John 14:1-14 "Heavenly Comfort for Troubled Disciples"

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We're continuing with our encounter with Jesus in the Gospel of John this morning.

Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples the night before his death on the cross.

And they are starting to process some pretty sobering realities.

So much so that Jesus addresses their angst in this passage today by starting with saying to them,

let not your hearts be troubled.

Why were they troubled?

Well, they've just learned that Jesus, the leader they love, won't be with them much longer.

That he's about to die.

He's just informed them that one of them will betray him.

And then he's told them that another of them, a leader among his followers, will fail him as well.

How are they going to go on?

What's next?

Is there any hope at all left for them?

That's the context into which Jesus speaks, John 14, some of his most famous words.

They are not just quotes to hang on your wall.

They're not just for the sake of his Wikipedia page.

They are words targeted for our hearts.

I love that about Jesus.

How Jesus saves some of his most glorious truths for some of our most desperate moments.

Before I read them, I want to reflect with you briefly about how the hearts of the disciples in this room this morning

may be similarly troubled to those this night we're about to read about.

Y'all, there have been many different reasons just in this church family for us to feel troubled lately.

Some of us have stood recently face to face with death at the bedside of a loved one.

Others have reeled back with hearing difficult, life-altering health news.

I've talked this week with parents.

At their wits end, heavy hearts feeling like there's just no good path forward with this child they love.

Someone else shared with me this week, he's just not sure there's value in what he's been pouring his life into for years.

And what's it for?

This job he spent so much time on just doesn't seem worth it to him.

Many of us, day in and day out, find just the pace of daily life in this world overwhelming and beyond our control.

Some of us, young and old, feel like we're missing out on life.

We're alone.

Everybody else is enjoying it.

We're not.

We're troubled about our uncertain relationship with God,

even though we've been in church, around Jesus for a long time.

We're troubled because the best among us seem to be failing Jesus.

We're troubled because the group of people that we've followed Jesus with is not what we thought or hoped.

Troubled by what's happening to myself, to my church, to my Jesus in the world.

If you're troubled, if you're not troubled right now,

I suspect your heart will sometime soon feel that unsettled, insecure, disrupted feeling.

And Jesus has some of his most hopeful words for some of our most hopeless moments.

Hear Jesus' words this morning as I read them.

Listen closely right now because they will bring more comfort than any words I will say this morning.

John 14, verse 1.

John 14:1

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Believe in God.

Believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many rooms.

If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also.

And you know the way to where I am going.

Thomas said to him,

Lord, we do not know where you are going.

How can we know the way?

And Jesus said to him,

I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known the Father also.

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

Philip said to him,

Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us.

Jesus said to him,

Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, show us the Father?

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 authority,

but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Truly, truly, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.

And greater works than these he will do,

because I am going to the Father.

Whatever you ask in my name,

this I will do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son,

if you ask me anything in my name.

I will do it.

Let's pray together.

Jesus, in your name,

we ask you to comfort our troubled hearts

with your hope,

by the power of your Spirit,

for the glory of your name.

But please, Jesus, now,

would you speak to us?

Amen.

Many of us can remember a time

when we walked into a locker room at halftime

with our heads down,

beaten down.

We're way behind.

We messed up early in the game.

Our star player is out for the rest of the game.

There's really no hope for the second half.

And the coach has to step up

to send us back out for the second half.

And he says something like this.

All right, you guys, you got this.

You can do it.

Keep fighting.

Don't give up.

Dig deep.

Believe in yourselves.

That's the message, right?

You've heard it in a number of different ways.

I'm not against a good pep talk, by the way,

to encourage or motivate a team.

But notice the contrast with Jesus' words

to his troubled disciples.

He's sending them back out.

Where will they find comfort and hope?

Is it in digging deep inside themselves?

Believing in themselves?

Believe in God.

Believe also in me.

This is so important.

The hope Jesus offers his troubled disciples

throughout this conversation

comes from outside ourselves.

It's actually so hopeful, so encouraging.

We need to place our faith in someone else.

And he tells us to trust him.

Jesus offers himself as our hope

whenever we are troubled.

Christian, hear that message clearly this morning.

Lest you go back out into the world

that he sends you to in your own strength.

It's not how he sends you.

And if you have never believed in Jesus,

never trusted yourself to him,

never decided that he is the source

of the life that you are longing for,

I'm so glad that you are here this morning.

I would invite you to listen to what Jesus offers

to those who do believe in him.

Whether you're convinced right now

that he can come through on what he offers or not,

consider the comfort,

the hope that Jesus promises to provide

differently from anyone else.

Trust me, Jesus says.

