WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.700 Now, while the boys and girls are heading out to their classes, perhaps we can turn in our Bibles 00:00:13.700 --> 00:00:23.440 to John chapter 13. We're going to read from verse 18 to chapter 14 and verse 11. 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:33.160 For our sermon, we're going to focus on chapter 14 and the first 11 verses, but these verses from chapter 13 00:00:33.160 --> 00:00:40.079 helpfully introduce us to the context. So again, the words will be up on the screen if you need them. 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:48.700 John chapter 13, beginning at verse 18. Let's hear God's Word. 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:58.620 I'm not referring to all of you. I know those I have chosen, but this is to fulfill this passage 00:00:58.620 --> 00:01:06.920 of scripture. He who shared my bread has turned against me. I am telling you now before it happens 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:14.500 so that when it does happen, you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly, I tell you, 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:23.480 whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:29.040 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:37.680 very truly, I tell you, one of you is going to betray me. His disciples stared at one another 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:44.920 at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, 00:01:45.660 --> 00:01:50.880 was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, 00:01:51.620 --> 00:01:58.300 ask him which one he means. Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, Lord, who is it? 00:01:59.160 --> 00:02:05.240 Jesus answered, it is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish. 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:13.340 Then dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:23.240 bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, what you are about to do, do quickly. But no one at the 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:30.560 meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:38.300 telling him to buy what was needed for the festival or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas 00:02:38.300 --> 00:02:44.900 had taken the bread, he went out and it was night. When he was gone, Jesus said, now the son of man is 00:02:44.900 --> 00:02:52.860 glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the son in himself 00:02:52.860 --> 00:02:59.400 and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. 00:03:00.160 --> 00:03:07.800 You will look for me. And just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now where I am going, you cannot come. 00:03:08.880 --> 00:03:16.380 A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:22.319 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:29.819 Simon Peter asked him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus replied, where I am going, you cannot follow 00:03:29.819 --> 00:03:37.859 now, but you will follow later. Peter asked, Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life 00:03:37.859 --> 00:03:44.639 for you. Then Jesus answered, will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:52.819 before the cock crows, you will disown me three times. Do not let your hearts be troubled. 00:03:53.500 --> 00:04:00.899 You believe in God. Believe also in me. My father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, 00:04:00.959 --> 00:04:06.199 would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:13.179 a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. 00:04:13.180 --> 00:04:21.540 You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:30.699 going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes 00:04:30.699 --> 00:04:38.819 to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you'll know my Father as well. From now on, 00:04:38.819 --> 00:04:47.519 you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:54.120 for us. Jesus answered, don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:03.459 Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Don't you believe 00:05:03.459 --> 00:05:10.139 that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own 00:05:10.139 --> 00:05:19.819 authority. Rather, it is the Father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:27.839 in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:34.039 Amen. And we'll leave it there. We'll turn back to that in just a few moments. But before we do that, 00:05:34.479 --> 00:05:41.060 we're going to sing again from Psalm 61. And Psalm 61 is interesting. So we've just read, 00:05:41.419 --> 00:05:45.919 here's Jesus speaking to troubled disciples, and he speaks of heaven as home, and that he's gone to 00:05:45.919 --> 00:05:53.859 prepare a place. And Psalm 61 finds David struggling and feeling faint. And what does he long for? He longs 00:05:53.860 --> 00:05:59.819 to dwell where God is. The longing of God's people to be at home and to be at rest is really spoken to 00:05:59.819 --> 00:06:04.780 powerfully in Psalm 61. So let's stand and sing the first five verses together. 00:06:04.780 --> 00:06:04.900 Amen. 00:06:04.899 --> 00:06:28.299 O hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea. 00:06:28.300 --> 00:06:44.300 From earth's remotest bounds I call, when my heart faints in me. 00:06:44.300 --> 00:07:10.300 O God, conduct me to the rock that's higher far than I. For you're my refuge from the foe, 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:33.100 my tower of strength on high. Oh, let me dwell within your tent, forever there to live. 00:07:33.100 --> 00:07:51.100 O for the shelter of your wings, the refuge which they give. 00:07:51.100 --> 00:08:17.520 For you have heard my vows, O God, and you have given me the heritage of those who fear. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:23.219 Your name continually. 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:39.240 Now, can you turn back with me in your Bibles to John chapter 14 as we come to the sixth of the 00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:44.279 I am sayings of Jesus in John's gospel. John 14 verse 6, 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:52.379 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 00:08:53.379 --> 00:08:58.079 I wonder when was the last time you found yourself asking or somebody asked you, 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:00.120 do you know the way? 