THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

MAY 27, 2012 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE MINISTRY INVOCATION Bless us as we live in the earth realm. Enable us to speak those things that are predicated on Your Promise. In Jesus Name, Amen. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND To explore how Jesus is the way to God To make a commitment to follow the way of Jesus To claim their life purpose and set their direction THE APPLIED FULL GOSPEL DISTINCTIVE TEXT: Background Scripture: John 14, 1-14 Key Verse: John 14:6 Lesson Scripture: John 14: 1-14 John 14:1 14 (NASB95) 1 Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going. 5 Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way? 6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him. 8 Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. 9 Jesus said to him, Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 1

13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. COMMENTARY 14:1 The text immediately catches the readers attention, for it begins with a strong prohibition, a negative imperative, which carries the meaning of Do not let your hearts be overcome with turmoil or Don t allow yourself to be intimidated by the situation. This statement is immediately followed by a call to evidence confidence. It is better translated trust as in the NIV. Jesus knew that His little band could and would be shaken not only by His words concerning His departure but also by the fact that He would soon become the crucified Lamb. Accordingly, He called for them to place their trust not in the power evident in the world but in God and in Himself. This direct linkage between God and Jesus has been a fundamental assertion of John, since he identified the Word with God (1:1 2) and later Jesus with the Father (5:17 30. The force of this verse is, in fact, a call to the disciples to follow the pattern of trust exhibited by Jesus (cf. Phil 2:5), who faced hostility and, indeed, abandonment by the disciples including Peter (18:17, 25, 27), though the beloved disciple does not ever seem to come in for criticism. Instead, there is a serenity in Jesus words It is finished (John 19:30) similar to Jesus dying declaration in Luke (23:46). 14:2 The reason the disciples should be able to evidence trust is because Jesus was going to provide preparation for them. That preparation is outlined in the metaphor of the Father s house which undoubtedly refers to the domain of God. That domain is described as being subdivided into many. The use of the word mansions here is unfortunate because it has become infused into popular Christian culture so that one can hear some Christians speaking about the fact that they have a mansion just over the hilltop. First, God does not promise economic prosperity. Second, the idea describes a relationship of God with the people of God like the picture of heaven in Revelation 21 22. Third, and most importantly, the word is derived from the Greek verb to remain, and means dwelling or abiding places. In spite of the portrayal of God dwelling in a house, one must take great care not to visualize God in some earthlike place. Moreover, since we are bound by space-time limitations in all our thinking, we must not limit our concept of God s domain to something like our idea of a three-story universe NIV New International Version 2

where heaven as the dwelling place of God is up. It is now most appropriate for Christians to begin to think in dimensional concepts that are far beyond the old three-dimensional reasoning of the previous generations. The domain of God is certainly beyond our finite thinking. The best we can do is to describe God s domain in metaphors. That is exactly what Jesus, the agent of God, did for his bewildered disciples. Furthermore, God s domain has plenty of room, and the preparation of Jesus for our entrance into that domain was through His departure or death on the cross. Jesus was in the business of leading people to God. This preparation by Jesus is to be taken seriously because John pictures Jesus as firmly asserting the point of His mission. To make this point, Jesus uses a Jewish type of oath when he says if it were not so, I would have told you. Like God, Jesus needed no one else to support His assertions of truth, except to refer to Himself. 14:3 The promise of Jesus return to take the disciples with Him after His preparatory going or departure has been the subject of considerable discussion. Clearly the details of the place are not mentioned, but the idea that Christians will dwell with their Lord is extremely significant. 14:4 This section opens with a pithy statement concerning the fact that the disciples know the way Jesus is going, which can be rendered literally, And where I am going you know the way. 14:5 Thomas s question once again identifies him as the realist of the company who wants the facts (cf. 11:16; 20:24 25), and he certainly should not merely be categorized as a doubter. In his response, Thomas splits the goal as destination ( where ) from the route or way. Thomas wanted a road map, but he did not know how to get one if he did not know where he was to end his trip. Thomas s problem, however, was that in the metaphor of the house and the rooms Jesus had told him the destination. Thomas had misinterpreted the metaphor to be a statement of taking a journey. Instead, Jesus was talking about the ultimate relationship of life that humans have with God and that has implications for their eternal destiny. When one understands the metaphor from this perspective, the way then becomes more akin to a way of life. This concept of a way of life was foundational not only to the proclamation of Jesus, Paul, and John but also to Israel and to the teachings of the rabbis. The law or Torah was not to be understood primarily as a set of rules but as a walk with God. In the Gospel of John to follow Jesus is the equivalent of walking in the light or the daytime (11:9; 12:35). It means to conduct one s life in a certain way or manner. Following rules is hardly what is intended in John as the way to the Father. Accordingly, the way in this verse was hardly meant 3

