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"’Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’" (John 14:1-6 ESV)
Look at how simply Jesus speaks to His disciples! He uses short sentences and words that are so clear a child can understand Him. In fact, He reminds me of the way I once spoke to my own child when I was dropping him off at preschool. You may remember how it goes: "Mommy and Daddy have to go to work now, but we will come back. We will come back and take you home with us. You will see us soon. And we will go home together."
Parents talk to their children this way because they understand that the child is nervous about the separation. They don't like to see Mommy or Daddy going out the door! And Jesus' disciples would face something far more difficult in just a few hours. They would see their dear Lord betrayed, arrested, and put to death on a cross. How terrifying that would be! Jesus knew they were not ready, though He had tried to prepare them. And so, out of deep love, He reassured them again. "I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also."
Now that Jesus has risen from the dead, we understand better why He had to go away. We know that through His death and resurrection Jesus rescued us from the power of the devil and brought us into the kingdom of His Father. And we know that He keeps His promises, because He rose from the dead, just like He said He would. This makes it easier for us to trust Him now that He has returned to the Father, and we see Him no more. We can be certain that He will come again in glory at the end of the world, and bring us and all His people to live with Him forever in the kingdom of God.
Look at the wonderful kindness of our God, who cares for our feelings when we are afraid and anxious, even when He Himself is about to face death! If God so loved us then, He will certainly take care of us now when we are anxious and afraid. We can count on Him to keep His promises forever.
We Pray: Dear Lord, when I am anxious and afraid, be with me and strengthen me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on May 4, 2023
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you had to comfort a child who was worried about separation? If so, how did you do it?
2. When you are anxious, how do you turn to the Lord for help?
3. Tell a story about a time when you were worried and afraid, and Jesus helped you.
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