John 14 Is That Your Final Answer

Secular:

Questions… If you have ever encountered a 2-3 year old… you will realize how inquisitive they can truly be…

With every statement you make the come back with the standard question… WHY?

We don’t have desert before our meal… WHY

Because we don’t want to spoil our appetite… WHY

Because Mommy has made a nice dinner for us… WHY

Because she wants to eat properly… WHY

Because we need a balance of foods to grow up big and strong… WHY

…JUST BECAUSE… now stop that before you get no desert at all…

Biblical:

John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father '? 10 "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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 "Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;

Personal:

Have you ever heard the saying that there are no dumb questions… only dumb answers?

It is not true… I have heard some pretty dumb questions…

Have you ever been in a situation where someone has been explaining something in great detail… yet someone asks a question that gives the very distinct impression they have not been paying attention?

Bubble Test… “these Pencils”

We get to hear questions posed to Jesus by Thomas, Philip and Judas…

They were living the most incredible experience… not one that is easy to comprehend…

But they had to ask the questions…

We are faced with the same thing in our Christian walk…

Why Lord? Why did you do it this way… Why me… Why now…

This is the disciples wrestling with the incredible reality of the Son of God and his plan of redemption…

They were living what we have been studying for 2000 years… and we marvel…

Bridge:

The incredible nature of the gift of Salvation… the hope of eternity…the Power of God… the Promise of the Son of God… is enough to make us ask questions…

We need to ask the questions… and we need to be prepared for the answers…

God in his mercy answers all that we need to know…

We need to ask… wisdom in the Word by the Spirit

We need to recognize… the inspired answers

Body:

Jesus Comforts…

John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going."

Words of comfort… (we often use them at a believer’s funeral)

Previous verses…

Betrayal predicted

Judas
And Peter

Don’t be trouble

Rough times ahead…
Not according to your plan…

You will be with me…
I will be with the Father

It is going to be better than just okay

I have told you how to get there…

Born Again (Nicodemus)
Believe in Me
You know the path to redemption…

And they respond…

Thomas Asks…

5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

You know what… I don’t get it… You said you were going to prepare a place for us… and quite frankly Lord… I just don’t get it…
Jesus response

I am the way… the Way to God
I am the truth… the Truth of God
I am the life… the Life of God

Way… the only path… road… route

Not one amongst many
Not the preferred route
THE WAY… no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The Truth…

Everything else is a lie…
Contrary to what I have said… is deception
Contrary to what I have said and done… is destruction
THE TRUTH… no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The Life…

Anyone else offers only death
No one else holds creation in his hands
No one else will have victory over death
No one else can promise eternal life in God
THE LIFE… no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Get this clear I am
I am the Way I am the Truth I am the Life… I am God
To know me is to know my Father
So… “from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."
Thomas needed to ask… it’s important
We need to ask… it’s important

We need to ask… wisdom in the Word by the Spirit

We need to recognize… the inspired answers

Jesus is the answer

Philip Asks…

8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father ‘? 10 “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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Lord… just show us the Father… I mean we just want to see God (You know Jehovah… Yahweh)… then we will believe…
Return Question: (oops)

“Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father ‘? 10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?

The words that I say… are not my own…
Believe Me…. I am in the Father… the Father is in Me… if not what I say…. What I have done

The miracles… the healing… the teaching

Promise of the Ministry (empowered by the Spirit)

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
Greater works… gospel to the gentiles… carry out the mission… more believers today…

Whatever you ask in my name (authority)… that I will do…

You can pray to me…
And I will respond…

Key note: If you love me you will keep my commandments
In case that sounds tough…. I will ask my Father to send you another Helper… the Spirit of truth…

Helps to keep commandments
Helps with conviction

I will not leave you orphaned… I will return…

Eschatological promise
The world won’t see me… then you will…
You will then see that the Father and I are one

All of these promises… answers… hinge on one thing… “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
Philip needed to ask… it’s important
We need to ask… it’s important

We need to ask… wisdom in the Word by the Spirit

We need to recognize… the inspired answers

Jesus is the answer

Judas asks…

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 "Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;

What is the plan? I mean I am not really getting this…. "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"
Jesus answered… (Hey this is bigger!)

Romans 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
It is about belief…

Knowing and loving… the Father and Son

It is about action…

Obeying the Words… demonstration of love…
Disobeying the word… demonstration of those who do not love Christ…
“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.”

The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
John 16:8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

Don’t panic.. I leave you peace…"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful…
Understand that I go back to my Father who sent me…
If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father…
Judas needed to ask… it’s important
We need to ask… it’s important

We need to ask… wisdom in the Word by the Spirit

We need to recognize… the inspired answers

Jesus is the answer

We need to ask… wisdom in the Word by the Spirit

We need to recognize… the inspired answers

Conclusion:

Different ways of Phrasing the Question…

ONE ANSWER…

Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life….

No One Comes to the Father except through Him…

Jesus Christ is God eternal… with the Father and the Spirit

Jesus Christ will come again…

Jesus Christ is the hope of our salvation and our Redeemer

These are important answers!!

This week the focus is on the Answer… the Lord Jesus Christ of Easter… The Holy and Risen Son of God… Lord God Almighty… He is the Answer…

Ask that you might know

Seek that you would know

Believe that you may have life eternal!