In this season of Easter, we have been talking about what it means to live in the aftermath of Christ’s resurrection. Our gospel lesson this week, however, takes us back before the cross and resurrection. John’s gospel records these intimate and urgent words that Jesus speaks to his disciples before the ordeal of his passion. Though he speaks them before the resurrection, these are words that can only make sense in light of the resurrection. Only in the aftermath of Christ’s resurrection can the disciples begin to reckon with these words. And so it is true for us.
In these verses Jesus says two things that we must hear together. First, he says, I go to prepare a place for you. Second, he says, I am the Way.
Reflecting on why these two things must go together, Lesslie Newbigin remarked, “The death and resurrection of Jesus from the dead will inaugurate a new possibility—namely, that while we are still on the way, we will have “a place” where we can already taste the joy of the journey’s end, the joy of lover’s meeting, the joy of being with the Lord.”
Why can we trust that there is a place for us to go? Because Jesus is himself the way, and he has promised that he will take us to where he is. As I said in last week’s sermon, Jesus goes before us in all things. He is our older brother, the first fruits of the new creation, the first born from the dead, and in these ways, and so many others, he is the Way, the path by which we get from where we are now to where he is. As Newbigin puts it, “We do not know the destination. We have no map of what lies beyond the curtain…We do not know the destination; but we do know the way.”
Only faith in the Resurrected one, the one who has passed through death and come out the other side, can assure us that this way is the Way, the way by which we go to the Father, to the one who sent the Son, to the one who draws us to himself. That is the place where the Way leads us.
We have new hard copies of our prayer booklets. Please let us know if you would like one. You can fill out this form HERE, and we will either deliver or mail a copy of the prayer booklet to you.
I miss you all, and I can’t wait to see you soon!! Stay home, stay safe, stay prayerful and connected to our living God!
Chris+