headed the largest monopoly.

Quite an impressive group of people wouldn’t you agree? .

But take a look at that same group later in life. Charles Schwab died penniless. Richard Whitney spent the rest of his life serving a prison sentence in Sing Sing. Arthur Cutton, the great wheat speculator became insolvent. Albert Fraser, the president of that big international bank? He committed suicide. Seven of those eight great big money magnates had lives that were disasters before they left planet earth.

Where did they go wrong? 

They went wrong by thinking that what they had and controlled actually belonged to them. That they were deservedly gifted with knowledge and power and had no sense of responsibility towards the thousands who depended on them to make good business, and good moral, decisions.

I guess to be charitable towards them we might characterize them as bad shepherds – very bad shepherds.

Jesus is the good shepherd. The one who cares for his sheep.

In fact dies for his sheep.

That’s right –  dies for his sheep!

Jesus died for his sheep!.

He died to save his sheep from dark sinful, shameful, empty lives, and to give them new life, new hope, new reason to live.

He was the only one who could do that. He was the only one with the right credentials.

He didn’t sin.

He did His Father’s will.

 He put us first and himself last. Everything he did was to benefit others.

He spurned riches, spurned power, lived as an itinerant, slept out in the open.

He was what today is called ” a low overhead” sort of guy. 

He wasn’t making off with the company profits; wasn’t making himself rich and others poor.

No, he put himself last.

As should we!