I wonder how often the disciples felt they had lost track of what Jesus was teaching them… How often they felt they should know what was going on in the conversation, but didn’t? We are confronted with just such a moment in the Upper Room as we come into John 14. Was Jesus baiting them? ‘You know the way to the place where I am going’. Of course they did – they just didn’t realise they did.

Thomas’ question is one of my favourite instances in the whole Gospel. Maybe I just feel some sympathy with his frustration at feeling like I’m not keeping up. Either way, his honesty is refreshing. I’m not saying that flatly contradicting Jesus is a great model of discipleship (‘You know the way…’, ‘We don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way’, 14:5), but his determination to understand Jesus is!

There is a lot to be said for the spiritual discipline of putting up our hands and admitting that we have no idea what’s going on! How often do we get sucked into the momentum of Church life and worship, listen to a sermon, sing songs, recite liturgy, sit in Bible Studies, where we hear the words but aren’t sure what they mean. When we lose track of what’s happening, there is a lot to be said for saying so.

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Thomas or scold him. He doesn’t condemn or humiliate him in front of other disciples. Instead, He answers the question; and in doing so articulates on of the most powerful declarations in Scripture.

I wonder how many of us are simply not as spiritually mature as we could be because we aren’t honest enough to admit when we don’t really know what’s going on. By letting our moment of confusion pass unchecked, we lose the opportunity to be taught by Jesus, and to grow in our vision of Him, and our love for Him.

Questions:

How much do you meditate on your future after death? What impact would it have on you if you had a more informed and secure hope in Christ? How could you develop that?

What happens to our experience of following Jesus when that hope isn’t in place?

What is Jesus seeking to convey in His image of a house with many rooms, one of which is prepared for us?

How comfortable are you with the exclusivity of Jesus’ claims in this passage? Do you think there is any way to know God, or share in His life without Jesus?

What ‘works’ of Jesus provide evidence that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him (v.11)? What does it mean to say Jesus and the Father are ‘in’ one another?

Do you agree that v.12 is about ‘quantity’ rather than ‘quality’? Or do you think that Jesus is telling us that we will perform miraculous signs that are ‘greater’ than those of Jesus?

How do you make sense of Jesus’ words in 14:13-14, in the light of unanswered prayer? How would you explain God’s dealing with us in prayer? Why do some prayers get answered, and others don’t? How does that affect your life of prayer?

How compelling is your life of prayer? Would you say it was a significant part of your discipleship? … or of your involvement in the life of MIE?