1 SERMON: HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY? SCRIPTURE: JOHN 14:1-14 DATE: MAY 18, 2014 John 14:1-14 (NIV) Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going. 5 Thomas said to him, Lord, we don t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? 6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. 8 Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. 9 Jesus answered: Don t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father? 10 Don t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
2 We live in a world where lots of people have lots of questions. People have lots of questions about their government, their education system, their Church---the world at large and the community in which they live. The internet has opened up a source of information which allows for lots of questions and "sometimes" some accurate answers. Some questions are for the gathering of information. Other questions are more reflective and require thoughtful deliberation before and after the question is proposed. 2000 years ago, before the internet and our modern obsession with information, there was a simple man who asked a rather profound question. In many ways it might be the most important question in the history of the world. The questioner was the disciple Thomas. The question brought about Jesus most important statement. Thomas asked, Lord, we don t know where you are going so how can we know the way? And Jesus responded, I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. John tells us the Last Supper was drawing to a close. Jesus was speaking intimately and honestly with the disciples gathered around Him. He had just predicted three things: His betrayal. His death. And Peter s denial. The atmosphere at the table was one of doom and gloom. The disciples saw these predictions as disastrous. They looked to the
3 future and saw the loss of their leader and the total disruption of their lives. They couldn t see past the negative view of the hours and days to come. They looked ahead and saw only death, confusion and despair. Thomas was the one who put their anguish into words. His question showed their lack of understanding and their failure to come to grips with anything above the physical level. Lord, we don t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? It was a question of men who were lost. They knew neither the destination nor the direction. The man who had been their leader, their teacher and their Master was leaving and they didn t really know why or how they might follow. Their confidence was shaken. Their future looked dim. Jesus recognized all they were going through. He recognized that they didn t truly understand what was about to happen. His answer was an affirmation of who He was. He was more than their leader. He was more than their teacher. He was more than their Master. Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. Jesus didn t lead them along the way to God. He was the way. He didn t teach them the truth about God. He was the truth. He didn t tell them about life with God. He was the life.
4 This man, who was about to be betrayed, denied and murdered, was much, much more than He appeared at first, second or third glance. This man was divine. He was the Word made flesh. He was God in human form. No human being had power over Him. No power--- not even death had power over Him. The Son of God looked upon His friends with love and compassion. They were discouraged, afraid and confused. In one sentence Jesus offered them all they needed---hope, joy, comfort and direction. I am the way and the truth and the life. I am the way and the truth and the life. It s an answer upon which to build a future. It s an answer upon which to build a faith. Thomas question, in one form or another, has been on the lips of millions and millions of people down through the years. People who are confused about life s purpose. People who are fearful about life s end. People who are looking for direction in times of dead ends and vicious circles. Today, as in no other time, Thomas question is of the utmost importance. I ve lost my job. How can I know the way? My health is poor and I m afraid I won t be able to look after myself. How can I know the way? My personal and family problems have me at the end of my rope. How can I know the way? I ve got a house and a car and all I ve ever asked for but something s missing. How can I know the way?
5 Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. Let s look at that answer more closely as we consider our own questions. Jesus is the way! Jesus didn t come to give directions on how to find God. He didn t come to explain meditation techniques or legalistic devices that would bring a person closer to God. He didn t point the way to God. He is the way to God. Jesus is the destination, not the signpost! Jesus is the way out of a life of confusion and hopelessness. It is through union with Him that we can get away from lives that are shallow and incomplete. Many people go through life seemingly comfortable and happy but, if we looked closely, we d find a desire for something more. It s a small ache which keeps coming back. It s a voice that whispers even when things are going well. It whispers: There s more to life than this. It s been said that every person has a small space inside them that is God-shaped. Only God can fill that space. Material success can t fill it. Alcohol and drugs can t. Even friends and family aren t the perfect fit. There is only one way to fill that God-shaped space perfectly---through Jesus Christ. Christ is the way out of a life of emptiness. He is the way into a life filled with God s love, care and forgiveness. He allows us access to God as God s own children. He offers us a relationship with God that changes our lives now and offers eternal hope and peace. Jesus said, I am the way.
6 Jesus said, I am the truth. When Jesus spoke of truth, he wasn t speaking of knowledge or even wisdom. He wasn t speaking of a correct set of facts. Teaching couldn t reveal the truth about God to our world. Books and blackboards, studying and examinations couldn t bring people closer to God s purposes and God s nature. Once again, Jesus didn t point to the truth. He was the truth. To know God we need to know Christ. Jesus is the revelation of God. As we study scripture we see Christ as a man who was loving, unselfish and forgiving. We see a man who came to die so that we might live. We see a man who, while suffering an agonizing death still showed love and concern for all people. And yet, as we see Christ, we can still become caught up in an intellectual process. Seeing Christ with our eyes and knowing Him with our hearts are two very different things. To know God and God s truth requires us to know Christ in a deep and committed way. Knowing this truth isn t an intellectual exercise. Knowing this truth is an exercise of the heart. When our hearts accept Christ, we accept God. Jesus said, I am the truth. Jesus said, I am the life. There are two forms of life to be understood here.
7 First, there is Jesus life on earth. It was perfect. It was always focused on God and lived in relationship with God. It was life as it was meant to be. There was no selfishness, no petty quarrels with family and friends, no living to the fullest without regard for consequences or responsibility. Jesus life was the perfect example of a life lived by the Golden Rule. His was a life dedicated to God and loving to all people. His perfect life becomes our goal. Not that we can ever hope to live as He lived but the goal is to live our lives to the fullest---to be truly alive because our relationships with God and others are as in tune with love as we can be. Never perfect but always ready and always finding room to grow more and more alive in Christ. The other type of life is eternal life. For the Christian, death need not cause fear and anguish. Death is but a stage of life. In the language of punctuation, death isn t a period which brings the sentence to an end. Death is a comma which allows for more to come. Because Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life, we need not fear the end of our earthly lives. A new life of wonder and excitement awaits us. It s a life of love and grace lived fully in the presence of God for all eternity. There will be no more cares or burdens or problems. We will have peace. We will know perfect love.
8 Thomas question is the ultimate question. It s a question that many people have asked. It s a question that some are afraid to ask. It s a question some haven t given much thought to at this point in their lives. But it s a question we all must ask sometime in our lives. The answer will always be the same. It will always provide us with encouragement, love and hope. 5 Thomas said to him, Lord, we don t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? 6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. (1571) The Rev. Dennis Cook, St. Timothy s Presbyterian Church, Ajax, ON, Canada