Broken Eggs

A Series on the “I Am” statements of Jesus
“I am the way, the truth, and the life”
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 14:1-14

[Moses encountered God at the burning bush where the Lord gave His name as “I Am”. Jesus used that same name for himself, thus claiming to BE God. In this series, we’re looking at the “I Am” statements of Jesus to learn about him and about God.]

  

A friend of mine ran the high hurdles in college. In practice, his coach used to put an egg on the top edge of each hurdle so that if he so much as nicked the hurdle, the egg would fall and break. When he had completed the hurdles, he could look back and see how good or bad he had done by how many broken eggs there were.

 

In the upper room story of John 13, Jesus told the disciples that… 1) Judas would betray him. 2) Peter, arguably the leader of the disciples, would deny him. 3) Jesus would leave them, and they couldn’t follow him (at least for now). But all that the disciples heard was they couldn’t follow him.

 

Each disciple had invested the past three years of their life by leaving their job, their family and their friends with the expectation that Jesus would save the Jewish nation, and they would be by his side.

 

Now, they must have felt like the ground was beginning to crumble beneath them; like the hurdles of life were too much; like all of their eggs had been broken.

 

Seeing that the disciples were upset by his words, Jesus further explained that he was going away to prepare a room for them in his Father’s house; that he would return for them; and that they knew the way. Here is what followed.

 

⁵ “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me…

⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

⁹ Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!    NLT

 

Sometimes in life things don’t go the way we had planned. In fact, things go way off track, and all of our eggs seem to get broken. We lose focus. We lose sight of Jesus; of who he is; of his love for us and his faithfulness.

 

When those times happen, let us keep focus by remembering Jesus’ words to the disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”. And then follow Philip’s lead by praying, “Lord, show us the Father”.

 

Jesus concluded this passage in the upper room with a promise to the disciples, which is also a promise to you and me.

 

¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!                    NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams