Verse 31, and the two readings will go all the way through to verse 14 of chapter 14.
So Jonathan is going to read first, and then Kirsty, thanks.
When he was gone, Jesus said,
Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little longer.
You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now,
Where I am going, you cannot come.
A new command I give you, love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Simon Peter asked him, Lord, where are you going?
Jesus replied, Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.
Peter asked, Lord, why can't I follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.
Then Jesus answered, Will you really lay down your life for me?
I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God.
Trust also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms.
If it were not so, I would have told you.
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.
If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.
From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.
Jesus answered, Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, show us the Father?
Don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me?
The words I say to you are not just my own.
Rather, it is the Father living in me who is doing his work.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.
Or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
I tell you the truth.
Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.
And I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.
Thank you, Lord, very much.
Thank you.
Well, we're looking at the I Ams, some of the sayings of Jesus.
If you miss any of these talks, as I missed one last week, they are on the web.
You can listen to them there.
And indeed, do check out the carigolinebaptistchurch.org, I think is the web address.
You can listen to all the talks there.
We've also started a blog.
If you don't know what a blog is, I don't even know what it stands for.
But you can get involved in writing and things like that as well.
So talk to Ralph about that.
But it's very interesting.
Have a look.
Well, let's pray.
Our Father God, as we go through life, we are faced with many decisions and we are faced with many events and circumstances.
And we are not always sure what the way is.
Lord, we come to your word wanting to hear what you have to say so that Jesus may show us the way.
The way to live.
The way to true life.
So please help us to understand your word.
Please help us to apply it and to work it through in our lives.
So that tomorrow morning, wherever we are, whether we're looking after children,
whether we're sitting at a desk in school or college,
whether we're at work,
wherever we are,
that your word would so impact us
that it would give us a way to live life.
To live life your way.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, it's a very special evening.
You're with your closest friends.
In fact, your best friend is with you.
There's a sense of closeness and intimacy as you chat and reminisce over past times.
Things are going well.
There's no worries, no concerns.
The future looks bright.
As you eat and drink over dinner, everyone is relaxed.
And then suddenly, the mood changes.
I'm leaving.
Your closest and most intimate of friends announces that they're going away.
They're not just leaving dinner early.
They are going away for good.
In fact, you're never going to see them again.
In shock, you begin to remonstrate, pledging your loyalty and your commitment as a friend.
But no sooner have you finished, then he turns around and says,
you're a failure.
What a thing to say.
Talk about bursting the party bubble.
Well, that's what happened to the disciples as they sat with Jesus during one of their most intimate of evenings.
They had just shared in the most special of occasions the Passover meal.
When Jesus announces, chapter 13, verse 33,
My children, I will be with you only a little longer.
You will look for me.
And just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now,
where I am going, you cannot come.
I'm leaving.
You won't be able to find me.
And you can't come with me.
Of course, Peter, on behalf of the disciples, speaks up.
The others were always too shy.
And Peter always speaks for the rest of them.
He says in verse 37,
Lord, why can't I follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.
Will you really lay down your life for me?
I tell you the truth.
Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.
You're a failure.
You won't stand by me.
You'll pretend you don't even know me.
Talk about a letdown.
With the announcement that Jesus is leaving,
they are left stranded in fear and failure.
Even though it was said in the most gracious of ways,
my children, he says,
there was no getting away from the hard and difficult truth.
Jesus had been their whole life.
He had taken them into his inner circle.
He had called them.
They had left everything.
And he had brought them into his inner circle.
He had promised them life and love with himself and with the Father.
He was to be the great hope for the world.
The long-awaited Messiah.
He had come to renew and restore the brokenness that was all around them.
And now he says,
I'm leaving.
Their safe and secure lives
were suddenly rocked by fear
and confronted with their own failure.
Now fear and failure is common to us all, isn't it?
The unexpected happens in our lives.
We're going along fine and then all of a sudden
we lose our job.
We're healthy and fit
and an illness comes along.
Tragedy strikes.
We're enjoying the most intimate of relationships
and then we lose a loved one.
Our world is shattered
and our hopes and dreams become a broken mess on the floor
as we are rocked by fear about the future
and we're confronted by our own failure to do anything about it.
Well, into our fear and into our failure
Jesus speaks these words.
Look at verse 1.
Chapter 14.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God.
Trust also in me.
Jesus is inviting his disciples and us
to trust not in a religion
or not in some kind of philosophy
but in a person.