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:05.159 It used to be such a feature, I think, of life in Edinburgh, especially as you got anywhere in between 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:10.299 the church and the Royal Mile towards Prince's Street. There was always loads of tourists around, 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:15.199 always wanting to know where was the way to the castle or to St. Giles or one of the prominent 00:09:15.199 --> 00:09:20.559 tourist attractions. And the assumption that would sometimes go with that before they asked, 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:26.639 do you know the way? Are you from here? The assumption being, if you're from the place, 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:31.359 you should know directions, you should know the destination. Now, for some of us, 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:37.980 that's going to be a fairly safe assumption. Some of us know the streets really well. In my case, 00:09:38.440 --> 00:09:43.180 if you ask me the directions, you're on very dangerous ground. I can think of at least twice 00:09:43.180 --> 00:09:47.519 chasing after tourists, having given them dodgy instructions, thinking, no, actually, you need to 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:53.820 go that way, not this way. You need to be careful who to ask when it comes to directions. 00:09:53.820 --> 00:10:01.360 Do you know the way? Well, think about John 14 in this context. Here we have some disciples. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:09.900 They're confused. They're distressed. Jesus is talking about he's going somewhere. He talks about 00:10:09.900 --> 00:10:17.340 being the way. And they're not sure what he is talking about. Now, what's Jesus doing? He's announcing 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:22.220 himself as the ultimate authority, isn't he? He's announcing himself as the ultimate authority on 00:10:22.220 --> 00:10:31.320 direction and destination. And it's not just to some geographical spot. Jesus hasn't come to answer 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:37.019 a fairly trivial question where the answer doesn't matter. Jesus is saying, I am the way to heaven. 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:44.840 Now, I am the way to know and to see God. And so, within these words, there is an invitation 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:55.780 to trust him, to trust his authority, to follow his words, to understand that he is the way. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:01.040 And when we think about these words, we can understand as well that he's going to help us 00:11:01.040 --> 00:11:06.840 to answer some of life's biggest questions. Perhaps some questions that we find ourselves 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:13.460 asking ourselves, or perhaps others have asked them of us. Perhaps as Christians, we've wondered 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:19.440 some things, what is heaven like? Perhaps we've asked if heaven is real, how do we get there? 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:26.480 Are all religions equal? Is Christianity intolerant? What is God like? We can begin to answer all of 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:31.860 these questions, and probably many more, from the words of Jesus in this text. 00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:39.600 And it's really important when we have those questions to think about, who do we take them to? 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:44.500 Same as with directions, you need to ask the right person. When we have big questions, we need to know, 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:51.779 who do we take, who is the authority to speak to these questions? So, we might be tempted to listen 00:11:51.779 --> 00:11:57.200 to the voice of popular culture. Well, let's let the culture determine how we think about these big 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:03.300 questions. Or maybe we think about, let's trust my friends and my family. They'll be the ones that we'll 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:13.139 listen to. What Jesus would have us to do would be to listen to him, to take our direction from God 00:12:13.139 --> 00:12:21.120 and his word. We've spent probably three months now in John's gospel thinking about Jesus, thinking 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:25.259 about, first of all, we thought about the seven miracles that John records. And he says, these are 00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:31.539 signposts. He records seven, there's many more. He records seven so that we might know Jesus is the 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:36.699 son of God, that we might know he's the Messiah, that we might believe in him, and so we might have life 00:12:36.699 --> 00:12:43.620 in his name. And we've listened to him now six times say, I am. The Old Testament name for God, I am God. 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:52.120 And he's beginning to show us his character as God. And so here, when he says, I am God, and I am the way, 00:12:52.959 --> 00:13:00.120 it's an invitation to trust his words, to trust his authority, to trust his path, the path that he offers, 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:06.899 which is nothing less than himself, as the way home to God, as the way to know God, as the way to see 00:13:06.899 --> 00:13:13.240 God and to have life with God. So let's get into our text and let's see some of this together. First 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:22.779 of all, in the first four verses, we can see that Jesus is the way home to God the Father. So we read a 00:13:22.779 --> 00:13:29.039 little bit in chapter 13 to remind us of the setting. So this is the night of Jesus' arrest. 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:39.899 It's the night before the cross, when Jesus will, as it were, take the cup of judgment, God's judgment 00:13:39.899 --> 00:13:46.120 against sin and against sinners, and Jesus will drink it down in the place of his people so that 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:55.139 we might be forgiven. So we might take today the cup of salvation. And what we find in Jesus at this 00:13:55.139 --> 00:13:59.820 time is that he, because he is as well as being fully God, is also truly human. He is troubled. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.879 So we read it, chapter 13, verse 21, 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:10.779 After he'd said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:13.960 Very truly, I tell you, one of you is going to betray me. 00:14:15.419 --> 00:14:20.519 In chapter 12, Jesus is predicting his death again. And in verse 27, he says, 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:23.620 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 00:14:24.379 --> 00:14:31.159 Father, save me from this hour. No, it's for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:36.079 And here is Jesus. He knows the hour of his suffering and death has come, the reality, 00:14:36.199 --> 00:14:42.579 where he will be the sin bearer of the world, where he will experience in his body that sense of 00:14:42.579 --> 00:14:48.179 separation from his Father. He is beginning to anticipate in a new way that the horror 00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:51.139 that that brings to him. And so Jesus is troubled. 00:14:53.480 --> 00:15:00.459 We also find, chapter 14, verse 1, the disciples are troubled. This is a time of great distress and 00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:05.480 confusion for them. What have they just heard Jesus say? They've just heard him say that one of 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:14.180 them will betray him. Jesus has just said that Peter will deny him. And within a few short hours, 00:15:14.300 --> 00:15:25.120 all of them will run away in fear as Jesus is arrested. This is a difficult time for them also. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:31.379 But here's one of the beautiful things about Jesus. And where is his heart right now? His heart is for 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:38.659 his disciples, isn't it? He wants to comfort them. I am troubled, but don't you be troubled, 00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:44.259 Jesus says to his disciples. And we think, well, it's natural. They're about to lose their friend. 00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:50.379 Well, of course, you would expect them to be troubled, but there's something that Jesus knows. 00:15:50.379 --> 00:15:56.860 He knows his trouble has a purpose. His suffering and dying has that purpose of bringing them eternal 00:15:56.860 --> 00:16:03.059 comfort, of bringing forgiveness of sin, of bringing them to God. And so he can say, 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:11.000 I'm troubled, but don't you be troubled. He gives them a command as well in verse 1. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:21.700 Believe in God. Believe also in me. Now, we shouldn't miss this. We'll not just breeze past it. Here is Jesus 00:16:21.700 --> 00:16:28.340 once again saying to his disciples and saying to us, I am the appropriate object of your faith. 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:35.480 Just as you should believe in God my Father, so you should believe in me as the Son of God. 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:43.320 That he's going to once again speak about himself in equal terms with the Father. So verse 9, 00:16:43.539 --> 00:16:51.360 anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. We've heard this so often from Jesus in the last few months. 00:16:52.779 --> 00:16:59.080 And if we will recognize his authority, and if the disciples would recognize his authority and trust 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:07.000 him and heed that command to trust him, then what will Jesus bring to them? What will Jesus bring to us? 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:17.480 He'll bring comfort. He gives this wonderful picture of heaven. What is heaven like? Heaven is home 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:25.180 for the people of God. To be home with the Father, to be at home with the Son, and to be a perfect rest. 00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:32.060 My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I'm going there to 00:17:32.060 --> 00:17:39.299 prepare a place for you? This is the beginning, I think, of the season of people movements around the 00:17:39.299 --> 00:17:45.480 world. It's kind of started, so perhaps some of us were remembering Thanksgiving this week. And 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:50.560 Thanksgiving would be a time when people would be on holiday and typically go, if they could, to be with 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:59.879 family. And then we hope, I guess, many of us in a few weeks time for us to welcome people to join us or 00:17:59.879 --> 00:18:06.919 perhaps we'll go elsewhere to be with our family for Christmas. And then not long after that, we come to 00:18:06.919 --> 00:18:13.759 Chinese New Year, the greatest of all people movements. But why do all of them happen? What do they have in 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:24.960 common? Isn't it a longing to be both in our place and with our people? To be at home with family? 00:18:26.879 --> 00:18:34.579 And as we think about those, we anticipate joy, no doubt. But also I'm sure we recognize that with 00:18:34.579 --> 00:18:40.400 every celebration, there's that tinge of sadness mixed in because we know that with the joy of every 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:46.220 sort of reunion, there's also the sadness that comes with parting. We have to say goodbye, we have 00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:55.400 to go back to our jobs and so on. And some of us know too that those family gatherings are also marked 00:18:55.400 --> 00:19:03.620 by a sense of sadness of those who aren't able to be there, those who are no longer with us. 00:19:03.619 --> 00:19:11.599 But what Jesus is saying, as we recognize that deep longing in our hearts for our people and our 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:19.119 place, Jesus is saying, trust me and you will find the deepest longing of your heart met, not just for 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:30.139 a moment and not just for a season, but for eternity. An eternal home, eternal rest, an eternal feast of love 00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:33.820 and joy is found in trusting in Jesus. 