VI. John 13:36-14:4    

Introduction:  After 25 years as a missionary in Africa, Samuel Morrison was coming home on the same ocean liner that brought Teddy Roosevelt back from an African hunting expedition. The dock where the great ship pulled into New York Harbor was jammed with what looked like the entire population of New York City. Bands were playing, banners were waving, choirs of children were singing, multicolored balloons were floating, and newsreel cameras were poised to record the return of the President.

Mr. Roosevelt stepped down the gangplank to thunderous cheers, applause, and a shower of confetti and ticker tape. If ropes and police had not restrained the crowd, he would have been mobbed!

At the same time, Samuel Morrison quietly walked off the boat. No one was there to greet him; he slipped through the crowd alone. Because of the crush of people there to welcome the President, Morrison couldn’t even find a cab.

He began to complain in his heart: Lord, the President has been in Africa killing animals for three weeks and the whole world turns out to welcome him home. I’ve given 25 years of my life in Africa, serving You, and no one has greeted me or even knows that I’m here.

In the quietness of missionary Samuel Morrison’s heart, a gentle, loving voice whispered, “But my dear child, you’re not home yet!” (Kenneth Squires)

Explanation: How many here this morning wear glasses? I would venture to say that most of you are near sighted…that means you have difficulty seeing objects in the distance. Glasses help to fix that problem. But there are no glasses to fix the near sighted disease that infects many Christians.

What is Christian near-sightedness? It is the inability to look beyond the immediate, to see about is eternity. Many Christians, in fact, live as if there is no eternity. Hear me out:
    •    We devote more time to reading the newspaper than the Word of God
    •    We are more influenced by the media than by the Holy Spirit
    •    We can name that tune, name our favorite teams starting line-up, but we can’t name the 10 commandments
    •    We major in the momentary and minor in the momentous

And all this speaks volumes about what’s truly important to us.

Transition: But don’t feel too bad. The disciples were both near and far sighted. They couldn’t see beyond the immediate…but they couldn’t see the Son of the One True and Ever Living God living right in front of them. But Jesus still loved them, just as he loves you too.

Open your Bibles to John 13:36 (Pg. 823 in the bible under the chair in front of you). It’s here that we will find the peace associated with catching a glimpse beyond the immediate and into eternity.

John 13:36-38    Love went simply over their heads
Read: John 13:36-38

Let’s review what we learned last week.
    •    Jesus is less than 24 hours away from his death.
    •    Judas has left to betray Jesus to the religious leaders
    •    Jesus says  that he will be leaving them and they can’t go with him
    •    Jesus begins to speak about being glorified.
    •    And He says that this will be accomplished when his followers love one another as he has loved them.

So, how does Peter, the groups unofficial leader respond to what Jesus has told them? With near-sightedness. Instead of talking about how he can glorify Jesus, instead of asking how, in a practical way, he should love others, Peter is upset that he can’t go with Jesus.

When Jesus tells him he can’t go, Peter says he would give his life for Jesus. While Peter may have been sincere Jesus knew his heart. Jesus always knows us better than we know ourselves. Jesus then tells Peter that before the morning comes, he will deny him three times.

Transition: Consider for a moment how the disciples must have felt.
    •    One of them was going to betray Jesus to the religious leaders
    •    One of them was going to deny him 3 times before the sun comes up
    •    And none of them gets to go with Jesus when he leaves

They must have been shocked, depressed, confused, let down. Feelings of abandonment and loss must have filled the room. It’s in this atmosphere that Jesus speaks words of peace top his troubled disciples.

John 14:1         Troubled hearts trust Jesus
Read: John 14:1

    •    Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one
    •    Perhaps you’ve been denied a raise you really deserved and needed
    •    Perhaps you’ve been diagnosed with a life threatening illness
    •    Perhaps you’ve been hurt by someone close to you

Then you know what it’s like to have a ‘troubled heart’. And you know what the disciples felt that night in the upper room.

Jesus lovingly assures them, and you, that ‘No matter what happens, no matter how confusing circumstances seem, no matter how difficult things become; don’t be worried, don’t be troubled, don’t get stressed out, don’t lose heart.’ How can Jesus say that? Because the reality and blessing of our relationship with God always overpowers how we feel.

Jesus said ‘Trust in God’ actually the ‘you’ is missing here. It should read, ‘You trust in God’.
    •    You already have a relationship of faith in God
    •    You already know that God will not let you down
    •    You already trust God, even though you can’t see Him

Jesus was asking them to place that same kind of trust, in him. Because he and God are one, the relationship is the same…trust, I won’t let you down, you won’t be disappointed…believe in me, believe me, trust me, even though the time will come when you won’t be able to see me.

But what is trust in God? It’s our unswerving belief that the God of the universe will work on our behalf to bring about his perfect will for our lives.

This was hard for the disciples to grasp. It’s hard for us too, isn’t it? When we face difficult times, we sometimes feel alone and abandoned. But, Jesus calls us to trust him, even though we can’t see him. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows the end and the beginning of all things… and he knows everything in between too.

Transition: Jesus is setting the foundation for peace, true, lasting peace in the life of the believer. Peace, regardless of life’s circumstances. Let’s see how Jesus develops this.

John 14:2a    Many mansions in heaven
Read: John 14:2a

    •    Jesus begins to talk about heaven, about the future…their future, our future.
    •    He begins to talk about the place he’s going, the place they can’t go to…just yet.
    •    He begins to redirect their gaze past the immediate to the eternal.

He tells them in his Father house there are many mansions, your version might say. A more correct translation is ‘in my Fathers house there are many rooms’. Why is this important? Because we always stress the opulence of heaven, of our own mansion, but I think this misses the point.

ILL: I needed to book a reservation in Indiana, Pa. for Becky’s college graduation in May…but, there were no rooms to be found.

Jesus is saying that
    •    unlike what happened to me and Becky’s graduation,
    •    unlike what happened to Mary and Joseph when they arrived in Bethlehem
    •    there will always be room at the inn,
    •    there will be rooms in Gods house for all who trust in God,
    •    for all who trust in Jesus.

The emphasis here is not on the greatness of the room prepared in God’s house for us. The emphasis is on the number of rooms there. God will be gracious to many, more than we can imagine. Knowing there is room in God’s House for all who will believe makes life and death a bit more peaceful. Wouldn’t you agree?

Transition: This sure would have been good news to the disciples, but perhaps a bit unbelievable.

John 14:2b    Truth be told
Read: John: 14:2b

To get them to believe what he was saying Jesus relies on his Character. In the midst of their and our troubled hearts, Jesus is saying ‘trust me, I’m telling you the truth. I’ve never lied to you before, you can trust me on this’. That Jesus can be trusted brings peace to the troubled heart.

Transition: Jesus now reveals where he is going and why.

John 14:2c    A prepared place for a prepared people
Read: John 14:2c

First, Heaven is a real place. It’s a actual place. Jesus talks about it, he calls is a place, he says he is going there…Heaven is a real place.

Second, Jesus is in heaven right now preparing a place for you (peoples names) There will be no waiting line at St. Peter’s gate to get into heaven. Heaven is being prepared for us by Jesus and it will be ready when we arrive.

Third, think about it. God created the world in 6 days. (I believe literal 24 hour days). How long has Jesus been gone? About 2000 years. If God created the heavens, the earth and everything in them in 6 days and said it was good…just think about what heaven will be like.
I have been blessed to have visited many places on this earth that are so beautiful that they take your breath away. What do you think all of heaven will be?

Fourth, think about this too. God has had 2000 years to prepare his people for their prepared home in heaven. Spiritual growth, sanctification, service, ministry, relationships are all part of the preparation. Christians are a prepared people going to a prepared home.

Let me ask…are you prepared for heaven? Are you certain that’s your destination when you die? You can be certain if you trust in Jesus as your Savior. Then you will experience peace like you have never know.

Transition: But knowing heaven is a prepared place for prepared people really isn’t enough. We are often thick headed and need more assurance. Jesus gives it in verse 3.

John 14:3        Jesus will return for his own
Read: John 14:3

Jesus promises that he is coming back for his disciples…he is coming back for you and me…Praise God! Over 300 times in Scripture we are told that Jesus will return for his own. He will not leave us as orphans. He will come back to take us home to be with him forever. That’s awesome! We may grow impatient, but God is forever faithful. His promises are all true and they will come about. Jesus is saying, ‘I am coming back to take you to my Father’s house and it will be your home too.’ What peace those words bring.

Transition: Jesus has given his disciples a glimpse of their future. But he also returns to the present and assures them of something they already know.

John 14:4    We know more than we think we  know
Read: John 14:4

The disciples asked where Jesus was going and he told them they couldn’t come. Notice Jesus never said they didn’t know where he was going.

So often when things grow difficult and our hearts become troubled, we get confused or we forget our purpose, our future. We look to the immediate rather than to the eternal.

Jesus says in the midst of trouble, peace will come:
    •    Trust God
    •    Trust Me
    •    Trust that I have prepared a place for you in heaven
    •    Trust that I will come back for you one day
    •    Trust..in what you already know to be true.

Conclusion

ILL: Randy Alcorn said ‘The day I die will be the best day of my life!’

ILL: John Donne said ‘No man ever saw God and lived. And yet, I shall not live until I see God.’

Is that how you view your future? Has your near-sightedness been corrected by trusting in Jesus to prepare your room in heaven?

Troubled hearts find true and lasting peace, when they look beyond the immediate and trust in Jesus.