Jesus says goodbye! Today’s Gospel is part of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in John’s Gospel. As part of his “Last Will and Testament” Jesus tells his disciples and us what is central or most important. He calls them and us to have courage: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” We have faith or trust in God the Father because we have experienced the goodness and mercy of God. Jesus exhorts us: “have faith also in me.” Jesus invites us to put our trust in God because he has shown us the one true God by his words and actions. Jesus tells us that he is going away but not to worry because we know the way to where he is going. We may well respond like Thomas in today’s Gospel: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus tells us that he is the way: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” He is the way to God: “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus, throughout John’s Gospel, has taught that he is the way to truth and to life, that is to God.
“For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38)
The great irony here is that truth is not an abstract principle but a person, Jesus standing right in front of Pilate is truth. Jesus shows the true way to God and eternal life because he shows the one true God. The disciples come to learn and understand this truth only through questioning and misunderstanding:
Philip: “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus: “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
Like Philip, Thomas and the other disciples we strive to follow Jesus even as we question and at times even misunderstand what Jesus is teaching us. Jesus wants us to know that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He shows us the true way to the one true God and to Life. He shows us what God really looks like. God looks exactly what Jesus looks like. God is a God who heals, forgives, and loves us.
Image: “Jesus at the Last Supper (JP Davis)” by elisabeth_callahan is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.