Last week I spoke at the funeral for a friend's father... Here is the text of what I shared there from John 14:1-6
John 14:1-6
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And 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. You know the way...
Last week I spoke at the funeral for a friend's father... Here is the text of what I shared there from John 14:1-6
John 14:1-6
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And 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. You know the way to the place where I am going.’
Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’
Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is with his friends. It is the night before Jesus will die on a cross. But death will not be the end of Him. For we know from the historical record, that Jesus will rise from the dead and then ascend back to the right hand side of God.
Jesus has told them He is going away (John 14:3-4) to prepare a place for all those that follow Him! This place, we call heaven, is described here as a mansion! A great big house with many rooms for many people! WOW!
Jesus promised us “I am going to prepare a place for you“ (John 14:1-4). Jesus has been working on it for almost 2000 years to this point in time!! Heaven is a beautiful place, prepared for all Christian Disciples, to live forever and ever with Jesus the King! When we get to heaven, Jesus has prepared a place for those who love Him, trust Him and obey Him as King. He is expecting us, wanting to lavish His love upon us. We know He loves us now, but that is only in part. When we are with Him eternally, we shall have the full picture of Jesus. He is with us now in Spirit, but then we shall be with Him physically and face to face.
This Jesus claimed to be the Life – that is Life and energy & activity!
This Jesus claimed to be the Truth - The revelation source and foundation of all truth is God/Jesus
In this passage, Jesus also claimed that He alone was the way to the Father. When Jesus issued this statement, the stress of the sentence automatically falls on the words “the way”. Jesus Christ has exposed the barrier of sin and death, which prevents a person from entering God’s presence. He explodes this same barrier when a person entrusts in Him for their eternal salvation. He is the road that leads to life. Not only is he the way, but he is also the truth and the life. All of God’s truth is embodied in Jesus Christ who, as both fully God and fully human, was also the ever-living God. Nobody can claim access to God the Father, except through Jesus himself. Other religions may contain some element of truth about God, but there is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ. He is the means of access to God for all people of all cultures and all backgrounds. Jesus welcomes all, so that in his singular exclusive claims there is an inclusive embrace of all. As Jesus goes on to say in John 14:7, because we know him we also know God the Father.
God is love. How do we know God is love? Christians have a God who knows the pain of death and suffering. We have a God who is sympathetic to our own suffering. Jesus, who was God, became man. He was born. He lived. He died. He rose again to new life. He ascended back to God. Christians, those who follow Jesus will also rise again from the dead into new life and ascend to be with God eternally.
Jesus and me. Jesus - an anchor in turbulent times. Jesus was a comfort in times of distress such as when my own father died about 21 years ago. He always comforts me.
I have died twice as an adult. 2003 from a stroke and 2007 from septicaemia. I have been sent back twice. But one day I will die. When I do, I will then have new life because of Jesus and then be more alive than ever!
Our father, brother and friend here, is now more alive than he has even been because he loved and believed in Jesus.
Jesus was his hope.
Jesus is my hope.
Is Jesus your hope?
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