How to Follow Jesus! Can You Show Me The Way?
We had a very old farm house and an old storm cellar when I was a child. I can remember when suddenly in the middle of the night when a storm would sound as though it was going to take the house away, my father would whisk me out of bed. Wrapped in a blanket, he held me very close to his chest as we went down into the storm cellar where mom was already. He would run back and carry my brother down. Then he would close the rickety door. He would sit just above us on a stair step and with his powerful arms, he held the door shut. No matter how hard the wind. No matter how loud the thunder. With each lightening flash, I could see his silhouette and I knew that the storm could not touch me.
That is what Jesus wanted these apostles to understand. The storm was coming. He longed to draw them in close. He wanted so much that they could understand. Yet, Jesus also knew that over the next three days they would face confusion. There would be doubts as He was going to have to leave them to finish the work of salvation. Once His work was finished He would come again to be with them—then He could make the promise to them and to each of us who would follow; “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”. Only when the work was finished could He make that promise by sending the Holy Spirit to indwell them. The night spent in this upper room with these His dearly beloved apostles, He longed to fill their hearts and minds with so much truth. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled, trust me.” This journey you are about to face is filled with storms, trials, struggles and doubts; but, don’t let your heart be troubled—trust me. I will keep you safe and bring you safely home. Abide in my love, my joy, and my peace.
Dear Thomas is so much like you and I. “Lord, how can I follow you; if I don’t know the way? You said, I can’t follow now; but, that you will come back and then I am to follow. How will I follow you then? I need to know the way.” Thomas’s plea had been much like that of David in Psalm 25:4-5 “Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation. On thee do I wait all the day.” Show me God’s ways and truth, then, I can believe without any doubt.
THE ONLY WAY TO GOD, THE ONLY TRUTH, AND THE LIFE
To this Jesus did reply, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus needed them to understand that when He dies on that cross and is resurrected, He has fulfilled every ordinance of the law for them. He is the way—no longer needed they to worry about on their own volition following the ways of God as outlined in Deuteronomy 26:16-19. Just as all who came before them, they were not able to work their way to the Father. Their flawed, self-exalting hearts were not capable of loving God as they should or keeping the law. He would be the way—the only way. When He paid the price for sin once and for all; then, the pathway was theirs. All who were saved before His finished work were saved by faith alone as well; awaiting the coming Messiah. Now, He was standing before them—He was going to complete the work. Through Him, their spirits which had been dead would now be alive to God. Through His Indwelling Spirit they would be given all they needed to have victory, hope, joy and to spread the gospel to a world in need of salvation. He would keep them safe through all the storms that were to come.
SHOW ME THE FATHER
Then with full earnest Thomas says, “I will not doubt; if, you could only show us the Father.” “Oh, Thomas”; Jesus replied, “Don’t you see? In everything that I have done and every word I have spoken, I have shown you the Father.” “7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him” (John 14). At first look, I felt the shame for Thomas when Jesus said, “If you had known me, you should have realized you knew the Father.” Is that not my hearts cry as well? If I could only see God clearer or love Him better, I could follow Him. Then, look again how Jesus finished that sentence. “from now on—you will know Him and have seen Him.” Wow!! Do you see that, because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross—the Holy Spirit comes to live within each person who accepts the gift of Salvation. With the Holy Spirit indwelling us we do see the Father and we see Jesus with the eyes of our heart fully opened. We can see His hand in every detail of our life. We can feel His Joy rise out our storms. We can see His silhouette on the step holding back the storms. We can feel the depth of His love filling us in our loneliest hour of heartbreak. We can see God in all His Glory.
CONCLUSION
The truth remains the truth whether I fully understand it or not. The Holy Spirit indwelling me is all that I need to guide me, to comfort me and to show me the Father. Still, I can ignore His presence. I can doubt, or worry or fret about my circumstances for a while. Yet, I have learned over the years—each step of this journey; His presence has been with me to teach me through the trials how to see God’s wondrous face. He has pulled me ever closer to His Word of Truth. He has taught me to hear God’s voice singing over me with His Magnificent love.
Jesus wants you to know—“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Trust God. Trust me. I will be your way, your truth and your life eternally.”
The song I chose for you today is “Til the Storm passes by” Rest assured that God will answer that request if you know Christ as your Savior.
Original photo from unsplash.com. Quote is from me.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2015
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.