It’s All About Jesus

It’s all about Jesus

Can we just give a shout of Praise to Jesus? The Bible says let the redeemed of the Lord say so and so if you’ve been redeemed, let the heavens hear it!

Slurpee illustration

They screamed so loud in excitement that my ancestors in the middle east could hear them.

SLIDE:  Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5 (GW)

SLIDE: “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way? ”6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:5-6 (CSB)

I think a lot of us have felt the fear and panic that comes to a person when you are absolutely lost and don’t know where to go or what to do. My family shared a story with me that when I was about 4 or 5 years old, I decided to leave the house while my mom was taking a shower. My two older brothers who were supposed to be keeping an eye on me but apparently had better plans that day and I just opened the front door and walked out and eventually began to just take a walk along the sidewalk by the main road.

Thankfully, a police officer found me and asked what I was doing and where I was going to which I showed him where I lived, and he brought me to my mom back to my home. Who knows what would have happened if that police officer didn’t take me to my house or where I would have ended up.

At one point in our lives we were wandering through this life lost, but God took notice and gave us Jesus to be the ANSWER WE NEED to find our way home.

Jesus is answering Thomas’ question in relation to Jesus saying that he is going to prepare a place for them. Jesus tells them, you know the way to where I am going.

There is probably some anxiety and fear going on when it comes to the disciples as Jesus tells them that he’s eventually going to go away.

Justine told me that she's going to go away for a few days next week to a conference at which I will be home alone with all three kids. I pleaded that she would not bring this anxiety upon my life.

Everything up to this moment is wrapped up in Jesus’ work, ministry, words, so to hear that he is going away brought a lot of fear to his followers.

Thomas then asks the question; how do we know the way?

Jesus responds by telling him that he is the answer to the question that he asked.

The Problem: Thomas separates the destination (where) from the route itself (way).

Those two are actually linked. The only reason why there is a route is because Jesus is the way. Without salvation, there would be no destination.

The only reason why we know the way is because God has made it clear to us.

The other day, I was driving my oldest son Rome to soccer practice and I took the normal route that I take to get to the soccer field. All of a sudden Rome says, Dad this isn’t the way. I said hey buddy it is the way. He said dad this isn’t the way and then he said one of the worst statements a dad could ever hear. He said dad, this isn’t the way to soccer practice because mom takes a different route.

I looked at him and graciously responded that he needs to mind his own business back there and trust that his dad knows where he’s going otherwise i'll drop him off right here and have his mom pick him up and take him to practice through her route.

In life, you can take multiple routes to get to your destination whether it be work, soccer practice, or a restaurant but in salvation there is only one route to God, it's by accepting Jesus.

We would be lost in our sin with a dead end.

A lot of us want salvation but we don’t want to submit to the savior. You can't separate the two

Jesus = salvation

Jesus = destination

Jesus = transformation

So Jesus is telling Thomas, Listen, I’m not talking to you about a specific road that you need to take, I’m telling you that I am the road. I am the way.

He’s telling him to stop focusing on a place and focus on a person.

Salvation is not about what we can do to get God, it’s about a relationship that we now have with God. When we live relationally with God, we’ll begin to walk with God.

Thomas missed it. Jesus wasn’t talking about a roadmap; he was inviting him into a relationship with him.

So, Jesus responds by saying, listen, I’m the way, the truth, and the life.

SLIDE: 1. I am The Way

Jesus is the way because he is the truth and the life.

Jesus is the embodiment of God so that people can come to the father.

A lot of people say that Rome looks just like me. Like a split image, but at the end of the day Rome is my son and he is himself. He’s not me.

Jesus, however, is God. He embodies the eternal everlasting God in the flesh.

The issue, however, is the tension that we face with culture and society. It’s the exclusiveness we see in this text.

Jesus doesn’t say that there are multiple ways through our own systems and religious affiliations. He says that there is only one way to the father, one way to eternal life and it's through himself.

