I AM the way, the truth, and the life
John 14:1-6
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
10-26-2020
I Want to Go Home
It was 2:15 am and I was standing at the front desk of a hotel in Costa Rica trying to tell someone who spoke no English that I needed two vans to take us to the airport.
I used my limited Spanish but that didn’t work. He just smiled at me. I drew pictures and he just smiled at me.
Truthfully, I wanted to strangle him…in Jesus name!
I finally laid my head on the counter and said out loud to myself, “I want to go home!” He just smiled and said, “Si!”
Have you ever been there?
Don’t get me wrong. The trip was amazing. My son Joshua and I were part of three different teams that built a Habitat house for a wonderful young lady named Rose. We ate fantastic meals every night and stayed in a fairly nice hotel.
But I missed my bed. I missed my wife. I missed my bathroom. I wanted to go home.
Home is a theme in our culture. Simon and Garfunkel sang, “Homeward bound”
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
John Denver sang,
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
And Lynyrd Skynyrd sand:
Sweet Home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you.
No matter where I’ve been in the world, eventually I become homesick. I want to go home.
As Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home!”
C. S. Lewis famously wrote:
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
Can I begin today by reminding you of a very important truth?
If you are a Christian, if you have been born again, if you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, this world is not your home:
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Phil 3:20-21)
According to Scripture, we are “aliens,” “exiles,” “sojourners,” “wayfarers” “pilgrims,” and “strangers” in this world.
I want us to remember this as we go through the next two weeks.
This week, I read David Platt’s “Before you vote: Seven Questions that Christians should Ask.”
I want to share a quote with you:
"I couldn't help but draw one conclusion about the the church amidst the political climate in our country: we are sick. We are so quick to accuse, belittle, cancel, distrust, disparage, deride, and divide from one another. And it's not just people outside the church; it's people inside the church, too. And it's not just this or that side; it's all of us, including me. We are swimming in toxic political waters that are poisoning the unity Jesus desires for His church, and we are polluting the glory Jesus deserves through us in the world."
As of October 19, 2020, there are 1,222 candidates who filed to run, including:
324 Democratic candidates
164 Republican candidates
65 Libertarian candidates
23 Green candidates
Not one of these candidates is worthy of our ultimate allegiance. We do not worship a donkey or an elephant but the Lamb of God who is the Lion of Judah!
In our text this morning, Jesus will powerfully remind His disciples of this glorious truth and help them to prepare for His crucifixion.
This morning, we come to the sixth I am statement. This is probably one of the best known verses in the Bible and, by far, one of the most controversial statements that Jesus ever made.
Turn with me to John 14.
Prayer
Text in the Context
John 13-17 is known as the “farewell discourse.” These four chapters literally covers the Thursday night before Jesus would go to the cross.
The disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. They had gone all in and were expecting incredible rewards. Jesus would defeat the Romans and establish Israel as a world superpower and they would rule with Him.
Jesus had come into Jerusalem earlier that week to great fanfare with people shouting Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:12-15)
But then the mood changed…
Then He put a towel around His waist and washed their feet. (John 13:1-20).
I thought we were going to rule not wash feet.
Then He said that one of them would actually betray Him. (John 13:21-30)
Who is it? It’s not me? Is it you? What’s happening?
Then He told them:
“ “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:31-33)
Peter speaks up and asks the question for all the disciples:
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going? Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”
One will betray, you are going away, and now you tell Peter that he will deny you three times?
Jesus, what is happening?! This is not how it is supposed to go.
The disciples are confused, anxious, frightened, and sad.
By the way, anyone feel that way here today? God has something to say to you this morning.
We are only going to study the first six verses on chapter 14 but we are going to dive deep.
Jesus offers Peace
[Slide] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” (v.1)
Jesus is merely hours away from being arrested, falsely accused, beaten within an inch of his life, and crucified on an old rugged cross.
Can you imagine what emotions He was dealing with? But in John 14, He is more worried about comforting his distraught disciples.
They have no interest in his suffering. They are self-absorbed.
He looks over the worried faces of His friends and gives them two gentle commands - one negative and one positive.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
Peter is stunned into humble silence and the rest of the disciples are stunned by what they have heard.
Although He had been speaking to Peter directly, this “you” is plural. He’s addressing the whole group.
In Jesus’ time, the “heart” was considered the center of a person’s being.
