Do You Know...? Series

Do You Know…?

Three weeks ago I told you that I was going to do sermons on the thanksgiving because of the time of year it is and next month we are going to do sermons on Christmas because of the time of the year it is going to be so today will be our last sermon before thanksgiving and it will focus on the Cross of Jesus. Our title of the first Thanksgiving sermon was “Do You Have Help on Your Pilgrimage” and the content of that sermon was that just as the pilgrims needed help on their search for religious freedom we need help in our pilgrimage. We saw that the Psalmist looked to GOD for his help and not to the hills. Last weeks sermon looked at the fact that we need deliverance, just as did the pilgrims, from the fear as well as the fear of death and I titled that sermon, “What Do You Need Deliverance From?” Today being that Sunday before Thanksgiving, the third sermon out of four on Thanksgiving, is going to focus on the cross of Jesus. The reason the pilgrims came to the new land was to find religious freedom so they sought after it. I am not sure if they new where they were heading or what they would find when they got there. I do believe however though they new the way to get where they knew they needed to be.

Lets look at our scripture in John 14:6, but we will read starting in verse one in order to answer our titles question. I have titled this sermon, “Do You Know…,” because before you do anything you must know what you are wanting to do. We see that in the first five verses that JESUS told HIS disciples do not let your hearts be troubled because HE was going to prepare a place for them. They wanted to know how to get to where HE was going. In life we need to know where we are going. If you do not know where you are going then you will not get to the final destination. If I wanted to go to the diner then I would need to know which one I wanted to go to and then map out how to get there. The pilgrims knew that they needed the freedom of religion and they had to find out how to get there. They knew where they were. Then they needed to know where to go to get it. So in this one verse we see some important truths for us while we are traveling this great road of life, lets see if you know where you are going and the effects of not knowing the way, the truth and the life.

I AM the WAY

The first statement JESUS made was that HE was the way. Look at it again: what stands out to you? I AM, or the or Way? The emphasis is on the word “the”. Why, because there was no other way to get to GOD and that is where the disciples wanted to follow JESUS too. There is no other religion, philosophy or process to get you to heaven. The saying of all roads lead to heaven is a lie. Matter of fact in one of his trips Ravi Zacharias was asked if he was a Muslim. He stated no he was Indian by birth and Christian by faith. The man, a Muslim, which had asked him that question replied with another question: why? Ravi asked the man, “Do you believe Mohammad was a prophet?” The Muslim replied, “yes.” Ravi then asked, “Do you believe that JESUS was a prophet?” The Muslim again replied, “yes.” Ravi asked another question, “Do you believe that prophet cannot lie?” The Muslim this time replied, “yes.” Ravi then said, “JESUS said HE was the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one come to the FATHER but through ME, and Mohammad said he was a way.”

Not only does JESUS claim to be the way to the FATHER but did you realize that HE does not show the way HE said HE was the WAY. So we can say that the WAY is a person. JESUS showed us how to live life: how to overcome temptations, overcome sin and how to overcome this world.

When you are going to go to the store you have to know from where you are coming and to where you want to go. JESUS with this statement is saying HE is that WAY. It does not matter where you are at in your life. No matter what sin you are enslaved to HE is your way out. No matter how guilty you are of sin, HE is your mediator. No matter how much guilt you feel because of your sin, HE is your escape.