And now the comfort that he offers begins.

It is all in him.

Verse two,

in my father's house are many rooms.

If it were not so,

would I have told you

that I go to prepare a place for you.

Jesus is about to go away from them, right?

But he is going to prepare a place for them.

It's a dwelling, a home,

with the idea of these words

focusing not so much on the size

as on the security,

the certainty of the home.

There's a place for you,

a place where you belong,

a home.

When the storms of life

have you confused and overwhelmed,

there's no place like home.

There's no place like home

where you're accepted, right?

Where you're at rest.

Where's home for us?

Paul will later say

our citizenship is in heaven.

That's home.

With God in his house,

a city, a heavenly home

that he's made for us

and made us for.

Are you troubled by life

not working out

the way that you'd hoped?

Feeling unfulfilled

here in this world?

Troubled perhaps

by the end of your time here

or someone else's time

here in this world

coming quickly?

Jesus sets our hope,

not here,

but on a true home

that is beyond this world.

C.S. Lewis says

this is why God

gives us here

only glimpses

of true happiness,

never enough

to fully satisfy us.

It's because he made us

for another world,

for another home

where we'll more deeply

feel that.

Lewis writes

in The Problem of Pain,

the security that we crave

would teach us

to rest our hearts

in this world

and so it would pose

an obstacle

to our return to God.

But a few moments

of happy love,

a landscape,

a symphony,

a merry meeting

with friends,

a bath

or a football match

have no such tendency.

Our Father refreshes us

on the journey

with some pleasant ends

but will not encourage us

to mistake them

for home.

Let not your heart

be troubled.

Jesus is preparing

a home for you.

And then he clarifies

the most important thing

about our true home.

It's one thing.

It's that that home

is with Jesus.

Verse 3,

if I go and prepare

a place for you,

I will come again

and will take you

to myself

that where I am

you may be also.

I will take you where?

To myself.

That where I am

you may be also.

This, beloved,

is heaven

to be

with

Jesus.

How does the Apostle Paul

encourage us with hope

in the end times?

He says,

and so

we will be

always

with

the Lord.

Home,

friends,

is where

Jesus is.

In fact,

1 John 3

tells us

we'll be

like Jesus

because we will

finally see him

as he is

face to face

completely remade

in his image.

Jesus doesn't

get into a lot

of details

about heaven here,

does he?

How gold

are the streets,

Jesus?

I mean,

how big

is my house

after all?

What will I spend

all of my time

doing?

Listen,

he doesn't get into it

because none of that

comforts

like the fact

that you will be

in the Father's house

with Jesus,

his Son.

You know this.

You know that's

the most important thing.

What is by far

the most important

thing about a honeymoon?

Is it the particular

details of the place

that you stay?

Is it the excellence

of the food?

Is it the quality

of the service?

No way!

It is the presence

of your beloved,

right?

That's what makes

it a honeymoon.

Jesus says,

I've got a home

for you.

Not just a week,

but an eternity.

And I'll be there

with you.

So you can rest

today

instead of

trying to make

life in this world

a perfect

and satisfying home

that gives you

everything you've ever

longed for.

In fact,

even those of you

who fail me here

miserably,

you're coming home

with me.

Look,

this is

amazing grace

beyond what you

might be realizing

if you're just

thinking about heaven

and the home

right now.

Stop and listen

to Jesus here.

Jesus is preparing

a place for you,

right?

He's doing all

of that work

and then he's not

waiting for you

to find your way

to get there

to this wonderful

place.

He's actually

coming back

to get you.

What comfort!

Don't miss that

because Thomas

is about to miss

that, okay?

Let not your

heart be troubled.

Your true home

is with

Jesus.

Thomas is too

practical here,

too down to earth,

although I'm so

thankful he is.

Gets us a really

beautiful interaction.

And I find the

same thing in me.

When my heart

is troubled,

I often find that

I grasp for

something secure,

some very

practical security,

something I can

hold on to

even if I know

it won't really

last.

Look at verse 4.

Jesus says,

you know the way

to where I'm going.

And Thomas said

to him,

Lord, we don't

know where you're

going.

How can we know

the way?

Do you hear him?

Can you feel

the anxiety

in his voice?

Cut the fluff,

Jesus.

You're leaving us.

How are we going

to be okay on our

own?

You've got to give

us something more.

how can they

know the way

to be with him?

Jesus said to him,

I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

No one comes

to the Father

except through me.

There's an exclusive

claim here in this

verse and that might

be hanging some of us

up.

We're going to come

back to that in just

a second, okay?

But what's Jesus

primarily saying here

when he makes the

statement about who

he is?

