An Impossible Vision

A Series on Lent
Jesus promises the Holy Spirit
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 14:12-31 

[Lent is a 40-day season of personal reflection through prayer, fasting and giving in order to prepare your heart to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. We will be following Jesus through the Gospel of John as he enters Jerusalem for Passover, and the ensuing events that led up to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection.]

 

“The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them!”

Those were the words of the head coach of the Fairleigh Dickinson University men’s basketball team during his pep talk before taking the court against Purdue. The game was destined to be a classic David versus Goliath battle.

 

FDU was the shortest team in the tournament; Purdue had a 7-foot 4-inch behemoth at center. FDU was a 16 seed; Purdue was a number one seed. FDU got into the tournament by sheer luck; Purdue won the Big Ten conference. Many experts picked them to win it all.

 

But the coach of FDU gave his players an inspiring vision; an impossible vision to most. He believed they could beat Purdue and he got his players to believe it too! Then they went out on the court and did it - only the second time in history a 16 seed defeated a 1 seed. March Madness is truly crazy!

 

The disciples were a small group of followers of an itinerant rabbi from the backwoods province of Galilee. Made up of mostly fishermen and a known sinner, they were not exactly a group that would inspire confidence.

 

Yet, during three years of ministry they had grown significantly with large crowds following Jesus all the way to Jerusalem. But it’s here where everything started to unravel. During their Passover meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him, that Peter would deny him and that he, Jesus, would leave them.

 

In a few hours, the disciples will grieve the cruel death of their friend. They will mourn the loss of unmet expectations. They may even feel betrayed by Jesus. After all, they gave up everything to follow him… and for what?

 

In order to prepare the disciples for what lay ahead, Jesus gave them a pep talk, so to speak. He needed to give them an inspiring vision; an impossible vision to most. But one that would carry them through the difficult times ahead.

 

¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.              NIV

 

Wow! Was Jesus telling the disciples that they would do greater things than healing the sick, feeding the five thousand and raising the dead? Unbelievable! However, that wasn’t his vision.

 

Jesus came to earth to fulfill his Father’s plan of redemption which he had begun with Abraham. The Living God chose a small nomadic nation to bring redemption into his world. His plan had migrated through the millennia. And now, Jesus was passing the torch to his little band of believers.

 

Like the coach for FDU, Jesus was telling his disciples that he believed in them. He believed that they could take on a vision that they had no right to. It was the vision to step into God’s redemptive plan at a critical time in history, and to spread the Good News throughout the world.

This is the same impossible vision that he gives us. And by doing so, Jesus is telling us that he believes in us. That we can step into God’s plan of redemption to spread the Good News. Jesus is passing the torch to you and me.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams