I want to talk to you tonight about the unbreakable relationship with Christ that we all long for and the Holy Spirit as The Comforter, The Paraclete.
An unbreakable Relationship The Paraclete
1. MAKE THAT HARD DECISION FOR YOU
2. NEVER DECEIVE YOU
3. ALWAYS SHOW YOU THE WAY/THE TRUTH
John 14:1-6 KJV
1)Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.2)In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3)And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again; and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5) Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6)Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Before we jump into John chapter 14, I would like to do a quick recap..
Just before John chp 14, We read Jesus is in the upper room in Jerusalem. It is the night before his crucifixion. He has just finished washing the feet of his disciples and Jesus just starts dropping bombs!
I can picture everyone leaning back on their elbows as they lay table side with Jesus when Jesus starts taking off his robe and puts on a loincloth and begins washing. their. feet!? They are so confused and some even protest against such a crazy act, but He was trying to teach them by example.
It immediately sent me back to my kids when they were little. Have you ever tried to potty train a toddler? Now, I have 3 kids, and potty training each one was so very different! At first, One was scared and wanted nothing to do with it but warmed up to it… no biggie, right? Another, a little more destructive and just tossed it.. as if to tell me, “No way, Jose!”, trying to teach by example with that one was NOT fun! Trying to be an example
to a 2 year old who just quite literally chucked his potty at you… Oh, Lord, Thank you for your GRACE! Whew…. The 3rd went wild with it and turned it into a game, dragging it into every room to watch TV, to play, to fill it with
water so she can play with the big toilet…. ANYTHING, ( But never for its actual purpose), *they needed to fully understand.
I imagine that upper room was much the same as potty training when Jesus started to take off his robe, put on a loin cloth and begin washing their feet (to teach them by example). Peter protests but then is like yea, ok… sure, thats not so bad, right? But then Simon Peter responds with an attitude of excitement and says “why stop at just my feet??”. I can just picture him moving all around like that potty chair was all over the house, so excited and so fun!
So Jesus has just sent their minds reeling, But Jesus isn’t done. He blows their minds even further by telling them that 1 of them will betray Him before DAWN! and oh Yeah…. I’m leaving tomorrow and No, You can’t follow! They had to be so confused and scared. I know I would’ve been!
AND THIS BRINGS ME TO MY FIRST POINT V1a) Let not your Hearts be troubled,
Jesus knows the emotional stress the coming events will cause his disciples. But like a parent, We often have to *make the hard decision for our children/those we love to allow them space to learn, to trust, and grow. We guide, encourage and comfort them in their times of need just as the Holy Spirit is The Comforter for all of God’s children. It’s the Peace and Comfort that can only come from the Holy Spirit… Like the kiss on a booboo when you’re little that only counts when it’s from someone who truly loves you and makes you safe, Their protector.
Jesus addresses His disciples as his dear children . To not to worry or be afraid and to trust him, He must go. And like Children, he knows we have needs and will search for him, similar to a child crying out at night….. But they will not be able to come, Yet. We will not be able to come, Yet.
in 1John 3:1a
The Father has loved us so much that we are called Children of God. And we really are His children.
He only wants to love us…
In John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
V1b) You believe in God, also believe in in me
Faith in Jesus is inseparable from faith in God, and that is the point Jesus is addressing. Jesus is laying it all out for us- He is describing our PERMANENT RELATIONSHIP with The Father.
Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
V2) In my Father’s house there are many rooms; If it were not so, I would’ve told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
According to Dotheword.org, It is hard not to think of this world as the “real” world, Even for Jesus’ disciples. But where we live is where we die. We either die in sin or in the body of Christ. The Father’s house refers to the body of Jesus- A temple in which we live and worship whether in Heaven or Earth.
The many rooms are referring to the UNBREAKABLE RELATIONSHIP between Jesus and the father and Jesus and the believer.
AND THIS BRINGS ME TO MY SECOND POINT
Jesus would never deceive His disciples. They will be reunited with Jesus where His disciples will live in heaven for eternity.
Apostle Paul wrote:
in Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
AN UNBREAKABLE RELATIONSHIP! Dotheword.org finishes with saying, ‘Christ’s body is the REALEST
place we live and worship, in Heaven and Earth!’
Praise God for this Unbreakable Relationship!
V3-4 )
3)And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am, you may be too. 4) and where I go you know, and the way you know.
We are given clear direction of where he is going and why. But just as we tried to do when our children were small they still were too shy and scared to take those first steps without you.
In John 7:33
Jesus said ‘I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the One who sent me.
And he protects His children while he is gone… Just as a parent would do everything to ensure their child is safe while they were away!
John 17:11b
Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
in John 14:5, We see Thomas’ reaction to Jesus when Jesus tells him he is leaving. I read several different translations and commentaries. The most accurate and best fitting for our time today came from Tyndale’s ‘The Living Bible’, published in 1973.
V5)
-No we don’t,” Thomas said. “We haven’t any idea where you’re going, So how can we possibly know the way?”.
To be honest, Its EXACTLY how I would respond! I can even picture Thomas’ jaw just hanging wide open, Like “As if?!”.
You know why…. Because that’s exactly where my jaw would’ve been!!!
There is something about Thomas… his responses, his reactions…
John writes in John 11 ‘Jesus tells His disciples that Lazarus has died.’
V16
Thomas, nicknamed “The Twin” or Didymus in Aramaic, said to his disciples, “lets go too- And die with Jesus/Lazarus?
There is debate whether Thomas is talking about Jesus in this verse or he may be referring to Lazarus.
In The Barnes commentary they write John 11:16
“Let us go and die, for what have we to hope for if Jesus returns into Judea? They attempted to stone him and now they WILL put Him to death and we also like Lazarus shall be dead.”
Thomas was devoted to Jesus -prepared to stand by Jesus despite the threats and if necessary, to die with Jesus.
AND THIS BRINGS ME TO MY 3RD AND FINAL POINT
V6)
Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth , and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
*Here they are, the directions he left for us, TO SHOW US THE WAY. In bold red letters, no less and yet somehow some of our brothers and sisters just can’t figure out how to get there. Those are who we are praying for. They are God’s children who are searching for that UNBREAKABLE RELATIONSHIP with Christ.
He gives us our guide:
-The Way, The Blood of Jesus
Luke 1:79
“To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
-The Truth, The Word of God Sanctify them in the truth: your word is truth
-The Life, Eternal
John 17:1-3
1)When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you- 2)Just as you have given me authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3)Now this is eternal life -that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
John 17:17
AN UNBREAKABLE RELATIONSHIP!
the Holy Spirit is The Comforter for all of God’s children. It’s the Peace and Comfort that can only come from the Holy Spirit, It is The Paraclete.
Let’s pray.