I Am The Way
All Saints Day, November 2007
Pastor Mark Jasa
John 14:1-14
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In 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. 3And 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. 4You know the way to the place where I am going." 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9Jesus 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'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Our gospel story begins, in the upper room mere hours from the long sleepless night, the plea to the father, the sweat dripping like blood, the capture in the garden, the underhanded court proceedings, abandonment, the whipping, the insults, the nails and Death. It's safe to say Jesus had a few things on his mind, but notice he isn't concerned with himself, but with those he is leaving behind. You see, He is sending them out into the world, without a leader, to proclaim a message that will cause them to be hated, tortured and killed. So to them he says, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." Don't worry, trust me. I have everything under control. You are in my care. This was spoken for his disciples in their time of trouble. And they would cling to his promises. The words Jesus spoke actually gave the disciples the strength to proclaim his salvation for decades while enduring unimaginable anguish. But in a way we are not so different from the disciples. Everyone's life is difficult. It doesn't matter who you are, you will face pain, suffering and death. Every person will see his own loved ones face agony. And in your own life, Whether you get hit by a drunk driver, wither away in a retirement home, or are consumed by an infectious disease, you will face death. No one is off the hook. You and I were not there to hear Jesus when he spoke these words, so John did something for us. He wrote them down so that we would remember them in our time of need. So he says to each of us. Trust me. You are safe.
2In my Father's house are many rooms. In fact there is plenty of room for everyone. No one has been left out. But in particular, I am going ahead of you. And my purpose, is to prepare a place just for you. I had you in mind when I came to save the world and I am planning a place in paradise just for you. And then I will return to you and take you with me into my father's house.
And you know the way to the place I am going. I mean, I've told you repeatedly, that the goal of the son of man is to die and rise right? Well apparently Jesus hadn't told them quite enough times because Thomas speaking on behalf of the group then asked, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
Thomas was stating that they didn't even know where he was going but Jesus seems to combine where his is going, how to get there and who gets you there all in one sentence. Who what where why? What did Jesus come to teach us? It is a mystery. There is just as much confusion today as there was back then. Even with 2000 years worth of hindsight, the average person sitting in the pew has no idea that Jesus came for the purpose of dying? What about social justice, immorality, aids research, poverty and putting an end to abortion. These are the issues of today.
But the disciples had other things on their minds. They had been taught that keeping the law was the road to holiness so maybe Jesus came to give a new law? Maybe he was the second Moses who came to straighten out this crooked people. But they had also been conditioned by Zionist nationalists who were fighting to liberate Israel and make her a free nation. So they couldn't see how dying on a cross could help expel the Roman invader or make people behave any better. Weren't those the two reasons Jesus came? To win geographic territory and modify our behavior? Nope, Jesus had no plan to rid Israel of the foreign nuisance nor did he give them a way to improve their public moral status. They seem to have missed Jesus' insistence that his kingdom is not of this world. He's not claiming Israel for the Jews; he's claiming heaven for sinners.
So let's try it again, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Now you did it Jesus. You made one of those exclusive statements, Saying that you're it and no one else does it. You alone are the Holy One you alone are the Lord you alone are the most high. It is not about Zeus, or Rah, or Mohammed's Allah, Buddha or Krishna. And the way is not an 8 fold path or 5 pillars or even 10 commandments as the disciples may have thought. This is totally counter to our way of thinking. This is not the way of religion and bargaining with God. It isn't a path you follow or a check list that you complete. A law you obey or a standard that you live up to. It isn't a prize you win or a privilege you deserve. It is the gift that Jesus gives. As he said in the beginning the way is to trust me, I've got you don't worry about a thing.
There have been many spiritual leaders through history, and all of the religious figures of the world offer systems. And you can argue that one offers a better deal than another, but only Jesus makes a promise. He says he is the life. And he made the deal. It was his life for your life. His perfect life for my sinful life. His eternal life was swapped for our terminal lives.
Jesus is making some pretty huge claims, so the disciples thought that they might like a little evidence. This time Philip spoke for the group saying "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." As if it were not enough for Jesus to claim that he is in fact the only one who can grant us access to the father in heaven, Jesus then goes on to put everyone, especially the Jehovah's witnesses on edge. Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Next time you hear someone say that Jesus never claimed to be God think about this, can you say, "Whoever has seen you has seen the Father? Could it be clearer? well Isaiah said it pretty well, " For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This claim goes hand in hand with his other promises, because without power behind them promises are just wasted breath. So Philip and the rest of you, please look at all the things I have done right before your eyes. Believe on account of the works that you have seen. The paralyzed walk, the blind see, the dead are raised. He appeals to the supernatural works that they have seen.
Then Jesus turns them to the result of his works. "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do," This isn't surprising that Jesus says this. Remember when Jesus forgave the sins of the Samaritan woman at the well, what did she do? She began running around telling everyone about the coming of the messiah. And what was the result? Many came to faith because of her witness. Jesus did cure diseases and raise the dead, but he only raised them for a time, in order to point to the greater work he was to do through his people. You and I have been entrusted with the work of raising those who are dead in sin to life in Christ. The greater works that you perform is bringing people into eternal life. You and I declare the resurrection. We announce the forgiveness of sins. We proclaim eternal life is for everyone. We have been given the Good News. It is ours to rest in as we endure the difficulties of life, but it is also our purpose to give it away.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession," For what reason? "that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you." For by grace you have been saved, for what purpose? "for good works" the work of saving the world. This is the way of the early church, people spoke about Jesus, and "the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."
Jesus has gone to the father and we stay behind to gather up his people by speaking about his love. And these miracles happen one at a time. Our gospel ends with us receiving the promises of Jesus and sharing them with the world. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.