Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 15:29

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 14:12-14

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12–14, ESV)

Introduction

You really have to stand in the place of the disciples of Jesus to fully appreciate all that Jesus has to say to them in chapters 14-17. We should try our best imagine what it would have been like to see the long awaited Messiah with our own eyes, to be overwhelmed with excitement concerning his arrival, to assume that he was here to stay, and then to hear Jesus say, I am going away, and where I am going you cannot come. This would have been most disappointing – most troubling.

I’m sure you have experienced disappointment before. You expected to get the job – you expected to get the promotion – you expected the relationship to last forever, and when things went in a different direction, your heart was troubled. All of a sudden everything needed to be reconsidered.

This was the kind of emotion the disciples of Jesus were experiencing. They had thought that things would go one way, but Jesus revealed that they would go another. They expected that the Messiah would remain forever, but Jesus made it clear that he would go away for a time, and then come back for his people at the end. What the disciples thought would be one, simple, and all encompassing event (the coming and remaining of the Messiah) would actually be more complex – the work of the Messiah would actually be accomplished over a long period of time – his first coming marked the beginning of his work, and his second coming would bring about the completion of it.

It is not that these truths were missing from the Old Testament, mind you. It’s that the disciples where ignorant of these things. Jesus simply made these truth known to them, and their hearts were troubled upon hearing his word. I imagine their heads were spinning as they labored to wrap their minds around the fact that Jesus would go away for a time, and then come again at the end of the age to finish what he started.

What would Jesus be doing while he was away? John 14:1-3 revealed that he would be preparing a place for his people.

Where would he go? He made it clear that he would go to the Father?

And how would his people get from where they are now to where Jesus would be? They would get to the Father by believing upon Jesus – believing that he indeed was the Christ, the Son of God incarnate, and that life is found in his name.

So now the disciples of Jesus knew that he was going away. They knew that he was going to Father. They knew that he was going to prepare a place for them. They also were instructed as to how to get there. They would get there by believing in Jesus.

But the question remained in their minds, what would the time between the first and second coming of Jesus be like? What were they to do? They had depended upon Jesus so heavily during his earthly ministry, how would they get along without him? This, I think, was a most disturbing thought to the disciples of Christ. They trembled at the thought of going it alone.

Jesus had already alluded to the fact that he would be with them even after his departure. This allusion is contained in the dialogue between Jesus and Philip. I addressed this two weeks ago as we looked at verses 8-11, and will not repeat it for the sake of time.

But notice how Jesus, in verse 12, begins to speak rather specifically concerning how things would be in the time between his first and second comings.

Brothers and sisters, these are the days that you and I live in. We live in the age between Christ’s first and second coming. You may call it the “church age”, if you wish, or the “New Covenant age”, or the “age of the Spirit” – whatever we call it, it is important to recognize the significance and purpose of the age in which we live. John chapters 14-17 has much to teach us about this age.

Two things become clear through the text we are considering this morning: One, we learn something about the work to be done in this age. And two, we learn something of where the power to accomplish this work is found.

Let Us Consider The Work To Be Done In This Age

Let us first of all consider the work to be done in this age.

That there is work to be done is probably the first thing that needs to be said.

This is something that the people of God may loose sight of from time to time.

When we hear the statement, “there is work to be done in this age” we might agree, saying, yes, I must go to work to pay the bills, the lawn needs to be mowed, and the eaves need to be painted. Or, yes, the laundry needs to be done, the checkbook balanced, and the children need to be bathed and clothed. And it is true, this is some of the work that needs to be done in this age. This kind of work is necessary – it should not be neglected. It should also be said that this kind of work is good and pleasing to God – it should not be minimized. God is glorified when you are diligent to fulfill his calling upon your life, whatever that calling may be.

But what is the work that I am ultimately referring to here? It is not worldly work, or common work that I am referring to, but to the work directly associated with the advancement of Kingdom of God. Christ came the first time to accomplish his work as Redeemer, he ascended to the Father, and from there he will return. And in this age between his first and second comings, the people of God are to labor for the furtherance of his Kingdom. This is not a purposeless age. It is not an idle age. No, there is much work to be done for the Kingdom of God until the Lord returns.

