Tell ‘em Joe sent you!”
That phrase just isn’t necessarily very convincing is it? But then, any time one person speaks while representing someone else, the burden is pretty much on the representative to convince their audience that they do, indeed, speak with authority on behalf of another. The listeners have to be convinced that the speaker is trustworthy.
So it was with Jesus and the disciples. He had told the disciples that his words contained God’s message for God’s people. And though they didn’t understand completely all Jesus said, they did come to believe that he had come from God. They could feel confident about that much.
In his prayer, Jesus asked that the disciples remain confident that they have followed the right guy. He knew there were hard times ahead, and not just for him.
By Nick Foster from D365