I Am the Way

Verse 31, and the two readings will go all the way through to verse 14 of chapter 14.

So Jonathan is going to read first, and then Kirsty, thanks.

When he was gone, Jesus said,

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

My children, I will be with you only a little longer.

You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now,

Where I am going, you cannot come.

A new command I give you, love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Simon Peter asked him, Lord, where are you going?

Jesus replied, Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.

Peter asked, Lord, why can't I follow you now?

I will lay down my life for you.

Then Jesus answered, Will you really lay down your life for me?

I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God.

Trust also in me.

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.

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.

You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.

From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.

Jesus answered, Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, show us the Father?

Don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me?

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 the Father is in me.

Or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

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.

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.

Thank you, Lord, very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, we're looking at the I Ams, some of the sayings of Jesus.

If you miss any of these talks, as I missed one last week, they are on the web.

You can listen to them there.

And indeed, do check out the carigolinebaptistchurch.org, I think is the web address.

You can listen to all the talks there.

We've also started a blog.

If you don't know what a blog is, I don't even know what it stands for.

But you can get involved in writing and things like that as well.

So talk to Ralph about that.

But it's very interesting.

Have a look.

Well, let's pray.

Our Father God, as we go through life, we are faced with many decisions and we are faced with many events and circumstances.

And we are not always sure what the way is.

Lord, we come to your word wanting to hear what you have to say so that Jesus may show us the way.

The way to live.

The way to true life.

So please help us to understand your word.

Please help us to apply it and to work it through in our lives.

So that tomorrow morning, wherever we are, whether we're looking after children,

whether we're sitting at a desk in school or college,

whether we're at work,

wherever we are,

that your word would so impact us

that it would give us a way to live life.

To live life your way.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, it's a very special evening.

You're with your closest friends.

In fact, your best friend is with you.

There's a sense of closeness and intimacy as you chat and reminisce over past times.

Things are going well.

There's no worries, no concerns.

The future looks bright.

As you eat and drink over dinner, everyone is relaxed.

And then suddenly, the mood changes.

I'm leaving.

Your closest and most intimate of friends announces that they're going away.

They're not just leaving dinner early.

They are going away for good.

In fact, you're never going to see them again.

In shock, you begin to remonstrate, pledging your loyalty and your commitment as a friend.

But no sooner have you finished, then he turns around and says,

you're a failure.

What a thing to say.

Talk about bursting the party bubble.

Well, that's what happened to the disciples as they sat with Jesus during one of their most intimate of evenings.

They had just shared in the most special of occasions the Passover meal.

When Jesus announces, chapter 13, verse 33,

My children, I will be with you only a little longer.

You will look for me.

And just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now,

where I am going, you cannot come.

I'm leaving.

You won't be able to find me.

And you can't come with me.

Of course, Peter, on behalf of the disciples, speaks up.

The others were always too shy.

And Peter always speaks for the rest of them.

He says in verse 37,

Lord, why can't I follow you now?

I will lay down my life for you.

Will you really lay down your life for me?

I tell you the truth.

Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.

You're a failure.

You won't stand by me.

You'll pretend you don't even know me.

Talk about a letdown.

With the announcement that Jesus is leaving,

they are left stranded in fear and failure.

Even though it was said in the most gracious of ways,

my children, he says,

there was no getting away from the hard and difficult truth.

Jesus had been their whole life.

He had taken them into his inner circle.

He had called them.

They had left everything.

And he had brought them into his inner circle.

He had promised them life and love with himself and with the Father.

He was to be the great hope for the world.

The long-awaited Messiah.

He had come to renew and restore the brokenness that was all around them.

And now he says,

I'm leaving.

Their safe and secure lives

were suddenly rocked by fear

and confronted with their own failure.

Now fear and failure is common to us all, isn't it?

The unexpected happens in our lives.

We're going along fine and then all of a sudden

we lose our job.

We're healthy and fit

and an illness comes along.

Tragedy strikes.

We're enjoying the most intimate of relationships

and then we lose a loved one.

Our world is shattered

and our hopes and dreams become a broken mess on the floor

as we are rocked by fear about the future

and we're confronted by our own failure to do anything about it.

Well, into our fear and into our failure

Jesus speaks these words.

Look at verse 1.

Chapter 14.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God.

Trust also in me.