That there is work to be done is the first thing that needs to be said.

Secondly, it should be noted that the work we are to engage in is nothing less than a continuation of the work of Jesus Christ.

Look with me at verse 12 where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do… (John 14:12, ESV)

Remember that the disciples of Jesus were troubled by the fact that he was going away. Here he says to them, “Truly, truly” – in the Greek it is “ἀμήν, ἀμήν” – it is as if Jesus were saying, I am telling you the solemn truth.  And what does he promise? That “whoever believes in [him] will also do the works that [he does].” The believing ones – the one who believes in Jesus – will do the works that Jesus did. In other words, our works will be a continuation of the work that Jesus began.

Now of course we should not press this too far. There are some things that Jesus did that we could never do. For example, never could we claim to be from above, as Jesus was from above. Never could we fulfill the duties associated with being the Messiah, or  the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus alone was the Prophet, Priest, and King. We do not share with him in the work that he accomplished as the Messiah, the Son of God. To think in those terms would be to misunderstand what is being said here.

Instead, Jesus is making the point that his work will not end when he goes to the Father, but it will have, in fact, just begun. Perhaps another way to say the same thing is to point out that Jesus accomplished redemption in his first coming – he alone could do that – only he could live in perfect obedience to God, die for the sins of others, and rise again, defeating sin and death for us – we can in no way join him in that work. That work was his work, beginning, middle and end – it is finished! But what is Jesus doing now? Is he not applying the work of redemption that he accomplished to those given to him by the Father in this age between his first and second coming? This is the work that we share in. Christ started it at his first coming, and he will continue it until he returns; and he will involve us in that work!

This is a part of what is meant when the church is called the body of Christ. Though Christ is not present on earth in the flesh, his work continues in the world through the church, as each individual member does it’s part.

We might also think of the five great commission passages – one in each gospel, and also one at the beginning of Acts. What do they all communicate? They communicate the fact that the work of Christ will continue even after his ascension, through the Apostles, and through the churches they plant, to the ends of the earth.

It is interesting that the great commission passage in John goes like this: “Jesus said to them… ’Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’” (John 20:21, ESV)

The work that you and I together are called to engage in is nothing less than a continuation of the work of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, notice that the works those who believe in Christ will do in the time between his first and second comings are, in some respects, greater than works that Christ did while on earth.

Listen to Jesus in the second part of verse 12:  “…and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12, ESV)

This sounds strange to our ears, doesn’t it? We think, how could it be that our works will surpass Jesus’ works?

If we take the word “works” here to refer only to the miracles of Christ, then this passage makes little sense. It’s hard to imagine how those who believe in Jesus could do anything greater than walking on water, or raising a man from the dead after four days in the grave, for example.

On the other hand, it would not be right to exclude miracles, for the word “works” (ἔργον) is used throughout John’s Gospel to refer to the miracles that Christ preformed. Jesus’ Apostles would indeed preform miracles – the book of Acts makes that clear. And thought I do not believe that anyone has the gift of miracles today, as they did in the age of the Apostles, I would confess that God is still able to work miracles through the prayers of his people, if he so chooses.

What I am saying is that we should not limit the meaning of the word “works” to miracles, nor should exclude miracles (this is consistent with John’s usage of the word ἔργον). Instead we should understand Jesus to be saying that after his departure those believing in him would continue the work that he began in his earthy ministry, and would in fact advance that work. Jesus’ work would reach new heights as it continued through his followers after his departure.

This would have been most comforting to his disciples, just as it is comforting to you and me.

Their thought was this: if Jesus is departing then it is game over.

Jesus’ response: was, no brothers, it has just begun.

They were troubled of heart thinking, how will we win given that we are loosing our star player?

Jesus’ comforted them saying, in effect, you will not loose the battle. In fact you will do even greater things after I go away.

And Jesus explains why this would be so. Those believing in Christ would greatly advance the work that he had begun, “because [he was] going to the Father.”

