John 14:7-14: Hope for Dark Days

Lamentations 3:19–24“Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.””

Intro

We live in dark and uncertain days.

You can look out at the world around us and it looks like everything is following apart.

Sin runs rampant.

Any semblance of virtue is all but dead.

And we see the Enemy on the move with seemingly no checks or balances to stop him.

And it all can start to weigh you down.

What is going to happen?

What kind of world will our children grow up in?

Will our nation turn and repent or will it collapse in on itself under the weight of its own madness?

Maybe some of you are feeling the weight and the pressure of that this morning.

Like Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah that righteous man lived among them day after day…tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard (2 Peter 2:8).

The temptation when we face such uncertain days is to give into hopelessness and despair.

To grow anxious… uncertain… fearful… fully of dread and doubt when the road looks dark ahead.

Where can you go for hope?

Where can you go for stable ground in an unstable world when it feels like the rug has been swept out from under you and everything is teetering on the edge?

How do you keep going and not give into despair and more than that… actually overcome and have hope for the future?

The Disciples

On the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion the disciples were facing dark days of their own.

Jesus had just said one of them would betray Him.

That He was about to leave and where He was going the disciples could not come.

That before the sun rose up Peter… the Leader of the Disciples… would deny Him…

And if Peter was going to deny Him, what does that mean for the rest of us?

And in just a few short hours Jesus would be arrested and handed over to the authorities to be crucified.

For the disciples… on that side of the cross… their whole world was coming down.

The last three years of leaving everything behind to follow Jesus and all their hopes for the future were gone in a puff of dust.

Well what now?

Its all over.

Everything is falling apart.

And it is there… in the midst of their heartache and their doubts and their questions that Jesus says Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me (John 14:1).

Jesus gives them comfort and calls them to greater faith.

The same kind of faith we need in our own day.

And the first comfort that Jesus gives is their eternal destiny is secure.

John 14:2–3 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.

That where Jesus was going was to prepare the way to the Father.

To pay for our sins and reconcile us to God by His sacrificial death.

That’s why He said…

John 14:6–8 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 my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.

This was in response to Thomas’ question in 14:5 Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?

And Jesus says Thomas I am the way.

If you know me… you know the Father.

And from now on, from my crucifixion and death… you do know Him and have seen Him…

Have seen His glory: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:5-7).

In Christ, we see the glory of the Father…

His goodness and kindness in the salvation of sinners…

And His righteousness and judgment in laying all of our sin on Jesus and pouring out all the wrath our sins deserved on Him as our substitute.

The glory of God… the Just and Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).

And Jesus saying you have seen the Father, led Philip… another troubled disciple to ask a question of His own.

Our eternal destiny is secure.

Yes that is good news Jesus… more than we ever deserved.

But what about right here right now.

What comfort what hope do you have to give us today?

Philip said Lord show us the Father, and it is enough for us (John 14:8).

And this request leads us to our big idea and how you can I can have hope in dark days and hope for the future.

When all seems dark, trust in Christ and the Promises of His Kingdom.

That’s Christ’s answer to Philip.

When Philip looks for hope… Christ points to Himself and says Believe in me and then points to His gospel and the Kingdom and says I know it all seems dark but this is just the beginning.

And those are going to be our two points today.

When days seem dark…

Number 1… Our Hope is in Our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

And Number 2… Our Hope is in the Promises of His Victorious Kingdom.

Let’s start with point number 1…

I. Our Hope is in Our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ

John 14:8–11 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.”

You can almost hear the sadness in Jesus voice.

Have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me?

Is it not obvious after all we’ve been through?

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?

These are some of the most theologically significant words of Jesus’ ministry.

This is yet another example in John where if anyone ever tells you Jesus never claimed to be God… bring them here.

Jesus essentially says I am the Son of God incarnate in human flesh.

The revelation of the Father.

Hebrews 1:3 The radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.

Colossians 1:15 The image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

When Jesus says Whoever has seen me has seen the Father and I am in the Father and the Father is in me…

He is not erasing distinctions within the Trinity.

We believe in One God eternally existing in Three Persons: 1. The Father… 2. The Son… the Holy Spirit.

All three persons coequally, coeternally God.

But what Jesus is highlighting is His unity with the Father.

That He is the eternal Son of God and the Word and Revelation of God… incarnate in human flesh.

In John 10:30 Jesus said I and the Father are one.

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

Not one person… that would deny the Trinity.

One Nature… One God…

This is what John has said in the very beginning.

