The Way, The Truth, The Life

“Hey, so, we’re going to have to foreclose on your house. There’s nothing you can do about it; you’re just going to lose it. Oh, and Friday was your last day at work. We’ve decided to let you go. Oh and uh, your car got stolen last night. And your dog died. But don’t be troubled! Don’t let your heart be troubled.” That’s kind of the scene we see in John 14, only even more intense. Jesus’ twelve followers had left everything 3 years earlier and trusted that Jesus was going to set up his Kingdom. Now, in John 14, Jesus gets down on his hands and knees like a slave to wash their feet, tells them one of them will betray him, another will deny him, and he will die soon. He tells them some terribly troubling things. Life is about to get rough. Right after that he says, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). How in the world can Jesus say that when he’s just told them all of these troubling things? He goes on to explain… Hold Things Loosely  “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). Jesus told them this so that their hearts would be calm and at ease. He told them that he’s going to prepare a room for each of them in his Father’s house. Jesus is preparing a place for us to live forever with him. Knowing the God who created the world with immense beauty for us to enjoy, I doubt that it’s going to be a lame room. I’d imagine it would be filled with stuff that you’ll be excited about and enjoy forever! Jesus was telling his followers to hold things loosely in this world. Things, possessions, trouble us so much; not having enough, not having what our neighbor has, possibly losing the things we’ve worked hard to get. Possessions give us a lot of stress and anxiety. But if we believe that Jesus is preparing a room for us to enjoy forever, then our hearts can be at peace if we don’t have possessions in this world. Hold Your Life Loosely  “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). Jesus told them that he is coming again to bring them to this place he’s going to prepare. He’s coming again. Jesus said that he’s returning so that their hearts wouldn’t be troubled. Sadly, followers of Jesus get their hearts really troubled when we think about Jesus coming again. We whip out our charts and timelines and argue and even split over Jesus’ return. But here, in John 14, Jesus told this to his disciples so that their hearts wouldn’t be troubled. It was meant to bring comfort and joy. He’s coming to bring us to himself! This helps us to hold our lives loosely. We’re all tempted to be troubled that we aren’t living up to our potential, or that we’re not getting enough accomplished in life. That’s what drives us to work extra long hours, figure out ways to not waste any time at all, try to make a name for ourselves any way possible to move up the ladder. We’ll sacrifice community group, family, church, prayer, health, whatever as long as we can make something of our lives. But if Jesus is your King and He’s coming back for you, FOR YOU, because he loves you and wants to spend forever with you, how much peace does that give you about your life right now? Jesus coming back for you has nothing to do with your life accomplishments. So don’t let your heart be troubled about your life. Jesus is coming again! Hold Jesus Tightly  “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, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:4-6). Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is everything to us. He would show it shortly after he said it. Less than a day after he said these words, he went to the cross and died. At the cross we see what our sin deserves. At the cross we see how much God loves us. At the cross we see that Jesus is everything for us. At the cross we see that no one gets to God except through Jesus, and no one overcomes a troubled heart except through Jesus. So we should hold Jesus tightly; more tightly than possessions, more tightly than our accomplishments, more tightly than our experiences, more tightly than our relationships. How do we practically hold these things loosely and hold Jesus tightly? Jesus summed it up right after he said not to let our hearts be troubled: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). The idea here is to keep on believing in God and to keep on believing in Jesus. Believing that Jesus is your Savior and King. Believing that he’s preparing a place for you. Believing that he’s coming again for you. Believing that he’s everything.