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John 14:1-14 Key Verse: 14:6 JESUS IS THE WAY “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Today, we will hear Jesus say one of the most famous words in the Bible. That is “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus is the only way to the truth and the life. When the disciples didn’t know who Jesus is, they were overcome by fear and anxiety. So, Jesus helped his disciples to overcome the anxiety by saying “Trust in God and trust also in me”. Also Jesus planted the hope of the Father’s house in the heart of disciples who still have hope in this world. When we trust in God and Jesus, we can do the great things by asking in his name. Through today’s message, may God bless us to learn how to overcome the anxiety in this world and how to live a great life in this world. Part 1. Trust in God and believe in his promise (1-3). Look at verse 1. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Jesus knew the disciples’ hearts. Their hearts were troubled. Until now, they had followed Jesus with simple faith, leaving behind their families and life careers as fishermen. They went through the hardship of disciple training. They could overcome everything by looking at Jesus. Jesus had never made them disappointed. Jesus always had hope and vision and showed them to the disciples. Jesus always knew what to do. Jesus had loved each of them like a mother. As long as they were with Jesus, they were sure that everything would go well and perfect. So, they would be happy and fruitful. But Jesus had just told them, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer...Where I am going, you cannot come” (13:33). Jesus had clearly said that he was leaving them. This time, they could not come with him. The disciples felt that they were losing everything. We can understand that. When we separate from someone we loved and depended on, there comes anxiety and a feeling of fear. Anxiety is a common problem for all people. Whenever young men should go to military service, they are troubled in their hearts because they should leave their loved ones and their familiar lifestyle. Those who graduate from universities are happy for a few days. But when they begin to think about their future, they will become anxious about their jobs or marriage. Father like me is so happy to hear that he will become a father of another baby. However, there comes a worry about how to raise the newborn babies in this tough world. Many are worried over the tough and hard life in this world because the immorality and violent crime still increase. So Parents have anxieties over raising kids. So, people try to overcome anxiety by piling up money in the bank, moving home to safe zone, installing the SECOM or increasing the number of security guards. But in the end, these things do not get rid of anxiety. How did Jesus help his disciples? Let’s read the verse 1 together. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Jesus tells us how to overcome any kind of anxiety. It is by trusting in God because God is the Almighty Creator. God is the Sovereign Ruler whose purpose is always good. God is love. God loves us sacrificing his One and Only son even when we are worthless sinners. In God there is no reason for anxiety. Anxiety comes when we forget about who is God. When raising kids, usually mothers carry her baby on her back or in her breast. The baby feels comforted only in his mother’s arms. At that time, the baby trust mother. However, here comes the time when mother needs to put the baby in the hands of babysitter to do something important. The baby starts crying because mother goes out of sight. The baby’s trust in mother failed at that time. If baby could not see his mother, he cannot but cry for fear that mother will not come again. As time goes by, however, the baby will be grown up learning that his mother will come again. From that time on, the baby do not cry any more although his mother should leave him even for a day or two. It is because the child learned to trust his mother. That is the meaning of trust. Although Jesus should leave his disciple for a short time, if they have trust in Jesus, the anxiety can be overcome like a grown-up baby does. Jesus is faithful and sincere. He will not leave us alone. When we trust in God and also in Jesus, we don’t need to be afraid in this world because God always take care of us as his loving child. If our hearts are anxious, let’s repent. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” In addition to that, Jesus gave specific and concrete promises to his disciples. Look at verse 2. “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Jesus meant that he was going to heaven, or the kingdom of God. But Jesus referred to it as “My Father’s house.” Jesus’ expression, “My Father’s house,” gives us a feeling of warmth and security. Jesus did not talk about heaven as if it were a theological concept. Jesus talked about it as a place of love, joy and peace like “My Father’s house.” While struggling in this world, we can find real comfort when we remember our Father’s house. Jesus wants us to believe this promise and experience the security of our Father’s house in our hearts. Nowadays, there are persons called “House Poor”. They purchased a house but became poor. Someone got a huge loan from bank to buy an apartment worth of 600 million won. However, due to the collapse of real estate market, the value of apartment nose-dived but the interest rate still increased. So, most of their income should be spent to pay the interest of the bank every month. Although he has an apartment, he should live a poor life. However, we don’t need to get a loan from bank, nor to pay any interest. Jesus says that he is going there to prepare a place for us. We are free to get the Father’s house. What kind of house is it? Jesus said that there are many rooms in the Father’s house. The King James Version uses the word “mansions,” “In my Father’s house are many mansions....” Mansions are not just ordinary houses; they are large and luxuarious with swimming pool and grass field. Very important and wealthy persons live in mansions. Jesus was going to prepare mansions for his disciples. These are not a small apartment like chicken cages, but custom-built mansions. Since last year we have been building a new center. We have spent much time planning its construction and its efficiency. We want everything to be beautiful and useful for the ministry of campus students. If this is true of us, how much more is Jesus mindful in preparing our heavenly house. Now Jesus has spent over 2,000 years in preparing the mansions. Jesus is still now making the best custom-built mansion for each of us where we can live with him forever. There will be no more tents. This is his promise. Look at verse 3. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Jesus promises to come back and take his disciples to be with him. This means first of all his Second Coming in power and glory. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” It will be a glorious moment when Jesus returns for his church. And this could happen at any time. Jesus has promised us a mansion in his Father’s house. Jesus has promised to come back and take us with him to his Father’s house. There, we will be with Jesus forever. When we believe these promises, we can be free from anxiety. We can freely serve Jesus, sacrificing our time and materials joyfully. Let’s accept Jesus’ promises in our hearts. Part 2. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life (4-6). Jesus said in verse 4, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” The disciples knew that Jesus was telling them the truth. Jesus wanted them to accept his words by faith; then they could gain greater spiritual understanding. At that time, however, there was a person who broke the spiritual mood. He was Thomas, a man of doubt. He said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Thomas did not understand what Jesus was talking about. He was not yet a spiritual man. He probably wanted Jesus to give him an address and even navigation. Instead, Jesus gave him one of the most important words in the Bible. Look at verse 6. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” In the first place, Jesus is the way to the Father and to the Father’s house. Why is it so? It is because Jesus is the only one who has come from God. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:13, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man.” When Jesus speaks of the Father’s house he is speaking of what he has seen and experienced. All others who claim that I have been to the heaven are liars. Jesus is the only one who has been there. More than that, Jesus came down from heaven to bridge the gap between God and man. No one could climb up to God by human effort. But Jesus came down from heaven to earth to open the way to God. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Praise Jesus who humbled himself to come to us! Jesus is the way to God because he alone solved our sin problem. In the Old Testament, the holy God lived among his people in the Most Holy Place in the temple. There was a heavy curtain separating the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple. Only the high priest could go in there once a year. He should offer an animal sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people. This was a temporary system that did not really solve man’s sin problem. However, when Jesus died on the cross, shedding his blood, he made an offering acceptable to God. Hebrews 10:19-22a says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith....” So, Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to God because he rose from the dead. Jesus said in John 11:25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus broke the power of death through his resurrection. So, at present our physical death was changed into the moment of entering our Father’s house. Jesus is the way to eternal life in God. Many people feel that they have no way. So they say very often, “No way.” But we have a way. Jesus is the way. In the second place, Jesus is the truth. What is truth? Many people think of truth as a set of principles or rules. Some think the truth is scientific fact. But the Bible says that the truth is a person; Jesus is the truth. Truth is to know the meaning of my existence and what my final destination will be. Why is Jesus the truth? It is because Jesus tells us that we came from God, that our lives have absolute meaning in God, and that we are going back to God. More and more we know Jesus, more and more our life will stand on the truth. In the third place, Jesus is the life. It is because Jesus has life in himself. John 1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Jesus promised in John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” Life is the most precious thing for anyone. Jesus gives life because Jesus himself is the life. Jesus is “the” way and “the” truth and “the” life. Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” We live in a time of religious pluralism and cultural relativism. Our society seems to accept all beliefs as equal. So, it doesn’t matter what kinds of belief are. Only if we believe sincerely, they say it’s Ok. According to them, even devil worshiper is acceptable if it is done sincerely. In this atmosphere many young people have begun to say, “Everything is good.” But Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through him. We must stand clearly on this truth and help people come to Jesus. Part 3. Ask in my name (7-14). Look at verse 7, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” When Jesus said that you do know him and have seen him, Philip spoke up, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” It seems that Philip did not hear what Jesus had just said. It seems that Philip did not understand the main point of Jesus’ teaching. It is that Jesus is God. Perhaps Philip wanted some kind of supernatural experience in order to believe. How did Jesus answer? Jesus rebukes Philip for his spiritual blindness. Jesus had revealed God plainly to his disciples. Look at verses 10b,11. “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” Although Jesus had clearly revealed God, the disciples needed to make a decision to have a faith. It is because faith is actually realized by decision in our daily life. They needed to accept Jesus as God by faith. Usually, Jesus did not ask for faith based on miracles. However, Jesus felt it was so urgent to plant faith in his disciples. So, he even urged his disciples to have faith even through believing the miracles. To Jesus, for his disciples to have faith was the most important matter. Look at verse 12. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Jesus went to the Father through his death and resurrection and ascension. Jesus sits at the right hand of God and sends the Holy Spirit to his people. Through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus changes his disciples and enables them to do greater things than Jesus. Jesus does not want us to be a loser. Jesus wants us to do great work of God by faith. Jesus further explained how to do great work of God. Look at verses 13-14. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Actually Jesus urges us to pray. When we pray, Jesus does great things through us. Jesus uses our prayers to accomplish his will and to bring glory to God. Jesus wants us to pray specifically so that we may see the answer to prayer. Jesus wants us to know he is working through our prayer. Jesus wants us to do great things in his name through prayer. Belief is actualized through prayer. We do not believe in ourselves or in our own ability. We believe in Jesus. So we must pray in his name. We ask for what Jesus wants, not for things to satisfy our own sinful desires. There are so many brilliant and intelligent persons. However, they only think and do not pray. So, they cannot do anything. If they pray, they can do greater work than Jesus, of course, not in quality but in quantity. We also are in the same boat. We like thinking logically, not praying laboriously. We must repent and learn how to pray and do the great work of God. Let’s remember that Jesus is the way to God. When we have no way, Jesus is the way. In Jesus we can come to God, know the truth, enjoy the life of God and do great things for God. Praise to God for granting Jesus Christ to us. May God help us to stand firm on the truth and let nothing move us so that we ask anything in his name to do great things for the glory of God. |
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