February 25 – Rise! Let Us Go!

February 25 – Rise! Let Us Go!

“but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here” (John 14:31).

Jesus has explained to his disciples in rather vague terms that he is about to be taken from them and then says that he does this because God told him to do it and obedience is one of the ways he can show the world that he loves God.

That is a great lesson and one that my parents continually tried to impress upon us.  Love and obedience kind of go hand in hand.  Rebellion and disobedience tend to separate people rather than bring them together.  I watch parents desperately try to teach this to their kids and they end up frustrated because the kids want to exert their own will and their own authority.  Parents who teach this with love and consistency find their kids generally return to the right way of doing things.  God is always loving and consistent and those of us who seek to flex our own will and establish our independence find out in the long run that the safest and best place to be is within His will, exactly where He wants us to be.

However, as I read this verse and thought about all that I could write regarding obedience and love, I read to the end and saw the John captured one more sentence.  Now, think about it.  There was no need for this transitional sentence. It doesn't propel the story, it doesn't give any more detail about where they've been or where they’re going. The only thing it tells us is that they were sitting down and now they’re going to walk with him.

Rise, let us go from here.

This simple sentence gives movement that doesn't really make sense until we get to John 18:1 – three chapters later. After Jesus was completely finished talking and praying, he went with his disciples to the garden where he was about to be arrested.

That’s the thing about Jesus, though. He didn't simply sit around and talk about loving God … He did something about it.  When He talked about being obedient, even knowing the price He would have to pay for that obedience, He got up and started moving toward it.

Where might your obedience take you?