Jesus is inviting his disciples and us

to trust not in a religion

or not in some kind of philosophy

but in a person.

He says,

trust in me.

Trust in the person of Jesus.

Trust in Jesus who overcomes our fear

and who conquers our failure.

In fact, it's an invitation to trust

in the work of Jesus,

his death on the cross.

Look back at the beginning of chapter 13, verse 1.

It was just before the Passover feast.

Jesus knew that the time had come for him

to leave this world

and go to the Father.

And then at the very end of chapter 14,

this is all over the special meal that they had together.

Jesus is with them throughout.

And then at the end, in chapter 14,

at the very end, verse 31,

the last little phrase,

he says,

come now, let us leave.

Jesus is going somewhere.

Where is he going?

Well, we know he said,

I'm going to the Father.

But to get to the Father,

he must first go to the cross.

That's where his journey is taking him.

That's where Jesus is going.

At the cross,

Jesus overcomes our greatest fear

and he conquers our greatest failure.

He destroys our ultimate fear,

death itself,

and he deals with our ultimate failure,

our sin.

And unless Jesus goes to the cross,

we will be stuck in fear

and we'll be stranded in our failure.

Chapter 14, verse 28.

He said,

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.

It's for their good

that Jesus is going away.

It's for their good

that he's going towards the cross

because at the cross,

Jesus will bring

the ultimate salvation.

And so the invitation here

amidst their fear

and their failure

is to say,

trust in me.

Don't let your hearts be troubled.

Trust me.

Well, by trusting Jesus,

fear is overcome

by the promise

of eternal security

and failure is conquered

by the promise

of greater works.

Jesus gives a double promise

in response

to their fear

and failure.

First of all,

look at the fear.

Fear is overcome

by the promise

of eternal security.

Jesus has just told

his disciples

that he was going

to be leaving.

He's just spent

three years with them,

intimately,

practically every day

with them.

Now they're going

to be left on their own.

The one who had come

to change the world

and to bring life

was being taken from them

and in their fear,

Jesus brings reassurance.

Look at verse 2.

In my Father's house

are many rooms.

If it were not so,

I would have told you

and I am going there

to prepare a place

for you.

He's painting

a wonderful picture

of a resting place

that you will find

after a long journey.

It's a house,

a home,

an eternal home.

Now we know home

is where there is safety

and security.

A home is marked

by the absence of fear.

Ask any child

where they want to be

when they feel afraid

or if they're unsure

or they're threatened.

I want to go home.

And so it is

for the believers.

We want to go home

to our place

of absolute security

and Jesus is wanting

to reassure

his terrified disciples

that everything

is sorted

and to guarantee

their safe arrival.

Look at verse 3.

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.

I'm going

to prepare

a place for you.

It's going to be

for your good.

Of course,

that doesn't mean

that Jesus is going

to have to wash

the sheets

and get the linen

sorted.

It doesn't mean

that he's preparing

the house

and decorating it

and getting the

landscape gardeners in.

It's not that kind

of preparation.

No,

he prepares

the way

by going

to the cross.

Look at verse 4.

He says,

you know the way

to the place

where I am going.

What Thomas said to him,

Lord,

we don't know

where you are going.

How can we know

the way?

Well,

Jesus in some ways

has already answered that.

He says,

I told you where I'm going.

I'm going to the Father.

But the disciples,

as always,

are slow to pick up

on everything.

So Jesus makes it

crystal clear.

Verse 6.

Jesus answered,

I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

No one comes

to the Father

except through me.

My way

is truth.

What I am telling you

will lead you

to the Father.

My way

is life.

It brings you

new life,

abundant life,

eternal life.

My way

is going to

bring you home

so that you will be

never separated

from me.

Now,

the way of Jesus

is not just

following his example

as if we have

to do what Jesus

did to get

to our eternal home.

No,

Jesus is the way.

It's his going

to the cross.

It's his coming

back again to life

through the resurrection

that prepares

the way

and makes it possible

for us

to be with him

forever.

That's the way.

It's the way

of the cross.

And it's an

exclusive claim,

isn't it?

He says,

my way

is the only way.

There's only one path.

But let's not miss

also the inclusive

invitation.

He says,

there are many rooms

in my Father's house.

So he is saying

to us

and he is saying

to the world,

come to me.

