The Believer's Hope

John 14:1-6

Introduction

What do you do when you start to feel worried about life? We know the bible tells us in Philippians 4:6–7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We know the promise of God is to give us peace in Christ, but when you are standing right in the middle of your circumstances it is hard to have peace.

Fear, worry, and anxiety are a part of life. It is something we all deal with. Jesus would say in this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. However, even though we know we are saved and forgiven and through a relationship with Christ we overcome the troubles of this world. We still struggle when we face trials.

It doesn’t matter what it is; financial crisis, health scares, children and parents who get sick. We feel helpless and alone when situations are beyond our control.

That is the circumstances the disciples faced as Jesus was preparing them for the cross. At a time when Jesus was troubled in His own heart He could sense the growing anxiety in the disciples and with a servants heart He begins to comfort them with words of encouragement about faith and heaven.

And what we learn from this passage is the solution to our troubled hearts is to trust in Jesus!!

John 14:1–6 NASB95

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. “And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Our passage tonight is what is known as the upper room discourse. It is an extended teaching by Jesus to His disciples that stretches from John chapter thirteen through Chapter seventeen.

It began with Jesus and the disciples sharing the last supper together and will end in His arrest and trial and tomorrow He will be crucified.

Only Jesus fully understands what is about to take place. However, the disciples are very aware something is about to happen and it is not going to be good.

In these four chapters Jesus gives them this extended teaching, this is His final instructions before leaving them and He is trying to comfort them as well as prepare them for what is next.

For us today we live in a time after the cross. We live in a time not waiting for the departure of Jesus, but waiting for His return.

Like the disciples in this story, not knowing what is coming next causes us to worry and be afraid. There are things happening in this world that are out of control and we can’t help but be troubled by what we see. So, the words and the promises of Jesus to His disciples in the upper room, apply just as much to us today

And what we learn from this passage is the same thing Jesus wanted His disciples to know, The solution to our troubled hearts is faith in Christ.

I. The Command to have Faith Vs. 1

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

He begins by trying to console them. “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Why were the disciples so Troubled?

They had spent the last three and a half years with Jesus. They saw the miracles, heard the teaching, and believed in Him as the Messiah.

John 6:66–69 “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.””

Jesus had been telling the disciples all along that He was going to Jerusalem, would be handed over to the Jewish leaders, and crucified, but they never thought it would actually happen, or if they did they believed it would be sometime in the future. Well now the time has come and they were troubled.

Consider what Jesus has told them on this night alone; one of you will betray me, now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified, I am going away, Peter will deny me three times before morning.

The tension was building and they could sense the tension in Jesus. Jesus Himself was troubled, look at John 13:21 “When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.””

If Jesus was troubled how much more do you think the disciples were troubled? They were overwhelmed.

Ill. I remember growing up and my parents going through financial crisis. Their worry and fear caused all of us to worry. That must have been what it was like for the disciples.

Notice the Command to have faith Vs. 1.

Vs. 1. “believe in God, believe also in Me.”

Jesus says, the same way that you believe in God believe in Me!!

The word believe here means more than to have blind faith. This isn’t an intellectual ascent. To believe means to trust, to depend on, and to put your hope in.

Even though Jesus’ intention here is to encourage and console the disciples, and He is probably saying this in a gentle tone, This is a command to have faith, and that is a principle we find throughout the scripture.

Hebrews 11: 6. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Romans 4:3 “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.””

God rewards faith and discourages unbelief.

There are a couple of reasons why are hearts become troubled and the solution to both, is faith!!

The pressures of this world cause us trouble.

We can become overwhelmed by our circumstances. Whether they are actual circumstances or perceived circumstances, doesn’t really matter, we can feel overwhelmed.

We are afraid we can’t pay our bills. We are afraid of a Dr. diagnosis. We are afraid the world is crashing in on us.

Notice the solution Jesus gives us. Matthew 6:25-34

Matthew 6:25–34 NASB95

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 33 for the solution “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

2. The pressures of God cause us to be troubled..

There are times when God will trouble our heart because He wants us to mature and grow.

James 1:2–3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

No matter what troubles your heart is in, the solution is always trusting God, believing in Him and depending on Him for the outcome.

