Text: John 14:1-6 (NKJV)
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 "And where I go you know, and the way you know."
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Opening Prayer
Walkthrough:
Verse 1:
There are two calls that Jesus gives to His disciples in verse 1:
(A) Call to peace -- do not have a troubled heart.
Jesus is One with the Father
(B) Call to believe in Him -- believe also in Me.
Interestingly, this phrase can be rendered, "Do you believe in God? Believe also in Me."
It’s more likely that the grammatical use was as it is in most translations, though -- "You believe in God, believe also in Me."
The disciples are about to go through a very hard time of testing. Their discipler will be put to death for a time, and it’s clear that many of them greeted this with joy or even full understanding.
We see from Jesus’ statement here that Jesus is NOT the Father. In verse 7, He continues and states that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. Jesus never states that He IS the Father. He consistently prays to Him, addresses Him, and mentions Him outside of Himself. However, Jesus is clear that He is the very express display of God. He is God in the Flesh. He is fully Divine.
Colossians makes this clear -- if you would, turn to Colossians 1:12-22. This is Paul’s exposition on the Father providing the Son and the ultimate preeminence and Divinity of Jesus --
Colossians 1:12-22
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
So we see from this passage:
- The Father has made us partakers of eternal inheritance (1:12)
- The Father has delivered us from darkness and has brought us to His beloved Son’s kingdom (1:13)
- We have redemption and forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ Blood (1:14)
- Jesus is the display or image of the Invisible God (1:15)
- Jesus is the Preeminent one over all Creation ("firstborn" does not refer to literal birth here)
- Jesus was the Creator (1:16)
- Jesus was before all things (1:17)
- All things consist because of Jesus (1:17)
- Jesus is the Head of the Church (1:18)
- Jesus is the Firstborn from the Dead (1:18)
- All the fulness of God dwells in Jesus (1:19)
- Jesus brings us to peace with God through His Sacrifice (1:20)
- We as sinners only have hope through Jesus (1:21-22)
And in the John 14 passage, we see Jesus showing Himself as Divine, yet not God the Father.
Verse 2:
Jesus prepares a place in Heaven for those of the household of faith.
"Many mansions" - Characterized by affluence, prosperity, riches.
Heaven has many areas described by John as ’Pearl’ and ’Gold.’ Given the abundance of precious jewels and gold in Temple construction, among other things, he likely knew quite well what materials they were, though it is very likely that he saw better substances than what we have here on this planet.
Jesus is honest about preparing a place and reinforces His point -- "if it were not so, I would have told you." Jesus’ main hope here seems to be reassuring the Disciples.
The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills (figure of speech -- He owns it all):
Psalm 50:10 - For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.
We are limited by resources. He is limitless.
Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
Verse 3:
Jesus’ promise -- I will come again.
Note that Jesus at this point hasn’t left yet. He is giving the Disciples prior notice, so that when they do understand what is going on, they will be able to look back and be assured of His return. After Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was unleashed and personally available to Believers, we see a shift. The Disciples began to understand and proclaim hope through Jesus boldly!
Jesus’ reassuring statement -- Once I return, you will be with Me.
If you have put your trust in Jesus, the admonition is, ’Fear Not.’ If you have yet to, the admonition is, ’Follow Me.’
Compare with ’Where I am, you cannot go’ -- Pharisees
Verse 4:
You know the Way -- ME
Yet it was clear that not everyone quite got what Jesus was getting at….
Verse 5:
Thomas’ statement makes this clear --
(1) Where are you going?
(2) How can we know the way?
Good practical questions. We all ask them! Jesus gives Himself as the answer.
Verse 6:
Jesus’ claim -- He is the only Way.
The prior verses here show that Jesus is the Way - He is going to prepare a place, and through His impending Death and Resurrection, He will provide the path. This is only through Him.
Given this prior set of verses, this statement could be rendered, "I am the Way, namely, the Truth and the Life."
He is the only Way to God. Just as He is the Door in John 10, and the only pathway to the Father, He is the only way to Salvation.
Jesus is the True revelation of the Father. He has been given to us so that we can find restoration through Him alone.
Jesus is also the Life -- He is the source and giver of both natural and, as He is mentioning here, everlasting life.
We can have peace and assurance in this.
So Jesus has talked about being the only Way to the Father, and He has promised to prepare a place for those who believe. What does Scripture say about Heaven?
(1) A Place of Rest
Hebrews 4:9-11
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Revelation 14:13 - Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: ’Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ " "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."
Involved also in the matter of Rest, Heaven is a place of comfort and renewal:
Revelation 21:4 - "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
(2) A Literal City -- New Heaven and New Earth
Hebrews 11:16 - But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 13:14 - For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
Revelation 21:1-5
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
Various present things in Heaven, from Revelation: Gates, streets, elders, angels, saints, gatherings, Thrones, crowns, seas, trees, feasts, the Lord, etc.
(3) A Restored Eden
Revelation 2:7 - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." ’
Note the first mention of the Tree of Life in Genesis 2:8-10.
Revelation 22:2-3
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
(4) A Place where we will see Jesus
After Jesus’ Ascension, the writer of Hebrews makes clear that Jesus entered Heaven, in God’s presence.
Hebrews 9:24 - For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Revelation 22:5 - There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
Imagine the radiant Glory of Jesus serving as light for Heaven!
Revelation 7:16-17
16 "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
17 "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
May we be found to be pure in heart, having received the gift of Salvation that can only be obtained through our Lord Jesus.
Matthew 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
As Paul said:
Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We have great hope in Heaven, but we must go by the One who is the Way. Jesus is the Way to Heaven. Let us follow Him, and let us cherish the gift of eternal life in Heaven through Him alone. Let’s close in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Bibliography
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
