5th Sunday of Easter May 3, 2026

Gospel: John 14:1-12

“Do not let your heart be troubled; ^[a]believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many ^[b]rooms; if that were not so, ^[c]I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

⁷ If you ^[d]had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

⁸ Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus *said to him, “Have I been with ^[e]you for so long a time, and yet ^[f]you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. ¹² Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.

Gospel Commentary:

In this Gospel passage, Jesus sees that His friends are scared. He is about to leave them, so He gives them a “heart-to-heart” talk to give them courage.

Breaking Down the Message

• “Don’t be Afraid” (vv. 1–4): Jesus tells His disciples not to let their hearts be “shaken up” like a stormy sea. He promises He is going ahead to Heaven to “fix up a room” for them. He describes Heaven like a big family home where there is plenty of space for everyone.
  
• The Only Road (vv. 5–7): Thomas is confused and asks for a map. Jesus tells him: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” This means we don’t need a GPS or a set of complicated rules; we just need to follow Jesus. He is the bridge that connects us directly to God.
  
• Seeing God in Jesus (vv. 8–11): Philip asks to “see” God the Father. Jesus explains that if you have seen Him helping the poor, healing the sick, and loving people, you have already seen God. Jesus and God work as one team.
  
• Doing Great Things (v. 12): Jesus says a surprising thing: those who follow Him will do “greater works” than He did. This doesn’t mean we are more powerful than Jesus, but that with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Church can spread His love and healing to the whole world, far beyond where Jesus walked.
  

Reflections for Sharing

For Yourself

When life feels “stormy” or confusing, do I try to fix everything by myself, or do I take a moment to trust that Jesus has already prepared a place for me and is walking the path with me?

For Your BEC

Jesus said His followers would do “greater works” together. In our neighborhood, what is one “work” (a simple act of kindness or service) that our small group can do this week to show others what God’s love looks like?