1 00:00:11,700 --> 00:00:14,100 Hi everyone. Welcome back to the podcast 2 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:17,400 where we look at the Gospel reading from today's mass and we 3 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,300 really want to dig into the literal sense of the text. 4 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:24,300 We want to find out what was the author trying to convey to his 5 00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:28,500 original audience. And today we're looking at John 6 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:34,800 chapter 14, verses 1 to 12. Jesus said, to his disciples. 7 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:38,700 Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in. 8 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:42,700 God, still and trusting me. There are many rooms in my 9 00:00:42,700 --> 00:00:46,000 father's house. If there were not, I should have 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,900 told you. I am now going to prepare a 11 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:53,900 place for you and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I 12 00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:55,700 shall return to take you with me. 13 00:00:56,500 --> 00:00:59,200 So that where I am? You may be too. 14 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,300 You know, the way to the place where I am going. 15 00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:08,700 Thomas said, Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how 16 00:01:08,700 --> 00:01:13,500 can we know the way? Jesus said, I am the way, the 17 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:16,900 truth and the life. No one can come to the father 18 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:21,400 except through me. If you know me, you know, my 19 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:26,700 father too, from this moment, you know, him and have seen him. 20 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,300 Philip said, Lord let us see the father and then we shall be 21 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:35,700 satisfied. Have I been with you all this 22 00:01:35,700 --> 00:01:38,900 time? Philip said Jesus to him and you 23 00:01:38,900 --> 00:01:43,200 still do not know me to have seen me is to have seen the 24 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,800 father. So how can you say let us see 25 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:50,200 the father, do you not believe that I am in the father and the 26 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:55,600 father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not 27 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:02,400 speak as from myself. It is the father living in me. 28 00:02:02,700 --> 00:02:07,100 Who is doing this work? you must believe me when I say, 29 00:02:08,300 --> 00:02:12,300 That I am in the father and the father is in me I believe it on 30 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:15,200 the evidence of this work if for no other reason. 31 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:20,600 I tell you most solemnly whoever believes in me will perform the 32 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,200 same works. As I do myself, he will perform 33 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:31,000 even greater works because I am going to the father So the 34 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,700 context here is that it's in the Last Supper. 35 00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:37,200 So the Last Supper has already begun, and Jesus has just 36 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,100 finished washing their feet. And that's in the first part of 37 00:02:40,108 --> 00:02:43,300 John Chapter 13. That first part of the Last 38 00:02:43,300 --> 00:02:46,500 Supper is raid on Tuesday of Holy Week. 39 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:49,400 See, you might like to go back and look through the podcast, 40 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,800 archives. To find that Tuesday of Holy 41 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,000 Week is the start of John Chapter 13. 42 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:58,400 So in that passage, Jesus gives them the new commandment to love 43 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,000 one. Another, as I have loved Did you 44 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:02,800 and then he foretells Peter's denial. 45 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,700 So he starts. What's called the farewell 46 00:03:06,700 --> 00:03:10,400 discourse, which is a set of final instructions for his 47 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,000 Apostles before he departs. And now we continue with the 48 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,400 farewell discourse. He says, do not let your hearts 49 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,600 be troubled. So by this point, the Apostle's 50 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,600 have worked out that he's leaving because he's told them 51 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,300 that and the Greek word for here for troubled is distressed. 52 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:31,200 So he doesn't want them to be anxious and sad that he's 53 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,100 leaving. He says trust in God still and 54 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:38,300 Trust in Me. Now other lik other translations 55 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:42,100 have this word as believe in God steel but I think the lectionary 56 00:03:42,100 --> 00:03:46,100 translation gets it right here, it puts the word trust and 57 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:48,800 really in the New Testament context to believe. 