Pastor Bill's Blog - “… or else ...”

From what we can glean from this final, pre-cross, discussion with Jesus the disciples were struggling to get the ‘inside’ connection:

Philip: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Jesus: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?”

Something essential had escaped their notice:

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father …”

All this is tied to something ‘inside’ Jesus, and that something ‘inside’ Jesus was the Father:

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?”

In other words, what’s ‘in me’ is the source of the evidence coming out of me:

“The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who abides (meno) in Me does the works.”

Then, Jesus goes on to make a startling distinction:

“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else …”

His decisive “or else” distinguishes between two types of believers:

“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me because of the works themselves.”

This is not the first time Jesus has made this distinction. He previously made to the Jews:

“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” John 10:37,38

And it’s this first category of people - those who believe in the essential ‘inside’ connection - who are made this amazing promise:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, (as opposed to simply what I do) the works that I do he will do also …”

With the added bonus of:

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

So, asking and acting accurately is totally tied to the ‘inside’ connection:

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide (meno) with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells (meno) with you and will be in you.”

Q. What do you make of Jesus’ two types of believers?

Click “comments” and join the conversation.

Pastor Bill

Comments

Lanette Smith wrote on Jan 24, 2010, 6:57:34 PM:
i studied out some fascinating connections between the gospel of john and 1 john. the progression seems to come together in i john 3:23-24. we 1) believe in the name of jesus and love one another as he commanded, 2) this obedience leads to living in Him and He in us which 3) makes His love complete or "perfect" (Greek=teleios). more to study and live out in the meantime...

David Ediger wrote on Jan 26, 2010, 11:51:53 AM:
We so often forget the Kingdom of God is not of this world and as such does not "look" like anything we have been accustomed to. " Complete surrender of every moment to God is the foundation of happiness, the superstructure is the joy of Communion with Him. And that is, for each, the place, the mansion, I went to prepare for you. My followers have misunderstood that, and too often upon that promise as referring only to an After-Life, and too often - far too often - upon this life as something to be struggled through in order to get the reward and the joy of the next. Seek to carry out all I say, and such understanding, insight, vision,and joy will be yours as shall pass indeed all understanding. The plans of God are very wonderful - beyond your highest hopes. Cling to thoughts of protection, safety, and guidance." Sounds like Jesus to me...

Bill Jastram wrote on Jan 26, 2010, 3:45:16 PM:
Thanks for the insights. I can't believe I've read this for so many years, and failed to see how intertwined all these themes are. I can only wonder what these sections will mean to me in another five years!