00:19:36.500 --> 00:19:44.500 So it's good. How do we get it? Well, Jesus has told us, I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go 00:19:44.500 --> 00:19:51.460 and prepare a place, I'll come back and take you to be with me. Jesus prepares a place for us. And what does 00:19:51.460 --> 00:19:59.940 his preparation involve? It involves his going to the cross and dying for our sin? And it involves the 00:19:59.940 --> 00:20:09.160 resurrection, him rising in victory over Satan and sin and death. And his promise there is that he will 00:20:09.160 --> 00:20:18.779 return to bring his people home. Having done the hard work of making preparation, he will not fail to bring 00:20:18.779 --> 00:20:28.399 all of his people to be home with him forever. Jesus says in verse 4, you know the way to the place 00:20:28.399 --> 00:20:35.759 where I am going. And that way, of course, as Jesus is about to make even more plain, is Jesus himself. 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:45.420 The way to this eternal home is to be trusting in Jesus as Son of God and Savior of the world. 00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:54.440 If we are to know this wonderful homecoming that lasts for all eternity, and we need to trust in 00:20:54.440 --> 00:21:00.779 Jesus and the preparation that he made. Now, how does this help answer some of those big questions 00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:06.940 we might have? Well, think about the question, what is heaven like? Perhaps especially children love to 00:21:06.940 --> 00:21:12.039 speculate and wonder about what heaven is like. And we get lots of wonderful pictures about heaven, 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:18.180 maybe especially in the book of Revelation. But isn't this a wonderfully special one? Heaven is like 00:21:18.180 --> 00:21:25.940 home. Heaven is being home with our Father. Heaven is being at home with Jesus, our elder brother, 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:35.139 our Savior, knowing his love, knowing his welcome. And we hear that there's lots of rooms and there's 00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:39.600 lots of space that's a reminder that we share in that world of love, not just with a few, 00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:47.040 but with the church throughout history, the church throughout the globe. We share that love with our 00:21:47.040 --> 00:21:54.780 brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes connected with that, we have the question, well, how do I get 00:21:54.780 --> 00:22:00.040 to heaven? It sounds good. How do I get there? And again, Jesus has told us it's all about what he 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:06.180 has come to do, what he has accomplished. He has made that preparation in dying and rising. He has 00:22:06.180 --> 00:22:12.960 faced the trouble of the cross. And so what's left for us to do is to believe in him. 00:22:15.220 --> 00:22:20.339 The unique and wonderful thing about Christianity is it doesn't say to us, you need to be a certain 00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:26.099 kind of person. You need to be a particularly good person in order to earn God's approval. We don't need 00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:34.779 to be very religious. No, we need to trust Jesus and his perfection. And there's a wonderful assurance 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:42.939 found in that. Jesus has gone to prepare a place. Jesus will come to take us to be with him. It's all 00:22:42.939 --> 00:22:53.639 about Jesus. So here is one reservation that you and I, by faith, will never lose. And perhaps we've had 00:22:53.640 --> 00:23:00.780 those disappointments. Here is one destination that we will not get to and be disappointed by. 00:23:01.360 --> 00:23:08.920 And our guarantee in all of that is Jesus. We are secure in him. 00:23:10.560 --> 00:23:17.100 And again, perhaps it helps us to begin to think about what is God like? As we remember, 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:21.580 and Jesus has taught us so many times that he reveals God. If we look at Jesus, what are we finding? 00:23:21.579 --> 00:23:29.279 We're finding a God who is wonderfully generous and gracious. A God who lovingly provides. 00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:37.460 A God who longs for followers to be home with him. Indeed, it is true that Jesus has so bound his 00:23:37.460 --> 00:23:43.960 heart with his church, his joy with his church's joy, that Jesus' joy will not be fully complete 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:50.940 until all his church is home with him forever. It's the love that Jesus has for his church. 00:23:52.140 --> 00:24:00.360 So Jesus is the way home to God the Father. And then in verses 5 to 7, we come to that, 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:07.620 the I am saying, and we recognize here, Jesus is saying he is the only way to know God. 00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:15.459 To hear it again, verse 6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father 00:24:15.459 --> 00:24:24.099 except through me. That's a huge claim on two levels. One, again, he's saying, I am truly God. 00:24:25.379 --> 00:24:33.699 And then he's also saying, I am the only way to know God, to know life from God and with God. 00:24:33.700 --> 00:24:42.759 Now let's pause to consider for a moment where we find ourselves this morning. We find ourselves 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:48.500 in Edinburgh. What can we say about Edinburgh? It's a global city and it's a diverse city. 00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:54.519 Lots of wonderful cultures mixing together and no doubt we all appreciate that. 00:24:56.600 --> 00:25:03.420 Most of us, I imagine, we find ourselves living with good neighbors. We recognize people in our 00:25:03.420 --> 00:25:10.279 lives, people of different faiths and of no faith who are generous and kind and who are patient and 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:17.000 who go the extra mile for us and for others. We live in a society that values tolerance and values 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:22.580 diversity. So the question for us as a church is, how do we handle this statement? 00:25:25.460 --> 00:25:28.200 Because it's a controversial statement when Jesus says, 00:25:28.200 --> 00:25:33.779 no one comes to the Father except through me. For many people find themselves asking, 00:25:34.059 --> 00:25:40.660 how can Christianity claim it's the only way to God? That sounds so incredibly intolerant. 