Trust me.

Trust in the way

that I have

already gone

and I will give you

eternal security.

Fear is all about

losing something.

The disciples

were afraid

of losing Jesus.

Things happen

in our life

that bring about fear.

if you lose

your job,

you fear

losing your

financial security.

If you lose

your health,

you fear

losing meaning

and purpose

in life.

What can you do

if you don't

have your health?

If you lose

a relationship

or a friendship,

you fear

losing your

identity.

Whatever is

taken away

from us

in life

ultimately

leads to fear.

and the greatest

of those

is our own life.

What happens

if my life

was taken

from me?

But here

he is reminding

us

that Jesus

destroys death

at the cross.

He defeats death

at the resurrection.

He is gone

where we can

never go.

He goes

to the cross.

He goes

to the grave

and he prepares

the way

for us

so that we

can have

eternal security.

an eternal

home

where we

are safe

and secure.

Where nothing

and no one

can take

anything

from us.

Now that

has massive

implications

for us

today.

We don't

need to

fear

losing

in this

life

because

we have

everything

to come.

We have

the Father's

home

which we're

heading to

and he's

guaranteed it

and he says

it's yours

and I'm

coming back

and I'm

going to

bring you

there.

So what

does it

matter if

we lose

things in

this life?

What does

it matter

if we lose

our job?

If we lose

our health?

If we lose

a loved

one?

Of course

there is

sadness.

Of course

there is

difficulty.

But it's

not hopeless.

Jesus has

overcome our

greatest fear.

Death

itself.

so we

need not

fear

today

or tomorrow

or the

future

because he

has taken

all of that

in control.

And he

says I

have your

eternal

security

sorted.

Trust me.

Don't let

your hearts

be troubled

by the

fears that

you face

in this

world.

Trust in

me.

fear.

So that's

the first

promise in

response to

the disciples

fear.

Second,

the promise

is that

failure is

conquered by

the promise

of greater

works.

Remember

Peter's promise

in verse 37.

Again, he's

speaking on

behalf of

all the

disciples.

Where,

sorry,

verse 37,

Lord, why

can't I

follow you

now?

I will

lay down

my life

for you.

It's a

typical

Peter

response.

And in

response to

what Peter

says,

Jesus

highlights

the

disciples'

failure

and then

he makes

a promise

of his

own.

Look at

the two

contrasts.

It's

striking.

Verse 38.

Jesus

says,

I tell

you the

truth,

before the

cock crows

you will

disown

me three

times.

failure.

Now look

at chapter

14,

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.

Can you

see the

contrast?

It's a

promise to

overcome

and conquer

their failure.

In fact,

it's a

promise for

us.

Verse 12

says,

I tell

you the

truth,

anyone

who

has

faith

in

me.

So what

is this

huge

promise

that we

read in

verse 12?

Well,

before we

get stuck

into it,

let me

read it

again,

and some

of your

translations

will read

it this

way,

and I

think it

will help

us better

unpack it.

Read

verse 12.

I tell

you the

truth,

anyone who

has faith

in me

will do

the

works

I

have

been

doing.

He

will

do

even

greater

works

than

these

because

I

am

going

to

the

Father.

You

see,

if we,

and look

at the

promise,

it says,

if we are

going to

do

greater

works

than

Jesus,

we

must

know

what

works

Jesus

did.

Now,

at a

first

read,

and I'm

sure if I

asked you

all this

out now,

it seems

to be a

promise to

the church

today that

we are

going to

do

greater

works

than

Jesus.

In

other

words,

we're

going to

do

miracles

that

Jesus

did,

only

greater.

I

mean,

that's

how I

read it,

first off.

Are we

going to

do

greater

miracles

than

Jesus?

Well,

it's

hard to

think of

any

miracles

greater

than

those

of

what

Jesus

did.

In

John

John 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

we read

that Jesus

changed

water

into

wine.

We'd

put the

whole

alcohol

industry

out of

business

if we

could

do

that.

He

walked

on

water.

He

fed

15,000

with

five

loaves

of

bread

and

two

fish.

He

called

Lazarus

out of

the

grave

at

just

a

word.

He

healed

masses

of

people

at

just

a

word

and

just

a

touch.

Are

we

going

to

do

greater

things

than

those?