He knows that their hearts are “troubled.” This is a word picture of water that has been stirred up. It can mean “inner turmoil” or confusion.
He gently rebukes his friends - get a hold of yourselves. Stop being stirred up. Literally, He says don’t let the troubles in you.
Peter would later write:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7)
To those struggling this morning, may your heart hear Jesus’ words:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)
2. “You believe in God; believe also in me.”
Jesus commands them to keep on believing in God. You can’t see God but you believe in Him. This is a personal, relational trust.
Peter wrote:
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:8-9)
Jesus then tells them that they can trust Him the same way. Believe in Me. Trust me. Bank on Me.
In the midst of His agony He wanted to deal with the disciples’ anxiety.
Calm down guys. It’s going to be okay. This will work out for my glory and your good. I know you can’t see it right now but trust me.
Isaiah wrote:
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
At the end of chapter 14, John records Jesus’ words:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Jesus Prepares a Place
[Slide] “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? 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. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (v. 2-4)
Jesus not only gives the disciples peace but He also promises that He will go prepare a place for them.
It’s unfortunate that William Tyndale translated this word “rooms” as “mansions” and the King James Bible used that.
Jesus is not saying that there are different levels of heaven, where some live in mansions and some live in shacks.
The idea of “rooms” has to do with plenty of space.
As the song we used to sing back in the day by Audio Adrenaline
It's a big big house
With lots and lots a room
A big big table
With lots and lots of food
A big big yard
Where we can play football
A big big house
It's my Father's house
It means to abide or dwell and carries with it the idea of permanency.
When a son would get married in Jewish culture, he would build an addition on to the Father’s house. Soon, that house became a compound where the whole extended family lived.
Jesus tells them that He is going away but it’s going to be okay because he is going ahead of them to prepare a place for them there.
The harbor in Alexandria was notorious difficult to navigate for larger ships so a small boat called a prodomos would go out and bring the boat safely into the harbor.
This what two disciples had done that very night when they went ahead of the rest and found and prepared a room for the Last Supper.
This is what Jesus says He will do. He is going ahead of them to the Father’s house, heaven, where there is room enough for all, to prepare the way for them.
This same word is used by the writer of Hebrews to describe Jesus as the forerunner:
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” (Hebrews 6:19-20)
Although on earth Jesus was a carpenter, He was not taking about a “fixer-upper” project in heaven.
He wouldn’t use a hammer but there would be nails involved. The cross would be the way that He prepared the way.
Then He promised that He would come back for them.
It’s been said that ours is the first generation that didn’t have their eyes on the skies waiting for His return.
He’s not going to leave them alone. It’s best that He goes away because then He will send the Holy Spirit to be in them and guide them until He comes back.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thes 4:16-17)
Jesus is coming back. It’s certain. It will be visible. It will be personal. He’s coming back for us.
Jesus then tells them that they know the place where He is going.
The disciples heads must have been spinning.
In 1999, Maxine and I packed up our life into an U-haul with two toddlers and drove from central Mississippi to the frozen tundra of Illinois to work as a counselor at Salem Boy’s Ranch.
My supervisor, Dale Petre, became one of best friends and a mentor to me.
One morning he asked the team to come to his office. He began the meeting with the words, “I’m being transferred to another department. I won’t be your supervisor anymore.”
I literally didn’t hear anything else he said…and I burst into tears.
The disciples are still trying to process the idea that Jesus is “going away.” They don’t understand “preparing a place for you.”
What place? Where? How do we get there? Jesus, what is going on?!
In fact, Thomas speaks up for the group:
“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (v. 5)
Another miracle - a man asking for directions!
Thomas wants some GPS coordinates or a map or even second star to the right and right on until morning. Anything.
Jesus’ answer is one of the most amazing statements He makes in all of Scripture and one of the most controversial.
Jesus is the Path
[Slide] “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (v. 5)
In the Gospel of John, there are seven “I am” statements that Jesus makes to help His disciples, and us, to understand who He is and what His mission was. [Slide]
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
“I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators.
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
Remember that by using those two little Greek words “Ego emie”, “I Am,” Jesus was claiming to be God.
God gave Moses His covenant name, “I am that I am” (Exodus 3:14). The religious leaders understood this and this is why they were plotting to kill Him for blasphemy.
He says that He is the way, the truth, and the life. The Greek literally reads, “I am the way because I am the truth and the life.”