In John’s gospel we’re given the why. Why was the book written? Look what he says,

SLIDE: But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 (CSB)

John is saying this gospel is all about Jesus, In fact all of Scripture is all about Jesus. From the beginning of Genesis all the way to revelation reveal the same main point, it’s that God is on a mission to restore humanity and it can only be accomplished through the work of Jesus. He is on EVERY PAGE.

I was a bad test taker in school. I was more project oriented rather than test oriented. I feel like people that naturally say that are really trying not to say that they just did bad in school.

A friend of mine gave me a tip. He said hey, listen if you mark C on every multiple choice test every page, you’ll probably get the majority of them correct because C is usually the answer.

Listen Jesus is actually always the answer because it’s all about him.

There is no other name for life, there is no other name for salvation, there is no other name for a relationship with God, but through Jesus.

What frustrates people is the exclusivity of Christianity.

Here’s the thing though, I think that every worldview is exclusive including atheism, is it not?

You must hold the belief that there is no god otherwise you are not an atheist.

Here’s the thing about the exclusivity of Christianity. While there is only one way to God through Jesus, we are given so many opportunities and invitations to come to God.

Salvation is exclusive but his love is available to all who put their trust in Jesus.

You don’t have to earn it; in fact, you can’t earn it. John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world (cosmos) so much that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

In Luke 23 as Jesus is about to die on the cross, both criminals begin arguing with each other and then it turns over to Jesus. Let me read it.

SLIDE: Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! ”But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 (CSB)

Let me ask you something. The criminal that asked Jesus to remember him. Did he have prior experience in following the way of Jesus? Did he have some seminary experience or even a proper knowledge of how to interpret Scripture? I’m pretty sure that he had a pretty bad church attendance.

I love how a pastor by the name of Allister Begg put it. I’m sure some were surprised when he ended up in paradise. The person at the front was probably like, how in the world did you end up here? You know what that thief would have said if he was asked that question? The man in the middle said I could come.

Not because of anything you did. It’s all because the man in the middle said you could come. Because Jesus accepted him.

Listen, Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone and that might seem exclusive, but I want to remind you that God’s love is available to all who put their trust in Jesus.

SLIDE: 2. I am The Truth

Jesus is the truth. The truth about who God really is.

SLIDE: For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Colossians 2:9 (NLT)

In fact, if Jesus is truth, then what he says can be trusted. See he doesn’t simply tell the truth; he is the truth.

I remember the first time Rome chose to not tell me the truth. One of the things that really makes Rome think after he chooses to not tell the truth is when I tell him, “Buddy, if you don’t tell the truth, not only is it wrong, but I can’t trust you.”

See Jesus can be trusted because he is the source of absolute truth.

SLIDE: God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

Apart from a relationship with Jesus we have no basis for truth. We have no basis for wisdom.

In John 18, Jesus is having an exchange with Pilate who was an employee for the Roman Government under the rule and reign of Caesar. This is right before he’s about to be crucified.

SLIDE: Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” John 18:37-38 (ESV)

Jesus here to Pilate claims to be the standard for truth or to put it in better terms. Truth has a name and that name is Jesus, but how does he respond? He responds by pretty much brushing it off as if yea yea everyone has their own view of truth. Here’s what I want you to understand.

If your worldview doesn’t begin and end with Jesus, then you have no standard for truth. Your worldview makes no sense.

It's interesting what Jesus is saying to Pilate and then what he says in John 14. We’re beginning to see that truth is not an intellectual concept or a philosophical theory. It’s a person.

See Jesus wasn’t giving them a quick tip to find their way or a map to get to heaven. He gave himself. He doesn’t give a way. Jesus is the way. Jesus wants the disciples to understand that his mission was to bring people to himself. That’s why he says that he is the truth.

So, when we follow Jesus, we begin to become people of truth.

Jesus is saying apart from himself, there is no way to understand or even cope with reality. Without Jesus, we have no basis for absolute factual truth. Apart from Christ, all we have is relativism.