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:48.920 Sounds so disrespectful of people with sincerely held beliefs across other faiths. So how do we respond? 00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:56.640 How do we respond graciously? Perhaps if we find ourselves in those kind of conversations? 00:25:58.100 --> 00:26:01.380 There's lots that we could say, only two things I'm going to say on that. 00:26:02.320 --> 00:26:11.120 One is to remind ourselves to recognize that all truth claims are by nature exclusive and intolerant. 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:19.939 We need to recognize that the claim that all religions are equal is similarly an exclusive 00:26:19.939 --> 00:26:27.579 and intolerant claim because it's saying that any religion that says, no, we're different is wrong. 00:26:28.459 --> 00:26:35.779 Every claim to truth is saying, my view is right, therefore yours is wrong. So Christianity isn't unique in 00:26:35.779 --> 00:26:41.839 that. So that's good for us to know that we're not instantly in a different category from everyone 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:48.480 else. And the only other thing that I want to say here, and it's really important that we can recognize 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:55.339 this and find our confidence as a church in this, is that when we say Jesus is the only way to God, 00:26:56.460 --> 00:26:59.839 is that something that the church has invented? 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:07.720 And the answer is no. This is coming straight from the mouth of Jesus. 00:27:09.139 --> 00:27:17.019 So our authority is not some human tradition that has been built up over time. No, we're standing on 00:27:17.019 --> 00:27:24.019 the words of Jesus. And so that says something really important for us as Christians. It means that 00:27:24.019 --> 00:27:29.819 that as difficult as we might find it in today's society, we must not deny Jesus our 00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:38.119 Lord and his authority. No, we must say graciously but truthfully that we believe there is only one 00:27:38.119 --> 00:27:45.639 way to God, and that's through Jesus. And similarly, as we recognize that this isn't an invention of the 00:27:45.639 --> 00:27:50.519 church, but this is coming straight from Jesus, what we want to do and what we want to pray 00:27:50.519 --> 00:27:58.759 is that people would listen to Jesus, perhaps to understand why Jesus says that. 00:27:59.819 --> 00:28:05.039 Perhaps there are people in our lives who are full of those questions, and we could read 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:11.299 John's gospel with them and help them see, well, here's why Jesus says it, because look at who he is 00:28:11.299 --> 00:28:18.419 and look at what he does. Because that's really what Jesus does. He says, I am the way to God 00:28:18.419 --> 00:28:28.639 because I am the truth. I am this unique revelation of truth from God as God, and I am the way to God, 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:34.660 the only way to God, because I am the life. I am eternal life, and I am the life giver. 00:28:35.560 --> 00:28:41.060 So Jesus' massive claim, and it is a massive claim, we need to recognize that, is absolutely tied up with 00:28:41.060 --> 00:28:48.960 his identity and his authority, and it calls for people to explore and then to respond to Jesus' claim. 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:59.860 So Jesus said, I am the truth. And what I hope we've seen as we've spent some time in John's gospel, 00:29:00.019 --> 00:29:06.000 is that this is consistent with the message of John's gospel. It's also consistent with what Jesus 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:14.100 himself has taught. So just to help us to see that, John begins his gospel with profound truth. Speaking 00:29:14.099 --> 00:29:19.259 about Jesus as the word, he says, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the 00:29:19.259 --> 00:29:26.079 word was God. Jesus is the word. He is a word of truth. He is God's revelation, communication to us, 00:29:26.099 --> 00:29:33.459 and he is God. Verse 18, as John concludes his introduction, he says, no one has ever seen God, 00:29:34.179 --> 00:29:41.899 but the one and only Son who is himself God has made himself known. So Jesus is himself God, 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:50.820 and Jesus makes God known. Go towards the ends of John's gospel. Now, we've already thought about 00:29:50.820 --> 00:29:56.120 the fact that he wants the signs to be a way that we would believe that Jesus is the Son of God and 00:29:56.120 --> 00:30:01.420 Messiah, but we also see that happen in the case of Thomas. Thomas, who is full of doubts and questions, 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:11.240 we find Thomas, chapter 20, end of chapter 20, on his knees confessing of Jesus, my Lord and my God. 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:19.519 And we've seen that through the gospel. It's the consistent message of Jesus himself. Chapter 5, 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:28.160 verse 19, whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John chapter 10, verse 30, I and the Father 00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:39.060 are one. So the whole of John's gospel is wanting us to see that Jesus is this unique revelation from God 00:30:39.059 --> 00:30:49.279 as God, revealing God to us. And Jesus can also say, I'm the way to God because I am the life. And again, 00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:56.419 we find that in the introduction that John gives to Jesus in his gospel. In him, in Jesus, was life, 00:30:56.839 --> 00:31:03.759 and that life was the light of men. Jesus is the life giver. That we have life and breath today is a gift 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:15.220 from Jesus. John chapter 5, verse 26. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son 00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:24.259 also to have life in himself. Just like the Father, the Son is self-existent. He is eternal. 00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:33.500 Chapter 11, verse 25. We thought about it last week. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who 00:31:33.500 --> 00:31:45.039 believes in me will live even though they die. Jesus has the power to give resurrection life, to give 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:54.240 eternal life. Eternal life. And in that famous verse, John 3, 16, God so loved the world that he gave his 00:31:54.240 --> 00:32:03.879 one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Believing in Jesus 00:32:03.879 --> 00:32:10.220 means not perishing but having eternal life. 