One Way
Farewell Discourse • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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I have re-learned something about myself this month. This august has been trying. Especially the past few weeks. God revealed to me, or should I say clarified for me the truth about myself that I always knew but now I know better than ever. In these past few weeks, with this heat, I have realized I can’t go to Hell.
(Give setting)
Object of our Faith
Object of our Faith
First of all, we have to deal with the opening of this Farewell Discourse. “Do not let your heart be troubled;” Jesus is the one who is headed for the cross, headed to carry the sins of the world. And instead of his friends comforting Him, Jesus is comforting them. And its like that sometimes. We find ourselves as the one who, like Jesus, is always helping someone else when we are also going through. You are not alone.
Jesus is not mistaken on who he is. Why do we? He tells the disciples that in the same way they are to trust God, they are to trust Him. This would be blasphemous if Jesus wasn’t one with the Father. But because Jesus is God incarnate, and He in more than one occasion equates Himself with God, the places the onus of faith on them and the object of faith on Himself. “believe also in Me.” In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the word was God. If Jesus invariably speaks the words of God and performs the acts of God (5:19ff.), should he not be trusted like God? If he tells his followers not to let their hearts be troubled, must it not be because he has ample and justifiable reason? As it pertains to “one way” Jesus is already establishing himself on divine terms with God.
Offers us a Dwelling Place
Offers us a Dwelling Place
We’ve heard this scripture before. This text is frequently used for funerals and home-going services to give comfort to family and loved ones that the deceased will be with Jesus. But, this scripture is giving us more than that. Jesus is going away, but is promising to come back for us. He is going to prepare a place for us.
Here is my shout, “if it were not so, I would have told you.” (Preach)
In ancient Jewish wedding customs it was the responsibility of the man to prepare a place for his bride. And of course God can prepare with one word. The point is not that Jesus is away working, but that he has made sure there is enough space for every person who would put their trust in Him.
Only Way to God
Only Way to God
Thomas asked a good question of clarification. I know Thomas gets a bad rap because he doubts but he also isn’t afraid to ask the tough question. (v.5)
I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. So, If Jesus is the way, there aint no other way. If Jesus is the Truth, everything else is a lie. If Jesus is the Life, all else brings death.
Way-He is the narrow street, the door, he is the direction to follow. It is only through and by Jesus that we have access to God. You cannot bypass Jesus and get to glory.
Truth- the Truth in its best definition is a person, His name is Jesus. Every sage, teacher, philosopher that came before Jesus was too early and every sage, teacher philosopher that came after Jesus was too late. Jesus is the Truth. Every thing he says you can take to the bank, everything he does is trustworthy. The bible says God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. All reality is tied to Jesus. In him we move and have our being. All things are made and sustained by him so he is the truth.
Life- In him was Life…In two ways one I can say, because of him Life is worth living. He gives purpose to our lives. But also that he is the giver of life. I’m not afraid of death only because He is the life. And you know how we know he is the Life. I can tell you (take them to the cross)