Apart from Christ we are left to your own devices to help you navigate through life. You’re left with your own “wisdom” to get you through. And here’s the problem, we’ve got a lot of experts in everything.

A lot of us think we’re smarter than we actually are.

5th grade love letter thinking nobody would read it.

Jesus closes his response to Thomas by saying that he is

SLIDE: 3. I am The Life

If he is the true way to the Father, then only through him can we have life. He has driven this point home throughout the Gospel. Only through Jesus can anyone find life. Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples he is the source of life

SLIDE: God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. John 1:3-4 (NLT)

So why is it important for the disciples to hear that Jesus is life. Because they will eventually see him die. They will see life leave his physical body on the cross and then laid in a grave. Even as they watch this tragedy unfold, they will hear these words of reassurance echo: “I am the life.”

See Jesus is preparing them to see that if he is life, then he has the power to defeat death.

What does this mean for us? That Jesus is life. It means that we can live our full potential as humans when we live in relationship with Jesus. This means that we can have true eternal life. This is why the life Jesus gives is abundant life.

SLIDE: A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:10-11 (CSB)

I remember when we first took the kids to Disneyland. They were so excited to be there and experience all of the fun, the characters, the atmosphere of some of their favorite movies.

When we got to the hotel, I remember Niema saying DADDY THIS IS SO MUCH FUN I LOVE DISNEYLAND! Mind you we were just in the hotel, we haven’t even been inside the park yet! I remember thinking baby, if you think this is so much fun and amazing, wait until you get into the park!

Many people-including Christians-seem to be content to stay in the sea of mediocrity, settling for second best. Are you experiencing all that God has for you? Do you want the abundant life that Jesus promised? Do you want to live life to its fullest? Then aim higher. Don't set your sights too low.

The Holy Spirit has so much in store for you when you receive Jesus as savior. You may be settling for mediocre pleasure by sleeping with who you want or being in and out of relationships but there is abundant life when you follow God’s plan for marriage.

You might find temporary satisfaction in this life with the things that you have but there is so much more to life than just gaining things.

See Jesus brings meaning to your life because he is the way, he brings truth to your life in a world that makes no sense, and brings value to your life because in him, there is an abundance.

Give your life to him today. Follow the one who has rescued you from your sin and allow that to be your message.

I recently read a story about a Navy Seal who was performing a covert operation, freeing hostages from a building in some dark part of the world.

His friend’s team flew in by helicopter, made their way to the compound and stormed into the room where the hostages had been imprisoned for months. The room was filthy and dark. The hostages were curled up in a corner, terrified. When the SEALs entered the room, they heard the gasps of the hostages. They stood at the door and called to the prisoners, telling them they were Americans. The SEALs asked the hostages to follow them, but the hostages wouldn’t. They sat there on the floor and hid their eyes in fear. They were not of sound mind and didn’t believe their rescuers were really Americans.

The SEALs stood there, not knowing what to do. They couldn’t possibly carry everybody out. One of the SEALs got an idea. He put down his weapon, took off his helmet, and curled up tightly next to the other hostages, getting so close his body was touching some of theirs. He softened the look on his face and put his arms around them. He was trying to show them he was one of them. None of the prison guards would have done this. He stayed there for a little while until some of the hostages started to look at him, finally meeting his eyes. The Navy SEAL whispered that they were American and were there to rescue them. Will you follow us? he said. The seal stood to his feet and one of the hostages did the same, then another, until all of them were willing to go. The story ends with all the hostages safe on an American aircraft carrier.

Philippians 2 says that Jesus humbled himself even to death so that we could have life in him. He put himself in our mess, he came down to us to save us.

Jesus is the answer to the skepticism you have today, he’s the answer to your marital issues, the financial issues, the anger issues, the family dysfunction, the work struggle, the discontentment issues, the desire for approval and acceptance you’re trying to find in others, Jesus is the answer to an eternal relationship with God.