I am the Way

Introduction

One of my favorite stories is The Lord of the Rings; I can’t think of a better novel written, a story with a vast amount of characters, a land filled with wonder, and a journey with danger and celebration. Often those of us who are geeks would spend all day watching the uncut versions of all the films, including The Hobbit.

What is it about this story that draws our attention; I believe it was written with intentional thought of heaven and the battle we face today? JK Tolkien himself a Christian, not a theologian but his understanding of heaven and the current battle of “middle earth” is perhaps a theological statement of the theology he understood.

Our passage today is approaching the climax of the very hour Jesus came to die for and on the third day rise for. Jesus is hours from the cross, moments from being betrayed, and mere minutes from the suffering of the soul he would endure.

Jesus now taking on the very hour will teach the lesson of Heaven, remind us of the freedom from troubles, and invite us to the very salvation he provides. This is the story of Jesus in the Passion conversations; a story that Tolkien understood and one that my prayer today is you understand.

Let Not your Hearts be troubled: Verse 1

*The Troubles would fall upon the Son*

Jesus who would speak at this passion conversation would tell his apostles not to let their heart be troubled. It would be Jesus who would take on their troubled heart; a heart that is wicked and can’t be trusted.

John Calvin would note “the Heart is but an idol factory” Imagine here the idols our hearts create, from money, security, family, work, or even perhaps the fear of death. This is the troubled heart that Jesus speaks of; not the soul that is filled with anxiety because of the cross that Jesus would bear, but the anxiety that when idols are attacked the soul becomes troubled.

How is it we know that Jesus is referring to the idol factory of the heart? For in that very same verse, we read believe in God, believe in me. If we are reading our bibles, sitting under the word of God preached, and in our prayer closets we understand that belief in God is only attained in the repentance and faith that only Jesus can give.

Because the heart is an idol factory, the heart is troubled with its own sin. A sinner’s heart is against the ways of God as within hours the disciples would leave their Rabbi to be taken captive and nailed to a tree.

Yet it is this very heart that Jesus is now telling to not be troubled, but rather believe in God and in the Son. For God is three persons, one God.

It is so powerful of a verse the calling of the passion; he who says do not let your hearts be troubled is the very God that becomes the heart troubled for the forgiveness of sin.

Jesus who would lay on the very tree, with the Father’s wrath turned against Him, and His Presence removed; My God, My God, why hath thou forsaken me. It is in those very words of Christ that tells he tells your troubled soul, let not your heart be troubled for salvation is at hand.

*The Son free’s you from your troubles because of your election and redemption*

It shall be noted that the call of salvation extends to all but will only be received and applied by those of whom the Lord himself, the sovereign ones call to salvation. It is as John Murray would write; Redemption Accomplished and applied.

When Jesus speaks to the Apostles, he also speaks to those elected unto salvation; those whom he would apply the sign and seal of the covenant; to which he poured his own blood. Those of you who are born again, let not your heart be troubled; for salvation is yours because of the son.

Many Mansions: Verse 2-4

*Many Mansions, rooms in the Father’s House*

Jesus in the following passion conversation would tell His apostles, In My father’s house are many mansions. Let us examine the word Mansions, the authorized version using the Greek work “monē. Refers to the place of residency.

Jesus is teaching his Apostles there in my Father’s house is a place where much residency is; Americans hear the word mansions and often think of a large house, isolated from the outside world. What a sad truth that would be if that is what Jesus was preparing us for.

Instead, Jesus who is taking of the atonement of sinners goes to prepare a place of residence within the Father’s house. Heaven and there is a day to come to which Heaven will meet the earth, there the New Heavens and the New Earth shall be.

Jesus is teaching you are called, you who are elected unto salvation I go and prepare your residence, your arrival to be in the Father’s house. A Place so large and magnificent that makes Tolkien’s story look like child play.

For Jesus to go and prepare, in order to bring the elect into the house of God there must be purity and no defilement. Sinners can not have access to the father’s presence, they must be cleaned but the cleansing of sin can only occur with proper atonement and final atonement. One must take on the defilement and the wages of sin.

Jesus who goes to prepare the way, must also make the way, and become the Way. Jesus would do so in the mere hours to come; lay upon a tree shedding the needed blood of the New Covenant, enduring the wrath of the Father, Hell upon the cross, all the while staying downward praying to forgive them, they know not what they do.

For those whom Christ has elected, the sinner is atoned and made pure because of the righteousness of Christ and the atonement applied. The Christian now knows the Way because of the one who is the Way.

Jesus is reigning today from Heaven with authority over heaven and earth. The way is prepared, and the call of salvation is proclaimed through the messengers of God’s word, follow the Way.

*Brief journey on Heaven meets Earth*

Verse 3 not only points to the present reality of Jesus' resurrection and accession; also points to the promise of His return. The return of Jesus is a complex doctrine citing many theological interpretations; as your Pastor, I do not hold to certain positions such as the rapture, rather I affirm with 100% conviction that the Kingdom of is advancing, there is one Covenant of Grace to which Jew and Gentile are called into. I stand here telling you Jesus is sitting on his throne today as we see in Revelation Chapter 5. He reigns and the very last thing to go in this present millennial reign of Christ is death.

The millennial period I do not take as a literal 1,000 years as the dispensational theology teaches, but rather that we are in the millennial period though it may be very early on; Christ reigns today over heaven and earth; there is not a loosing of Satan rather at the cross Satans the last stand was. What is left is the remnants of the stains of sin, but the Church with Christ rules presently as heirs of the very Kingdom of God which is advancing every Lord’s Day when the Church declares Christ is King.

There will be a day to which Christ returns and on that day Heaven and Earth meet, the saints who have gone before us will meet with the saints present at the very throne room of God. It is there the saints will be judged according to what he or she has done, the very final judgment on Satan himself will be had.

Death will no more, and the New Heavens and Earth shall be forever established where Man walks with God and the crowns of the saints cast before the King of Kings in adoration and worship.

There is much to our imagination of what these New Heavens and New Earth is, but imagine the streets of God, and where the sun is not needed because the glory of God is fully revealed. Not even Tolkien could create such a space as to what the New Heavens and Earth will be.

What is known is the King of Kings, has gone on ahead to prepare the place where many mansions are and will return to gather the Church unto himself.

I am the Way: Verse 5 -6

It is with verses 5-6 that upon the question of Thomas; Jesus says that He is the Way. Many modern, post-modern, and historic civilizations have marveled with hatred over the doctrinal decree of the Christian church that the only way to the Father is through the Son. Jesus is the only way of Salvation.

You find Jesus mentioned in many religions, but they do not affirm him as the Way. Jesus makes the exclusive claim to get to the Father’s house one must go through the Son. You can not earn your way to salvation with the five pillars of Islam, with prayers to Mother Mary, with good deeds or a period of reincarnation which is utterly false, but rather it is only through the son and whom the Son of God by the decree of the Father and the regeneration of the Spirit is salvation.

Application

· First In Christ the troubles of your idol-making heart he still

· Christian Look towards the hope of your residency in the house of God

· Look to Christ for your salvation for He is the way

· Know that the King of Kings reigns today and will Return

Call of Salvation

The gospel within six verses is known to you today, so if you hear his voice repent and believe. I will close with a quote from the Puritan Richard Baxter “My knowledge of life is small, the eye of faith is dim, but it's enough that Christ knows all, and I shall be with him.