A Calm Heart
John 13:53-14:7
JESUS WAS MAKING PREPARATION TO LEAVE THIS WORLD. WHEN HE BEGAN TO
EXPLAIN To HIS DISCIPLES WHAT WOULD TAKE PLACE, THEY BEGAN TO GROW
VERY CONCERNED AND WORRIED ABOUT IT ALL. NOTE: v33, "...WHITHER I GO,
YE CANNOT COME..." IN v36 PETER ASKED FOR MORE DETAILS. JESUS REPEATED
ONCE AGAIN THE FACT THAT WHERE HE WAS GOING THEY COULD NOT FOLLOW
AT THIS TIME. PETER MADE A GREAT CLAIM IN v37, BUT CHRIST KNEW THAT IT
WAS ONLY TALK. HE PROPHESIED THAT PETER WOULD DENY Him THREE TIMES
BEFORE THE COCK WOULD CROW THAT NEXT MORNING.
THE DISCIPLES HAD BEEN GIVEN AN OBJECT LESSON ON HOW THEY COULD
KEEP THEIR HEARTS CLEAN, NOW THEY NEEDED SOME INSTRUCTION ON HOW
TO KEEP THEIR HEARTS CALM. THEY WOULD .NEED CALM HEARTS IN ORDER TO
RIDE OUT THE IMPENDING STORM. JESUS BEGAN THIS IMPORTANT
INSTRUCTION IN 14:1 WITH THIS PHRASE: "LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE
TROUBLED... "
A WOMAN SUSPECTS THAT SHE MAY HAVE CANCER, BUT SHE CAN’T BRING
HERSELF TO GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR FEAR THAT HE WILL CONFIRM HER
SUSPICIONS. A MAN IS FRIGHTENED BELIEVING THAT HE MIGHT LOSE HIS JOB;
AND ANOTHER IS CONSTANTLY TROUBLED OVER A CHILD WHO IS RUNNING
FROM GOD; AND STILL ANOTHER PERSON is FILLED WITH ANXIETY BECAUSE
THEIR MARRIAGE IS ABOUT TO BREAK UP. OTHERS MAY BE FILLED WITH
WORRY ABOUT ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. JESUS CHRIST KNOWS YOUR HEARTS
AS WELL AS HE KNEW THE HEARTS OF THE DISCIPLES. THE MESSAGE TODAY IS
THE SAME AS IT WAS THERE IN THE UPPER ROOM.
JESUS TURNED THE ATTENTION OF HIS DISCIPLES TO THE GLORIES OF THE
FUTURE. WE ARE OFTEN CONTROLLED BY WHAT WE FOCUS UPON. HE
REDIRECTED THEIR FOCUS AWAY FROM WHAT WAS TROUBLING THEM NOW,
AND TOWARD WHAT THEY HAD TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE. WE
MUST ALLOW CHRIST TO DO THE SAME FOR US TODAY. EXAMPLE: WHEN MY
MOTHER DIED, RATHER THAN FOCUS ON THE PAIN OF THE LOSS, I TOOK
COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT ONE DAY WE WOULD BE TOGETHER IN HEAVEN
WHERE THERE WOULD BE NO MORE PAIN, NO MORE TEARS, AND NO MORE
SEPARATION.
LET’S CONSIDER THIS MORNING THE THINGS WHICH CHRIST DIRECTED HIS
TROUBLED DISCIPLES TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION UPON.
I. A SPECIAL PLACE. v2
A. HEAVEN IS A SPECIAL PLACE.
1. "IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS:"
2. USUALLY WE ENVISION SOME HUGE CASTLE-LIKE HOME WITH MANY
ROOMS.
3. HOWEVER, THE WORD ’MANSIONS’ SIMPLY MEANS ’DWELLING
PLACE’.
4. OUR LORD WAS ASSURING His DISCIPLES THAT THERE WOULD BE
PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EVERYONE.
B. JESUS HAS NOT BEEN BUILDING IT FOR NEARLY 2000 YEARS.
1. SOMETIMES WE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITHOUT REALIZING
THAT HE IS THE SAME GOD WHO SPOKE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE INTO
EXISTENCE.
2. THE FACT IS THAT HE HAS A PLACE PREPARED FOR HIS CHILDREN,
NOW!
3. JOHN DESCRIBED THE NEW JERUSALEM IN RE . 21: 16.
a. THE LENGTH AND THE BREADTH AND THE HEIGHT OF IT ARE
EQUAL.
b. IT WAS TWELVE THOUSAND FURLONGS OR ABOUT 1500 MILES
CUBED. 3,375,000,000 SQ. MILES
c. THAT IS NEARLY A 1000 TIMES THE SIZE OF THE UNITED
STATES.
d. FORGET THAT LITTLE CABIN UP IN GLORY LAND!