58 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,700 Was to trust. So Jesus, he says, trust in God, 59 00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:56,400 still and trust in me and the basic meaning is he's talking to 60 00:03:56,408 --> 00:03:59,100 the apostles. You have trusted in God up until 61 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:02,400 now keep doing that and trust in me as well. 62 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,700 I am his perfect representative and messenger, even though 63 00:04:06,700 --> 00:04:11,100 things may look Bleak, keep trusting us, that's the idea. 64 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:14,400 He wants them to stay strong in their faith, in both the father 65 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,700 and the son even though difficult times are coming. 66 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:21,000 Verse 2, there are many rooms in My Father's House. 67 00:04:22,300 --> 00:04:25,500 So presumably Jesus is talking here about heaven, where God, 68 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:29,200 dwells and he says it has room for many people. 69 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:32,700 When he says this, the apostles probably would have thought of 70 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:35,400 the temple in Jerusalem because the temple, which was considered 71 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:39,300 to be God's house at that time. Actually did have many rooms. 72 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:41,700 There were rooms all around the outside of the temple. 73 00:04:41,900 --> 00:04:44,700 Some of them are for storage, some were for worship, and some 74 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:47,200 of them were actually living quarters, people lived in the 75 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,200 temple. So, that's probably this model 76 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,800 of God's house that Jesus starts. 77 00:04:51,900 --> 00:04:55,600 With. If there were not, I should have 78 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,700 told you, so Jesus wants them to trust him again. 79 00:04:58,700 --> 00:05:02,000 He wants them to know that they will be with him in heaven, and 80 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,100 he's basically saying I would not deceive you about this. 81 00:05:05,100 --> 00:05:08,200 If I did not think that you would actually get to be with me 82 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:09,800 in heaven, then I would tell you that. 83 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:12,900 So, he's stressing to them, I'm being honest, you will be with 84 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:15,600 me, trust me, you will get to be with me in heaven. 85 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,200 Now some Scholars think this imagery of my father's house 86 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,300 might not refer to the the literal place of heaven but 87 00:05:24,300 --> 00:05:27,100 maybe just the state, the Believers can be in. 88 00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:30,900 So the state of divine communion with the father that the 89 00:05:30,900 --> 00:05:34,800 Ascension makes possible, although I think as we see, I 90 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,000 think it really is trying to elicit some visual imagery of an 91 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,200 actual place. Now, Jesus is going to go on 92 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,100 here to use this. Do this famous short little 93 00:05:45,100 --> 00:05:48,800 Parable and He's going to use a wedding imagery, that would be 94 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,600 quite familiar to the apostles. And so, here's the background. 95 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,700 And this is why doing an exegesis is really important in 96 00:05:56,700 --> 00:05:58,900 that culture. First century Jewish culture, a 97 00:05:58,900 --> 00:06:02,400 groom? And a bride would be betrothed. 98 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,600 So that was the first step of the marriage, which meant that 99 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,400 they signed a legal consent in front of witnesses and they were 100 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,800 considered to be married but that was only stage one. 101 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,700 Then what would happen is the groom would leave the bride for 102 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:18,400 an indefinite period of time. Time to go and prepare a room 103 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,500 for them to live in. And usually that would be an 104 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:24,700 extension of the father's house. He would actually go and build 105 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:27,600 another room in his father's house for them to live in. 106 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,400 So while that's happening, the bride, would await the return of 107 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,700 the groom? Although the bride doesn't know 108 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:36,900 when the groom is coming back, it could be a short time. 109 00:06:36,900 --> 00:06:41,400 It could be a long time. One day, the groom would come 110 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,500 back unexpectedly and he would take the bride to be with him in 111 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:48,500 the new house, and it will be a very joyful time with great 112 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:51,600 ceremony. And you can see that appearing 113 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:53,800 in some of the other Parables, for example, the parable of the 114 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,600 ten virgins, who light their lamps while they wait for the 115 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,300 groom. So you can start to see some 116 00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:02,300 really clear parallels and it's such a beautiful image as well 117 00:07:02,900 --> 00:07:06,400 as Jesus as the groom and he's actually going away to prepare a 118 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,400 place for us to extend his father's house in heaven. 