And Is The Way, The Truth, & The Life

The Way, The Truth, & The Life For You

5.7.23 [John 14:1-11] River of Life (5th Sunday of Easter)

Don’t worry about it. It’s a cliche that has little power to comfort. When you are worried, Don’t worry about it, is about the last thing you want to hear. Few responses are less reassuring.

When someone wants you to invest in their next big venture or idea, and you ask a question about their business model, their financial plan, or why exactly they need your money, the last thing you want to hear is: Don’t worry about it.

When you’re handing over the keys to the brand-new car to that brand-new driver and you ask them Where are you going and what time are you going to be home? The last thing you want to hear is: Don’t worry about it.

When you’ve been diagnosed with a rare condition and your only option is a clinical trial, you’ll have questions about side effects. The last thing you want to hear is: Don’t worry about it.

Don’t worry about it doesn’t help when you are worrying about it. In fact, even when you’re not currently worried about it, Don’t worry about it seems to lead you to start worrying.

Perhaps that’s how we respond when Jesus says (Jn. 14:1) Do not let your hearts be troubled. When we look around our world, we see trouble everywhere. Places that used to be safe have become sites of horrific tragedies. Christian values that used to be celebrated are now criticized and condemned. At times, where our world seems to be headed troubles our hearts. Don’t worry about it doesn’t help one bit.

We see situations closer to home that trouble our hearts, too. People dealing with big problems and tough situations. Homelessness & loneliness. Shattered dreams & broken homes. What can we do? How can we help them? Don’t worry about it doesn’t lift our spirits at all.

Our hearts are troubled when we see the futile thinking & foolishness. Greed & ingratitude. Depravity & disobedience. Foolishness & faithlessness. Good help or good friends are hard to find. Finding people you can trust with your kids or your insecurities is almost not even worth the effort. Don’t worry about it won’t do.

The more troubling things we see, the more people who cause us trouble, the more we feel like fleeing. Insulating ourselves from the trouble we would have to face. But that doesn’t work. Because there is trouble that lurks within us. Pride and arrogance. Lovelessness and faithlessness. Doubt and despair. We have our own limitations. Faults and flaws. There are things we don’t know, can’t control, and don’t do right. Telling us don’t worry about it doesn’t set our hearts at ease.

The disciples that Jesus was speaking to in John 14 had many reasons for their hearts to be troubled. As they looked around their world, they saw all kinds of problems. There was danger and violence. There was idolatry and apostasy. People who hated God seemed to get ahead. Hypocrites seemed to be most honored and blessed.

Then Jesus found them. He called them to be his disciples. As they followed him, they saw more troubles. The sick and the suffering, the deaf and the demon-possessed flocked to this Jesus of Nazareth.

But, no matter what their troubles were, Jesus had the answer. He healed the sick. He restored hearing and sight. He gave lame men the strength to walk again. He gave grieving parents their children back again. When he spoke, the demons cowered in fear and begged for mercy. Their hearts were elated. They had finally found the Messiah.

But soon the troubles came roaring back. The crowds that were once eager to listen and only clamoring for more healing now wanted to tell Jesus what to do and were demanding he become their king. His miracles were being met with more & more doubt and cynicism. Some even accused him of teaming up with the devil. The leaders in Jerusalem, who at first seemed to be curious about Jesus, were now plotting to kill him. Trouble seemed to follow them everywhere.

Most recently, trouble seemed to be reaching its fevered pitch. Jesus had frequently talked about suffering rejection and even death. But recently Jesus had been describing this rejection and death with more troubling details. He identified his assailants. He had told his disciples that the chief priests and the teachers of the law would condemn him to death. They would hand him over to the Gentiles. He would be (Mt. 20:19) mocked, flogged, & crucified. Even Jesus admitted (Jn. 12:27) his soul was troubled by what was about to happen to him.

That night Jesus had dropped the most troubling bombshell. One of the twelve would even betray him to the chief priests. Someone who had spent years following Jesus, seeing him preach and teach and heal and lead, would lead him to his death. While they were still trying to suss out who could do such a thing, Jesus told them: (Jn. 13:33) My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, but where I am going you cannot come. Peter objected; promised he would lay down his life for Jesus. Jesus told him that that very night, Peter would deny even knowing Jesus (Jn. 13:38) three times.