to be understood as a road or pathway on which Thomas could stride or ride to get to the Father s house. 14:6 Thomas s question provides the setting for one of the most frequently quoted verses in the Gospel of John. Jesus asserted that he is the way, the truth, and the life. John joined three powerful ideas of way, truth, and life to produce a classic statement concerning the significance of Jesus in providing salvation. The concepts of these three terms are rooted solidly in the teaching of the Old Testament and in Hebrew thought. The relationship of the words in this triad have often been questioned as to whether or not there is a subordination of truth and life to way. The idea of way can naturally lead one to reflect on both the ideas of truth and life. The issue of the correct way of life inevitably raises the issue of authenticity or truth which in turn raises the issue of the consequence of accepting what is true and that involves one s life. These ideas actually hang together in an inseparable union. The order of the triad as I have indicated above is perfectly logical. Also interesting is that these ideas are reflected in John s Prologue, though I would suggest that they are somewhat in a reverse order. There the Logos is identified as life (1:4), who is the true light (1:9) that provides the way to the Father by dwelling among us (1:14) and supplies humans with abundant grace (1:16) in order that we might receive or believe in him (1:12). John follows the lead of the Prologue, where he already had asserted strongly that no one else has ever seen God, but the only Son has made him known (1:18). Now, in this verse, John concluded with an emphatic assertion that no one comes to the Father except through me. Given the fact that the Johannine church was a community struggling for its existence in the midst of powerful pressures from both its Jewish birthing setting and its Hellenistic context, the language and anti-society stance may seem to be completely out of touch with today s adoption of pluralism. On the one hand, it is crucial to remember that this text was not written when the church represented a majority perspective. It was a small minority in which it viewed itself as under siege and its members as tempted by the threat of losing their lives, status, or possessions if they did not yield to pressure. On the other hand, it is imperative to remember that perspectives that are forged in such settings usually go to the heart of what a community is. What people are willing to die for is the measure of who they are. The Johannine concept of mission is uncompromising on the issue of the uniqueness of Jesus. For this assertion, they were willing to die or be excluded from the synagogues in the pattern of the blind man (9:34). 4

14:7 Having stated unambiguously in the negative the assertion that no one comes to the Father except through me, this next verse asserts positively the direct interconnection between the Father and Jesus. This direct connection is a repeated theme in the Gospel beginning in the Prologue (1:1), where the Logos is theos (God). It is reasserted in the fact that Jesus is equal with God (5:18) and one with the Father (10:30) and is concluded with the confession of Thomas that Jesus is God (20:28). The implication is that really knowing Jesus has a profound effect on knowing God. In this respect John has changed from the use of the singular in v. 6 to the plural you in v. 7, so Jesus statement is not merely addressed to Thomas. It is addressed as a general statement to all the disciples and to the Christian community. The question that still could be raised is, When will the disciples know him? That hour of Jesus glorification/death-resurrection, from Johannine perspective, had arrived (cf. 12:23; also 17:1); and Jesus was seeking to make clear to His disciples that if they have really come to see and know Him, they will have come to see and know the Father also. 14:8 The focus now moves to Philip, who has been introduced earlier at 1:43 48 as being from Bethsaida and who was responsible for bringing Nathaniel to Jesus. Then he appeared in 6:5 7 offering his logical deductions concerning the impossibility of feeding the multitude with more than half a year s wages. Next, he is found in 12:20 22 at the entry into Jerusalem seeking to assist the Greeks in their endeavor to see Jesus. Practical Philip in the present context is portrayed as trying to make sense out of what must have seemed to him as Jesus talk about Himself and God. He asked Jesus to get practical and show the disciples the Father. If Jesus did that, they could dispense with any further discussion on the subject. Philip s words are easy to understand because they represent the general human longing to gain a firsthand personal and practical confirmation of theological ideas and assertions. The problem is that he did not realize what he was asking. He asked to see the Father, to see God. 14:9 The ill-informed response of Philip elicits from Jesus a rather sharp and yet somewhat sorrowful reply. How long must it take for these wellmeaning but pathetic disciples (plural you ) to catch on to who Jesus was? The Gospels are clear that before the resurrection, the disciples had incredible difficulty imagining that Jesus could truly have been a divine-human agent of God. Moreover, we know that we should not expect to see God. Indeed, as was explained above, the people of Israel were clearly warned about the likely fatal 5

