The Only Way To Heaven

Text: John 14:1-9

Title: The way to heaven

Introduction:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 knew me, you would 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’?

1.The subjects that trouble our hearts the most are often the subjects associated with dying.

In particular “Not knowing for certain what happens to us after we die” is very troubling to our hearts

In John 14 Jesus starts out by telling us to not let these things trouble our heart.

Because you and I can leave here today knowing for sure where we are going after we die.

In our text we see Jesus do the following 3 things for those who are troubled in heart.

1.Jesus confirms the existence of heaven.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (v2)

Heaven is not a fairytale, wishful thinking or a figment of someone’s imagination. Because Jesus said that if there was no heaven He would “have told us so.”

2.Jesus also gives us a description of heaven

“In my Father’s house are many rooms;

Jesus describes Heaven as being God’s house which has many rooms.

1. A modern view of heaven

Some people think when we get to heaven we are all going to have separate mansions.

2. A Jewish view of heaven

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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.”

In Jewish society after a man and woman got engaged the man would return to his father’s house and start building on an extra room. Only after the room was finished would the man go back, marry the woman and bring her to her new home.

1.We have seen Jesus confirm the existence of heaven

2. We have seen Jesus give a description of heaven

3.Now Jesus spends the largest portion of our text TELLING US THE ONLY WAY to get to heaven

When it comes to the right way to get to heaven Christianity differs from all other religions.

Most religions other than Christianity believe that there are many different ways to get to Heaven; that all roads lead to God.

But Jesus the founder of Christianity would answer…

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (v6)

Let’s be clear what Jesus is saying;

I am not a way but the way. I am not a truth but the truth. I am not a life but the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.

Since these claims of Christ are offensive to other religions what is the evidence that Jesus is the only way to heaven?

1. The mission of Jesus (v7-10)

“If you really knew me, you would 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?”

What was the mission of Jesus?

The mission of Jesus was according to our text to show us the Father and to help us to know Him.