Let’s dig deeper into what He is saying.
The Way
In the early church, believers were not called “Christians” until the Jews in Antioch came up with that term as an insult. Followers of Jesus were called “the people of the way.” (See (Acts 24:14)
Jesus response to Thomas’s question by saying that He is “the way.” Jesus is not “a way” or “one of the ways.”
The word John uses is “hodos,” which can mean “road or traveled path.”
I’ve visited St. Joseph hospital many times and I know my way around there fairly well.
But when they were doing construction it was a hopeless maze.
The person at the counter was trying to explain to me how to get to a room and it was obvious that I wasn’t getting the directions.
That’s when a volunteer came up and said, “I’ll take him there.” She lead the way and I followed her. She took me through the maze of construction right to the room I needed to visit.
That’s what Jesus does.
William Barclay writes,
“Jesus doesn’t just give us advice and directions. He takes us by the hand and lead us. He strengthens and guides us personally each day. And He doesn’t tell us about the way. He is the way!”
When Jesus died on the cross the vail of the Temple, which separated God from man, was torn in two from top to bottom.
Jesus’ death in our place for our sins bridged the gap and made a way back to God.
The real question is what path are you on? We are all on a path.
All other religious paths can be summed up as “Do.” Be good, be moral. Try harder.
Christianity is spelled DONE! We can’t hop high enough for God’s holiness. It isn’t about what we do but what’s been done for us by Jesus.
Jesus is the way and will lead believers to the Father’s house.
[Slide} 2. The Truth
I took a group of students to a conference once and we were staying in a hotel. Early one morning, the students who got up early got to eat breakfast with the band that were leading worship for the conference - Plumbline.
I’ll never forget watching these young, very cool, guys explain what a plumb line is to these high school students.
[By the way, if you don’t know, it’s a string that you can use to make sure something is “plumb” or straight]
He explained that Jesus is our plumb line. He is the line by which we evaluate the trueness of everything.
Truth isn’t just an abstract concept. Truth is a Person.
F.F. Bruce wrote:
“All truth is God’s truth, as all life is God’s life, but God’s truth and God’s life are incarnated in Jesus Christ.”
The writer of Hebrews wrote that:
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3)
John wrote in His prologue:
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
Over half of Americans agree with the statement that there is no absolute truth. And more than half believe that religious beliefs are not founded on objective reality.
With all the lies, misinformation, crazy conspiracy theories, people are asking the same question that Pilate did:
You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate.
Jesus is the truth that reveals the Father’s heart.
Do you evaluate everything through the plumb line of Jesus?
Jesus said that truth has the power to set you free from the lies that steal your joy:
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
[Slide] 3. The Life
Warren Wiersbe writes:
“Christianity is not a creed, on organization, or a religious system. It is the life of God in humans, making us more like Jesus Christ.
John 1:4 states,
“In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4)
Jesus has the power to restore life, impart life, give life.
In John 5,
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:24-26)
The Apostle John wrote in his first letter:
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (I John 5:11-12)
Remember that this life is not some “pie in the sky when you die” kind of life. It’s starts when you are born again and last forever. It’s a whole different quality of life:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
Are you living this abundant, eternal life?
Thomas a Kempis famously wrote:
“Without the way, there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living.”
D.A. Carson is a pastor, theologian, and poet. I want to read to you a triplet of sonnets he wrote when meditating
on this verse:
I am the way to God: I did not come
To light a path, to blaze a trail, that you May simply follow in my tracks,
pursue My shadow like a prize that's cheaply won.
My life reveals the life of God, the sum
Of all he is and does. So how can you, The sons of night, look on me
and construe My way as just the road for you to run?
My path takes in Gethsemane, the Cross,
And stark rejection draped in agony.
My way to God embraces utmost loss:
Your way to God is not my way, but me.
Each other path is dismal swamp, or fraud.
I stand alone: I am the way to God.
I am the truth of God: I do not claim
I merely speak the truth, as though I were A prophet (but no more),
a channel, stirred By Spirit power, of purely human frame.
Nor do I say that when I take his Name Upon my lips,
my teaching cannot err (Though that is true).
A mere interpreter I'm not, some prophet-voice of special fame.
In timeless reaches of eternity The triune God decided that the Word,
The self-expression of the Deity, Would put on flesh and blood-and thus be heard.