This “going away” was not a demotion for Jesus; it was a promotion. He would not loose power, but gain it. His work would not be hindered, but rather launched to new heights. His disciples would not be at a disadvantage, but rather it was to their advantage, and ours, that he go away.

I have heard some say, “Oh, if only I were there when Jesus was on earth, then I would have more faith! Then I would serve him better!” This is not true. The scriptures reveal that you and I are in a better situation now that Jesus has gone to the Father. Our Lord Jesus Christ is in a more powerful position now that he has ascended to the right hand of God. It was to our advantage that he go away!

May I say two things about the exhalation of Christ to the right hand of God?

First of all, we should see that when Christ went to the Father he was given authority over all things. I could point to many scriptures to support this point. Peter says it in a most succinct way. Speaking of Jesus he says that “[he] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:22, ESV)

Do you hear that, church? Jesus has power over everything now. This is certainly to our advantage!

Notice also the introduction and conclusion to the great commission.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)

Why should we engage in the work that Christ gave us to do with boldness? Because all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to our Lord, and he is with us always, even to the end of the age.

Jesus is ruling and reigning now in his Kingdom. This is a most significant and comforting truth.

The second thing that needs to be said about Christ going to the Father is that he was then able to send the Spirit to us. I will not linger on this point for too long – to do so would steal the thunder from what we will encounter later in John 14. For now, please notice that this is the focus from verse 15 onward. Jesus promised his disciples that after he ascended to the Father he would send the Spirit. This certainly was to their advantage.

If you would like to see for yourself what Jesus meant when he said that those who believe in him would do greater works than he himself did during his earthly ministry, read the book of Acts. Christ had a very small band of disciples at the end of his earthly ministry; and yet 3,000 came to faith in one day when Peter preached the gospel in Acts 2. Also, Jesus’ ministry was limited to Palestine during his time on earth; but the Kingdom would spread to the ends of the earth after pentecost through the church planting efforts of his disciples. If you like to see more of how the those who believe in Christ would do greater works than Christ, study church history, giving special attention to the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In others words, we should not overlook the significance Jesus’ ascension to the Father, all things being subject to him, and to the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out in New Covenant power. The gospel of the Kingdom advanced with great power after Jesus ascended to the Father.

Please hear me. It is not that Jesus’ followers would preform more spectacular miracles than he preformed (how could that be), but that the Kingdom that Christ inaugurated at his first coming would expand and grow and multiply from being the size of a mustard seed to the size of an enormous tree through the work of his disciples after his departure. This was made possible because he went to the Father, was given authority over all things in heaven and on earth, and from there sent the Spirit help us and to empower the continuation of the work he began at his first coming,

Application: Brothers and sisters, here is the question I have for you: Are you contributing to this work? I chose the word “contributing” carefully, for I do not think that an individual Christian is able to do the work of Christ (the Great Commission) on his or her own. The work of Christ continues through the church, which is the assembly of God’s people. We together are the body of Christ. The great commission was given – not to individuals – as if an individual were capable of fulfilling it on his own – but to the Apostles of Christ. And how did they go about fulfilling the command to “Go…and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)? They planted local churches. Those local churches consisted of Elders and Deacons, and members. And each member was to do their part, according to the gift given to them from on High.

Take for example Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. He wrote to them in chapter 4, saying,

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” (Ephesians 4:1–15, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, are you doing the work that Christ has called you to do. He has gifted you in a particular way. You have a role to play. It does not matter what your vocation is. It does not matter if you work in the secular realm, or the sacred, we all have the same mission in this age between Christ’s first and second comings – our mission is to continue the work that Christ began. We are his body.

Let Us Consider Where The Power To Accomplish This Work Is Found

Having first of all considered the work to be done in this age, let us now turn our attention to where the power to accomplish this work is found.

Notice first of all that Jesus points his disciples to the power of prayer.

He says in verse 13, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14, ESV)

This is quite a promise, isn’t it? Jesus was going to the Father. He would no longer be with his disciples in the flesh, but that did not mean that they would be alone. He left them on earth with the gift of prayer. Those who believe in Christ are able to commune with him by coming to him in prayer.