John 1:1, 14, 18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

As Thomas Watson said The light of the glory of God is revealed in the lantern of Jesus’ humanity.

He’s the only way to know God!

He’s the only way to see God who is invisible (Colossians 1:15).

Who the Bible says no one has ever seen nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16).

He is the only way to be forgiven of our sin and reconciled to the Father.

That’s why Jesus said I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

This is core to our Christian faith… Jesus is God.

We worship God who became a man.

The Son of God who lived a perfect and sinless life and died in our place for our sins.

Taking upon Himself the very wrath our sins deserved.

The God who humbled Himself, took on our human nature… and laid down His life all to love us and save us from our sins.

And Jesus says John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

The works are Jesus’ miracles that prove and attest that He is the messiah.

Raising the dead… Healing the sick… Opening blind eyes…

All were signs testifying that Jesus was who He said He was.

The Bread of Life (John 6:35).

The Light of the World (John 8:12).

The Door of the Sheep (John 10:7,9).

The Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14).

The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).

The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

And The True Vine (John 15:1, 5).

John 4:13–14 Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

What Jesus is after is faith… and faith is the answer for our troubled souls.

Show us the Father

Philip said John 14:8 Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.

And usually we just look at that question theologically.

But remember… in context Philips heart is troubled.

One of you will betray me (John 13:21).

Where I am going you cannot come (John 13:33).

Before the rooster cross you will deny me three times (John 13:38).

Philips asking this question out of a troubled heart.

You have to remember, Philip is the one who always looked to His own resources.

When Jesus fed the great multitude it was Philip who said Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little (John 6:7).

He always saw just what was right in front of him.

He didn’t see God’s sovereign almighty hand working over him.

I think when Philip’s asking Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us… what he’s saying is… show us God is with us.

Show us we’re not alone.

If we could just see Him, everything would be better.

We’ve all had that when we’ve been in a hard time

God I just want to know you’re near.

That you’ve got this… and most importantly you’ve got me.

And Jesus points Philip… and all the disciples… to Himself.

If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father… I’m right here.

Hit This!

Believe in Me!

Hold Fast to Me!

And all the peace and longing of your soul will be answered.

In dark days… look to Christ!

The Son of God incarnate in human flesh who left the glories of heaven to lay down His life for you and draw us near to the Father.

Surely we can trust Him and hope in Him for all things.

No matter how dark… we trust and follow our Great God and Savior who if He gave His life for us will surely care for us.

The idea is in Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 1:8-12.

Speaking to Timothy in his own dark days suffering in chains… Paul says…

2 Timothy 1:8–12 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do.

And here is the key…

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

I know whom I have believed…

Paul’s hope at the end of His life…

Suffering in chains awaiting his eventual execution…

Was Jesus Christ.

We don’t have to fear...

We don’t have to shrink back…

We don’t have to give into hopelessness or despair…

I know whom I have believed.

Our Hope is in our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

We can have confidence in any situation we might face.

Comfort comes in trusting in Christ…. Believing in Christ… Holding fast to Christ.

We could say it like this… Our hope is in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

What greater hope and confidence can we have than that?

No matter how dark the world might look… no matter how much your heart might be troubled… trust in Christ.

The Good Shepherd always loves and cares for the sheep.

Transition

And Jesus doesn’t just stop there.

He doesn’t just say if we look to Him we’ll make it through just barely by the skin of our teeth

As the passage continues Christ calls us not to just believe in Him… but to trust in His promises… and specifically the promises of His glorious, victorious Kingdom.

And that’s Point number 2…

In dark days…

II. Our Hope is in the Promises of Christ and His Victorious Kingdom

John 14:12–14 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. 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.

These are some curious verses that have been wildly misused and abused.

Is Jesus promising we will do miracles and even greater miracles than Him?

Or that He’ll answer all our prayers no matter what we ask as long as we have faith?

But before we can understand what it means for us today we need to understand what it meant to them there and then when Jesus said this to the Apostles.

Audicence

And that’s the first thing we need to notice. Who is Jesus talking to?

He is talking to the Apostles!

Truly Truly I say to you!

The you are those sitting there.

Whatever you ask in my name… if you ask me anything.

Christ was speaking to them.

This is an important aspect of biblical interpretation.

You can’t just take a verse and apply it directly to you.

You need to understand it in its context.

Some of Jesus’ commands were audience specific.

Rich Young Ruler

Think of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:22).

Is everyone required to sell all they have and distribute to the poor no.

No that was a command for him then.

The principle for us is, Jesus must be our sole devotion… we can let nothing in this world hold us back from following Him.

