Believing In Jesus
John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
This is the day that we celebrate Easter—the day our Savior, Jesus rose from the dead. The night before his crucifixion, Jesus spent the evening celebrating his last Passover meal with his disciples, while at the same time giving us some of the greatest of his teachings. It is referred to as “the Upper Room Discourse.”
Last week we closed with verse 1 of chapter 14.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
To me it seems strange that Jesus tells his disciples not to let their hearts be troubled since we just read that Jesus was “troubled in spirit” (Jn. 13:21). When a leader is troubled, his followers are likely to be troubled.
Yet the disciples were troubled for a different reason. Jesus was troubled because of the mission he was undertaking .
The disciples were troubled because Jesus was leaving them, and they couldn’t go with him.
In that context, he tells them that they don’t need to let their hearts be troubled. When we come to verse 2, we find out why this is true.
The Father’s House and Jesus’ Reason for Leaving
The Father’s House and Jesus’ Reason for Leaving
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
Jesus begins to talk about the Father’s house (Gk. house, estate, household, residence, property, dwelling, or abode) (v. 2a).
In the Father’s house or estate are many rooms (Gk. rooms, dwelling places, lodging, a place to stay). Notice that no where in the possible translations is the idea of mansion (v. 2b). There is only one lexicon that even suggests mansion is a possible translation (A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible) which is based on Strong’s Concordance.
Jesus goes on to tell them if this fact was not true, he would have told him it wasn’t true! (v. 2c) This is another way of communicating that he is telling them the truth!
Now, he gives them his purpose for leaving them. He says that he is going away to prepare a place for them (v. 2d).
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
If he leaves to go and build a place for them, it makes sense that he will come back and take them (the disciples) to be with him (v. 3a).
Jesus has the same desire as God does—to be with his people. So he will come and get them so that they can continue to be wherever Jesus is dwelling (v. 3b).
You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Despite Peter’s objection (Jn. 13:36-37), Jesus now announces that the disciples know where he is going.
Jesus is about to return to his Father in Heaven. That’s where he is going to be. And Jesus is preparing a place for us in the presence of God the Father.
The Way to the Father
The Way to the Father
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Thomas picks up Peter’s objection, buy stating two things:
We don’t know where you are going!
And, since we don’t know where you are going we don’t know the way!
The disciples are confused by what Jesus is telling them. They don’t really understand any of it.
It must have been frustrating to the disciples to hear Jesus speak, but not understand what he is trying to communicate to them.
Equally important is that Jesus must have been concerned that they didn’t understand his message—after all this is his last opportunity to help them understand what is about to happen.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
This is perhaps the biggest set of “I am” statements made by Jesus. He has already made 6 previous “I am” statements including:
I am the bread of life (Jn. 6:35)
I am the light of the world (Jn. 8:12)
I am before Abraham (Jn. 8:58)
I am the gate (Jn. 10:9)
I am the good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11)
I am the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25)
Now Jesus again says, “I am. . .”, but this time he gives three distinct ways that he is the “I am.” It is these three ways by which He is going to offer mankind a reunion with the Father.
The way—this seems to be a direct response to Thomas’ statement that the disciples did not know the way to where Jesus was going. Jesus is the way to God the Father.
The truth—Jesus is the truth that came from God the Father, and is God’s supreme revelation of Himself (cf. Jn. 14:7; 1:18; 5:19; 8:29).
The life—Jesus is the life because he offers us an eternal existence with God the Father (cf. Jn. 1;4; 5:26; 11:25; 1 Jn. 5:20).
Jesus states that he is the ONLY way—the only path—to get to the One-True-God! It is important to understand that Jesus was not saying he is another way, or one of the ways. He is the only way!
That is why Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through” him!
If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Having just told them that he is the way to God, Jesus is now going show that he is the supreme revelation of God.
When you know Jesus, you know God the Father (cf. Jn. 1:18; 1 John 2:23).
Jesus takes it a step farther by saying that from now on, the disciples actually know God the Father and have even see Him (because they know and see Jesus).
The Disciples Still Don’t Get It!
The Disciples Still Don’t Get It!
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Philip now takes up the cause from Peter. I think Philip is really saying what all the disciples were thinking. I don’t think any of them understood what Jesus was saying.
