Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled

fear, worry, grief, sadness, frustration even anger are emotions we often feel at a funeral

the bible tells us why

1 Corinthians 15:56 ESV

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

death is a powerful reminder of God’s wrath because of sin

death reminds us of our guilt and just condemnation if we have not yet repented of our sins and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ

when I met with John and Debby Lazenby to plan this funeral there was none of this

there was a great confidence, joy and relief

that may sound shocking to some of you

this was not because the burden of caring for Mary Alice was gone but because of their strong confidence about where she is

how could anyone feel joy and peace at the death of a loved one?

this was not because the burden of caring for Mary Alice was gone but because of their strong confidence about where she is

you see, Mary Alice had put her faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, so John and Debby knew that she is with the Lord Jesus in paradise

how could anyone feel joy and peace at the death of a loved one?

in the passage I read earlier we find a similar situation

in &14 Jesus had informed his disciples that he was going to leave them and that where he was going they could not follow

remember that Jesus had existed with God before the universe was created

he gave up the glory he had with God, came to the earth and took on human flesh for one purpose: to die on the cross

he had told his disciples many times that this was where he was headed

a perfect substitute for hopeless sinners

God’s plan from all eternity was that His Son, Jesus, die for the sins of all who would trust in him

in so doing he would satisfy God’s holiness and justice opening the way of salvation for repentant sinners

this was a path that only Jesus could travel

He would be a perfect substitute for sinners who confessed their utter helplessness

Jesus’ disciples could only watch as their friend, their teacher, their Master and their Lord died the horrible death of the cross and was separated from them

Jesus knew that within 24 hours he would be put to death and that his disciples, his closest friends, would be shattered, filled with grief, their hopes dashed

they would watch helplessly as their friend, their teacher, their Master and their Lord died the horrible death of the cross and was separated from them

the prospect of being left alone was deeply troubling to them

added to their fear and anxiety was the revelation by Jesus that one of their group, Judas, would betray him and their leader, Peter, would deny him not once but 3x

every one of them had left everything to follow Jesus and he was about to leave them and go where they could not follow

their hopes were dashed, their confidence destroyed, where once there was joy and happiness there was sadness, frustration and despair

washed their feet as an expression of his deep love for them

took upon himself a task none of them was willing to do

the lowest, most menial, most despised task

would go even lower when he suffered and died on the cross

knowing that they would soon experience the death of their friend, Lord and Teacher, what did Jesus tell them to do?

provide eternal life for his friends he said to them in their sorrow, grief and despair,

John 14:1 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

stop being troubled, stop allowing yourself to sink into despair

we all know that seems impossible when we are overcome with the emotions that surround the death of a loved one

Jesus gave them 2 reasons why they were not to be troubled

Jesus Gives

1. You Believe in God, Believe Also in Me

you believe in God

what they believed about God

Exodus 34:6–7 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Psalm 86:15 ESV

15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

they believed these things about God

these truths gave them great comfort and encouragement in all of the troubles and trials of life

and Jesus says to them, “you believe these things about God and they give you great comfort, they calm your heart, they cause your fear to subside. Believe the same things about me. As God as comforted you so will I. Stop being troubled! There’s no reason to be afraid of what is going to happen.”

2. I Go to Prepare a Place for You

in the culture of Jesus’ day, when a son got engaged his father would prepare a room in his house for him and his new bride

Jesus borrows from this well known practice to tell his disciples that he was going away to prepare places for each one of them in his Father’s house

note the comforting words in v.3

John 14:3 ESV

3 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.

Jesus’ reason for preparing rooms for them: that they might be together again

the heart of the Lord Jesus is to be reunited with his disciples

the heart of the Lord Jesus is to be united with all who belong to him

The Response of the Disciples

in spite of all that Jesus did to encourage and strengthen his disciples they struggled to understand and obey

they were not able to

Thomas in v.5: “we don’t know where you are going so how can we know the way”

some of you may feel like this

like Thomas you are saying to yourself, “I’ve heard what you have said Pastor Tim, but my heart is still troubled. I want to believe. I want to stop being troubled, but I just don’t get it.”

listen to what Jesus said to Thomas,

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

if you would know peace in your heart when faced with the greatest trouble in life, death, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life

you must come to Christ

you must accept him as the only way to the Father

you must believe that he is truth itself

you must surrender your life and receive his perfect life as your own

apart from this accepting, believing and receiving there is no other way to find peace

since this applies to death it applies to every other situation in life

if you want to find your way through life, if you want to know what is really true, if you want to experience life to the full, the only way is through Christ

Mary Alice discovered that secret of joy and peace for herself in this life and she is now experiencing it in Paradise and will experience it forever

so I say to you who know and love the Lord Jesus, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

and to those who do not yet know and love the Lord Jesus, he is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Put your faith and trust in him!