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:19.460 One more detail to notice before we move on from this little section. Verse 7. If you really know me, 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:26.539 you will know my Father as well. And then he says, from now on, you do know him and have seen him. From 00:32:26.539 --> 00:32:33.720 now on. As Jesus pointed, he's about to show them even more of himself. He's about to show even more of 00:32:33.720 --> 00:32:40.519 the Father's glory. He's about to show even more of the Father's heart in his own person and work. And 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:50.319 what's he about to do to show us even more of God's glory? He's about to lay down his life for his sheep. 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:58.460 He is about to die so that we, by trusting in him, might live and live eternally. 00:32:58.460 --> 00:33:06.840 So let's circle back to that question. Is Christianity narrow? Is Christianity intolerant? 00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:15.759 How can we possibly say Jesus is the only way to God? Well, we've said, yes, we must insist on saying 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:23.259 Jesus says you must believe in me. Jesus is really clear on that. He's the only way to God. But we also 00:33:23.259 --> 00:33:28.539 need to recognize this same Jesus who is himself, God, what's he about to do? He's about to sacrifice 00:33:28.539 --> 00:33:34.259 himself to open up the way of access to God, not just to a few, but to any who believe, 00:33:35.259 --> 00:33:45.779 so that weak, sinful people like us might come home to know and enjoy life with God. Anyone who believes 00:33:45.779 --> 00:33:53.099 in me, the gospel says, will have life and have life eternally. So yes, in one sense, Christianity 00:33:53.099 --> 00:33:58.879 is narrow, but in another wonderful sense, it's wide open because of the finished work of the Lord Jesus. 00:34:00.899 --> 00:34:06.740 Let's have a look together at verses 8 to 11, kind of along the same lines, but Jesus says that he is 00:34:06.740 --> 00:34:14.440 the way to see the Father. But what we get in verse 8 is a sense of the distress and confusion of Philip 00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:24.400 and the disciples. Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. 00:34:26.220 --> 00:34:34.280 Jesus, just give us something to show us some direct access to God. Just like Moses prayed, 00:34:35.340 --> 00:34:40.800 Lord, show me your glory. So Philip in his confusion wants to see something more. 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:48.260 Maybe we recognize a question in there, that wondering, what is God like? Is it possible to 00:34:48.260 --> 00:34:56.039 really know him and how do we do that? Perhaps we recognize in our culture there are lots of people 00:34:56.039 --> 00:35:02.680 today who would describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. And I guess in large part, 00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:07.039 what's driving that is a desire to connect with something higher than ourselves. 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:13.679 Perhaps you have neighbors or friends or colleagues and they go on spiritual retreats or perhaps they 00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:17.519 use crystals or they engage in meditation or they explore world religions. 00:35:19.860 --> 00:35:24.500 One thing that reminds us of, I think, is that as people we were made to know God. 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:32.900 That search that goes on is a reminder that we are wired for worship and worshiping the true and 00:35:32.900 --> 00:35:38.880 living God. And so people are seeking. But many people, as it were, are kind of stuck 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:45.579 and trying lots of different things but not sure how to really know God. And this is where Jesus is 00:35:45.579 --> 00:35:50.639 such a gift. He says, look, I am the way to God. I am the goal of the search. I am the way out of that 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:57.500 maze that you find yourself in. I am the end of the search. Believe me and come to me. 00:35:57.500 --> 00:36:03.980 There's two questions that Jesus asks. Verse 9, 00:36:05.739 --> 00:36:12.639 Don't you know me, Philip, even after I've been among you such a long time? Anyone who's seen me 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:22.440 has seen the Father. What's Jesus saying there? He's reminding us that he is the invisible God made 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:30.119 visible. To quote my favorite line of the Venny Christmas Carol, veiled in flesh, the Godhead see. 00:36:30.260 --> 00:36:40.079 Hail, the incarnate deity. Jesus makes the invisible God visible to see. Jesus is to see the Father. 00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:46.760 And Jesus gives evidence. His evidence is his own words. Verse 10, 00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:52.600 The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it's the Father living in me 00:36:52.600 --> 00:36:57.940 who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I'm in the Father and the Father is in me. 00:36:58.300 --> 00:37:03.740 It's an invitation to Philip, to the disciples, to us to trust Jesus' words, to trust his authority, 00:37:03.900 --> 00:37:09.220 to trust that he is the I am God and we should listen to him. But he doesn't just stop with his words. 00:37:10.080 --> 00:37:15.240 He also points Philip, the disciples and us back to his works. Verse 11, 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:23.239 At least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. So John recorded for us those seven 00:37:23.239 --> 00:37:29.699 great miracles, those seven signposts of turning water to wine, the healings, the raising of Lazarus, 00:37:30.019 --> 00:37:34.359 all to the point, all pointing to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and we should believe in him. 00:37:34.399 --> 00:37:41.739 And of course, the great sign, the great miracle in John's gospel is Jesus' own resurrection. 00:37:41.739 --> 00:37:47.819 There is proof positive and that's what will help the disciples to have that faith and to have that living hope 00:37:47.819 --> 00:37:55.959 when we see the risen Lord Jesus. Don't you know me, Philip? To know me is to know the Father. 