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“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me…..I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:1,6 (NIV)

I would like to take a few minutes and imagine we are seated at the feet of Jesus. We are in a friend’s home, the smell of freshly cooked bread is in the air, fresh fruits line the table, everyone is quietly listening with occasional laughter as shared stories are remembered. We are in our comfy clothes, hair in ponytails, and perfectly at rest. We know we are loved.

Jesus is talking and telling us silly stories about the disciples and how they tease one another and Him. He smiles as He shares the little anecdotes and includes each one of us in the conversation. He asks about our lives and listens with his eyes. He is so genuine and caring, and we want to stay forever.

Then His voice takes a more serious tone, and Jesus begins to share about heavy things, concerning situations to come. We are puzzled. We ask Jesus to explain a little further, and He replies with, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust in Me, also. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.”  We sit and wonder if we should know what He is saying.

Jesus continues teaching and tells us things like, “He is the vine and we are the branches,”

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you, “ “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first,” and “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.”  Jesus looks into each of our eyes, lovingly knowing we do not understand all that He is teaching us yet lovingly knowing that He must follow through on the next step, the beatings and the crucifixion so that we may sit like this with Him again.

And that is what He longs for.

Before the soldiers came to arrest Him, Jesus prayed for us. He spent His last minutes before enduring shame and pain and torment talking to His Father about you and me. As Jesus prayed,

John 17:9 states, “My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You.”  Further on in chapter 17 Jesus begs God “I have given them the glory You gave me, so they may be as one as We are One. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began.”(vs. 22-24)

Jesus was longing for the unity He and the Father experienced before Creation and continued into Eden until that tragic first sin. He wants us to know that the Father loves each of us as much as He loved Him (Jesus). That is what Jesus wanted to be sure we knew before His death.

He longed for each of us to experience Eden with Him forever.

This week before Easter, sit at His feet. Read and meditate on His Word. Focus on the overwhelming love He has for you. No matter what this world may bring you, we can look forward to a forever wrapped in His love because of His sacrifice. That is what He wants. That everyone of us sees and believes in His love for each of us.

“Father, thank you for being willing to send Your only Son to this nasty earth because of Your love for us. Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to obey. We love You.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Ministry