And notice the promise that Jesus makes. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do”, he says. And, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Our instinct is to immediately begin to qualify this promise, saying, well, Jesus only really means that he will do what we pray for so long as we pray according to the will of God, or something like that. And that is true. Christ is not offering himself up to us as if he were a genie in a bottle, ready to do all that our hearts desire.

But before we add qualifying remarks to what Jesus promises here, should we not first of all stand amazed at the breadth and depth of the promise that he made. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do”, he says. And, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

If this is true, then why are we so prayer-less? Should we not read these words and think to ourselves, if this is so, then I will pray to my Lord always and about everything! Our Lord has gone to the Father, but he has left us the gift of prayer. We are invited to come to him with our concerns and desires, and he has promised to act. This must have been a tremendous comfort to his troubled disciples, and it should bring comfort to you and me. Our Lord hears us. He is in a position of power. And he is ready and able to act for us.

The fact of the matter is that we do not need to add any qualifying or restraining remarks to Jesus’ promise concerning prayer – the text itself provides limits to the promise of Christ.

Noticed that we are to pray for those things which will bring glory to God the Father.

Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The prayers that Jesus promises to act upon are those prayers which are in line with the purpose of Christ, which is to glory God the Father. These are the prayers that Jesus promises to act upon!

The sinful and fleshly man is saddened by this news. The sinful man is disappointed when he hears that Jesus promises to act upon those prayers which are supremely concerned with glorifying God. He thinks to himself, well what is the use of that! What is the use if I am not guaranteed to have my prayers for health, wealth, and prosperity acted upon by Jesus!

But the godly are encouraged by this news. The godly – those who are true disciples of Christ – are filled with great joy to hear the Savior say, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, ][in order that] the Father may be glorified in the Son.” This was Jesus’ supreme desire – to glorify the Father. And it is the supreme desire of all those who truly love God. The leading cry of our heart is, Lord, be glorified!

Jesus taught us how to pray, didn’t he? He said,  “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” (Matthew 6:9–10, ESV) What is to be our leading concern? That the Father be glorified! That his kingdom come, his will be done! After we begin in this way, it is then that we are invited to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:11–13, ESV)

Jesus makes a great and broad and unconstrained promise to us concerning prayer. And he does so assuming that those who truly belong to him will certainly pray for those things which make his heart smile. Those who believe in Christ are united to Christ. Those who believe in Christ have the Spirit of Christ. Those who believe in Christ have a heart transformed by Christ, and will naturally (or supernaturally) pray for those things that Christ loves. The thing that Christ loves more than anything is the Father, and the magnification of his great name.

Notice thirdly that our prayers are to be prayed in the name of the Son.

We conclude our prayers in Jesus name, do we not? We end our prayers by saying, “in Jesus name we pray. Amen”, or “in the name of Christ we pray. Amen”, or  something of these sort. Why do we do such a thing? Is it simply a tradition? It is just a nice way to bring things to a conclusion? No, it is in obedience to what is said here: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do”, Jesus says.

It is not that the name of Jesus is magical. It’s not as if the sound of the name has some sort of mystical power. No, to pray in Jesus name is the to pray trusting in him. We are praying in his name because he is our Savior.  We pray in his name because he is our Mediator even now – he is our great high priest who lives to intercede for us. When we say, “in the name of Christ we pray” we are saying that we trust that our prayers are heard by God and effective because of who Christ is, and all that he has done for you and for me.

Application: Brothers and sisters, are we diligent prayer? What a gift prayer is! Why we neglect it, I do not understand.

Are you diligent in your private prayers?

Do you “go into the closet” and pray to God, in the name of Christ?

Do you pray throughout the day, offering up adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication to him?

Are you praying with your family – your wife and children; extended family? Notice that we are trying to encourage family prayer through the Family Worship Guidelines that we send out each and every week.

Are you praying with the brethren? Did you know that there is a prayer meeting here every Sunday at 9:30am? How about praying with one another after the service, in your GCG’s, etc?

