John 20:24-29
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 1:1-14
The Word Becomes Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 14:15-31
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.
Colossians 1:16
All Things Are Made Through Jesus and For Him
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
I believe one can marvel at the ambitions of those that are currently famous and that have been famous in the past, but their fame has always been fleeting over the many passing of years...The ambitious ones who run for presidents or prime ministers, heads of state, or major generals seem to have vanished into thin air over time, while a poor Galilean peasant named Jesus would still be talked about and wrote about and studied so deeply, by so many across these many passing centuries and somehow seemingly still control the destinies of men and nations -even two thousand years later...
I do not think that everyone believes what St. Thomas said when the Disciple called Jesus, not only my LORD, but he also called Him my God...Those who believe in Jesus, believe that He is Spiritual and is our LORD...And many somehow believe that there is this harmony of man and nature...And I believe this because all things are made through Him, so that includes us and all other living things that live and grow and are on the earth...And not only living things, but all things...So to say that man and nature are in harmony would not be a stretch...So I think many would believe man is and should be in harmony with all those things around us...And as one looks around and sees the sky, the sun, the trees, the mountains, the grass –one might believe that they are in harmony and are apart of something bigger...
But because Jesus created us and keeps in touch with us through His Holy Spirit, then we also in some ways, always apart of Him...So naturally one would think that we all would be in harmony with Him and His teachings...But Jesus and being in harmony with Him and His ideas is not something believed by everyone...One would think that if He is the One who gives us the True Light that gives Light to everyone, then we would believe that we are in harmony with Him...After all He we are made through Him...And because we were made through Him, we should be apart of Him...And I also believe since He made all things, we are this Spiritual creature...
Love is important, very important, So it is written that if you love Him and keep His commands, that He asks the Father for Someone to help us...The Helper is another Advocate to help us and One who will be with us forever...And the Holy Spirit is also called — the Spirit of Truth....But everyone cannot accept the Holy Spirit, because some neither see this Advocate, and they do not know Him...But those who believe in Jesus and keep His commands will know the Spirit of Truth...For the Holy Spirit lives with us each and everyday and will be in us always...The Holy Spirit is One of LOVE...Jesus did not leave earth and leave us without any help or leave us alone...He did not leave us as orphans, if you believe in the Holy Spirit...Jesus did ascend to heaven and we cannot see Him physically...But because Jesus still lives, we can also live...On that day of His resurrection, that day helps us realize that Jesus is in His Father, and that His Disciples were still with Him and in Him...And now whoever keeps and has His commands and keeps them are the ones who love Him...Anyone who loves Him will obey His teachings...God will LOVE us, and God and Jesus will come to those who love Them...God and Jesus will make their home with those who love them through the Holy Spirit...
Since all things were created through Jesus: all things both in heaven and on earth, both the visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him...We should be in harmony with God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit -through our faith in These Things...Our harmony can start with constant prayer and mediation to Them...Since Absolute Grace and Absolute Truth are the Creator of all things, they are the common Parent of all things made...And being the Parent of all things, then we all have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in common...There is this commonality of all things things ever made...This harmony is a harmony that will happen, when the Creator of all things says that it is time, and the time is right...