There’s a saying that a good teacher makes the unfamiliar familiar, and the familiar unfamiliar. One of the greatest dangers for Christians is that we can become so familiar with the content of the Gospel that we become desensitized to the incredibleness of what God has actually done for us. It’s important for us to occasionally zoom out and contemplate the scope of the events of salvation history with fresh eyes.
In the passage today from the Last Supper discourse in John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks directly about his purpose with a clarity, profundity, and beauty that should shake us to the core (in the best possible way). The mere fact that we have a God who intentionally created us as individual masterpieces destined for eternal, infinite love is unfathomably amazing. God has no ulterior motives. He simply desires our benefit. He desires to be with us, to teach us, to heal us, and to elevate us to a dignity and glory beyond our comprehension. It’s worth taking some time quiet time in prayer just to sit and wonder at the reality that we have been created by a being who desires our greatest and highest possible good in every possible respect.