He says,
trust in me.
Trust in the person of Jesus.
Trust in Jesus who overcomes our fear
and who conquers our failure.
In fact, it's an invitation to trust
in the work of Jesus,
his death on the cross.
Look back at the beginning of chapter 13, verse 1.
It was just before the Passover feast.
Jesus knew that the time had come for him
to leave this world
and go to the Father.
And then at the very end of chapter 14,
this is all over the special meal that they had together.
Jesus is with them throughout.
And then at the end, in chapter 14,
at the very end, verse 31,
the last little phrase,
he says,
come now, let us leave.
Jesus is going somewhere.
Where is he going?
Well, we know he said,
I'm going to the Father.
But to get to the Father,
he must first go to the cross.
That's where his journey is taking him.
That's where Jesus is going.
At the cross,
Jesus overcomes our greatest fear
and he conquers our greatest failure.
He destroys our ultimate fear,
death itself,
and he deals with our ultimate failure,
our sin.
And unless Jesus goes to the cross,
we will be stuck in fear
and we'll be stranded in our failure.
Chapter 14, verse 28.
He said,
you heard me say,
I am going away
and I am coming back to you.
If you loved me,
you would be glad
that I am going to the Father.
It's for their good
that Jesus is going away.
It's for their good
that he's going towards the cross
because at the cross,
Jesus will bring
the ultimate salvation.
And so the invitation here
amidst their fear
and their failure
is to say,
trust in me.
Don't let your hearts be troubled.
Trust me.
Well, by trusting Jesus,
fear is overcome
by the promise
of eternal security
and failure is conquered
by the promise
of greater works.
Jesus gives a double promise
in response
to their fear
and failure.
First of all,
look at the fear.
Fear is overcome
by the promise
of eternal security.
Jesus has just told
his disciples
that he was going
to be leaving.
He's just spent
three years with them,
intimately,
practically every day
with them.
Now they're going
to be left on their own.
The one who had come
to change the world
and to bring life
was being taken from them
and in their fear,
Jesus brings reassurance.
Look at verse 2.
In my Father's house
are many rooms.
If it were not so,
I would have told you
and I am going there
to prepare a place
for you.
He's painting
a wonderful picture
of a resting place
that you will find
after a long journey.
It's a house,
a home,
an eternal home.
Now we know home
is where there is safety
and security.
A home is marked
by the absence of fear.
Ask any child
where they want to be
when they feel afraid
or if they're unsure
or they're threatened.
I want to go home.
And so it is
for the believers.
We want to go home
to our place
of absolute security
and Jesus is wanting
to reassure
his terrified disciples
that everything
is sorted
and to guarantee
their safe arrival.
Look at verse 3.
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.
I'm going
to prepare
a place for you.
It's going to be
for your good.
Of course,
that doesn't mean
that Jesus is going
to have to wash
the sheets
and get the linen
sorted.
It doesn't mean
that he's preparing
the house
and decorating it
and getting the
landscape gardeners in.
It's not that kind
of preparation.
No,
he prepares
the way
by going
to the cross.
Look at verse 4.
He says,
you know the way
to the place
where I am going.
What Thomas said to him,
Lord,
we don't know
where you are going.
How can we know
the way?
Well,
Jesus in some ways
has already answered that.
He says,
I told you where I'm going.
I'm going to the Father.
But the disciples,
as always,
are slow to pick up
on everything.
So Jesus makes it
crystal clear.
Verse 6.
Jesus answered,
I am the way
and the truth
and the life.
No one comes
to the Father
except through me.
My way
is truth.
What I am telling you
will lead you
to the Father.
My way
is life.
It brings you
new life,
abundant life,
eternal life.
My way
is going to
bring you home
so that you will be
never separated
from me.
Now,
the way of Jesus
is not just
following his example
as if we have
to do what Jesus
did to get
to our eternal home.
No,
Jesus is the way.
It's his going
to the cross.
It's his coming
back again to life
through the resurrection
that prepares
the way
and makes it possible
for us
to be with him
forever.
That's the way.
It's the way
of the cross.
And it's an
exclusive claim,
isn't it?
He says,
my way
is the only way.
There's only one path.
But let's not miss
also the inclusive
invitation.
He says,
there are many rooms
in my Father's house.
So he is saying
to us
and he is saying
to the world,
come to me.
Trust me.