consequences of seeing God. Nevertheless, many people have a strong desire for a direct contact with God. They long to have a confirmation of the reality of God. They want to see God. In beginning his first epistle, John clearly states that is exactly what happened in Jesus, and he asserted that literally when the early witnesses both saw and touched Jesus, they touched the reality of God, who was from the beginning (1 John 1:1 3). In responding here to Philip s plea to see the Father, Jesus emphatically states that seeing him (Jesus) is the equivalent of seeing the Father. In effect, they already had their requested encounter standing in their very midst. 14:10 11 For the disciples to ask to see the Father in the presence of Jesus, therefore, must be regarded as an indication of a serious problem. What was the problem? Jesus in John identified that problem as an issue of believing. Accordingly, at this point in John, Jesus asks them a follow-up question (v. 10) and then challenges them (v. 11) to believe that He is in the Father and the Father is in him. This close interdependent assertion is an affirmation of a close unity between the Father and the Son without assuming that the unity implies absolute identity. Jesus certainly fulfills this role of agency, but he is much more than a functioning servant. The reason is that between Jesus and the Father one soon realizes that the reciprocal in-ness represents a kind of interpenetration of natures. Accordingly, the works/miracles that Jesus did are in reality the works of the Father, and here Jesus told the disciples that if they had difficulty believing his words, they should believe because of his works. For the Johannine evangelist the works of Jesus were signs pointing to the reality of who Jesus was. They are, from my view, hermeneutical acts that provide keys to understanding who this Jesus really was when he was on earth. 14:12 14 The appearance of these verses strikes the reader with incredible force. In the face of loneliness and Jesus departure, the reader is confronted with another of the Johannine strategic double amēn sayings I tell you the truth ) that must always be taken as important statements of Jesus. In this case, the saying provides a significant window into the post-resurrection situation. Even though the disciples may have been overwhelmed by sorrow (cf. 16:20), they are called to focus on the future rather than the present. Moreover, to highlight the postresurrection perspective the opening words anyone who has faith imply that the announcement is intended for many more than the present little band of Jesus sorrowing followers. The content of the announcement is even more striking because Jesus moves the attention of the Johannine readers away from His works as a test or confirmation of who He is/was to the fact that the believer(s) will do those 6

same works that he has been doing. It is then said that the believer(s) will do greater things than Jesus has been doing because of Jesus departure to the Father. It does not take a genius to imagine how many interpretations of this statement are possible. The meaning of the statement must therefore arise out of the context of the discussion involving the fact that Jesus is speaking of His departure to the Father, namely, His death and resurrection. If that is the case, then, the basis for the greater is rooted in the expansive implications of Jesus mission in light of His glorification. Jesus departure is in effect the work of the Lamb of God in taking away the sin of the world (1:29) or the fact that he is the Savior of the World (4:42). Accordingly, his death and subsequent resurrection are to be seen as drawing all people to Himself. Strategically this work would also require the work of those who believe because their task would be to communicate to the world the forgiveness of sins (20:23). The works founded upon the going of Jesus to the Father (14:12) can, therefore, only involve the post-easter mission of the church. Jesus was still active in mission; but although he was with God, he was now working in and through the church. The setting is once again to be seen as referring to a pattern of prayer, and Jesus promises to act in response to prayer ( ask ). What is most intriguing is that the most likely reading of the Greek text here would have the prayer addressed not to the Father but to Jesus. In dealing with this anomaly of praying to Jesus, some manuscripts simply omit the entire verse whether purposefully or accidently. The most likely reading of the text here that can explain the presence and has the weight of the strongest manuscript history would be if you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. Although such a translation seems to be both a little clumsy and at variance with the way systematic theologians might wish to discuss prayer from a theocentric perspective, the style is a typical Semitic redundancy that here has been applied to asking me in my name. Such a writing style of asking God for the sake of His name is found elsewhere in the Bible and it agrees with the Johannine idea that the Holy Spirit will be sent in the name of Jesus (cf. 14:26). This meaning of the expression here of asking me in my nameprobably means praying both according to his will and with the invocation of his name. RELATED DISCUSSION TOPICS CLOSING PRAYER 7

O, God of Creation: Bless us with Your continuing grace and peace. May we abide in You forever. Amen 8