00:37:56.299 --> 00:38:00.599 The second question Jesus asks, verse 10, don't you believe? 00:38:01.619 --> 00:38:04.500 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? 00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:10.460 Jesus and the Father are one. They're completely God. Jesus is completely God and he is absolutely 00:38:10.460 --> 00:38:15.840 united to his Father. Don't you believe? It's a reminder, I think, that that's something that all 00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:25.320 true Christians believe about Jesus, that he is completely, truly God, that he is the only way to God. 00:38:25.400 --> 00:38:30.579 We cannot be a Christian unless we believe Jesus is God and the only way to God. 00:38:30.579 --> 00:38:38.699 Every Christian holds those realities to be true. So Jesus, in asking those questions, is asking 00:38:38.699 --> 00:38:49.039 questions of us. Do you know? It's a really important question. Do you know that to know Jesus is to know God? 00:38:51.299 --> 00:38:57.880 I encourage you, if you don't know, to explore, to get into John's gospel or one of the gospels, 00:38:57.880 --> 00:39:04.440 to discover that truth for yourself. And coupled with that, do you believe? 00:39:05.260 --> 00:39:09.840 It's not just enough to know facts about Jesus. It's not even enough to say, yeah, I believe Jesus is 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:14.940 the Son of God. Do we believe that he is my Savior? Is that reality making a difference to us 00:39:14.940 --> 00:39:22.460 personally? It calls for a response of faith. Jesus says, I am the way. 00:39:22.460 --> 00:39:27.699 And as the way, I have the authority to answer all those big questions about life. 00:39:29.820 --> 00:39:35.539 To ask that question, do you know the way? It reflects a willingness, doesn't it, to trust the 00:39:35.539 --> 00:39:40.300 authority of the person that we're asking the question of. We find ourselves in a different 00:39:40.300 --> 00:39:45.000 city. We ask, do you know the way? We're putting ourselves in the hands of that person to be able to 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:52.280 direct us wisely. And isn't that something we do all the time for decisions? We maybe think of a 00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:58.039 family member or a friend. There's someone who I trust their word. I trust their advice. I trust 00:39:58.039 --> 00:40:05.079 their decision-making. So I'm going to trust their authority. And we probably also discovered that 00:40:05.079 --> 00:40:12.059 we must choose wisely who we listen to as authorities. Maybe we've had that journey 00:40:12.059 --> 00:40:15.980 where we've been with a friend. Yeah, of course I know the way. In fact, I know a shortcut. And you 00:40:15.980 --> 00:40:21.820 find yourself hours later on the road to nowhere. You need to trust the right authority. 00:40:25.619 --> 00:40:33.840 A lot of things don't really matter. When it comes to life and eternal life and knowing God and 00:40:33.840 --> 00:40:40.199 forgiveness of sin, then the right authority really matters then. And what's Jesus saying to us in John 14? 00:40:40.199 --> 00:40:51.179 He's saying, I am the ultimate authority. I am the route to God. I am the way home to God, to know God, to see God. 00:40:54.059 --> 00:41:00.259 And so as we close, as Jesus has done so many times, he's asked the disciples and he asks us, 00:41:00.399 --> 00:41:08.519 will we believe? Will we trust Jesus? Let me finish with three invitations. The first, 00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:15.619 if you're not a Christian, let me invite you to investigate. Having said how important these 00:41:15.619 --> 00:41:24.199 matters are and how big the claims of Jesus are. Investigate Jesus. Investigate the Christian faith. 00:41:24.300 --> 00:41:28.360 It's rooted in history and revelation. It invites us to investigate and to explore, 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:33.519 to read, to ask questions, to pray all the time to God that he might show us true. 00:41:33.519 --> 00:41:34.119 True. 00:41:37.420 --> 00:41:44.900 And again, tied up with that, let me invite everyone to believe, 00:41:45.539 --> 00:41:53.780 to come to that point of not just knowing about Jesus, but knowing him personally and trusting our 00:41:53.780 --> 00:42:02.219 lives, our eternity to him. If you know Jesus is the Son of God, if you know he is the Savior, 00:42:02.219 --> 00:42:07.699 you need and you're not yet a Christian, let me encourage you to turn to him today, 00:42:08.219 --> 00:42:15.079 to trust in him, to turn away from sin and to live for him. 00:42:17.179 --> 00:42:22.239 And let me invite, for those of us who are Christians, let me invite you into comfort, 00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:25.439 because that's what Jesus is doing for his disciples. He was bringing comfort 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:33.880 to recognize that Jesus has made this incredible journey for us. He left his home in heaven. 00:42:34.679 --> 00:42:40.720 He came into our world to suffer and die for us before rising and then returning home to glory. 00:42:41.220 --> 00:42:44.440 And he has made that journey home so that by faith, 00:42:44.440 --> 00:42:53.700 so will we. That his home will be our home. That his father is our father. That he is our hope. 00:42:54.240 --> 00:43:01.220 There's a wonderful little verse in John 14, verse 23, as he continues to comfort his disciples. 00:43:02.260 --> 00:43:10.840 He says, anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My father will love them and we will come to them 00:43:10.840 --> 00:43:20.519 and make our home with them. That wonderful. We don't have to wait till heaven till we enjoy life with God. 00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:29.019 We have this promise that by the Spirit, Jesus comes to live within us. The father comes to call our heart his home. 00:43:30.780 --> 00:43:39.320 And he will remain there loving until he takes us home to be with him forever. 