The claim to speak the truth good men applaud.
I claim much more: I am the truth of God.
I am the resurrection life. It's not As though I merely
bear life-giving drink, A magic elixir which (men might think)
Is cheap because though lavish it's not bought.
The price of life was fully paid:
I fought With death and bleak despair; for I'm the drink Of life.
The resurrection morn's the link
Between my death and endless life long sought.
I am the fIrstborn from the dead; and by
My triumph, I deal death to lusts and hates.
My life I now extend to men, and ply
Them with the draught that ever satiates.
Religion's page with empty boasts is rife:
I am the resurrection and the life.
John Calvin wrote:
“Jesus destroyed the wall that divides humanity from God - the way, denies the falsehoods that distorts humanity in relation to God - the truth, and defeats the last and greatest enemy of humanity: death - the life.”
One Way
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
[Slide] When we lived in Ft. Meyers, Florida, I worked on Sanibel Island. There was only one way on and off the island - the bridge.
Out of tourist season, it would take about 10 minutes for me to get from the church to our condo. But we lived there during tourist season. Many times it took between an hour and two hours to get home. Why? Because there was only one way on and off the island.
Many people will tell you that Jesus is a good moral teacher. But we come to a declaration that, if not true, blows that idea right out of the water.
Jesus makes the claim that he is the only way to the Father.
Some of you just winced. You don’t like that idea. It’s sounds exclusive. It’s sounds unfair. What about Muslims? What about Hindus? What about Jewish people? What about your uncle who is an atheist but would give you the shirt off his back? What about the nice Mormon lady who lives down the street and bakes cookies for your kids?
You’ve heard this:
It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. [You can be sincerely wrong]
If you good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, you get in
God is loving. He would never send anyone to hell. ?
Is Jesus saying that if someone doesn’t believe in Him and trust Him for the forgiveness of sins that they are going to a place the Bible calls hell?
Yes.
Jesus said that.
It’s important to understand that
A cannot equal B.
Let me explain. If what Jesus said is true and He is the only way to the Father then every other way is wrong.
A cannot equal B.
You can’t have two truths. If Christianity is true then every other religious system must be false.
There is no “my truth” and “your truth.” That’s completely illogical.
2 + 2 = 4. You can argue with me and say that you want it to equal 5 all day long. But it doesn’t.
[Slide] Many people people believe that faith is like a mountain. God is at the top and there are many paths you can take to get to Him.
In fact, in the latest State of Theology survey, 42% of people who identify themselves as evangelical Christians agreed with this statement:
God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
But Jesus didn’t leave us the option of thinking this way because He said He is the path, the only path to God.
Kevin Deyoung wrote:
All paths lead to God, but only one path will present you before God without fault and with great joy. Pick a path, any path—it will take you to God. Trust me: you will stand before Him one day. You will meet your Maker. You will see the face of Christ. There are many ways up the mountain, but only one will result in life instead of destruction.
Peter, standing before the religious leaders, stated emphatically:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Paul wrote to Timothy:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (I Timothy 1:5)
Jesus said that the path is a narrow one:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matt 7:14)
Jesus lived a sinless life in our place. He obey God’s rules perfectly when we couldn’t. And He gives us His perfect righteousness for our sin.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (I Cor 5:21)
And He died on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:8-11)
Who can walk this path to God? Whosoever.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18)
If you are not not a born again Christian, what is your plan for getting to heaven?
Admit that you are sinner and that you can never be good enough to earn heaven.
Put your faith and trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for you.
Surrender your life to receive eternal, abundant life.
If you are a born again Christian, then what’s the implications of Jesus’ words?
If Jesus is the only way to the Father’s house, then we need to be about the work of telling everyone how to get home!
One of my Moody students shared this with me:
“The promises of God, help us with the proclamation of God.”
In fact, Jesus gave us our marching orders in what is called the Great Commission:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20)
If we had the cure for cancer, we certainly wouldn’t be embarrassed to share that news with everyone, especially those with cancer!
We have the cure for hell!
Michael Horton tweeted this a couple of days ago:
“The early Christians were not fed to wild beasts or dipped in wax and set ablaze as lamps in Nero's garden because they thought Jesus was a helpful life coach or role model but because they witnessed to him as the only Lord and Savior of the world.”
[O Come All Ye Unfaithful video]
