"Jesus Is..."

“Jesus is …”

February 8, 2015

John 14:1-11

“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.

“Is there a God? Is there really a heaven? And if there IS a heaven – will I get to go there?” These are troubling questions. We all have had them at one time or another. We live in enemy territory with a fallen nature. Like a child who is worried about a childish concern and is comforted by his mother or father – Jesus gently and kindly is saying, “Don’t worry! Don’t be troubled! BELIEVE in me”

That is where the rubber meets the road, isn’t it? Do we believe? Do we trust? It is a choice. It is always a choice. Joshua said, “As for ME and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) We each must come to that decision. We choose to serve the Lord. But WHO is the Lord? Jesus makes it pretty clear in this Scripture. He says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”.

This morning I want to take a look at this very important Scripture. Jesus makes some pretty starling claims. He makes some pretty bold claims. He didn’t make it easy to be a wishy washy follower. You do or you don’t! You will or you won’t! Jesus is a liar or He’s telling the truth. Which do you believe?

Let’s take a look at some of Jesus’ claims this morning. Imagine you were one of His disciples and you hear Him say this. First of all, I want you to notice that He says He is God. He just comes out and says it. He says, “I and the Father are one.” (vs. 9&10) John says Jesus and God are one. He says,

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 1:18

The Jews knew that when Jesus claims to be ‘one’ with God – He is claiming to be God. He says, “I AM Truth.” There is only one truth. Everybody knows that. That is God. Jesus is claiming to be God. And this isn’t the first time He made that claim. Listen to this incident.

“I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:18-19

“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” John 8:56-59

Why did the Jews pick up rocks to stone Jesus? Because He was claiming to be God. He used God’s name – “I Am”. Only God can claim that title. It is present tense. Only God is present tense. There is no ‘was’ or ‘will be’ with God. There is just “I Am.” The Bible says,