Pentecost

Or take the Apostles with Pentecost.

Luke 24:49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

Does that mean every Christian needs to go to Jerusalem until the receive the Holy Spirit?

No that was a command for them then.

So in the same way, this command, as Sinclair Ferguson puts it, is a “promise-prophecy” for the Disciples of Jesus’ day promising His faithfulness to Him and the Victorious Mission of the Church.

He’s basically saying… This is not then end.

Its not all over.

I am not abandoning you.

Everything we’ve been working for… everything you’ve sacrificed for… everything you’ve left your home and lives for… is still on the table.

My Mission… My Kingdom… My Gospel and My Salvation will grow and take over the world.

It might all look dark now… it might all seem lost… but this is just the beginning!

I will build my Church! And I will be with you and empower you every step of the way.

So what Christ is promising is not miracles as such… miracles are definitely included… but its the broader concept of the triumph of Christ and the Gospel in a dark and dying world.

Greater Things

That’s what He means by greater works or greater things.

In the context back up in verse 10 the Father’s works are the revelation of God and His salvation in Jesus.

The works are tied to the gospel.

And when Jesus says whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do…

Yes miracles are included… we see that in the lives of the apostles…

But John’s words for miracles is signs (John 2:11).

Works is a much broader term that includes all the life and ministry of Jesus.

Yes the miracles, but also all the teaching and the preaching.

So the entire gospel ministry… not just miracles themselves (John 4:34, 17:4).

In fact if you go back to John 5:20… we have the same phrase… greater works… in that passage.

John 5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

Well what are these greater works?

John 5:21, 25-26 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

So the greater works are the works of life and resurrection.

The New Birth! Spiritual conversion!

Calvin called these greater works the quote “wonderful conversion of the world.”

(John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 89–90).

The promise that the gospel would go forth and turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6).

So the greater works… when taken as a whole are the works of the gospel leading to regeneration and salvation of the world.

Jesus was promising that the work of the gospel would continue on with great success through the lives of the Apostles by the Holy Spirit’s Power because Jesus was going back to the Father.

Fulfillment

All of this was fulfilled in the life of the Apostles.

The book of Acts records all the miracles that Christ did in and through them (Hebrews 2:4).

Acts 5 tells us people lined the streets hoping Peter’s shadow might fall on them (Acts 5:15).

Acts 19 says And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them (Acts 19:11-12).

Acts 5:12–14 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles…

Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do

And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.

And greater works than these will he do.

We see it all right there.

And as you read the book of Acts this was all the work of Christ in response to prayer (Acts 2:42, 4:24-31).

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (Acts 3:6, 12, 16, 9:34).

They prayed in Christ’s name… according to His will… and the church exploded.

When Jesus retuned to the Father He only had a relatively small group of believers mostly surrounding Jerusalem made up of only Jews.

Paul says at one time Jesus appeared to 500 (1 Corinthians 15:6).

There were around 120 gathered together on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:15).

But on that day… the gospel exploded.

3000 were added (Acts 2:41).

A little later 5000 were added (Acts 4:4).

The Word of God continued increasing (Acts 6:7) and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).

And it didn’t just stay among the Jews but it went to the Samaritans (Acts 8:14)… and then the Gentiles (Acts 10)… and eventually all the nations of the world to now… look how far the gospel has gone today (Colossians 1:6, 23, Romans 10:18, 16:25-26).

The Greater Works are the works of the Gospel as a whole and the works of the Apostles and the works of the church today have greatly expanded on the scope and impact of Jesus’ ministry just as He said it would.

He promised them a victorious Kingdom.

And it all started in that upper room with all those troubled hearts when all seemed lost.

Hope for Today

Can you imagine just how this would have been a comfort to them.

Everything was not lost.

All their sacrifices would be worth it.

They had Christ… their great God and Savior and now they had a victorious mission… hope for the future that ran absolutely counter to their dark days and everything their eyes could see.

The same is true for us.

The works of Christ and the greater works of the Church still continue today.

We… the body of Christ are carrying that on.

This is where these verses have relevance for us.

Christ will build His church.

Dark Days

We might be facing dark days…

Hard days…

Days of political turmoil and an ungodly wicked government.

Cultural turmoil with rampant division, hatred, envy and sin.

Sodom and Gomorra on steroids.

And even religious turmoil.

The light of the gospel has never looked so dim with worldly church and false teachers all over the church.

Not to mention that we also now live in negative world where Christianity no longer holds a place of prominence and respect but is despised and rejected by our culture.

