“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”  John 14:11

Everywhere you look these days there is some type of test that we can take that will give us information about ourselves.  There is the DISC and the MBTI that attempt to give us our personality types.  There are tests that give us information about how we best learn, how we see and use emotions, how we select partners and on and on.  Of course the underlying theme to all these tests is the concept that we are different.  Not only that, but if there is going to be a successful relationship between ourselves and the world around us (be it work, family, church, volunteer groups etc.) those differences need to be taken into account.

Jesus is meeting with His disciples the last time before He is taken away to His death.  Judas has already left so here then is the core of His believers who are going take His message forward.  Yet even here, at this point with their walk with Him, they don’t fully understand.  When Jesus says He is going somewhere they can’t follow, Peter claims that he will follow Jesus anywhere, even to death.  That’s when Jesus predicts Peter’s denial.  Jesus tells them that they will now know The Father because they know Jesus.  Philip asks Jesus to show him The Father.

A basic theme throughout Jesus’ ministry has been to bring light to the nature of The Father; what His Kingdom is like, the Love He has for us.  The people respond often about asking for proof.  Now here is where we get into the different types of people.  There are some people who need proof in terms of historical context.  Jesus often quotes scripture pointing to who the Messiah was going to be and how He was going to act.  Jesus then points out that He is acting just as scripture predicted.  Some need material proof in the now.  They need to see to believe.  Jesus provides them with miracle after miracle to show His messianic power.  Some need to feel the truth emotionally.  Jesus spends so much of His ministry speaking on love; first the Father’s love for us and thus the love we should have for one another.  For those who like logical arguments, Jesus lays out how the He is doing the Will of the Father, glorifying the Father and then how The Father will glorify Jesus in return.  Near the end, in an almost desperate plea to Philip, Jesus says: Believe.  Believe because of what I’ve said (which I’ve also outlined about what was predicted about me) or if you can’t go there believe because of what you have seen; the amazing miracles you’ve experience.  Only for your sake (not God sake) believe.

I believe His same plea is laid out in front of the world, including you and I today.  In a way He is asking:  “What is going to take for you to believe?”  Jesus knows that we are different, that we approach things, make decisions based on different things.  Jesus is telling us:  I have given you everything you need to believe.  There are words and there are actions and they are all consistent.  And as if that were not enough, I, the Only Son of God, I, who have been there from the very beginning.  I, who have all power, all knowledge, perfect wisdom, perfect judgement.  I, your Savior, your King, will have given my very life asking only in return that you believe.  I don’t know how much more He can do.

Brothers and sisters, know that we have been shown and are shown The Father through Jesus Christ.  If we are analytical, there is a logic to Jesus Christ’s message.  If we are emotional, there is no greater love to Jesus Christ’s message.  He is reaching out to each of us and to the world:  Only Believe.  May it be that our response is to truly and completely believe in Him who has given and done whatever it takes.

Our Most Gracious and Heavenly Father, we humbly admit that we can be a stubborn people.  Forgive us when we ask for proof and ask for it in a way that we can connect to.  We are so thankful Most Generous Father that You have seen fit to show us Yourself in so many ways; in Word as well as Deed.  Help us to strengthen our belief in You that in so doing our eyes will be opened and our lives changed through the Truth that is Your Love for us and that we will respond with lives that bring praise to Your Most Holy Name.  In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen