Series: Upper Room Discourse Text: John 14:1-14 Message #2 (Jan. 8, 2006) Introduction Trouble is normal. Job was right. “Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” (5:7). When there is trouble, we are troubled in our hearts. We are troubled by circumstances, people and things. As we struggle, we worry. As we worry, we wonder why. We ask questions, maybe even assuming there are no answers, but still we ask. Like Martha, we are “troubled about many things.” Certainly the disciples were troubled about many things. Jesus was leaving and He made it known that they could not come with Him, at least not now. He had made it known that one among them would betray Him. He specifically told Peter that he would deny Him three times. If the authorities were going to take Jesus – what would they do to the disciples? Jesus had taught them often that they should expect to be treated as He was treated. That is not much comfort! They were troubled! Basically Jesus lays out a solution to the trouble in their hearts – a cure to their fears, an answer to their questions. The answer is a triumphant faith – a faith that overcomes, a faith that quiets hearts and soothes anxieties and strengthens hope. A triumphant faith is confidence in Christ. It is certainty and stability and assurance that rest in knowing and trusting Him. That faith is identified and explained in the questions and answers that come from the disciples and Jesus in this discourse. We begin our discovery today in the first 14 verses. Listen to the disciples questions and the answers that the Lord Jesus gives.
I. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WE WANT TO COME! (1-6) A. Trust Me! I am going to the Father’s House! A mansion? A palace? A room? (“I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop”; “A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there.”) The disciples were not interested in a plush country estate or a fat eternal inheritance. They were troubled about losing Jesus. They were afraid of what they might have to face without Him. They want to know where He is going. “I am going to the Father’s house.” Jesus made it clear that He did not come to be with them just to abandon them. If that were the case, He would have told them. The next several hours would all be part of the journey to the Father’s house and the preparation that needed to be made in order for the disciples to eventually join Him. His would be a perilous journey as He cut the trail for them. But that was His promise to them. Jesus was going home to the Father. It was a permanent home and a perfect home. The disciples would have to trust Him that that is where He was going. And they would eventually be with Him there forever.
B. Trust Me! I am coming back to take you home! How is it that the disciples could be comforted with the news that Jesus was going away from them? Even the part about making ready the room did not help much. The question remained, “How do we get there?” I have never been too good with directions. Tell me, “North, south, east or west” and you might as well be speaking in a foreign language. (I am directionally challenged). But if you give me a guide, someone to follow – I can do that! (The story of E.V. Hill in Africa – “Do you need a guide?”). Verse 3 is a great encouragement! Some have interpreted this as reference to Christ’s return at the resurrection. That is possible, but the disciples did not ascend with Jesus to the Father’s house. Others see this as a promise at death. That is not bad, and it very likely is included in what Jesus was saying to His disciples. Though we have not experienced death, He has, and even the most frightening things can be faced with confidence when we go through them with a trusted friend who has gone through those things before. Another excellent probability is the promise of His return. He has promised to come and when He does we who trust Him will be with Him! At no point and in no circumstance has He abandoned us. (All of the disciples were struggling at this point. Peter had asked the Lord (13:36), “Where are you going?” Thomas asked in 14:5 in a slightly different way, but essentially the same question. Philip asks in his way (14:8). And then Jude asks in his way, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” (14:22). In each case, Jesus is the answer to their concern. We will follow eventually. For He is the way, the truth and the life, and to have seen Him is to have seen the Father, and while He is gone, His Spirit will remain with us!
C. Trust Me! You must go with Me to get to the Father’s house! Apparently there remained some confusion. Thomas was still looking for a map. Jesus said, “Look at Me!” This is amazing what Jesus says here. I am the way, the truth and the life. This was an exclusive declaration. Jesus never suggested in any way that He was one way among others, or that He was one truth among other truths about other gods, or that He was one life among others that too offered life. In case we missed the exclusive nature of Jesus’ words, He further clarifies, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Carson, Farewell Discourse, pp. 29-30). I have often said at funerals, When we don’t know where to go or how to get there, He is the way. When we don’t know who or what to believe, He is the truth. When we don’t know how to live or how to die, He is the life. Spiritually speaking, we are lost, but He is the way. We are ignorant, but He is the truth. We are dead, but He is the life. It is clear that the disciples are struggling to “trust in God, trust also in me” because they have a cloudy view of both Jesus and the Father. So Jesus backs up and says, If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. So the next logical question is asked.
