This article is a summary of Daniel Gardner’s lecture at the Interactive Faithful Youth Conference 2020.
In O Peregrino, the Christian character, on his way to the heavenly city, goes through the swamp of discouragement for a moment, there he falls into the mud and all the guilt of his sin becomes a weight that drags him down. the heavenly city and, looking at itself, has doubts about its faith. That’s when he encounters Help, and that person helps him get out of this jam. The intention is that john 14:1-3’s text will be this help for us.
- Sometimes we also find ourselves in the swamp of discouragement.
- We feel that God is far from us and we come to doubt our faith and Christianity as a whole.
- Are these truths so true that we have heard? Similarly.
- It is not easy to share the Moment of Doubt and discouragement with others.
- We’re not used to it.
- The result is the elimination of doubts.
At this point in the biblical narrative, Christ has not yet been crucified, but Jesus is already preparing his disciples for when this happens. Jesus knows that his faith will be shaken and therefore he says that their hearts are not troubled, that it is, not be afflicted; He also claims to believe in God and also in Him. On this basis, we can highlight two resources in this story to have and develop hope in the mud.
The first resource is the person of Christ (14:1). The solution is: do you believe in God, do you believe in me too?(In Christ). This is a statement about the divinity of Jesus Christ. He says, “I am God. ” He tells them to have the same adoration and fear as God. A few chapters later, when Christ is crucified, his faith wobbles and the first temptation when he is seen on the cross is to think that He was only a good teacher and there it was all over. Jesus prepares their hearts to pass through this mud of discouragement.
Many things create doubts in our hearts, such as the loss of someone, the fact that we fall into recurring sins, but the answer against doubt is always the same, Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15-17). . Sometimes our faith is very weak because we believe in Christ as a leader, as a teacher, as the best person who ever lived, but we forget that in Christ everything that exists is created. Before Genesis, He was already with God, He is God. When we’re in the mud, the answer isn’t in us. The answer to our concerns is the divinity of Christ. When doubt arises, it is common for us to look at each other, but we cannot start with ourselves.
The second resource is the promises of Christ (14:2-3). Christ says that in the Father’s House there are several directions, such as several rooms in a single house. This is a promise from Christ, he mentions the crucifixion itself, but he conveys to his disciples a vision of eternity, eternal promises. If there was no such guarantee, Jesus would not have spoken. But there is a place in the works for those who believe. There’s a lot of contrast here. Jesus said he was God and now says “I will prepare a place. “Preparation suggests a while, a delay. It won’t be instantaneous, we can’t forget it. Christian life takes time; we want transformation, sanctification and glorification for yesterday, but the Holy Spirit works according to a different plan from our own.
It is common to ask yourself: if God wants me to be holy, why not order it instantly?But glorification is not instantaneous. God is pleased to prepare and regenerate places and people little by little, to spend time killing one idol after another. This change is nothing more than waiting for God’s hour.
In verse 3, Christ continues: He will return! We can trust this promise because He came once and conquered sin and death; therefore, it will do it again. Jesus uses a beautiful language of communion: “I will receive you for me, that wherever I may be, you may also be. “We already have a promise that Christ is with us, but now he also says that where he is now, so will we. It’s a desire for communion. It is hope in the mud, God has a plan and includes being with us, so brotherhood concerns Jesus Christ, if you want to be animated in the Christian life, to be in the body of Christ, an isolated person cannot have hope. The Christian faith implies communion because Christ’s plan implies communion.
As an application for those who are about not to recognize themselves as Christians, for those who can even imitate a Christian, but do not believe in Christ as God, if you are that person, know who Jesus Christ is, he is God who creator of all things, and after death he will be the righteous judge who will judge all men. Only those who confess their sins and believe in Jesus for eternal life will rejoice in the house of the Father. Pray now and apologize.
Secondly, for those who are Christians but who have doubts. Answer this question: “Who is Christ to you?” Jesus Christ is the one who is resurrected, so we can be sure that He is God. We must see Christ as the only one who acts with love, and this is expressed in his desire to be with his own. How do you understand that God loves you? Look at the Christ. I is the greatest expression of God’s love. Know that, more important than doubting, is knowing that Christ has all the answers.
And finally, for those who are Christians and are not in the scum of doubt, so much the better!It is an expression of God’s grace in his life. But, supported by this brotherhood, do you help your brethren in Christ?Are you resreserved all that trust for you? Think about how to express the grace Christ has expressed to you. Note that Jesus does not use any singulars here in this text. Christian life is carried out in the plural and communion is a Christian expression. You have a role in the community, so play. Cry with those who cry and rejoice with those who are happy.