00:43:39.320 --> 00:43:49.840 Let's pray together. Lord, our God, we thank you for the words of Jesus, 00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:59.880 these words of comfort, reminding us that in the midst of his trouble, as he anticipated the cross, 00:44:00.920 --> 00:44:08.059 he wanted to give his disciples comfort and to give us comfort, that he is the way home to you, 00:44:08.059 --> 00:44:18.860 that to trust him is to know life with you and from you, that he indeed makes the invisible God visible 00:44:18.860 --> 00:44:29.199 in his words and in his actions. And that as we consider him dying on the cross for sin and for sinners, 00:44:29.199 --> 00:44:34.679 we recognize that he is showing us the gracious and loving heart of our God. 00:44:37.000 --> 00:44:44.759 And so we pray that you would help each one of us to trust him and to trust him all the more. 00:44:45.980 --> 00:44:52.539 Lord, for those here today who aren't Christians, may they have that desire to investigate, to seek further, 00:44:52.539 --> 00:45:01.219 to recognize the significance of Jesus' claims, and that by your spirit you would show them the truth of who Jesus is, 00:45:01.259 --> 00:45:02.900 so they might put their trust in him. 00:45:03.619 --> 00:45:08.980 And for those of us who are already Christians, we pray that you would comfort and strengthen our faith. 00:45:09.099 --> 00:45:15.400 Lord, we thank you that we will soon take these elements, these reminders of Jesus dying on the cross, 00:45:15.400 --> 00:45:22.200 to show us to show us your love, that he dies so we might not die, 00:45:23.559 --> 00:45:27.579 that he rose from the grave so we might know eternal life ourselves. 00:45:28.720 --> 00:45:35.280 And so please strengthen our faith and give us that wholehearted worship. 00:45:35.519 --> 00:45:37.980 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:45:37.980 --> 00:45:38.099 Amen. 00:45:40.420 --> 00:45:44.519 Now, we'll get the boys and girls in to join us, 00:45:45.059 --> 00:45:50.840 and then we will come to the Lord's Supper. 00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:53.760 I'm just ready to come in. 00:46:07.980 --> 00:46:11.619 While they are a gathering, and here they come, 00:46:12.159 --> 00:46:16.539 perhaps we can take a look at words from Ezekiel, 00:46:16.619 --> 00:46:18.659 which I think are up on the screen there. 00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:23.139 Welcome, boys and girls. 00:46:24.139 --> 00:46:24.579 Come, come, come. 00:46:32.659 --> 00:46:35.079 If you find your mums and dads, 00:46:36.579 --> 00:46:37.320 that would be excellent. 00:46:37.980 --> 00:47:03.360 Great. 00:47:04.579 --> 00:47:05.420 There we are. 00:47:05.420 --> 00:47:08.599 It's about all present and correct. 00:47:09.619 --> 00:47:14.260 I've been reading through the book of Ezekiel this week, 00:47:14.340 --> 00:47:18.019 and a couple of days ago I came to Ezekiel 18, 00:47:18.019 --> 00:47:23.280 and I just wanted to share the words that are up on the screen there with us, 00:47:23.320 --> 00:47:27.019 again, to remind us of the heart of God. 00:47:27.019 --> 00:47:30.019 Ezekiel 18, verse 23. 00:47:30.019 --> 00:47:36.579 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign Lord? 00:47:36.579 --> 00:47:43.259 Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? 00:47:43.259 --> 00:47:48.980 Now, bear in mind, these are words addressed to the nation of Israel, 00:47:49.179 --> 00:47:53.340 as they have, by and large, absolutely turned their back on God, 00:47:53.579 --> 00:48:00.219 giving themselves over to idolatry, rejecting God in so many ways. 00:48:00.219 --> 00:48:02.559 Verse 30. 00:48:02.559 --> 00:48:06.019 Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, 00:48:06.099 --> 00:48:07.539 declares the sovereign Lord. 00:48:08.439 --> 00:48:09.000 Repent. 00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:12.239 Turn away from all your offenses, 00:48:12.239 --> 00:48:15.219 then sin will not be your downfall. 00:48:15.939 --> 00:48:18.579 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed 00:48:18.579 --> 00:48:20.619 and get a new heart and a new spirit. 00:48:21.379 --> 00:48:23.339 Why will you die, people of Israel? 00:48:24.539 --> 00:48:26.919 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, 00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:29.359 declares the sovereign Lord. 00:48:30.299 --> 00:48:32.399 Repent and live. 00:48:33.699 --> 00:48:36.479 It's words that speak of the heart of God, 00:48:36.919 --> 00:48:40.839 reminding us his pleasure is not in the death of the wicked. 00:48:40.840 --> 00:48:44.220 His desire is that we would turn away from sin, 00:48:44.280 --> 00:48:45.280 that we would turn to him, 00:48:45.340 --> 00:48:47.120 we'd turn to Jesus, our Savior, 00:48:47.360 --> 00:48:48.880 and we would live. 00:48:50.360 --> 00:48:53.200 And, you know, the Lord's Supper is such a powerful reminder 00:48:53.200 --> 00:48:54.900 of the loving heart of God. 00:48:56.559 --> 00:49:01.079 God so loves that he gave his one and only Son. 00:49:02.340 --> 00:49:05.160 Jesus died on the cross so that we might not perish, 00:49:05.260 --> 00:49:08.559 but rather that we might turn and live. 00:49:08.559 --> 00:49:12.820 It's a reminder that the way home to God 00:49:12.820 --> 00:49:16.519 is through the sacrifice of his one and only Son, 00:49:17.259 --> 00:49:17.659 Jesus. 00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:22.079 Who is the Lord's Supper for? 00:49:23.779 --> 00:49:25.460 Think about these words of Ezekiel. 00:49:25.539 --> 00:49:28.000 It's for those who know they are sinners, 00:49:29.000 --> 00:49:32.259 who know that we have offended our God. 00:49:32.260 --> 00:49:34.220 But what have we done? 00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:35.920 We have repented. 00:49:36.080 --> 00:49:37.800 We have turned to God. 00:49:37.880 --> 00:49:42.240 We've turned to Jesus that we make no life in him. 00:49:44.200 --> 00:49:45.360 We are resting. 00:49:45.560 --> 00:49:47.120 We are trusting in Jesus, 00:49:48.220 --> 00:49:50.260 the forgiveness and the eternal life 00:49:50.260 --> 00:49:53.020 that he has secured for us. 00:49:54.040 --> 00:49:55.080 So what we're going to do 00:49:55.080 --> 00:49:58.600 is we're going to sing a hymn together. 00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:00.219 We're going to sing the power of the cross. 00:50:00.460 --> 00:50:01.799 And as we do that, 00:50:02.539 --> 00:50:05.579 our ushers will direct folks to come up 00:50:05.579 --> 00:50:06.119 and to receive. 00:50:06.299 --> 00:50:08.519 There's bread and wine up the front here. 00:50:09.079 --> 00:50:10.460 So if you take it 00:50:10.460 --> 00:50:11.619 and then take it back to your seat 00:50:11.619 --> 00:50:13.500 and then after we finish singing 00:50:13.500 --> 00:50:14.099 and everyone's got, 00:50:14.199 --> 00:50:15.199 we'll share. 00:50:15.199 --> 00:50:45.179 We'll be right back.