And are your diligent in prayer when we pray corporately in the worship service? When someone leads in prayer, you should be active in prayer too! When we say “amen” we are saying, I agree! Let it be so! Church, our “amens” should be hardy “amens”.

It is my objective as your Pastor to find more ways to motivate prayer. What a gift it is! What a promise Christ has made to us! Do you want to see Christ accomplish his work in and through us? Then we had better be a praying people!

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 33

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.’ When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, ‘Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’’’ Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Moses said to the Lord, ‘See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.’ And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.’ Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.’” (Exodus 33, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 14:4-11

“‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.’  Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ 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. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.’” (John 14:1–11, ESV)

Introduction

It seemed good to me to begin the this sermon by remembering the illustration of a husband going on a long journey and leaving his wife behind.

It would be a most terrible thing if a husband just up and left on a long journey without saying a word to his family. Even if the trip were a good one, and for a good purpose, he would be a fool to up and leave without a word. No, a husband would need to prepare his wife for his departure. The purpose of the trip would need to be communicated. The wife would need to be in agreement that the journey is worth, while and for their ultimate good. Provisions would need to be made for her so that she could thrive while her husband is away. Where will she get the money that she needs? How will she care for the children? How will she communicate with her husband while he is gone? How will the marriage relationship be strengthened and maintained? How how will she be kept safe? You can picture a husband and wife sitting together on a couch discussing these things, can’t you?

John chapters 14-17 are not much different. What we have here is a farewell address. Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure from this world. He has made it clear that he would have to go away for a time, and he is here comforting his disciples, explaining to them how they will get on in this world without him.

So it is no wonder then that John chapters 14-17 contain some of the most beloved passages in the whole Gospel. This entire section is practical. It applies deeply to you and I. True, Jesus was speaking to the eleven who remained with him there in that upper room, but he was preparing them to live in the age between his first and second comings. And that is the age in which we live! What Jesus says to his disciples, therefore, applies deeply to you and I.

We are the bride. Jesus is the bridegroom. He has departed from this earth for a time. But he has not left us unprepared or without necessary provision.

The disciples of Jesus were troubled at the news that their Lord was going away. Jesus comforts them saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1, ESV) This advice is simple and yet profound. What better advice can be offered to a troubled soul than to say, believe in God; believe also in Christ?

Jesus also comforted them with these words: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2, ESV) Here we learn that Jesus’ departure was for a good reason; his departure was for our good. He has gone to the Father, not to sit in idle inactivity, but to prepare a place for you and me and all who believe in his name. The place that he has gone to prepare is ultimately the new heavens and new earth as described in Revelation 21.

He also brings comfort with these words: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3, ESV) A husband may go on a long journey to build a home for his wife and children. If the journey is for a good purpose, the family should ultimately rejoice in the departure of the man. But they can only rejoice if they know that in the end the husband will return and take them to be where he is. That is what Christ has promised to you and me. He has gone to prepare a place for us, and he will return to take us to be with him where he is.

Notice, though, that what has been said so far is only about, one, the fact of Christ’s departure; two, the reason for his departure; and three, the end result of his departure (that is, his return to take us to be with him). What has been said so far is indeed good and encouraging, but little has been said concerning how we are to get along in this world while he is away. We have been exhorted to believe in God, and to believe also in Christ, and that is certainly good! But Christ gives us more.

In fact, the rest of chapter fourteen on through to the end of chapter seventeen is all about the way of the Christian in the time between Jesus’ first and second comings. He tells how to get along. He gives us what we need – the instruction that we need, and the sustenance that we need – so that we might walk with him faithfully in this world as we wait for him to take us home to the Father.

Notice three things in verses 4-11: First of all, Jesus has not left us to wander aimlessly in this world, but has provided a way for us. Secondly, Jesus has revealed the Father to us in a way sufficient for the journey. Thirdly, Jesus again calls us to go on believing in him, that we might have strength to the end.

Jesus has not left us to wander aimlessly in this world, but has provided a way for us.

Notice first of all that Jesus has not left us to wander aimlessly in this world, but has provided a way for us.