4. HEAVEN IS A PREPARED PLACE FOR A PREPARED PEOPLE.
II. A SPECIAL PERSON. V3
A. JESUS CHRIST WILL BE THERE.
1. NO MATTER HOW SPECIAL THE PLACE MIGHT BE, IF THE ONE THAT
THEY LOVED WOULD NOT BE THERE IT JUST WOULDN’T BE THE SAME.
2. THAT IS WHY JESUS SAID, "WHERE I AM, THERE YE MA Y BE ALSO. "
3. THOSE WERE THE WORDS WHICH THE DISCIPLES NEEDED TO HEAR
IN ORDER TO CALM THEIR HEARTS.
B. JESUS CHRIST IS COMING FOR US.
1. HE SAID, "IF I GO... I WILL COME AGAIN.. . "
2. I HAVE, ON OCCASION, BEEN SEPARATED FROM MY FAMILY.
3. NO ONE REALLY ENJOYS THAT, BUT I KNEW THAT ONE DAY WE
WOULD BE REUNITED.
4. WHEN FEAR OR LONELINESS WOULD STRIKE, I COULD FOCUS ON
WHAT IT WOULD BE WHEN WE SAW ONE ANOTHER AGAIN.
5. JESUS IS COMING AGAIN, NOT A SUBSTITUTE OR A STAND- IN, BUT,
JESUS CHRIST, HIMSELF!
III. A SPECIAL WAY. v4 -6
A. JESUS CHRIST IS THE "WAY".
1. THOMAS QUESTIONED THE LORD ABOUT THIS WAY, HE WASN’T SURE
HE KNEW WHAT JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT.
2. JESUS’ ANSWER WAS ONE OF HIS "I AM" STATEMENTS. V6
3. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROUTE TO GOD THE FATHER, AND TO THE
HEAVENLY CITY HE HAD JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
4. HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF OUR JOURNEY.
B. JESUS CHRIST IS THE "TRUTH".
1. THE WORLD SAYS THAT THERE IS NO TRUTH, NO ABSOLUTES.
2. BUT, CHRIST IS THE TRUTH.- HE is BOTH CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE.
3. Ps. 86: 1:1, "TEACH ME THY WAY, O LORD; I WILL WALK IN THY
TRUTH: UNITE MY HEART TO FEAR THY NAME.
4. JN. 8:32, "AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL
MAKE YOU FREE."
5. WE ARE BY NATURE PRONE TO ACCEPT THE LIES OF THE DEVIL, BUT
THE TRUTH IN CHRIST WILL LEAD TO OUR VICTORY.
C. JESUS CHRIST IS THE "LIFE".
1. HE HAS THE RESOURCES FOR THOSE WHO SEE THE INSUFFICIENCY
OF THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
2. JN. 10:10, ". . . I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND THAT
THEY MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY."
3. THOMAS HAD SAID THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW THE WAY, BUT IF HE
KNEW JESUS CHRIST, HE DID KNOW THE WAY.
4 . WITHOUT THE WA Y THERE IS NO GOING; WITHOUT THE TRUTH
THERE IS NO KNOWING; WITHOUT THE LIFE THERE IS NO LIVING.
CONCLUSION: WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF THIS SPECIAL INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO
THE DISCIPLES? THEY COULD REST IN THE CONFIDENCE THAT CHRIST’S
DEPARTURE WOULD NOT BE PERMANENT. HE HAD GONE TO HEAVEN BUT
WOULD COME AGAIN TO RECEIVE THEM. THEY WERE ON THE RIGHT ROAD;
THEY WERE ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH AND BLESSED WITH ETERNAL LIFE. THIS
KNOWLEDGE GAVE THE DISCIPLES THE CONFIDENCE NEEDED TO GIVE
THEMSELVES TOTALLY To GOD. TROUBLED WATERS WERE CALLED BY THE
SOOTHING WORDS OF CHRIST. THEY BELIEVED IN GOD, AND THEY COULD
BELIEVE IN HIM. A PERSON WITH A WHOLE HEART IS CALM IN THE MIDST OF
THE STORMS. OUR PROBLEMS BECOME LIGHTER WHEN WE WEIGH THEM
AGAINST OUR FINAL TRIUMPH IN HEAVEN.
NOTE: 2 Co. 4:17-18.