Notice the command in John 14:1 is to trust Christ. Why the distinction? Remember who Jesus is talking to and what is getting ready to happen.

Jesus is getting ready to go to the cross and He says trust Me, I know you don’t understand this now, but you will. Trust what I am getting ready to do is the plan of God from the beginning!!

He is encouraging them not to be afraid and this should be an encouragement to us today.

Nothing comes as a surprise to God, and if we can accept that, believe, trust, depend on Him to know what is best, it doesn’t matter what may come our way in this world, we can rest in the hands of God!! Romans 8:28.

II. The Promise of Heaven Vs. 2-3

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Notice here Jesus begins to point them to the promise of heaven. He is turning their attention away from the things of the world and focusing them on the big picture of eternity.

In my fathers house there are many mansions. In other word, there is more than enough space for you in heaven. God has a place waiting for you. It has your name on it.

Fathers house here is figurative language. The bible tells us God does not dwell in temples made with human hands. This is a reference to heaven. The word house here is the word abode and the abode of God is heaven!!

With the phrase, “if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Again, Jesus is saying trust Me!! Have faith that I know what I am doing. I am doing this, speaking of the cross, the resurrection, and ascension. to go to my Fathers house and make it ready for you.

That is what He means by prepare. He says, I am going ahead of you to get things ready. But in this case it means more than Just Jesus going and setting up housing arrangements, because unless Jesus goes and prepares our place, no one goes to heaven. John 14:6.

When Jesus was crucified the veil of the temple was torn apart from top to bottom symbolizing the way into the Father’s presence was available. Access to the Kingdom of God had been tore open.

In the Old Testament sacrificial system, only the High Priest could go behind the veil into the holy of holies. But Jesus has become our High Priest allowing all who believe access to the Father.

Hebrews 10:19–23 NASB95

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

We can trust and have faith in our High Priest because He is faithful.

However, the promise of Jesus going to prepare a place for us, the disciples of Christ would not comfort our troubled hearts without the promise of His return.

Look at John 14:3 ““If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

So, the solution to a troubled heart includes knowing Christ will be coming back. But not only knowing He is coming back but that He is coming back to rule. To establish justice and peace, and usher in the the Kingdom of God on earth!!

Revelation 21:1–5 NASB95

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

The final solution to the troubled heart is that Jesus is the way to the Father.

III. The Way to the Father Vs. 4-6

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

He is not a way, but He is the way. He is not a map that gives you directions. He is the guide that takes you by the hand where you need to be.

Ill. Jason at the Rogers City Basketball game.

John 14:6 is one of the most famous passages of scripture in the bible because it speaks of the exclusivity of Christ as the only way to heaven. But it is important to notice what prompts Jesus to say this.

It begins ith a question from Thomas. “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?”

The question is important because you can hear the panic in Thomas’ voice. You can hear his confusion and doubt. “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How will we know how to get there?”

You can tell Thomas, speaking for all the disciples, is thinking about some destination he himself has to try and achieve. He is thinking of somewhere he has to go and travel to.

And what does Jesus do? He brings him back to faith. He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

I am everything complete and all that you need. By following me, my life, my teachings, and the truth I have set before you- you are on the way. In other words, through me, you will reach the destination of my Fathers house in heaven. Trust me, believe in me, and follow me.

Conclusion

What we learn from this passage is the solution to our troubled hearts is to trust in Jesus!!

This passage should challenge us not to become overwhelmed by the problems we face in this world, but to have faith in Christ and what He has done for us, in saving us.

When we begin to worry we should ask ourselves, do I trust Christ and believe in His promise of heaven? Do I believe in Him as the way I get there? Or am I putting my trust in myself and my own ability to come up with a solution to the problems I face?

If my trust is in myself I have plenty to be worried about, but If I am trusting in Christ I can rest from my worries. I don’t have to be afraid, Jesus is in control.

Fear has a way of taking our eyes off Jesus and putting them on the world. It is hard to have faith and a world view of eternity and heaven when we are focused on the struggles and trials we are going through in the world.

And what Jesus wanted for the disciples and for us today is to not allow worry and fear to steal our faith, hope and love for Christ and to remember heaven waits for those who put their trust in Christ!!