22Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
23Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.24Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.25I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.26But when the Father sends the hAdvocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
27“I am leaving you with a gift—ipeace of mind and heart. And the ipeace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.28Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.29I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
30“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,31but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.
Judas here asks a very good question. Atheist ask this question all the time. “If God exists, why doesn’t he just plainly show himself to everyone?” I included the text from yesterday below, because the answer is really there. Before Judas asked the question Jesus already answered it “The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him.” After Judas asks the question Jesus tells us how people who love him will obey him, and thus reveal him to the world. It is almost as if Jesus was answering the question before Judas asked it, and Judas interrupted the answer with the question!
15“If you love me, obey my commandments.16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another gAdvocate, who will never leave you.17He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.18No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.19Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.20When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.21Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
So we are required to be different. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, obey the Lord, and live in peace of mind and heart. Through us, Jesus is revealed to anyone who is looking for Him and when invited Jesus will come and live with that person through the Holy Spirit. But don’t miss the importance of living in peace of mind and heart. If we are fearful, upset and worried we are not revealing Christ to others. Those who are searching won’t recognize him in us. We must live in faithful peace, trusting today and tomorrow to the Lord.
Jesus, help me to live in peace and faith so others will see You in me and invite You to come into their lives. Change me Lord, change me. *obbs*
