Send us Fan Mail

Love is a defining theme throughout John’s Gospel. Not only does John emphasize God’s love for us, but he also stresses our call to love one another. In John 13:34–35, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” Loving others becomes the visible sign of our faith.

Love is also central to spiritual growth. Across many traditions, love is understood as a transformative force—one that moves us beyond self-centeredness and opens us to a broader, deeper awareness of life. As we grow spiritually, our capacity to love expands. This makes love not only spiritually significant but also psychologically essential. Nurturing stable and supportive relationships leads to better mood, reduced distress, and greater resilience.

Complete our 1 Minute Survey

Send us Fan Mail

We have the disciples gathered behind lock doors. There they are processing their experience of crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That is all they can do. Then God’s mysterious presence in the form of the Spirit moves these individuals to courageously share faith with anyone who will listen. There is no indication that they gained insight into their experiences, and the Spirit doesn’t offer to protect them. Only one disciple, John, would die from natural causes. The rest would ultimately give up their life for their faith. The apostles will share their faith to all people regardless of racial origin or religious background. We read that there were many people in Jerusalem from different cultures and they are able to understand the disciples. It is miraculous. We ought not be too surprised. In the Gospel that describes the Ascension of Jesus, final instructions were that the disciples are to baptize all nations.

Complete our 1 Minute Survey

Send us Fan Mail

Like many goodbyes, the Ascension is bittersweet. Jesus has completed his ministry on Earth. He can have a sense of accomplishment. Yet he is saying goodbye to his disciples. There were likely many positive memories of comradeship, caring and supporting each other. He reassures them they will have help in their ministry in the form of the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, or the Holy Spirit.

Saying goodbye is often not easy. Have you ever had the experience of saying to someone who was leaving, “see you later” while knowing in your heart that you will not likely see them again? Why do we do this? It’s not easy to let go of someone or something we love, value or has meaning in our lives. Some people cope by not investing in people at all because they have been hurt or know that there will likely come a time when they will have to say goodbye.

Complete our 1 Minute Survey