Trust in the way
that I have
already gone
and I will give you
eternal security.
Fear is all about
losing something.
The disciples
were afraid
of losing Jesus.
Things happen
in our life
that bring about fear.
if you lose
your job,
you fear
losing your
financial security.
If you lose
your health,
you fear
losing meaning
and purpose
in life.
What can you do
if you don't
have your health?
If you lose
a relationship
or a friendship,
you fear
losing your
identity.
Whatever is
taken away
from us
in life
ultimately
leads to fear.
and the greatest
of those
is our own life.
What happens
if my life
was taken
from me?
But here
he is reminding
us
that Jesus
destroys death
at the cross.
He defeats death
at the resurrection.
He is gone
where we can
never go.
He goes
to the cross.
He goes
to the grave
and he prepares
the way
for us
so that we
can have
eternal security.
an eternal
home
where we
are safe
and secure.
Where nothing
and no one
can take
anything
from us.
Now that
has massive
implications
for us
today.
We don't
need to
fear
losing
in this
life
because
we have
everything
to come.
We have
the Father's
home
which we're
heading to
and he's
guaranteed it
and he says
it's yours
and I'm
coming back
and I'm
going to
bring you
there.
So what
does it
matter if
we lose
things in
this life?
What does
it matter
if we lose
our job?
If we lose
our health?
If we lose
a loved
one?
Of course
there is
sadness.
Of course
there is
difficulty.
But it's
not hopeless.
Jesus has
overcome our
greatest fear.
Death
itself.
so we
need not
fear
today
or tomorrow
or the
future
because he
has taken
all of that
in control.
And he
says I
have your
eternal
security
sorted.
Trust me.
Don't let
your hearts
be troubled
by the
fears that
you face
in this
world.
Trust in
me.
fear.
So that's
the first
promise in
response to
the disciples
fear.
Second,
the promise
is that
failure is
conquered by
the promise
of greater
works.
Remember
Peter's promise
in verse 37.
Again, he's
speaking on
behalf of
all the
disciples.
Where,
sorry,
verse 37,
Lord, why
can't I
follow you
now?
I will
lay down
my life
for you.
It's a
typical
Peter
response.
And in
response to
what Peter
says,
Jesus
highlights
the
disciples'
failure
and then
he makes
a promise
of his
own.
Look at
the two
contrasts.
It's
striking.
Verse 38.
Jesus
says,
I tell
you the
truth,
before the
cock crows
you will
disown
me three
times.
failure.
Now look
at chapter
14,
verse 12.
I tell
you the
truth,
anyone who
has faith
in me
will do
what I
have been
doing.
He will
do even
greater
things than
these,
because I
am going
to the
Father.
Can you
see the
contrast?
It's a
promise to
overcome
and conquer
their failure.
In fact,
it's a
promise for
us.
Verse 12
says,
I tell
you the
truth,
anyone
who
has
faith
in
me.
So what
is this
huge
promise
that we
read in
verse 12?
Well,
before we
get stuck
into it,
let me
read it
again,
and some
of your
translations
will read
it this
way,
and I
think it
will help
us better
unpack it.
Read
verse 12.
I tell
you the
truth,
anyone who
has faith
in me
will do
the
works
I
have
been
doing.
He
will
do
even
greater
works
than
these
because
I
am
going
to
the
Father.
You
see,
if we,
and look
at the
promise,
it says,
if we are
going to
do
greater
works
than
Jesus,
we
must
know
what
works
Jesus
did.
Now,
at a
first
read,
and I'm
sure if I
asked you
all this
out now,
it seems
to be a
promise to
the church
today that
we are
going to
do
greater
works
than
Jesus.
In
other
words,
we're
going to
do
miracles
that
Jesus
did,
only
greater.
I
mean,
that's
how I
read it,
first off.
Are we
going to
do
greater
miracles
than
Jesus?
Well,
it's
hard to
think of
any
miracles
greater
than
those
of
what
Jesus
did.
In
John
chapter 2,
we read
that Jesus
changed
water
into
wine.
We'd
put the
whole
alcohol
industry
out of
business
if we
could
do
that.
He
walked
on
water.
He
fed
15,000
with
five
loaves
of
bread
and
two
fish.
He
called
Lazarus
out of
the
grave
at
just
a
word.
He
healed
masses
of
people
at
just
a
word
and
just
a
touch.
