Fifth Sunday of Easter

First Reading Acts 6:1 - 7 Stephen is chosen as the first deacon

Second Reading 1Peter 2:4- 9 Jesus, a living cornerstone

Gospel John 14:1 - 12 Jesus the way, truth, and life.

Gospel Reflection

The gospel readings for this week and next week shift the focus away from the resurrection and begin to set us up for the departure of Jesus from the earth – the Ascension – and the sending of the Holy Spirit – the Pentecost event.

Today’s gospel passage comes from the very long Last Supper discourse in the gospel of John. When Jesus speaks about ‘going away’ for a time it could be interpreted as the period of his death and rising that are about to occur in the chronology of the story. However, the gospel of John is written a very long time after the death of Jesus; perhaps as much as 70 years after Jesus. Given this period of time between the events and the writing, we know that the writer was also referring to this longer time of Jesus ‘going away’. By the time of the writing of this gospel the early Christians were starting to come to terms with the fact that Jesus probably wasn’t going to return in their lifetime. They had seen the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70CE which they thought had signalled the end of all time. However, here they were, still alive and still no sign of Jesus’ return.

The theme of being present and being absent is very strong in this gospel. The discussion about Jesus and the Father being one is part of this theme. Jesus is God present in the world. God has come to dwell among the people. When Jesus speaks of preparing rooms in the Father’s house, it is a reference to preparing the disciples to ‘live’ in God; to dwell in God just as God has dwelt in the people.

Historical Context – It is for the best…

At the time of this gospel’s writing, some 70 years after the events it describes, amazing things have taken place in the early Christian community. Rather than everything falling apart with the death of Jesus, the message of Jesus has spread further than he himself could ever have accomplished. It is the departure of Jesus from their midst and the sending of the Spirit that really prompts the disciples to act on what they had experienced while Jesus lived among them. The gospel writer has Jesus saying that he has to go away so that the disciples can reach their potential.

Scriptural context – The gospel of John

The gospel of John is very different from the other three ‘synoptic’ gospels. The other three have a very narrative style and can be seen together as different recounts of the same events. Whilst the gospel of John also has some beautifully narrated stories, it is better known as a more theologically reflective piece of writing. It assumes that the readers of this gospel are already familiar with one or more of the others, so it doesn’t need to tell the story again. Rather, it presents a sweeping image of God, through Jesus, reaching out, in, through, and with love to the people.

Living the Gospel – The Way, the Truth and the Life

When Thomas asks, ‘we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answers by saying, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ The reader of the gospel has known this truth all along from the opening line of the gospel, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Our aim, as Christian people, is to be one with God, not only by sharing in the resurrection but also in the way we live. Jesus makes clear that the way to be with God is by following his example.

Questions for Adolescents

Q. What is it that Jesus wants the disciples to trust in God about?

Q. What do we learn about the disciples from the questions asked by Thomas and Philip?

Q. What truth does Jesus make clear to the disciples about himself and the Father?

Q. What message can young people today take from this gospel passage?

Questions for Adults

Q. Why does this passage work as both a Last Supper speech and a pre-Ascension discourse?

Q. What does the image of the many rooms in the Father’s house seek to convey?

Q. How might Jesus have felt in reaction to the disciples' questions?

Q. Why does Jesus need to return to the Father for the disciples to live out their potential?