These are the words of our precious Savior. He is speaking
words of comfort to His disciples…and to us; also His disciples. He spoke these
words at the event which we call The Last Supper. He’d washed the disciple’s
feet, He told them of Judas’ betrayal, that He would be leaving them, and even
told Peter that he would deny Him in very short order. All of this He’d done
out of love for them-for us. John 13:1b says “Having loved his own who were in
the world, he loved them to the end.” Jesus was about to go to the cross and
this is what He chose to say to those He loved, “Do not let your hearts be
troubled…” I well up with tears thinking about our dear Savior knowing what He
was going to face in just a few hours, yet loving them—loving us—to the very
end. But His love did not stop there. This was the end of His time here on
earth but not the end of His love.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3b
Jesus, Who is God, comforted His followers saying that just as
they believe in God, so also should they believe in Him. He knew there were
some never before seen events that were going to occur and that they would need
to firmly hold on to their faith. In 2014, and if we’ve been in church for a
good length of time, we may not be as moved by the reality of what was going to
take place with Jesus, the magnitude of Judas’ betrayal, the importance of
Peter’s denial (and redemption), or the death and resurrection of Jesus, as we
would have been to live through all of that firsthand. But for the disciples
who also would go on to suffer unbelievable persecution, this was all new and
very….well, troubling. Jesus gives them a little preview of things to come but
says they need not be troubled. He also tells them that they will have an
Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Who the Father will send to them to help them and be
with them forever.
He says the same to us. We need not be troubled. Believe in
God, believe also in Christ Who will never leave nor forsake us. Dear one, no
matter what the circumstances are that you are facing, don’t let your heart be
troubled. Jesus is with you. He knows. He cares. And He’s sent His Holy Spirit
to be with us forever – to help us.
Praise God!
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