Philip askes Jesus to show them the Father. The Greek word show has the meaning of make known, bring to light, display, to explain, reveal, prove, or point out. This is exactly what Jesus has been doing throughout his entire ministry.
Philip actually says that “if” Jesus would do this one thing for the disciples it would be enough for them. “Enough”? It really appears that Philip wanted a “theophany” of the Father. Throughout the Old Testament there were these physical manifestations of God in some form or fashion (theophany) (cf. Gen 18; 32:22-30; Ex. 24:9-10; 33:18; Josh 5:13-15; Judg. 6:11-24; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Isa. 6:1-8; Ezek. 1; Dan. 7:9-14).
Jesus’ Response
Jesus’ Response
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
First, Jesus asks Philip, “After all the time we spent together, do you still not know me?” (v. 9a). Jesus expected the disciples to really know that Jesus is God.
Then a statement that is being repeated—Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (cf. Jn. 1:14; 10:30; 12:45) (v. 9b).
If this is true (and it is) how could Philip even ask, “Show us the Father?” (v. 9c).
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
Jesus has a question for Philip, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (v. 10a). Believe is the Greek word pisteuo.
Jesus continues to affirm that the words he spoke he did not speak on his own authority (v. 10b).
No it was the Father living in Jesus, who was doing (Gk. doing, carrying out, accomplishing) His work (v. 10c). All the miraculous deeds that Jesus preformed were done by the Father working in and through Jesus.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
Jesus tells Philip to believe (it is an imperative—or command) that Jesus is in the Father and that the Father is in Jesus (v. 11a).
And Philip is commanded to believe because of all the miraculous deeds that he had witnessed (v. 11b).
The Promise
The Promise
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Jesus uses the attention phrase—Listen up! (v. 12a).
Whoever believes (pisteuo) in Jesus will do the very works that Jesus has been doing (v. 12b).
And they will do even greater things than Jesus did (v. 12c).
The word that John uses for “greater things” is not the same word that he traditionally used of “miracles.” So it seems that Jesus is saying his followers will do a great quantity of things than Jesus did.
Think about the spread the gospel message since Christ’s resurrection—perhaps that is part of the greater things.
And their ability will be because Jesus is returning to be reunited with the Father (v. 12d). It is the presence of God (through the Holy Spirit) that enables us to do these greater things.
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Jesus will do whatever the disciples ask in His name (v. 13a).
The reason Jesus will do what the disciples ask is so that the Father may be glorified by/in the Son (v. 13b).
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
So when we ask Jesus for anything in his name he will do it (v. 14).
The key is this: the more my heartbeat echoes Jesus’ heartbeat, I am in sync with Him, so I will only ask for things that He wants, because I am that close to Jesus! When I ask in that frame of mind, Jesus will answer the request.
So What?
So What?
This morning, we celebrate our risen Savior, and Lord!
This most important thing for any person is to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Without a relationship with Him, you have no relationship with God.
Here’s the problem, no relationship with God leads to eternal separation from God. The greatest thing that Jesus did for us is to reconcile us to God. Through Jesus, we can once again relate to God and spend eternity with Him!
If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, I would beg you to accept what Jesus has done on the cross for us. Accept Jesus as your Savior this Easter Sunday. At the end of the service, I want to encourage you let one of us know that you would like to know how to accept Jesus as your Savior and we’ll have someone show, in God’s Word how you can have a personal relationship with Him.
As we close our Easter celebration, we want to come and celebrate by commemorating all that Easter stands for—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It was instituted by Jesus on the night he was betrayed by Judas.
For those of us who do know Jesus as your Savior, and are seeking to make Him your Lord, then we ask that you join us at the Lord’s table.
In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul tells us,
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.
This morning, as we prepare the table, I want to challenge each of us to take a moment and examine our lives before the Lord.
Paul wrote,
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it
I’m going to ask ______________ to give thanks for the bread.
[MUSIC—passing out the elements]
Jesus Said. . .
“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Paul continues in 1 Corinthians,
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood;
I’m going to ask ________________to give thanks for the cup.
(PRAYER)
[MUSIC—passing out the elements]
Jesus said,
do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
It is so fitting that we close our service in this way. For Paul said,
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Matthew tells us that after the Lord’s Supper,
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
We are going to sing a hymn and leave Mt Olive to shine the light of the gospel into the world we live.
