In the final chapter of the Upper Room Discourse, John lets us eavesdrop on a prayer from Jesus to his Father. Jesus begins with himself, but rather than a litany of requests (he is about to face rejection, brutality, and crucifixion), Jesus’ prayer is laced with praise and truth about who Jesus...
Have you ever wondered why we end our prayers with “In Jesus’ name”? Is this a formula we need to use in prayer—like putting a coin in a vending machine—in order to get what we want?
To remain will depend on Jesus. He is always the giver, and he invites all who believe to live a life of receiving all that he is – that is the life of dependence, for apart from him we can do nothing.
Thomas was looking for a place. Philip was looking for proof, and Judas (not Judas Iscariot) was confused. Jesus, with great patience and compassion, responds to clarify for the disciples three concepts that hold great value for our Christian journey today: know, believe, and love.
“You are clean,” Jesus pronounced. Remember Jesus knew what was coming: He knew Peter would deny him not once, not twice, but three times before sunrise. Why? Because Peter needed to know he was clean.