He is comforting

his disciples by

telling them that he

is all they need,

that he is the

sufficient way to

the Father to get

home.

They need only to

know him, to trust

him, to live in

relationship with

him.

Not some complex

set of directions,

this is not like the

Mission Impossible

movie where if

you're going to

find the treasure

you have to get

through a retina

scan and then

crawl through the

air vents and

dodge security

cameras and jump

through laser beams

and balance on one

tiptoe and crack the

safe all the same

time just to get to

the treasure.

That's not what

Jesus is saying.

He says, no, you

trust me.

I do the work.

I come back to

rescue you.

I bring you all the

way home.

Y'all, that's grace.

That's Jesus.

That's how he works.

I am, he says.

Yet again in John, a

pointer to his true

divine identity.

Remember the bread of

life, the light of the

world, the door, the

good shepherd, the

resurrection and the

life and now I am the

way, the truth and the

life.

We just need to know

him because he's not

merely the way to the

father but the truth

and life himself.

Just as we said, not

merely the way home, the

way to that place but he

is the destination, the

rest, the highlight of

the home himself.

Thomas Akempis famously

paraphrased Jesus here in

the 15th century.

Without the way, there is

no going.

Without the truth, there

is no knowing.

Without the life, there is

no living.

I am the way which you

must follow, the truth

which you must believe, the

life for which you must

hope.

I am the inviolable way, the

infallible truth, the

unending life.

I am the way that is

straight, the supreme

truth, the life that is

true, the blessed, the

uncreated life.

That's the main thing Jesus

is communicating.

That he is the sufficient

way.

But it's true, and I want

to slow down here because

this throws most people

these days.

He is the only way.

That's quite clear in the

Greek.

The way, the truth, the

life.

In fact, Jesus clarifies

that no one comes to the

Father except through him.

Despite what you hear these

days, even in many

churches, this is consistent

with Jesus' claims elsewhere

in John, the teaching of

Scripture as a whole.

salvation is found in no

one else, for there is no

other name under heaven

given to men by which we

must be saved.

Acts 4.12.

Now, there are books and

blogs all over the place

about this and what it

means and how it impacts

us.

Let me just say two things

this morning.

The first one, primarily for

those of you here

investigating Jesus,

when something is personal,

it's always exclusive.

In other words, when it's

about relationship, there's

only one way.

There's only one me and one

you.

You can't pick someone else

and spend time with him,

getting to know him, and

then claim through that to

have a relationship with me.

It's not the nature of

relationship.

And Christianity teaches

that what we need, in fact,

what we long for, because

it's what we were made for,

is relationship with God

himself.

And so, Jesus, as we'll see

more here, is connecting us

to that uniquely.

Christianity is not like many

religions, an experience,

or primarily a philosophy,

or an achievement,

something you do.

The God of the Bible

is a unique person

in relationship with whom

we actually get to know him,

and we experience true love.

We trust his justice.

We rejoice in his presence.

So to say that there's a

person who exclusively

is the way to God

is wonderfully personal

and completely normal.

Especially wonderful

if he's bringing God

to us, right?

What we should be concerned

about when we talk about

being exclusive,

this is the second thing

I especially want those

who trust Jesus already

to be listening to,

who is excluded

by Jesus' exclusivity?

We rightly should be careful.

Typically, when we think

of people being excluded,

it is those who don't

measure up,

who can't reach the bar,

who don't offer

what's needed.

Exclusivity almost always

means that those

who are good enough

are in,

and those who are too bad

are out, right?

The good news of Jesus

is the most inclusive

exclusivity ever.

Listen, this grace

we've been talking about

here this morning,

Jesus prepares the place,

he pays the penalty,

he comes and brings us

home to himself.

What does that mean?

It means the weak,

the poor,

the bad,

the humble

are in.

They're in

with Jesus.

The ones excluded

are those who proudly

insist on their own way,

who reject a God

who's greater than they are,

who refuse the path

of grace.

Friends, that probably means

there is way more grace

than we can comprehend

for mistakes

and misunderstandings

and missed opportunities.

So we Christians

should be the last people

who are looking down

on anyone else

who disagrees with us.

It should be

that we're looking out

for them.

We are the bad,

the left out,

the weak,

and Jesus has brought us in.

Amen?

It's the only way

you get there.

He is the way,

not you being good enough.

Jesus is the way

and he loves

bringing people home.

you struggling

with your performance

these days?

Are you hurt

by your church's

failures?

Are you thinking

you've lost your way

in life?

Let not your heart

be troubled.

Jesus

is all you need

to get home.

Two more bits

of comfort

more briefly.

