Farewell Discourse: Jesus, The Way to Heaven

Transcription

1 1 Farewell Discourse: Jesus, The Way to Heaven John 14:1-15

2 2 Text: Farewell Discourse: Jesus, The Way To Heaven John 14:1-15, 1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God; believe also in me. 2. In my Father s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth, ye know him, and have seen him. 8. Philip saith unto him, Lord show us the Father and it sufficeth us. 9. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet has thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake. 12. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do: because I go unto my Father. 13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15. If ye love me, keep my commandments.

3 3 Introduction: I. The supper in the upper room was over. A. Judas had departed! B. All the other apostles were in a state of shock from the revelations made by Jesus including the prediction that even Peter would deny Jesus. II. In John 14 Jesus reassured the apostles about: A. The Father s House B. Jesus being the Way, the Truth and the Life. C. The absolute necessity of Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the world. Commentary: John 14:1, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God; believe also in me. I. Jesus told the disciples as well as you and me, A. Let not your heart be troubled. (Could also be translated, "Stop allowing your heart to be troubled." B. Jesus repeated this comforting word in John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. C. Believe in God, believe also in me. 1. Jesus' words here could also be translated, You do believe in God, believe in me also. With this translation Jesus was

4 4 stating a fact, a condition on which to build faith in him as well or Jesus could have been giving a direction, You are commanded to believe both in God and in me. 3. In any event, believing in God and in his Son Jesus Christ are inseparably joined as a unity. To believe in one necessitates believing in the other. John 14:2, In my Father s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. I. In my Father s house... II. are many dwelling places, or rooms ("mansions" means something different in the English of today. III. If this were not so, I would have told you. IV. I go to prepare a place for you. V. Regardless of the afflictions of this world, for Christians, the blessings of the world to come will make everything right! John 14:3, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. I. Jesus said, If I go to prepare a place for you... II.( it is just as certain that) I will come again... A. Jesus said unreservedly, I will most certainly come again! 1. Acts 1:11, Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is

5 5 taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Thessalonians 4:13-17, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. III. and I will bring you along myself... IV. so that where I am, there you may be also John 14:4, 5, And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? I. You know the way to where I am going. II. Thomas said, A. Lord, we don t know where you are gong. B. How can we possibly know the way that leads there? C. By knowing Jesus, the apostles came to know the way to the Father s house.

6 The apostles did not make the connection at the time. 2. After the resurrection, the apostles knew full well, and preached Jesus as the way to eternal glory. John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. I. Jesus answered Thomas and explained to the other apostles, A. I am the way, and the truth, and the life, not just one of the ways. 2. not just one of the truths. 3. not just one of the paths from which we are permitted to choose to get to heaven. B. No one comes to the Father except by me. 1. Jesus clearly says he is the means of access to the Father. 2. It is not possible to get to the Father except through Jesus. C. Jesus is the sole answer to the human problems of: 1. Sin. Jesus is the way out of sin. 2. Ignorance. Jesus is the truth, the way out of spiritual ignorance. 3. Life. Jesus is the answer to human mortality. 1 Corinthians 15:47, The first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy: the second man (Jesus) is the Lord from heaven.

7 7 John 14:7, If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth, ye know him, and have seen him. I. If you had really known me... A. Jesus deity is continually stressed throughout the Gospel of John. II. you would have known my Father also. A. God the Father is clearly seen in God the Son. B. In Jesus is a mirror clear image of the Father. John 14:8, Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us. I. Philip had a question for Jesus: A. Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied, that will be sufficient for us. B. Like the other apostles, Philip did not quickly comprehend the earth shaking statements Jesus was making. C. Philip may have wanted to see evidences of God similar to those experienced by Moses. 1. Exodus 24:9-11, Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. 2. Exodus 33:18, And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