Given what has been said so far, we might reason to ourselves saying, Lord Jesus, it is indeed comforting to know that you have gone to prepare a place for us. And it is also comforting to know that you will return for us so that we might be where you are for all eternity. But what about now? How are we walk between now and then? Jesus shows us the way. 

This point emerges in the dialogue that takes place between Jesus and one of his disciples named Thomas.

In verse four Jesus says, “And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:4, ESV) The word “way” could also be translated “road” or “path”, for that is the idea. Jesus would soon leave his disciples on earth and go to the Father, and he expects that his disciples know the way (metaphorically speaking) to the Father. He expects that they know how to get from where they are now to where they will be for all eternity in the presence of God.  They know how they are to walk, if you will. Why does he expect that they know this? Because he had walked with his disciples for over three years, instructing them along the way concerning these things!

But listen to how Thomas responds: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5, ESV) How are we to understand this reply? Did Thomas really not know the way? Was Jesus wrong in his assessment of his disciples when he said, “And you know the way to where I am going”?

I think Thomas (as well as the other disciples) understood more than they let on here in this moment. There is evidence throughout this Gospel that they knew Christ truly. Also, Jesus does say that they “know the way” – we cannot ignore this fact. But in the heat of the moment, being overrun with despair, their hearts being troubled by the circumstances which pressed in upon them, the disciples of Christ floundered.  They had much more to learn, it’s true. But they knew these things. It seems that the pressures of the moment shook them to the core, causing them to flounder even in the foundational things that they already knew.

“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”, Thomas says. How could it be that Thomas did not understand where it was that Christ was going? Jesus had made it clear! From the Father he had come, and to the Father he would return. Jesus was going to prepare a place for them “in his Fathers house.” This had been said plainly time and again!

Notice that Jesus only addresses Thomas’ statement, “Lord, we do not know where you are going”, in a round about way. Instead he focus in upon Thomas’ objection, “how can we know the way?” Jesus responded to Thomas saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)

This is one of the most famous verses in all of the scriptures, and rightly so. Notice a couple of things about it:

First of all, notice that Jesus’ final destination is “the Father”. And this too should be our greatest desire, to be with the Father and the Son for all eternity. This is what makes heaven, heaven. This is what makes paradise, paradise. We were made by God, and we were made to know him. He is our greatest treasure. He is our life. In him – that is, in the knowledge of him – are pleasures forevermore.  We should agree with Augustine, saying, “[God] you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” 

Some long for heaven thinking of it as a place where all of their fleshly, worldly, and (quite frankly) sinful desires will be fulfilled. They have a rather pathetic view of heaven which reveals the sick condition of their hearts. When they think of heaven they think, first of all (and dare I say, only), of fleshly things – food and drink, material possessions, and physical pleasure. Brothers and sisters when we think of heaven, we should think of God. We were made by him and for him. He will be the one who will satisfies our greatest desires. He should be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of that glorious place. Oh, how good it will be to see God face to face. How good it will be to behold his glory, to grow forever in our knowledge of him, and to worship his holy name, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

Secondly, notice that this verse makes clear that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. In other words, no one will go to heaven except through faith in Jesus Christ. This same point has been made in John’s Gospel in other ways. Jesus revealed himself as the door of the sheep. This gives us a visual of what is stated here in John 14:6. He is the only door – the only way – to the Father. If anyone is to go to God he must go through the Son. Of course what this means is that they must to the Father believing upon (or trusting in) the Son.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, ESV)

Many are offended by the words of Jesus here. Our culture is wholeheartedly opposed to exclusive claims like the one that Jesus makes, when he says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” It seems that the only unforgivable sin in our day and age is to make an exclusive claim. To say that Jesus is the only way sounds like the hight of blasphemy to the ears of the postmodern man. “How arrogant of you to claim that there is only one way to God”, they say. “And how narrow minded of you to think that your way is that only way!” You can hear their objection now, can’t you?

This question came up at our Jr. High study just this past week. A student asked, “what if someone believes or trusts in God but is not a Christian? Will that person be saved?” It is here in John 14:6 that we have the answer to that question. “Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6, ESV) If we are to go to the Father it must be by way of Jesus, the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, who is the Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Salvation is found in him, and in none other.