Jesus continues

in verse 7.

If you had known me

you would have known

my father also.

From now on

you do know him

and have seen him.

Philip said to him,

Lord show us the father

and it is enough

for us.

And Jesus then

asks a really

sobering question.

Especially if you've

been in a church

a long time

but you don't feel

close to Jesus.

Jesus said to him,

Have I been with you

so long

and you still

do not

know me?

Have I been with you

so long

and you still

don't

know

me?

See,

whoever has seen me

has seen the father.

How can you say

show us the father?

Do you not believe

that I'm in the father

and the father

is in me?

The words that I say

to you,

I don't speak them

on my own authority.

You know this,

Philip.

The father who dwells

in me does his works.

Believe me

that I am in the father

and the father

is in me.

Have you gotten

the message yet?

Or else believe

on account

of the works

themselves.

Remember that

personal knowing

that I said

Christianity

is all about?

That's what Jesus

is saying here.

It's not

information about.

Information about

someone is not

exclusive.

You can read

about someone.

You can know

a lot of information.

Jesus wants you

personally

to know

God,

your father.

Jesus is telling

his friends

that when they

know him,

they know

the father.

Wow!

See,

in this culture

that would have

been unthinkable.

God was

the unknowable.

Yahweh

was high

and exalted

and above them

and so Philip

is understandably

still worried

that Jesus

is about to leave

and God

is still out

there unknown.

Perhaps he's

out to get them.

Likely at this point

he's disappointed

in them, right?

And Jesus

was this messianic

figure that

they hoped

would lead them

to God

and so Jesus

says don't be

confused.

Don't be

troubled by this.

I am

who God

really is.

Jesus

came

to reveal

the father

perfectly

and personally

to us.

You want to know

what God's like?

He stoops

to wash

the feet

of those

beneath him.

He weeps

in the face

of death

at the tomb

of a loved one.

He feeds

5,000 plus people

like that

with no effort.

He heals

the sick,

raises the dead,

challenges

the proud.

In fact,

he chases

religious

profiteers

out of his

house,

drives them

away.

It disgusts

him when

people use

his name

and his

church

to hurt

others

and to

point them

away from

him.

Just wait

till you see

if that's

what he's

like towards

religious

people.

What do

you think

he's going

to do

when he

finds a

sinful

woman

at the

well?

Well,

he patiently

and lovingly

and against

all expectations

engages with

her.

He in

fact brings

hope to

her life

and through

her to

her whole

community.

Will God

really be

that way

with me?

Will it be

like that for

me?

even though

I've known

about him

for so

long?

Will he

still be

that way

with me?

Is there

justice for

my suffering?

Is there

grace for

my sin?

Yes.

Most

assuredly,

yes,

there is.

Let not

your heart

be troubled.

God is

really like

what you've

seen in

Jesus.

Such

good news.

We're

going to

see more

of these

next hopeful

words next

week.

But they're

words of

comfort and

hope too.

How will

we accomplish

anything with

you gone,

Jesus?

You know

they're asking

that.

You're the

miracle worker.

You're the

wise teacher.

You're the

winner of

followers.

Verse 12,

truly,

truly,

I say to

you,

whoever

believes in

me will

also do

the works

that I

do.

And

greater

works than

these will

he do

because I

am going

to the

Father.

In fact,

whatever you

ask in

my name,

this I

will do,

that the

Father may

be glorified

in the

Son.

If you

ask me

anything in

my name,

I will

do it.

Believe in

me.

Right?

Right where we

started.

Jesus offers

himself as

our hope.

He's leaving,

but he's

not leaving

us alone.

He's going

to keep

working in

us to

live like

him,

to do

even

greater

things in

the sense

of the

timing of

Jesus'

kingdom.

After his

death and

resurrection,

the full

gospel will

be proclaimed

clearly and

personally.

More people

will be brought

into his

kingdom.

God's glory

will come

and be seen

in fresh

ways.

And when

you start

asking,

by the

power of

Jesus,

not your

own,

for the

glory of

Jesus,

not your

own,

he will

delight to

hear and

answer your

prayers.

You can talk

with him like

he's still

right there

with you.

Now these

last verses

can be abused

in both

directions.

I'm aware

of that.

No, he's

not saying

name it and

claim it,

whatever car

you want,

just it'll

show up in

your driveway

this afternoon.

But I

want to warn

us Presbyterians

more on the

other side,

okay?

Don't

underestimate

the power

of prayer

because it

connects to

the power

of Jesus

who is

alive like

he's right

here with

you.

You long

to see

Jesus glorified

in the life

of your

child,

your neighbor,

yourself,

in an area

that seems

to you

impossible.