Even

the

disciples

as

recorded

in

Acts,

the

first

insight

into

the

early

church,

they

didn't

do

anything

like

this.

They

did

do

miracles

but

nothing

compared

to

what

Jesus

did.

So I

don't

think

this is

saying

that we

are

going

to do

greater

miracles

than

Jesus.

In

fact,

the miracles

of

Jesus,

as John's

gospel has

made clear,

are signs.

That's what he

calls them.

They are

especially

unique to

Jesus.

Look at

verse 11.

He

says,

believe me

when I

say that I

am in the

Father and

the Father

is in me,

or at

least believe

on the

evidence of

the miracles

themselves.

You

see,

the amazing

works and

miracles of

Jesus,

everything that

he has been

doing,

are there to

authenticate who

he is and

what he has

come to do.

He's coming

into the world

and saying,

I am nothing

less than

God.

I am God

in the

flesh.

Believe what

I say.

If you don't

believe what I

say,

believe on the

evidence of

the miracles.

It's all

about Jesus.

Jesus.

Now,

for the

record,

I'm not

ruling out

miracles.

I'm not

saying that

miracles aren't

for today.

I think they

do happen

and can

happen.

But I

don't think

it's saying

here that we

are going

to do

greater

things as

far as

greater

miracles are

concerned.

So what

does it

mean?

Well,

have a look

back to

chapter 4

of John's

Gospel.

This is the

well-known

story of

Jesus meeting

the Samaritan

lady at

the well.

A

Samaritan

was an

outsider.

You didn't

talk to

Samaritan

people,

especially to

a woman.

That just

didn't go

on.

And yet

Jesus,

we find

him at

the well

with the

lady,

and he's

been offering

her eternal

life.

He says,

if you

drink what

I have to

offer,

you will

never thirst

again.

It will

be like a

well inside

you,

welling up

to eternal

life.

He is

offering

true life.

And then

the disciples

come and

they discover

that Jesus

has been

meeting with

this woman

and they

say,

come on,

we should

be off

getting food,

not talking

to this

woman.

Now look

at John

John 4:34

chapter 4

verse 34.

My food,

said Jesus,

is to do

the will

of him

who sent

me and

to finish

his work.

Do you

not say

four months

more and

then the

harvest?

I tell you,

open your

eyes and

look at the

fields.

They are

ripe for

harvest.

harvest.

The work

that Jesus

has to

finish

is the

work of

going to

the cross.

The work

of bringing

salvation to

the world,

not just to

Jewish people,

not just to

the inside

people,

but to the

world,

to Samaritan

people,

because he

talks about

the harvest

is ripe.

It's for

everybody.

And his

work is to

go to the

cross so

that salvation

can go

out.

So the

works of

Jesus,

while it

does include

miracles,

is ultimately

one of

salvation.

Now that

helps us to

understand what

we do and

how we can

do greater

things than

Jesus.

It's an

amazing promise

telling us that

people like you

and me can do

greater things

than Jesus.

At the end

of Jesus'

ministry,

if you were

to read to

the end

of John's

gospel,

there's just

a few people

who are

following him.

Only a few,

a handful.

After

everything that

he did,

most of them

had deserted

him and run

away.

He's left

with only a

few.

Now the

promise,

he's saying

in verse 12,

is greater

works will

be done.

Well,

how will that

happen?

Well,

look at the

last phrase

of verse 12

of chapter 14.

He says,

he will do

greater works

than these

because I

am going to

the Father.

Now we've

looked at one

side of that.

What happens

when Jesus

goes to the

Father?

Yes,

he goes to

the cross,

but what else

happens?

Look at

chapter 16,

verse 7.

I know

we're flicking

backwards and

forwards,

but I think

this will

just help

us to

unpack it

all.

Chapter 16,

verse 7.

I tell you

the truth,

it is for

your good

that I am

going away.

Unless I

go away,

the

Counselor,

that's the

Spirit,

will not

come to

you,

but if I

go,

I will

send him

to you.

And what's

the Spirit

going to

do?

Verse 8,

when he

comes,

he will

convict

the world

of guilt.

So Jesus

is saying,

greater things

are going

to happen

because I

am going

to go

to the

Father,

and when

I go

to the

Father,

the Spirit

is going

to be

poured

out into

the world.

And salvation

will come

to the

world.

