In our Gospel reading today we hear some of what Jesus prayed for his disciples, and for us, the night he was betrayed, and in this prayer we get an insight into how he is praying for us right now, now that he has Ascended into heaven to take his throne at the right hand of the Father. And in this passage we see his heart, his love and concern for us, and we also get an insight into what his whole mission on earth was for.
We’re following up directly on last weeks passage and as a reminder we’re in the middle of a big chunk in John’s Gospel referred to as the ‘farewell discourse’ this is a long conversation Jesus is having with his disciples at the Last Supper the night he was betrayed… And the question we are faced with in todays portion is this: how do we reveal our love for Jesus? What is it that shows we love Jesus?
Now if I asked you that question over tea and coffee later, without today’s Gospel reading, what do you think you’d say?
What do you make of Jesus? Who is he? What is he? A good teacher, giving wise advice, who helps us think about the bigger things of life? Certainly. A Saviour who dies to set his people free? Absolutely. But here Jesus takes on a different picture for himself. The shepherd. The fact that Jesus takes upon himself the title of shepherd, and indeed in the very next verse after our passage for today, the title of the good shepherd, is a rich picture. We’ll think about some of what he’s saying in a moment, but first it’s worth pausing to note the theological undertones here.
…And it starts with the news that Lazarus is ill, it’s noted that his sisters are Mary and Martha, who we’ve met in the other Gospels, and they send word to Jesus that ‘the one you love is ill’. From what we can tell from the Gospels Jesus becomes good friends with this little family of 3, and so naturally they send word to him, he’s a miracleworker and his friend is ill, why wouldn’t you contact him.
But by the time he gets there Lazarus is dead. Indeed Jesus knows he is dead before he gets there. And we have repeated on the lips of both sisters a declaration of faith and of despair ‘if you had been here my brother would not have died’.
…There’s something wonderful about water, particularly on a hot day, it refreshes, quenches thirst, satisfies the body. There’s something about drinking it which goes beyond simple mechanics of needing water to survive, when you’re thirsty and you drink, you feel the change in yourself. Your mouth feels fresher, you’ve got more energy, your brain switches up a gear. Water enlivens us.
But, whilst I breezed past it, there’s no getting away from it, water is essential for life. If you don’t drink you die, and pretty quickly.
Whenever I’m celebrating the Patronal Feast of one of the churches in my care, the Saint’s Day of the Saint the church is dedicated to, I find that they’re a bit like birthdays. Like so many of our ancient churches we don’t know the exact date this place first echoed with the sound of praise and worship, and so the patronal for me fills that space, a chance to celebrate the life of the church and community in this place. And, like we often do on our birthdays, I find myself reflecting back, back on the year, and years, that have past. Maybe you find yourself doing the same today, reflecting on years that have past here. Or perhaps you find yourself doing that about your life.
Jesus’ ministry is at its heart one of transformation, we see that in the lives of those who meet him, whose lives are utterly transformed by his call and his presence. But it’s about transformation at a deeper level too, right down to the very atoms of our cosmos. Jesus has come to transform our whole universe.
What are you looking for? That’s what Jesus asks those would be disciples as they follow him. As 2026 begins, what are you looking for? What are you hoping for from Jesus in the year ahead?
We thought quite a bit about the first half of that passage at midnight on Christmas Day. But this morning I want to focus on two descriptions of Jesus in the passage. The end of verse 14, and verse 16, which both talk about Jesus’ fulness. What is he full of?
Now, neither I nor Glen are going after Santa here, Santa is certainly odd when you think about it, but actually, how often do we think of God like this? When you think of God are you thinking of Santa in the sky? A big bearded man in a far away place, ‘he see’s you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he’s watching and waiting to catch your next mistake’. How do you picture God? Christmas is a cry against a Santa Claus image of God.