119 00:07:09,500 --> 00:07:12,300 Heavens so that we can live in it and that's exactly what he 120 00:07:12,300 --> 00:07:14,800 says. I'm going now to prepare a place 121 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,500 for you. So Jesus is teaching and this is 122 00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:19,200 probably what they would have thought of that. 123 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,100 He is the groom that's going to prepare a place for his Apostles 124 00:07:23,100 --> 00:07:26,400 in heaven. So the ID here in context is 125 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,900 that the reason that Jesus must go away to Heaven at his 126 00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:34,500 Ascension or at least one of the reasons that he has to go away 127 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,500 is so that he can prepare heaven for the arrival of the Apostles. 128 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,000 Geez. Wants to comfort the Apostle, so 129 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,900 he tells them that him leaving temporarily is actually going to 130 00:07:44,900 --> 00:07:48,600 be a good thing because it means that they can be with him for 131 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,500 eternity forever in their glorious home in heaven. 132 00:07:52,500 --> 00:07:54,700 So he wants to comfort them. He wants them to know that. 133 00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:56,600 It's a good thing that he's going away. 134 00:07:57,300 --> 00:08:00,200 Verse 3, after I have gone and prepared you a place. 135 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,200 I shall return to take you with me. 136 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:05,200 So that where I am? You may be too. 137 00:08:06,100 --> 00:08:08,900 So this is a prediction that Jesus makes, he says that he is 138 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:12,800 going to come back. At the end of time. 139 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,100 So one day he's going to come back for his bride and his bride 140 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:18,800 can be understood as all Christian Believers, not just 141 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,600 the apostles and he's going when he does come back, he's going to 142 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:27,600 lead his bride to heaven to go to their permanent glorious 143 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,100 home. So it's quite an amazing image, 144 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:32,700 actually. Verse 4. 145 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,900 You know, the way to the place where I am going now, keep in 146 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:40,799 mind that Jesus hasn't actually told them where he's going yet. 147 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:43,600 We can assume that he means heaven but he hasn't told them 148 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,900 that Nevertheless he says to them you know the way to the 149 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:51,100 place I'm going. Now as we soon learned the 150 00:08:51,100 --> 00:08:54,300 apostles think they don't know the way they don't know what 151 00:08:54,300 --> 00:08:57,700 he's talking about but Jesus says actually you do know the 152 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:01,400 way if you think about it verse 5 Thomas said. 153 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,900 Now this is the first Thomas doesn't appear a whole lot in 154 00:09:03,900 --> 00:09:08,600 the gospels but here in John he shows some doubt and some 155 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,900 elements of die out here in his question and later after the 156 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:15,700 resurrection in the scene that he is very famous for For he has 157 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,400 a similar attitude of doused to the claims of Jesus 158 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,500 resurrection. So doubting Thomases what he's 159 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:26,500 become known as probably not a Fair Labor feel label because he 160 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,900 he asks reasonable questions but that's certainly what he's known 161 00:09:30,900 --> 00:09:33,300 for. So this is what he asks. 162 00:09:33,300 --> 00:09:35,400 Lord we do not know where you are going. 163 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,000 So how can we know the way? Now that makes sense really 164 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,400 because they don't know where Jesus is going. 165 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,900 He hasn't actually told them. So as a result, they logically 166 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,700 we think while we don't know the way, but if they reflected on 167 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:51,700 the past three years and all that his taught them, they would 168 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:56,200 probably realize that they do in fact know the way And that's 169 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,800 what Jesus says. He says, I am the way, the truth 170 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,800 and the life. Now, this is 6 Jesus sixth. 171 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,700 I am statement in the Gospel of John, there's seven of them in 172 00:10:06,700 --> 00:10:10,000 the gospel and they're all about Jesus trying to communicate his 173 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,200 identity. Now here it's actually a summary 174 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,700 of all the others that have come before and it requires a bit of 175 00:10:16,700 --> 00:10:18,300 unpacking. So he's three things. 176 00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:20,700 He's the way the truth and the life. 177 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:23,000 And obviously there's a lot you could say about each of them 178 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,800 when he says I am the way. The basic meaning of that is, 179 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,000 he's the way that people can access the father and access 180 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,600 eternal life, and that's discuss particularly in the parable of 181 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,900 the Good Shepherd. In John chapter 10. 182 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:40,600 He says, I am the truth and that seems to basically mean that, if 183 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,600 one follows Jesus Commandments, they will know God's will, which 184 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,300 is the truth. So, the truth is, what is God's 185 00:10:47,300 --> 00:10:51,100 will, for people. That's discussed more earlier in 186 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:53,700 the Gospel of John in. That famous phrase, you will 187 00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:56,500 know the truth and the truth. It will set you free. 188 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,300 And then Jesus also says, I am the life, the Greek word there 189 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:05,300 is Zoe which is kind of like eternal life, spiritual life. 190 00:11:05,500 --> 00:11:08,500 So Jesus is the source of that spiritual life for all who 191 00:11:08,500 --> 00:11:12,300 believe and that's unpacked, particularly in the bread of 192 00:11:12,300 --> 00:11:15,000 life discourse in John, chapter 6. 193 00:11:15,700 --> 00:11:17,600 So he's the way the truth and the life. 194 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:20,400 Why does Jesus say this in context? 195 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,600 Well, remember what Thomas is question was? 196 00:11:24,500 --> 00:11:26,600 We do not know where you were going, so how can we know the 197 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,300 way? So, Jesus basic answer to Thomas 198 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:34,200 is if you know me, you already have everything you need to get 199 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,300 to the father and to get to heaven. 200 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,700 That's the basic reason he says that. 201 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,800 The last thing he says here is no one can come to the father 202 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:48,500 except through me. So Jesus teaches here that the 203 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:52,500 only way to get to the father's house, which is essentially what 204 00:11:52,500 --> 00:11:57,600 he means here by the father is to continue to believe in Jesus, 205 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,100 identity and teachings. That's how you get to be where 206 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:03,200 the father is in the father's house. 207 00:12:03,500 --> 00:12:06,500 Now, that's developed more in the synoptic gospels. 208 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000 This idea of no one can come to the father, except through me in 209 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,000 the teachings about enter through the narrow gate. 210 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,800 So it is unpacked a little more and particularly later in the 211 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,300 New Testament. In the book of Acts that says 212 00:12:18,300 --> 00:12:20,700 there is only one name under Heaven by which, we can be 213 00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:23,600 saved. And then Paul and Peter, both 214 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,700 unpack, this idea of Jesus being the only savior. 215 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:31,400 So, basically Jesus in context is telling Thomas, keep trusting 216 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,500 me and you will make it to the father's house. 217 00:12:37,300 --> 00:12:39,800 Now that last line there does have profound theological 218 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,000 significance. No one can come to the father 219 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,300 except through me. The only way to the father is 220 00:12:45,300 --> 00:12:49,000 through the Sun and that applies to lots of different things, 221 00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:51,000 primarily to applies, to Salvation. 222 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,000 The only way we can be saved and get to heaven is through 223 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,000 trusting, the Sun. And obviously this teaching has 224 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,600 been developed through church history and the basic teaching. 225 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:05,000 Now of the Catholic church is that this line does not mean 226 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,000 that non-christians definitely can't. 227 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:08,800 Get to heaven. That's not the teaching. 228 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,900 The teaching is though that anyone who does get to heaven 229 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,700 does so through the grace of Jesus even if they don't 230 00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:19,400 explicitly believe in him. So it is true. 231 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,900 That no one can get to heaven. No one can get to the father 232 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:25,900 except through the son even if that operates in mysterious ways 233 00:13:25,900 --> 00:13:31,700 that we don't fully understand. So verse 7, if you know me, you 234 00:13:31,700 --> 00:13:35,700 know, my father too, from this moment, you know, him and have 235 00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:41,000 seen him. so the disciples are worried that they don't know the 236 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,800 father and they don't know the way to the father, but Jesus 237 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:48,300 here says He's reassuring them. That he is the way to the 238 00:13:48,300 --> 00:13:50,500 father. If they know him, they do know 239 00:13:50,500 --> 00:13:55,200 the way to the father. Jesus, the way we can look at 240 00:13:55,208 --> 00:13:58,100 this is Jesus is the perfect representation of the father, 241 00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:02,300 he's the perfect messenger. So if one truly knows the sun, 242 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:05,200 they know the father and this is a consistent theme all 243 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,100 throughout the Gospel of John Jesus, he is says that if they 244 00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:11,400 have seen him, they have seen the father. 245 00:14:11,700 --> 00:14:13,500 That's how closely United they are. 246 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,800 But then Philip says, Lord, let us see the father, and then we 247 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,000 shall be satisfied. So Philip has this really strong 248 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,000 desire. He wants to See, the father. 249 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,900 Now Jesus has kind of just answered this though. 250 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:30,900 Jesus has just said that they have already seen the father. 251 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,400 So why does Phillip here feel the need to say? 252 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,800 Lord let us see the father well he certainly doesn't understand 253 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,300 what Jesus has said. Maybe Phillip is thinking that 254 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,700 Jesus has just promised to show them the father in the future. 255 00:14:47,300 --> 00:14:50,200 Rather than Jesus saying it's something that they already have 256 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,800 access to. So maybe Phillip is hoping for 257 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:57,300 some sort of grand theophany big Grand experience of the father 258 00:14:57,300 --> 00:15:01,900 kind of like what Moses says in Exodus 33 where Moses says Lord 259 00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:05,400 let me see your glory maybe it's he's expecting this big thing 260 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:12,400 like that so that's certainly possible to Verse 9 have I been 261 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,600 with you all this time. Philip said Jesus to him and yet 262 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,900 you still do not know me. So, Jesus has been saying all 263 00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:24,000 throughout his ministry, things like I and the father are one. 264 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:27,300 So, by now, Philip in the other Apostles should have understood 265 00:15:27,300 --> 00:15:30,300 this basic principle. In fact, Philip was one of the 266 00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:32,200 first disciples to be called, right? 267 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,000 In John chapter 1. So Philip should have understood 268 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:41,000 Jesus basic identity by now. Jesus continues to have seen me 269 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,100 is to have seen the father. So how can you say let us? 270 00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:47,200 See, the father. Now, Jesus, you have to be 271 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,600 careful here. Jesus is not claiming to be the 272 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,500 father, but rather to be the perfect representation of him. 273 00:15:53,500 --> 00:15:56,700 And if you go through the Gospel of John, you'll see that that is 274 00:15:56,700 --> 00:16:00,900 the specific claim. Jesus is making, he is the best 275 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:03,800 perfect representation of the father later in the New 276 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,000 Testament. This is developed more Hebrews 277 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,600 talks about him being sort of the perfect image of the father 278 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,600 and Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus, the in the visible image of the 279 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:15,800 invisible. God. 280 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,100 So this has a lot of implications for our Theology of 281 00:16:20,100 --> 00:16:23,600 the Trinity verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in 282 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,500 the father? And the father is in me. 283 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,900 So there's this deep Union between the father and the son. 284 00:16:29,500 --> 00:16:32,500 The father is in the sun and the sun is in the father. 285 00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:34,300 That's how present they are to each other. 286 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,700 The words I say to you, I do not speak as from myself. 287 00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:43,700 So Jesus emphasizes here as he does in lots of places that he's 288 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:46,400 not speaking his own words, he's speaking the words of the 289 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,200 father. Jesus mission is to reveal the 290 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,300 father to people that's what's going on. 291 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,500 It is the father living in me who is doing this work. 292 00:16:57,100 --> 00:17:00,700 So other translations have this as Works plural the father, does 293 00:17:00,700 --> 00:17:04,800 his works and that would make sense because in the context of 294 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,500 the Gospel of John Works means Miracles. 295 00:17:08,300 --> 00:17:11,000 So here we learn that, the father actually dwells within 296 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,099 Jesus, this is probably new information. 297 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:16,400 We knew that Jesus had the approval of the father and 298 00:17:16,500 --> 00:17:19,500 speaks the words of the father. But now we learn that the father 299 00:17:19,500 --> 00:17:22,500 actually dwells within Jesus himself. 300 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,200 And he carries out actions through Jesus. 301 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,200 When Jesus does his healings. Not only is it designed to point 302 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,800 people back to the father, it is in a real sense. 303 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,600 The father himself doing these Works through Jesus. 304 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:39,400 It's this really close intimate connection between the father 305 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,600 and the son will probably never fully understand it. 306 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:45,400 But Jesus uses language like this to help us understand it, 307 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:48,300 verse 11. You must believe me. 308 00:17:48,300 --> 00:17:51,900 When I say that I am in the father and the father is in me 309 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,700 Notice that you must believe he's telling his Apostles 310 00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:58,700 because they're going to be the leaders of the church that they 311 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:02,100 need to correctly. Understand the relationship 312 00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:05,500 between the Sun and the father as far as possible in order to 313 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:08,100 preach the message of the kingdom of God. 314 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,600 Jesus then says believe it on the evidence of this work if for 315 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,800 no other reason. Other translations, render this 316 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,200 a little better. I think they put it as believe 317 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:21,700 me. For the sake of the works 318 00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:25,200 themselves. All throughout his ministry, 319 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:29,100 Jesus does Miracles or Works to help people understand his 320 00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:32,400 identity. That's the point of them Jesus 321 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,100 here at the Last Supper he recognizes that it's hard for 322 00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:38,200 the apostles to understand the Deep connection between the 323 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,800 father and the son. So he encourages them to at 324 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:46,000 least believe even if they can't fully grasp this Trinity stuff. 325 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,800 He encourages them to believe at least based on what they have 326 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:52,300 seen the Miracles. The idea is if they think 327 00:18:52,300 --> 00:18:55,600 logically about the Miracles, If they've seen Jesus, do, they 328 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,800 should realize that these are only possible through the 329 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,600 father, so they don't have to fully understand the mysteries 330 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,600 of the Trinity. They just need to really think 331 00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:09,300 about Jesus miracles and realize that he must be empowered by the 332 00:19:09,300 --> 00:19:11,600 father. That's kind of Jesus almost Last 333 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,100 Resort here. He says, if you can't believe 334 00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:16,100 what I'm saying, at least believe, because of the 335 00:19:16,100 --> 00:19:19,300 Miracles. Verse 12, I tell you most 336 00:19:19,300 --> 00:19:21,800 solemnly. So Jesus is about to say 337 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,500 something quite important. And other translations might 338 00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:27,100 have this those amen. Amen. 339 00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:31,600 I say to you or truly, truly I say to you whoever believes in 340 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,900 me. Now remember believe means to 341 00:19:34,900 --> 00:19:37,400 trust in New Testament terminology. 342 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,400 So whoever believes in me is someone who trusts in Jesus 343 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,300 identity and teachings, continually not just believes in 344 00:19:45,300 --> 00:19:48,600 Him in an intellectual way too. Trust in his identity and 345 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,500 teachings will perform the same works. 346 00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:55,700 As I do myself, he will perform even greater works. 347 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,300 Now, is this quite striking and it's quite a controversial 348 00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:03,500 passage. It says that people who believe 349 00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:06,200 in Jesus will be able to do better and Greater Works than 350 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,400 Jesus himself. So let's talk about what we do 351 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,400 know from this passage will clearly The Works are Miracles. 352 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,100 Jesus says that Believers, True Believers will be able to do 353 00:20:16,100 --> 00:20:19,800 great miracles. Even greater than what he did. 354 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,900 Now, the next verse clarifies that such Miracles are only 355 00:20:23,900 --> 00:20:27,900 possible because Jesus himself will do them through people. 356 00:20:27,900 --> 00:20:29,700 So people won't do it on their own strength. 357 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:32,500 Even Believers won't be able to do it on their own strength. 358 00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:35,400 It will in fact be Jesus doing it through people. 359 00:20:36,100 --> 00:20:37,700 Now, does this apply to everyone? 360 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:43,900 Can every believer, do Miracles equal to or greater than Jesus? 361 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,800 Maybe it depends on what you think about spiritual gifts. 362 00:20:47,900 --> 00:20:52,400 Gifts and how Miracles work. But we can say not necessarily 363 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,800 Jesus is not saying that every single believer will be able to 364 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,800 do it to the same extent. However, certainly the book of 365 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,300 Acts, if you read the book of Acts and then early church 366 00:21:01,300 --> 00:21:06,000 history, it's Miracles were very active in the early church. 367 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,500 So Jesus might have in mind mostly the early church here, 368 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,600 there's healings, there's raising the dead, but even 369 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,000 today, lots and lots of these things are happening all around 370 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,200 the world. There's healings all over the 371 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:19,700 world, people are being raised from the dead. 372 00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:23,600 Christians are still doing Miracles, a great book for this 373 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,900 and Incredibly eye-opening and Incredibly scholarly in-depth 374 00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:32,100 book, the catalogs all of these modern-day Miracles that I 375 00:21:32,100 --> 00:21:35,400 recommend to you is A book called Miracles and it's by 376 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,300 Craig Cana. So it's a two-volume set 377 00:21:39,300 --> 00:21:45,000 Miracles by Craig Cana huge book but it really goes through all 378 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,000 of these real-life examples where Miracles have been 379 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:53,000 recorded in recent times, not in 2000 years ago, but in recent 380 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,600 times it's quite Incredible Book. 381 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:57,900 So if you're interested in seeing how Christians have been 382 00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:00,800 able to do even Greater Works than Jesus, check out that book. 383 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:06,000 And then Jesus says, Because I go to the father, so notice the 384 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,000 word because this, there's a link between people being able 385 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,000 to do Miracles. And Jesus going to the father in 386 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,900 context, this probably means Jesus is trying to communicate 387 00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:19,200 that he's not simply going to die or go out of existence. 388 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:23,900 Once he leaves, he's actually going to the Father in heaven so 389 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:27,000 therefore he will be able to continue his work from heaven 390 00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:31,900 and make Miracles possible. A couple of verses later, we 391 00:22:31,900 --> 00:22:35,500 learn not in today's reading but in next time that he will send 392 00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:39,500 his holy spirit to assist in the process of doing Miracles, 393 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:43,800 that's in verse 16 and 17. So Jesus will be in heaven to 394 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,000 help the miracles happen and the Holy Spirit will be there as 395 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,000 well. There's another perspective on 396 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,100 this though when it says, because I send to the file, 397 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:56,600 because I go to the father in his Ascension, Jesus body is 398 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,200 glorified and Jesus glorifies Humanity. 399 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,700 So some schools of thought Maybe what Jesus means is through 400 00:23:02,700 --> 00:23:06,200 Jesus Ascension, he enables these great works, these great 401 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,400 miracles to be performed because when the apostles do these works 402 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,200 in the book of Acts, they are united to the Risen Jesus, and 403 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,300 in that sense, maybe that's what it means by saying, the Miracles 404 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:22,000 will be greater because by then Humanity will be glorified in 405 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,800 the Ascension. So that's the end of our passage 406 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,500 for today, up to verse 12. If you want to hear more of the 407 00:23:28,500 --> 00:23:33,700 farewell discourse, it's usually read in week, 4 and week 5 in 408 00:23:33,700 --> 00:23:37,700 the weekday masses after Easter. So weak for a Visa in week, 5 of 409 00:23:37,700 --> 00:23:40,700 Easter, you get the whole farewell discourse which spans 410 00:23:40,700 --> 00:23:45,100 across quite a few chapters. Now, if we turn to the 411 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:48,400 catechism, we find lots of references here to John chapter 412 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:49,900 14. This is quite rich in 413 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:52,800 theological meaning, because, you know, Jesus says, I am the 414 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,500 way, the truth and the life, and there's some discussion about 415 00:23:55,500 --> 00:23:58,300 the Trinity and Jesus Ascension and miracles. 416 00:23:58,700 --> 00:24:02,500 So, I just want to read out a few particular good paragraphs 417 00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:05,900 in the catechism, but there's about 10 of them in total on all 418 00:24:05,900 --> 00:24:09,200 include, all of those in the catechism, in the show notes 419 00:24:10,300 --> 00:24:13,700 paragraph, 15. One of the catechism says, for a 420 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,000 In believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the 421 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,300 one he sent his beloved Son in whom the father is, well 422 00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:24,200 pleased, God tells us to listen to him. 423 00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:28,300 The Lord himself said to his disciples, believe in God, 424 00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:29,800 believe. Also in me. 425 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,900 And then in paragraph 2795, we have a discussion about heaven. 426 00:24:35,900 --> 00:24:39,200 It says he is in heaven, his Dwelling Place, the father's 427 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,700 house is your Homeland sin has exiled us from the land of the 428 00:24:43,700 --> 00:24:47,600 Covenant, but conversion of heart enables us to return to 429 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:52,100 the father to heaven in Christ. Then Heaven and Earth are 430 00:24:52,100 --> 00:24:56,800 reconciled for the sun alone. Descended from heaven and causes 431 00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,900 us to ascend there with him by his cross resurrection. 432 00:25:00,900 --> 00:25:07,400 And Ascension. And then paragraph 661 is a very 433 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,700 specific discussion of the Ascension. 434 00:25:11,700 --> 00:25:14,600 Here's what it says. The final stage stays closely 435 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,700 linked to the first that is to his descent from heaven. 436 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:21,100 In the Incarnation. Only, the one who came from the 437 00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:23,900 father can return to the father Christ. 438 00:25:23,900 --> 00:25:27,700 Jesus, no one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended 439 00:25:27,700 --> 00:25:31,900 from Heaven, the son of man left to its own natural powers. 440 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,900 Humanity does not have access to the father's house to God's life 441 00:25:36,900 --> 00:25:40,300 and happiness. Only Christ can open to man such 442 00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:44,700 access that we his members might have confidence that we too 443 00:25:44,700 --> 00:25:50,700 shall go where he our head and our sauce has preceded us. so, 444 00:25:50,700 --> 00:25:54,000 those last two paragraphs linking very much into where 445 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,400 Jesus says here, I go to prepare a place for you in my father's 446 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,000 house and that's a joyful thing that Christians can look forward 447 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:06,400 to last paragraph will look at is paragraph or 70, which is a 448 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,800 discussion about the Trinity and it says the Son of God, 449 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,800 therefore communicates to his Humanity, his own personal mode 450 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,900 of existence in the trinity in his soul, as in his body Christ, 451 00:26:18,900 --> 00:26:22,900 thus expresses only the Divine ways of the trinity. 452 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,400 So lots to think about from this passage today. 453 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,600 I hope you learned something new continue to share this podcast 454 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,200 around. I'd be very grateful. 455 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,900 Thank you and please tune in again tomorrow.