And that's

what we

begin to

see as

we read

into Acts.

The very

first sermon

that Peter

preached.

Remember,

we leave

him in

John as

a failure,

but now

this promise

of verse 12

comes true.

Because after

his first sermon

he preached,

how many people

came to

believe?

Three thousand

people came

to believe.

That's the

promise.

That's the

greater work.

The Spirit

has come,

and now

literally

thousands,

millions of

people around

the world

are following

Christ.

Now you

compare what

there is

today,

and compare

that to

the few

who are

following

after Jesus'

ministry.

That's the

greater things

that are going

to happen.

So look at

verse 13

of chapter

14.

verse 13.

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.

Now again,

we have to be

careful we

don't just

lift that out

of context

and say,

well I can

ask for

anything,

a new

car,

new

health,

new

job,

anything,

and you'll

do it.

That's how

some people

will read

it,

but in the

context and

what we've

seen,

it has to

fit in

with the

salvation

that God

brings.

Ask for

anything in

regards to

the salvation

plan of

God,

and He

will do

it.

We can

pray for

our friends

and for

our family

who are not

yet into

that intimate

circle of

Jesus and

the Father.

We can

pray it

because His

Spirit has

come.

Now it's

not just

that the

Spirit is

better in

terms of

greater in

that way,

that having

the Spirit is

better than

having Jesus.

It's not

like that.

It's saying

that when the

Spirit comes,

He expands

the work of

Jesus.

Jesus was

always limited

and isolated

to one place

wherever He

walked on

earth.

He couldn't

be in ten

places at

one time.

But the

Spirit of

Christ has

come and

He's

everywhere and

He's at

work

everywhere.

This is

the amazing

promise for

the church

today that

we are to

claim, that

we are to

live by.

Peter the

failure, now

with a

wonderful

promise.

Now failure

has a

crippling effect

on us,

doesn't it?

The world

tells us that

if you fail,

if you mess

up, you're

out.

There's no

room for

those who

get it

wrong, whether

it's in the

sports team or

whether it's

in work.

You have no

place, no

part to play.

If you

fail, struck

off, that's

it.

Not so

with Jesus.

Peter failed.

He disowned

Jesus.

He turned his

back on Jesus.

Peter failed

spectacularly.

But Jesus

threw the

cross because

he had to

go through

the cross

conquers our

failure.

He forgives

our sin.

He takes a

punishment for

our sin.

And in its

place he gives

us his

spirit and he

promises us

that we will

do greater

things than

Jesus.

We will see

more people

come to faith

than Jesus

saw.

You see,

if Jesus

overcomes our

greatest failure,

which is our

sin, can

Jesus not

work in

failures like

you and me

and bring

salvation to

our friends,

to our

family, to

our community

around us?

This is an

amazing promise,

one that

overcomes

failure.

Fear and

failure can

paralyze us.

If we live

within fear

and failure,

we won't do

anything.

Because we'll

fear losing

what we have.

What if I do

it and what if

I lose it?

We'll fear

failure even if

we try to do

something.

What if it all

goes horribly

wrong?

We'll never do

it.

But Jesus

invites us to

put our faith

in him.

Trust me.

I am the

way,

the truth,

and the

life.

It's a way

of freedom.

It's a way

that takes

away our

fear.

It takes

away our

failures and

it enables us

to live life

the way he

calls us to.

Through the

cross he has

overcome our

fear.

He has conquered

our failure so

we can live

confidently and

with complete

assurance that

we are eternally

secure and

will do

greater works.

let's pray

together.

Our

Father God,

it's so often

that we

feel

afraid

and we

feel

failures.

But yet

Jesus has

come and

has given

us a new

way to

live.

He has

overcome our

fears.

He has

conquered our

failures so

that we can

live with

confidence and

assurance today.

Father,

help us to

trust you that

when things are

taken away from

us should we

lose our

job, should we

lose our

health, should

we lose a

loved one.

Help us that

we might trust

you.

Help us to

trust you,

Father, that

you have

overcome the

greatest fear,

that we have

everything to

come and so

we can

willingly live

our lives

giving freely

of all that

we have,

risking

everything

because we

have security

with you.

Help us to

trust you.

Help us to

trust that your

way is the

right way.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.

Thank you.

Amen.

Amen.