You can look out at the world and thing it also seems lost.

And Jesus says to us the same thing He said to His disciples.

Believe in me… trust in me…

I’ve got this… and I will build by church.

Kingdom Growth

Just like the disciples we have great promises of the growth of the Kingdom… and the victory of the Kingdom against all opposition.

Daniel

What did Daniel see?

A stone not cut with human hands strike the image… representing the kingdoms of me… turning those kingdoms to dust and then growing into a great mountain that filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:34-36).

Total supremacy.

Mustard Seed

Jesus said The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds…

Just a few disciples at the dawn of the church….

But when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air [all the nations] come and make nests in its branches (Matthew 13:31-32).

Leaven

Likewise… The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it… kind of worked but not really.

Basically had no impact and mostly stayed the same?

No… till it was all leavened.

Christ promises the growth and victory of His Kingdom.

That of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end and He shall rule over the nations (Isaiah 9:7, Psalm 72:8, Zechariah 9:10).

The preaching of the Gospel will go forth until eventually Habakkuk 2:14 The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

That is the hope we have for the future.

No matter how dark or how uncertain.

The promises of God are greater than what our eyes can see.

They look like giants to us and we are like grasshoppers to them! (Numbers 13:33).

Yes! But we know whom we have believed!

Jesus Christ the Lord God Almighty and King of kings and Lord of lords.

What did Jesus say?

Matthew 16:18 On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of death shall not prevail against it.

Everywhere the church goes death and Hell has no chance.

They are on the defense and like the walls of Jericho their walls will come tumbling down.

That is what Christ promises!

Now does this mean we will see revival in our day?

A massive repentance and turning the the Lord?

I don’t know.

But I the comfort that we have is… its not all lost.

And our efforts and our faithfulness will not be spent for nothing.

At the very least its another brick in the road on the way to the Kingdom.

This gives us greater confidence and greater purpose that our efforts will not be wasted!

Even our church might be a small mustard seed…

Your family…

Your life and discipleship…

But what can the Lord not do?

I hope this gives you a greater zeal for investing your life in the Kingdom.

Pursuing Christ...

Living for Christ…

Investing your life in the church knowing not a single bit of it is wasted and its the greatest impact you can have on the world.

Laboring in faith that Jesus will bring His promises to pass and not giving into despair or losing hope.

Are you seeking things that are below or seeking things that are above? (Colossians 3:1).

Laying up for yourself treasures on earth or treasures in heaven? (Matthew 6:20).

Look at where the disciples were and look what Jesus did.

They turned the world upside down! (Acts 17:6).

And the gospel we preach still has the power to save (Romans 1:16).

Pray!

So instead of growing hopeless or discouraged about the world look to Christ and the promises of His Kingdom!

And when you do feel hopeless… pray!

John 14:13–14 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.

The Apostles modeled this in their greater works.

In Acts 4 they prayed.

Acts 4:29–31 And now, [Oh] Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

How often do we pray?

Pray for our nation?

Pray for the Kingdom?

Pray for the troubles and ills of our culture?

Do we pray your kingdom come… your will be done on earth as it is in heaven or do we fret and worry?

This is one of my greatest struggles.

How often do I look at the world and just get discouraged not realizing we have access to take all our burdens and concerns to Christ… the one who can fix these struggles!… in prayer?

One of the reasons the church is so weak and powerless today is because we spend more time complaining about the ills of our culture then actually praying over them.

We must be a praying people and praying church if we want to see a difference in our world.

So let me challenge you… let me challenge all of us as a church. The next time you get discouraged… hopeless… worried about what the world has for the future…

Pray!

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Prayer is necessary for the advance and spread of the gospel.

Ii cannot and will not happen with out it.

After all Jesus said Matthew 9:37–38 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray [and not just pray… pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Pray your Kingdom come your will be done.

Pray for God to bring all His promises to pass.

Take God’s own Word to Him and say God you said it… will you not do it? Will you not answer our prayers?

That is how we express our hope for the future… trusting in Christ and the promises of His Word.

We must be a praying church.

Covering everything we do in prayer.

Our kids… our families… our church family…

‌And in dark days and dark times… praying at all times for reformation and revival.

For greater works and that God would save sinners.

Because the Gospel and Jesus Christ is the only hope for this world trusting in Christ to bring all His promises to pass and be with us to the very end and all along the way.

Conclusion

When all seems dark, trust in Christ and the Promises of His Kingdom.

He says it twice to give us a certain assurance of His word.

Let’s Pray

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