Do I truly know my Rescuer?

A stormy spring morning. Good cup of French Press. John and writing.. O, how I have missed you.

As I have been studying Jesus' last days on earth, my heart has been overwhelmed. Here has been a glimpse of my journey this week leading up to the celebration of His resurrection.

John  14v1-14

Jesus had just sat with His disciples, comforting them as He is telling them that He is leaving and where He is going they cannot follow. I can imagine the troubled hearts. The questions that were flooding their souls...not understanding why they couldn't go with Him. As they sift through understanding, a few asked them to Jesus himself.

 ¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² 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? ³ 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. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Wait up a minute before I move on- can you imagine to seriously being able to look Jesus in the eyes and ask Him the questions that ponder your hearts...face to face. I love the hope we are left with...one day.  One day soon my friends, we will experience Him face to face. Ha! Joy floods my heart when I think of this.

Jesus is now explaining to His disciples the Way to the Father

 ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus' response was very clear...as I study this I am asking myself the same thing I assume Thomas found himself asking " Do I really know Him?"

⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. ⁹ 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’?

Jesus' heart must continue to ache in frustration as He is responding to these men, His friends, who have been with him day after day. Night after night. Tasting and seeing the goodness of Him and they STILL DON'T GET IT!

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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.

I am imagining sitting there with Jesus as he continues to answer Philip.  I'm imagining the pain filling His heart as He is telling Philip " Believe ME! Believe my words or at the very least believe because you have lived life with me and have seen with your very eyes!" (emph. mine) 

These men have experienced healing, transformation. restoration, fulfilled prophesy..experiencing Jesus face to face...and they still are battling to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. We have experienced in a sense, much of what the disciples had experienced in their own hearts.

   

As I have been studying this particualr scripture and the question that Jesus asked these friends He is asking us. "Chele, don't you know Me?" The brokeness that I have experienced when deeply looking into the depths of my soul...

    Do I truly know the One that spared my life from bullets 12 years ago and brought new life in the midst of grief and suffering?  Do I know the One who has given me the gift of a husband who is the most loving and gracious human I have known and two lil gents that capture my heart each time I look into their eyes?  Do I know the One who had brought healing to our 2 y.o.'s little body? Do I know the One who has been our provider?  The One who has been my wonderful counselor? The One who has been my dear friend? The One who has been my peace and comfort? The One who has brought restoration to my marriage?  Do I know the One who has mended broken relationships? Who has answered my cries out to Him? Do I know the One who knows everything about me? The One who suffered in my name?

Do I truly know my Rescuer?

I have fallen on my knees as I remember the goodness of my Jesus. He has rescued us! One day, we will see Him face to face..until then I will seek to know my Rescuer in hope that the day our eyes meet, there will be little difference because I will truly KNOW the One, who is who He says He is.