Here is where there confusion exists, I think. If we were claiming that Jesus was nothing more than a religious leader who started a great movement, now known a Christianity, and if we believed that his prime objective was to teach morals – that is, to make people better and more well behaved – then it would make little sense for us to say that Jesus is the only way to the Father. Certainly the argument could be made that other religions can increase morality in man. Why then is “salvation” not possible through those forms of religion. In fact, why is religion needed at all if the objective is to be a better person? Can’t an atheist accomplish this on his own?

But this is not what the Bible teaches concerning Jesus. Jesus was not merely a religious leader, he was the Son of God come in the flesh, the Messiah promised from long ago. And he did not come to teach men how not to be better people so that they might earn their way to heaven. No! He came to pay for the sins of men.  “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ES), said John the Baptist. He did not primarily come to teach us how to be better people that we might work our way to God. No, he came to bear our sins in his body on that tree. And he alone could do it, given his utterly unique nature as the God-man. He was the utterly unique Christ, the anointed one of God.

Man’s problem, you see, is that he is a sinner. And as a sinner he stands condemned. He can nothing about it on his own. He needs his sins to be covered, paid for, taken away. To whom else can we turn if not to Jesus Christ. He alone is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” This is why Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)

Thomas was struggling with two things: Jesus, We don’t know where you are going, and we don’t know how to get there. Jesus addressed both questions: Thomas, I’m going to the Father, and I am the way to him. 

Jesus is the way because he is also the truth and the life.

He is truth from God. He has revealed the Father to us. He is the light of the world. You and I can tell the truth, but Jesus is truth! Think on that for a moment.

He is also life. You and I can possess life, but it is life given to us by the grace of God. We are dependent creatures. We do not posses life in and of ourselves. But Christ is life.

He is the giver of life. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1–4, ESV)

He is the sustainer of life. The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…(Hebrews 1:2–3, ESV)

And he is our eternal life! Paul exhorts us in this way: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4, ESV)

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5, ESV)

I picture Thomas loosing his head there for a moment, but Jesus set him straight.

Jesus says to him in verse 7, “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7, ESV) More needs to be said about this verse, but for the sake of time we will move on (see endnote).

Jesus has revealed the Father to us in a way sufficient for the journey.

As soon as Jesus was done with Thomas, one of his other disciples spoke up with another objection. This time it was Philip.  And it is through Jesus’ interaction with Philip that we learn that Jesus has revealed the Father to us in a way sufficient for the journey.

“Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’” (John 14:8, ESV) Perhaps this request could be paraphrased with the words, “Lord, we would rather not wait. Show us the glory of God the Father now, and we will be content with that.”

There is a connection that exists between Exodus 33 and this request from Philip here in John 14:8.

In Exodus 33 the people of Israel are about to begin their journey into the wilderness. In John 14 the disciples are about to begin their journey in the world after Christ goes to the Father.

In Exodus 33 Moses is troubled at the thought of going it alone without the presence of God. God had threatened because of the sin of the people, saying, “but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” And “When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.” The people repented and God relented, agreeing to go with them (God does not truly repent – it is only from our perspective that God seems to repent).

“And [God] said [to Moses], ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And [Moses] said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:14–16, ESV)

That the presence of God be with him, and with the people, is Moses’ greatest concern.  He was troubled at the thought of going it alone. And so it was with the disciples in John 14.

And look now at Moses’ request.  After the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name”, Moses made this request of God, saying, “Please show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:17–18, ESV)

Philip’s request echoes Moses’ request. He says, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us”. In other words, Show us the glory of the Father now, please. Show us God’s glory in the same way that God’s glory was manifest to Moses’. Prove to us that you will go with us just as God reveled himself to Moses proving that he would sojourn with Israel in the wilderness. 

The interesting thing to notice is that Jesus did not place Philip in the cleft of a rock in order that the glory of the Father might pass by him in visible form. This was Moses’ experience. Jesus urges Philip to see that his experience was in fact greater than Moses’!