How could

the light

of Jesus

shine there?

Ask him.

Keep asking.

He's telling

you that he

may not be

here performing

miracles bodily

anymore,

but the miraculous

things beyond

what any of us

asks or imagines,

they haven't

stopped and

they won't

stop.

And I don't

know if you're

starting to feel

uncomfortable because

I am just a little

bit, but I'm

preaching the text

and this is

what Jesus

says will

happen.

So he's

talking to

Peter, listen

Peter, you're

the one who

saw my glory

and my

transfiguration.

You're the

one who

watched Lazarus

walk out of

a grave.

You, Peter,

have seen the

Samaritan woman

come to faith

and the Jewish

Messiah and I'm

telling you that

even though all

those things have

happened, your

best days with

me are still to

come.

Greater things

yet will happen,

Jesus says.

Just ask.

You know why?

Because you're

not on your

own.

There are

greater things

with Jesus.

Holy Spirit

next week, so

good.

Jesus will never

leave you and

in his economy

the best things

are always yet

to come.

Let not your

heart be

troubled.

Your best days

with Jesus are

still ahead.

So much comfort

for us in one

passage.

right where we

most need it.

Right?

He speaks words

like this.

I'm not supposed

to but I have to

show you one last

thing.

When Jesus says

let not your

hearts be

troubled,

he's not

saying shut

up and quit

whining.

Your troubles

are no big

deal.

He knows there

are real reasons

in this world

to get

troubled,

to be

unsettled,

even upset.

I know that

because we're

told that during

this very

conversation,

just a few

verses earlier,

Jesus himself

is troubled,

same word,

in his

spirit.

As he

contemplates

his betrayal

and his

approaching

death.

So what does

Jesus do

when his

heart is

troubled?

Hey, take

your own

advice, man.

Let not

your heart

be troubled.

What does

Jesus do?

Jesus

stays

troubled

so that

we don't

have to.

Jesus

troubles

himself

for our

comfort.

Jesus

goes to

an agonizing

death

willingly

as the

way to

prepare a

home for

us,

to bring

us to

that home

with him,

to love

you like

God so

that you

always have

hope of

brighter days

with Jesus.

He faces

the trouble

head on

to spare

us from

it so

that our

troubled hearts

today don't

have to

stay troubled.

There's

comfort for

us today

only

because there

was no

comfort for

him on

the cross.

He died

to give

us these

glorious

promises of

life.

Do you see

his love

for you?

That's the

message of

the Lord's

Supper.

It was

this very

night where

he's saying

these things

where he

would be

betrayed.

That the

Lord Jesus

took bread

and he

broke it

and he

gave it

to his

disciples

as I'm

ministering

in his

name.

Give this

bread to

you.

And he

said,

take,

eat.

This is

my body

broken for

you.

Do this

in remembrance

of me.

And in the

same way

after supper

he took

the cup

and said,

this cup

is the new

covenant in

my blood

shed for

many for

the forgiveness

of sins.

Drink from

it all

of you.

For as

often as

you eat

this bread

and drink

this cup

you proclaim

the Lord's

death

until he

comes.

This is

Jesus'

table.

It's not

the table

of Southwood

or the

Presbyterian

church.

So child

of God

let not

your heart

be troubled.

His body

given

for you.

His blood

shed

for you.

Your home

purchased

and prepared

for you

to be with

him today.

Come and

taste it.

To be with

him forever.

Long for that.

Look forward

to that.

Come

and eat.

If you

don't

know Jesus

like that,

if you

have not

personally

embraced

him as

the way

into

relationship

with God,

the truth

and the

life that

you long

for,

then don't

come take

these elements

today.

But I

would plead

with you

instead,

take

Jesus

today as

he offers

himself

to you.

Believe

in him

as the

hope

for your

troubled

heart.

It's

trouble

that can't

be fully

handled,

fully

satisfied.

any

other

way.

And

Jesus

offers

himself

to

you

now

and

forever.

Come

let us

pray with

you during

the Lord's

Supper.

We'd

love to

talk with

you more

after.

But come

to Jesus.

Let's pray

and we'll

celebrate

together.

Jesus,

every one

of us

desperately

needs you

to come

to us.

By your

Holy Spirit

meet with

us now

so that

very normal

bread and

wine

minister to

our hearts

in a very

holy

and powerful

way

that you

would do

work here

today that

we couldn't

make happen

on our

own

because you're

present

and you're

giving us

your grace

again.

Do your

work

for your

glory and

our good.

We ask

in your

name.

Amen.

For more

information,

visit us

online at

southwood.org.