II. WHO ARE YOU REALLY? WE WANT TO KNOW! (7-14) To know Jesus is to know what He says about Himself
1. People do not believe or understand what Jesus said about Himself. Jesus said in verse 1, “Believe in God; believe also in me.” Actually this verse could be legitimately translated several ways (because we cannot be sure if this is an imperative or an indicative. “You believe in God. Believe in me.” “Believe in God. You believe in me.” “You believe in God. You believe in me.” “Believe in God. Believe in me.”
2. In the final analysis, Jesus is calling for His disciples to trust Him. In trusting Him, they are trusting the Father. Jesus throughout this section (and throughout this book) claims an exclusive relationship to the Father. “I am in the Father. The Father is in me.” Jesus calls faith to be placed in Him – in His name. “Ask me for anything.” By this time, Philip (who has his theological ball lost in the weeds) blurts out, “show us the Father and it is enough for us.” 3. “How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me?” So Jesus again tells them who He is and calls them to trust Him. There have been times in all of our lives when we have thought (if not asked) what Philip asked. We just wanted to see God! Philip was saying, “Jesus, we would know God if we could just see God.” Jesus response is, “Philip, you have been with me – you have seen Me for three years, yet you do not yet know Me. What makes you think that seeing God would help you know God? The kind of seeing Philip had in mind was not going to help him see God! If he wanted to see God, he needed only to look at Jesus – and trust Him! 4. (See Boice, p. 1090 on the words used in John 20 at the tomb with John and Peter: blepo (to see), theoreto (to look over, to scrutinize) and orao (to see with understanding). Orao is used here in Jesus’ explanation (v. 9). To know Jesus is to believe what He says about Himself. (Philip did not need a demonstration – what he asked for, but an understanding – what he needed – in order to “see God”). The words for see disappear and word believe becomes prominent.
1. Jesus calls the disciples to “”believe me.” With respect to man, Jesus is one with God in creation, revelation, and authority. With respect to God, He is one with man in submission and dependence and obedience. They needed to see Jesus as God. 2. Jesus, knowing the struggle of His disciples, tells them to at least believe what is right about Him based on the miraculous things they had seen Him do. It is not that Jesus was saying, “If you can’t believe in me, believe in my works.” He was making clear that true belief rests on the words and works of Jesus. He demonstrated who He is through what He said and did. They need to trust Him based on the same. Faith in Christ results in seeing God. If we believe Him, Jesus said two things would result:
a. The promise of greater works. Does that mean that we can do greater things than Jesus did such as multiply loaves, stop a raging storm, heal the sick and even raise the dead? And what greater thing could there be than dying in our place for our sins? Could we do greater things than these? Surely not! What could this mean? (We may have oversold the greatness of miracles. Compare Luke 10:17-20)! Whatever else this may mean, I would suggest that for the first time in history, these disciples and those who would come after them, would be privileged to participate in the effects of Jesus’ completed work! b. The promise of access and answers: We will explore this more in chapter 15. Jesus was going away from the disciples, but He offers these words of comfort, promising the disciples that His departure will not mean the end of communion with Him. For now, remember that when we ask in His name, we are taking into account who He is and what He has done. To ask, as it were, for things in my name (what I want for my glory and purpose or in some way thinking that because of my faithfulness God surely owes me the answer) is hardly in the name of Jesus. But when I pray in His name in full knowledge of who He is and knowing that if He answered such a request that answer will glorify the Father, He will do it – anything! When He answers, He does so with a response that always will bring glory to the Father! Do you believe that? Conclusion Essentially what Jesus said to the disciples, He says to us. He promises His help and calls to us to trust Him. He promises His provision and calls upon us to trust Him. We have every reason to believe in Him. But we, like Philip are still asking, “show us the Father and it will be enough.” We cannot see the Father because we have failed to see Jesus. But even for blind foolish disciples, there is hope. For Jesus remains to us the way and the truth and the life. He is the un-troubler of hearts and the satisfaction of souls. It is time to trust Him for salvation and everything else. Is your faith actually resting in Jesus?
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