8 Philip may have wanted Jesus to give him a glimpse of divine glory. John 14:9, Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? I. Jesus asked Philip: A. Have I been with you all this time, since I called you to the apostleship, and still you do not know who I really am? Recognition of Jesus as divine remains a major problem for many. 2. Jesus was somewhat amazed that Philip hadn t come to a strong faith and understanding of Jesus' divinity after all Philip had seen and heard. B. He that has seen me has seen the Father. C. How can you still say, Show us the Father? John 14:10, Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. I. Philip, don t you believe I am in the Father and the Father is in me? II. What I have been teaching you, Jesus told Philip, did not come from me. The teaching came from the Father. III. The Father who abides in me does the mighty works you have seen. A. This is a recapitulation of what Jesus had previously said, this time for Philip s benefit.

9 9 B. John 12:49, 50, For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. John 14:11, Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else, believe me for the very works sake. I. Philip, Jesus further said, believe me that I am in the Father and the father in me because I told you or, if you can t do this, believe me because of all the miracles, signs and wonders you have seen me perform. II. Jesus had also made this point before. A. John 5:36, But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. B. John 10:37, 38, If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. C." It is finished." John 19:30. Jesus did indeed finish the work the Father gave him to do for all of us. John 14:12, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do: because I go unto my Father. I. I tell you the truth, Verily, verily I say unto you,

10 10 II. He that believes on me, anyone who has faith in me shall do the works that I do and, in fact, he shall do even greater works than these I have done. A. Jesus is here speaking to all the apostles (except Judas). B. It is strange that Jesus, even at this late hour, was still persuading the apostles to believe, when they were to face their faith s greatest test within hours. C. What works could be greater than raising the dead and redeeming the whole human race from sin? Think of greater in quantity, no quality, because so many more would be involved. D. The spread of this gospel worldwide, thousands of Christian hospitals, massive benevolent endeavors and turning societies to righteousness may be what Jesus had in mind. Jesus fed 5,000. Believers may well feed 5 million a day. E. Jesus had laid the foundation. Believers were to construct the Christian religion. This was truly great! III. Jesus said this was to be because he was going to the Father. A. Jesus going to the Father implemented the performance of these greater works. From now on, Jesus' work would not be limited to the place where his physical body was located, as it is with any human. John 14:13, 14, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. I. Since believers would do greater works than Jesus had performed, Jesus told the apostles to whom he was then speaking that : A. whatsoever you shall ask in my name God would do.

11 11 B. Jesus would do these things so that God the Father may be glorified in the Son. C. If you shall ask me anything in my name, I will do it. 1. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. NIV 2. Of course, we must ask in accord with the will of God for our prayers to be granted. 3. Jesus answers prayer. Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, Jesus said. 4. Acts 7:59, And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 5. Acts 9:14, 21, And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 6. 1 Corinthians 1:2, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: John 14:15, If ye love me, keep my commandments. I. Jesus said to the apostles and to us, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. A. Love of Jesus demands that we keep his commandments.

12 12 B. Our failure to obey the commandments of Jesus reflects a lack of love for him, not just a problem with obedience. Continued love (present tense) brings obedience. C. John 12:42, 43, Nevertheless, even among the chief rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

13 13 Farewell Discourse: Jesus, The Way to Heaven Questions 1. Jesus said, Let not your be : ye believe in ; also in me. In my s house are many : if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to a for you. 2. If I go and a place for you, I will come again, and you into ; that where I am, there ye may also. 3. Jesus saith, I am the, the, and the : no man cometh unto the, but by. 4. Philip said to Jesus,, show us the and it us. 5. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not me, Philip? He that hath seen me has seen the ; and how sayest thou then, show us the? 6. thou not that I am in the, and the in me? The that I speak unto you I not of : but the that in me, he doeth the.

14 Whatsoever ye shall in my, that will I do, that the may be in the. If you ask anything in my, I will do it. 8. If you me, my. 9. He that on me, the that I do shall he do also; and greater than these shall he do: because I go unto my. 10. Is it possible to love God while not obeying God s commands?