JESUS IS THE WAY - JOHN 14:1-7

BIG IDEA: JESUS LEADS US HOME.

JOHN 14: 1-7:

THE WAY TO THE FATHER

14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”,

5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LOST?

I MEAN REALLY LOST? TO THE POINT WHERE YOU LOST HOPE.

EVENTUALLY YOU MADE YOUR WAY HOME, BECAUSE OF MARKERS.

YOU SAW SOMETHING THAT LED YOU HOME...

A BUILDING.

A STREET.

A LANDMARK. MARKERS.

I’M STANDING BEFORE YOU TODAY BECAUSE JESUS IS THE MARKER FOR THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY LOST...

IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE FIND JESUS, WE CAN MAKE OUR WAY HOME - JESUS IS THE WAY!

THE AFRICAN THEOLOGIAN - AUGUSTINE - DECLARED: “YOU HAVE MADE US FOR YOURSELF OH LORD, AND OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS (LOST) UNTIL THEY REST IN YOU...”

NOTHING MORE.

NOTHING LESS.

NOTHING ELSE.

JESUS.

IN OUR PASSAGE FOR TODAY (JOHN 14), THE DISCIPLES ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE - WISDOM & DIRECTION...

IN FACT, THE DISCIPLES ARE DESPONDENT!

THEY’VE JUST LEANED:

ONE WILL BETRAY JESUS!

ONE WILL DENY JESUS!

ALL WILL FALL AWAY FROM JESUS!

AND JESUS IS GOING AWAY!

THEY’RE DESPONDENT!

YET, IN THE FACE OF THEIR DESPONDENCE, JESUS IS CONFIDENT (YES, HE’S TROUBLED, TOO), BUT HE IS CONFIDENT:

JESUS KNEW WHO HE WAS - GOD

JESUS KNEW WHY HE WAS - SACRIFICIAL LAMB

JESUS KNEW WHERE HE WAS GOING - RETURNING TO THE FATHER

JESUS’ TROUBLE AROSE FROM THE PATH HE HAD TO ENDURE - THE CUP HE HAD TO DRINK IN ORDER FOR THE FATHER’S WILL TO BE FULFILLED...

SO, WITH ALL OF THESE THEMES BREWING IN THE HEARTS OF THE DISCIPLES - THEY NEEDED GUIDANCE - WISDOM - DIRECTION. JESUS SPEAKS:

14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

STOP BEING TROUBLED & START BELIEVING!

WE OVERCOME OUR TROUBLE - OUR DIFFICULTY - OUR UNCERTAINTY - BY EXCHANGING TROUBLE WITH BELIEF…BUT NOT JUST BLIND BELIEF. JESUS SAYS: BELIEVE GOD! STOP BEING TROUBLED & START BELIEVING!

AS YOU BELIEVE, YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL CATCH UP, AND COME INTO ALIGNMENT! SO, BELIEVING GOD GOES DEEPER:

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.

JESUS NEEDED THEM TO BELIEVE THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS LEAVING, HIS LEAVING WAS PREPARATORY!

BUT WATCH THIS: JESUS WASN’T GOING TO BUILD A PLACE! HE WAS GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE. AND THAT PREPARATION WOULD BE MADE THROUGH HIS DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION ON CALVARY’S CROSS. HE HAD ALREADY GIVEN MARKERS OF HIS DEPARTURE FOR THEM TO FOLLOW: JOHN 13:31-33 WHEN HE HAD LEFT (JUDAS), JESUS SAID, “NOW THE SON OF MAN IS GLORIFIED, AND GOD IS GLORIFIED IN HIM, GOD WILL ALSO GLORIFY HIM IN HIMSELF AND WILL GLORIFY HIM AT ONCE. LITTLE CHILDREN, I AM WITH YOU A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. YOU WILL LOOK FOR ME, AND JUST AS I TOLD THE JEWS, SO NOW I TELL YOU, WHERE I AM GOING, YOU CANNOT COME.”

SO, JESUS’ PREPARATION WOULD BE FULFILLED THROUGH HIS CRUCIFIXION: HE WOULD NOT COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS JUST TO SAVE HIMSELF....HE DECIDED TO DIE JUST TO SAVE ME....

AND IN THE MIDST OF THIS EXCHANGE, WE HEAR:

VS) 4: YOU KNOW

VS) 5: WE DON’T KNOW

VS) 6: IF YOU KOW ME, THEN YOU KNOW...

THE DISCIPLES INDECISION (LOST-NESS) COULD ONLY BE CURED BY FOLLOWING JESUS - THE MARKER! JESUS IS THE WAY!!

AND PERHAPS THAT’S WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF…LOST AND IN NEED OF A BEING FOUND!

JESUS’ (((I AM))) STATEMENT (HIS 6TH) GIVES US OUR FINAL MOVEMENT FOR OUR MESSAGE:

JESUS IS THE WAY - THE ONLY WAY - HE’S THE PATH. THE PLACE. AND THE PERSON. -

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

JESUS IS THE TRUTH -

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,, you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

JESUS IS THE LIFE -

4 In him was life,, and that life was the light of men.

JESUS, THE WAY, NOW GOES FROM TEACHING TO PRAYING TO BEING BETRAYED…THE PREPARATION BY WAY OF CRUCIFIXION IS IMMINENT!

HE’S IDENTIFIED WITH A KISS.

ARRESTED WITHOUT JUST CAUSE...

DENIED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM…

TAKEN FROM COURT ROOM TO COURT ROOM...

LIED UPON...

BEATEN...

MISTREATED...

CHOSEN TO DIE OVER A KILLER...

HIS CLOTHING IS GAMBLED AWAY...

HE’S MOCKED AND SCORNED...

AND THEN FINALLY SENTENCED TO DEATH...

JESUS IS THE WAY!

HE CARRIED THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS UP THE HILL CALLED GOLGATHA...

THEY PUT A CROWN UPON HIS HEAD...

RIVETS IN HIS FEET...

NAILS IN HIS HANDS...

THEY HUNG HIM HIGH..

STRETCHED HIM WIDE...

HE HUNG HIS HEAD...

AND FOR ME HE DIED...

HE DIED…DIDN’T HE DIE.

HE STOPPED DYING LONG ENOUGH TO GRANT FORGIVENESS TO HIS KILLERS…TO GIVE HIS MOTHER TO HIS FRIEND…AND TO GIVE SALVATION TO THE ROBBER WHO DIED WITH HIM...

HE DIED, UNTIL THE SUN REFUSED TO SHINE.

HE DIED, UNTIL THE EARTH STARTED SUFFERING FITS OF COSMIC EPILEPSY AND STARTED VOMMITING UP IT’S DEAD...

HE DIED UNTIL THE SOLDIER DECLARED, “SURELY, THIS IS THE SON OF GOD...”

THEY PLACED HIM AN OLD BORROWED TOMB...

AND HE STAYED THERE ALL NIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT...

HE STAYED THERE ALL DAY SATURDAY...

AND ALL NIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT...

BUT EARLY…I SAID EARLY...

EARLY…EARLY...

SUNDAY MORNING...

HE GOT UP…WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS...

THAT’S HIS PREPARATION...

JESUS IS THE WAY...

WILL YOU BELIEVE HIM TODAY...

WILL YOU RECEIVE HIM TODAY...

IF YOU BELIEVE HIM, SAY YES…YES....