Are
we
going
to
do
greater
things
than
those?
Even
the
disciples
as
recorded
in
Acts,
the
first
insight
into
the
early
church,
they
didn't
do
anything
like
this.
They
did
do
miracles
but
nothing
compared
to
what
Jesus
did.
So I
don't
think
this is
saying
that we
are
going
to do
greater
miracles
than
Jesus.
In
fact,
the miracles
of
Jesus,
as John's
gospel has
made clear,
are signs.
That's what he
calls them.
They are
especially
unique to
Jesus.
Look at
verse 11.
He
says,
believe me
when I
say that I
am in the
Father and
the Father
is in me,
or at
least believe
on the
evidence of
the miracles
themselves.
You
see,
the amazing
works and
miracles of
Jesus,
everything that
he has been
doing,
are there to
authenticate who
he is and
what he has
come to do.
He's coming
into the world
and saying,
I am nothing
less than
God.
I am God
in the
flesh.
Believe what
I say.
If you don't
believe what I
say,
believe on the
evidence of
the miracles.
It's all
about Jesus.
Jesus.
Now,
for the
record,
I'm not
ruling out
miracles.
I'm not
saying that
miracles aren't
for today.
I think they
do happen
and can
happen.
But I
don't think
it's saying
here that we
are going
to do
greater
things as
far as
greater
miracles are
concerned.
So what
does it
mean?
Well,
have a look
back to
chapter 4
of John's
Gospel.
This is the
well-known
story of
Jesus meeting
the Samaritan
lady at
the well.
A
Samaritan
was an
outsider.
You didn't
talk to
Samaritan
people,
especially to
a woman.
That just
didn't go
on.
And yet
Jesus,
we find
him at
the well
with the
lady,
and he's
been offering
her eternal
life.
He says,
if you
drink what
I have to
offer,
you will
never thirst
again.
It will
be like a
well inside
you,
welling up
to eternal
life.
He is
offering
true life.
And then
the disciples
come and
they discover
that Jesus
has been
meeting with
this woman
and they
say,
come on,
we should
be off
getting food,
not talking
to this
woman.
Now look
at John
chapter 4
verse 34.
My food,
said Jesus,
is to do
the will
of him
who sent
me and
to finish
his work.
Do you
not say
four months
more and
then the
harvest?
I tell you,
open your
eyes and
look at the
fields.
They are
ripe for
harvest.
The work
that Jesus
has to
finish
is the
work of
going to
the cross.
The work
of bringing
salvation to
the world,
not just to
Jewish people,
not just to
the inside
people,
but to the
world,
to Samaritan
people,
because he
talks about
the harvest
is ripe.
It's for
everybody.
And his
work is to
go to the
cross so
that salvation
can go
out.
So the
works of
Jesus,
while it
does include
miracles,
is ultimately
one of
salvation.
Now that
helps us to
understand what
we do and
how we can
do greater
things than
Jesus.
It's an
amazing promise
telling us that
people like you
and me can do
greater things
than Jesus.
At the end
of Jesus'
ministry,
if you were
to read to
the end
of John's
gospel,
there's just
a few people
who are
following him.
Only a few,
a handful.
After
everything that
he did,
most of them
had deserted
him and run
away.
He's left
with only a
few.
Now the
promise,
he's saying
in verse 12,
is greater
works will
be done.
Well,
how will that
happen?
Well,
look at the
last phrase
of verse 12
of chapter 14.
He says,
he will do
greater works
than these
because I
am going to
the Father.
Now we've
looked at one
side of that.
What happens
when Jesus
goes to the
Father?
Yes,
he goes to
the cross,
but what else
happens?
Look at
chapter 16,
verse 7.
I know
we're flicking
backwards and
forwards,
but I think
this will
just help
us to
unpack it
all.
Chapter 16,
verse 7.
I tell you
the truth,
it is for
your good
that I am
going away.
Unless I
go away,
the
Counselor,
that's the
Spirit,
will not
come to
you,
but if I
go,
I will
send him
to you.
And what's
the Spirit
going to
do?
Verse 8,
when he
comes,
he will
convict
the world
of guilt.
So Jesus
is saying,
greater things
are going
to happen
because I
am going
to go
to the
Father,
and when
I go
to the
Father,
the Spirit
is going
to be
poured
out into
the world.
And salvation
will come
to the
world.
And that's
what we
begin to
see as
we read
into Acts.
The very
first sermon
that Peter
preached.
Remember,
we leave
him in
John as
a failure,
but now
this promise
of verse 12
comes true.
Because after
his first sermon
he preached,
how many people
came to
believe?
Three thousand
people came
to believe.
That's the
promise.
That's the
greater work.
The Spirit
has come,
and now
literally
thousands,
millions of
people around
the world
are following
Christ.
Now you
compare what
there is
today,
and compare
that to
the few
who are
following
after Jesus'
ministry.
That's the
greater things
that are going
to happen.
So look at
verse 13
of chapter
14.
verse 13.
And I
will do
whatever you
ask in
my name,
so that
the Son
may bring
glory to
the Father.
You may
ask me for
anything in
my name,
and I
will do
it.
Now again,
we have to be
careful we
don't just
lift that out
of context
and say,
well I can
ask for
anything,
a new
car,
new
health,
new
job,
anything,
and you'll
do it.
That's how
some people
will read
it,
but in the
context and
what we've
seen,
it has to
fit in
with the
salvation
that God
brings.
Ask for
anything in
regards to
the salvation
plan of
God,
and He
will do
it.
We can
pray for
our friends
and for
our family
who are not
yet into
that intimate
circle of
Jesus and
the Father.
We can
pray it
because His
Spirit has
come.
Now it's
not just
that the
Spirit is
better in
terms of
greater in
that way,
that having
the Spirit is
better than
having Jesus.
It's not
like that.
It's saying
that when the
Spirit comes,
He expands
the work of
Jesus.
Jesus was
always limited
and isolated
to one place
wherever He
walked on
earth.
He couldn't
be in ten
places at
one time.
But the
Spirit of
Christ has
come and
He's
everywhere and
He's at
work
everywhere.
This is
the amazing
promise for
the church
today that
we are to
claim, that
we are to
live by.
Peter the
failure, now
with a
wonderful
promise.
Now failure
has a
crippling effect
on us,
doesn't it?
The world
tells us that
if you fail,
if you mess
up, you're
out.
There's no
room for
those who
get it
wrong, whether
it's in the
sports team or
whether it's
in work.
You have no
place, no
part to play.
If you
fail, struck
off, that's
it.
Not so
with Jesus.
Peter failed.
He disowned
Jesus.
He turned his
back on Jesus.
Peter failed
spectacularly.
But Jesus
threw the
cross because
he had to
go through
the cross
conquers our
failure.
He forgives
our sin.
He takes a
punishment for
our sin.
And in its
place he gives
us his
spirit and he
promises us
that we will
do greater
things than
Jesus.
We will see
more people
come to faith
than Jesus
saw.
You see,
if Jesus
overcomes our
greatest failure,
which is our
sin, can
Jesus not
work in
failures like
you and me
and bring
salvation to
our friends,
to our
family, to
our community
around us?
This is an
amazing promise,
one that
overcomes
failure.
Fear and
failure can
paralyze us.
If we live
within fear
and failure,
we won't do
anything.
Because we'll
fear losing
what we have.
What if I do
it and what if
I lose it?
We'll fear
failure even if
we try to do
something.
What if it all
goes horribly
wrong?
We'll never do
it.
But Jesus
invites us to
put our faith
in him.
Trust me.
I am the
way,
the truth,
and the
life.
It's a way
of freedom.
It's a way
that takes
away our
fear.
It takes
away our
failures and
it enables us
to live life
the way he
calls us to.
Through the
cross he has
overcome our
fear.
He has conquered
our failure so
we can live
confidently and
with complete
assurance that
we are eternally
secure and
will do
greater works.
let's pray
together.
Our
Father God,
it's so often
that we
feel
afraid
and we
feel
failures.
But yet
Jesus has
come and
has given
us a new
way to
live.
He has
overcome our
fears.
He has
conquered our
failures so
that we can
live with
confidence and
assurance today.
Father,
help us to
trust you that
when things are
taken away from
us should we
lose our
job, should we
lose our
health, should
we lose a
loved one.
Help us that
we might trust
you.
Help us to
trust you,
Father, that
you have
overcome the
greatest fear,
that we have
everything to
come and so
we can
willingly live
our lives
giving freely
of all that
we have,
risking
everything
because we
have security
with you.
Help us to
trust you.
Help us to
trust that your
way is the
right way.
In Jesus'
name,
Amen.
Thank you.
Amen.