Imagine having someone you’ve followed for that long tell you that he was just going to be gone. Imagine having someone you loved like they did tell you that they were about to suffer and die and that not only were you powerless to stop it, but you would behave cowardly. The disciples had many reasons to have troubled hearts. Jesus saw that.

We have many reasons to have troubled hearts at this moment. The way is drear. The foe is near. The truth is under attack. Life is fragile and filled with hardships & heartaches. Rarely does it look like God’s kingdom is succeeding. Rarely does it seem like God’s Word is being heard & honored. Rarely do we feel like God’s promises are being kept. Much like the disciples did in that moment, in our moment, the morale of the church seems to be very fragile. What should we do?

Jesus tells us: (Jn. 14:1) You believe in God. Believe also in me. Trust what I am doing, even when it’s not what you would do if you were me. (Jn. 14:10) The Father is in me and I am in the Father. I am doing my Father’s work for your eternal benefit.

This cure for troubled hearts is fascinating and faith-strengthening. Remember why the disciples were troubled. Jesus was going to die. One of them was a betrayer. Peter was going to disown Jesus.

Think about what Jesus, who is God and knew how this was all going to shake out, could have said. He could have told them: In four days you’re going to laugh about all this. In a few weeks, Peter, I’m going to forgive you and restore you. In 50 days, your group size is going to explode more than a hundred-fold. In a few months, you’ll replace Judas and many other leaders will step up.

All of those things were going to happen. But Jesus didn’t say any of that. Troubled hearts don’t need spoilers, they need a Savior. They don’t need to know everything that's going to happen, they need to know who is going to be in control of everything that happens.

Knowing what was going to happen was what was troubling their hearts, at this moment. They needed to know who Jesus was. So he told them. (Jn. 14:6) I am the way, the truth, and the life. They needed to know what he came to do for them. So he told them. (Jn. 14:2-3) I am going to my Father’s house to prepare a place for you. I am going to come back and take you there to be with me forever. That’s what we need to hear and believe, too. In a world where so many have lost their way, we need to hear about the one who is the way. Jesus lived the way God demands. He was perfect in thought, word, & deed. He did everything the right way, every single time. Pressure from the crowds, threats from the teachers of the law, and even doubting and disloyal disciples could not get him off course. By living this way, he became the way for sinners to be reconciled to their God. By living this way, we see how love operates in a world of sin and troubles. Jesus always demonstrated his love for God’s truth & lost sinners. There was never a time when he chose one over the other.

Because he is the truth. Peter put it perfectly. (1 Pt. 2:22) He committed no sin. No deceit was found in his mouth. Jesus is the embodiment of truth in thought, word, and action. Hear how John introduces him. (Jn. 1:1) In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. (Jn. 1:14) Then that Word became flesh. God lived among sinners like us. He lived a life full of grace and truth for sinners. In so doing, he also made his (Jn. 1:18) Father known.

Jesus is also the life. He came to lay down his life in our place. He was crucified among reviled criminals because this was what we had earned. He stepped into our place so that we would not suffer God’s righteous wrath. He was numbered among the transgressors so that we would be saved. He gave his life so that we might have life to the full. Life that is not just good for a short time, but life that is full of the glory and honor and power and wisdom and wealth of heaven.

That’s the life that Jesus is preparing for us now. He's done everything necessary to earn us a spot in heaven. But right now, even in the midst of our troubles, he is with us. He is strengthening our faith. He is working out all these troubles to serve our eternal good. He doesn’t just tell us Don’t worry about it. He tells us I’ve got this under control.

And we can trust him, because we have seen what he has already done. His death was not a loss but a great victory for us. His ascension into heaven was not a tragic departure, but a royal return. He rules all things for our good. He makes his dwelling in our hearts. He blesses us with faith-strengthening Word and Sacrament. He gives us like-minded believers to help bear our burdens and prepares good things in advance for us to do. So when our hearts are troubled, when we are weighed down with worry or burdened with anxieties, he calls us to demonstrate our confidence and trust in him. Cast that stuff on your Savior because you know his love. Don’t let your hearts stay troubled. Believe in Jesus because you have seen him. He is the way, the truth, and the life.