“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. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9, ESV)

Jesus Christ has revealed God the Father to us. He was and is God incarnate – God come in human flesh.

Remember the opening chapter of John’s Gospel. There we were told that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, ESV)

Paul says it this way: “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:15–16, ESV)

The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…” (Hebrews 1:1–3, ESV)

The point is this: Moses indeed saw the glory of God, but those who saw the Christ, who was and is God incarnate, beheld the Father in a way greater than Moses did. “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9, ESV)

There is a difference between God the Father and Jesus Christ. Jesus was and is a man. In him are two natures, the human and divine, united in one person forever. It is not right to say Jesus Christ equals God the Father, or that Jesus is the Father. There is not a one to one correlation between the two. There are very important differences between Jesus Christ and God the Father. Nevertheless, Jesus could say, “whoever has seen me has seen the Father”, for he is the one who has revealed the Father to us in a most full way. He was and is Immanuel, which means, God with us. In him was the divine nature.

This is what Jesus gets at in verse 10, saying, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (John 14:10, ESV)

Philip wanted to see the Father. Jesus’ reply was, Philip, I am sufficient. I have reveled the Father to you in a most full way. In me you have beheld the glory of God, “glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” To see me is to see the Father. To know me is to know the Father.  

Jesus is enough, that is the point. He is sufficient. We are to be content with him in this age between his two comings. Yes, we long to see the glory of God in full. Yes, we long for that day when we will behold the Father in an unveiled, unobstructed way. But for the journey before, Jesus is enough! Indeed, he is more than enough. He is the way, the truth, and life. He is the way to God the Father.

Jesus calls us to go on believing in him, that we might have strength to the end.

And for this reason Jesus calls us to go on believing in him, that we might have strength to the end.

Look with me at verse 11. Jesus says, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 14:11, ESV)

“Believe me”, Jesus says. In 14:1 he said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” And now in 14:11 he again says, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” This is what Jesus has to say to his troubled disciples who are floundering in a moment of weakness. Believe in me! Have faith in me! Trust in me! Trust in my person. And trust in my work. 

Conclusion 

So here is how the Christian is to walk in the time between Christ’s first and second coming. He is to walk in Christ, for he is the way, the truth and the life. He is to walk in Christ knowing that it is in Christ that the Father is revealed. And he is to walk in Christ, believing in him, trusting in him, depending upon him for all things.

Jesus Christ is everything to us, that is the point. He is the beginning, middle, and end. He is our everything. He is our life. He is sufficient for us in this life in every way.

Endnote: The Textual Critical note in the NET Bible is helpful here: “There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnwkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnwsesqe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnwkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnwkeite an or an hdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The mss that have the perfect ἐγνώκατε in the protasis (Ì [א D* W] 579 pc it) also have, for the most part, the future indicative γνώσεσθε in the apodosis (Ì א D W [579] pc sa bo), rendering Jesus’ statement as a first-class condition. The mss that have the pluperfect ἐγνώκειτε in the protasis (A B C D L Θ Ψ Ë 33 Ï) also have, for the most part, a pluperfect in the apodosis (either ἂν ἤδειτε in B C* [L] Q Ψ 1 33 565 al, or ἐγνώκειτε ἄν in A C Θ Ë Ï), rendering Jesus’ statement a contrary-to-fact second-class condition. The external evidence slightly favors the first-class condition, since there is an Alexandrian-Western alliance supported by Ì. As well, the fact that the readings with a second-class condition utilize two different verbs with ἄν in different positions suggests that these readings are secondary. However, it could be argued that the second-class conditions are harder readings in that they speak negatively of the apostles (so K. Aland in TCGNT 207); in this case, the ἐγνώκειτε…ἐγνώκειτε ἄν reading should be given preference. Although a decision is difficult, the first-class condition is to be slightly preferred. In this case Jesus promises the disciples that, assuming they have known him, they will know the Father. Contextually this fits better with the following phrase (v. 7b) which asserts that “from the present time you know him and have seen him” (cf. John 1:18).” (https://lumina.bible.org/bible/John+14)