So, I don't know how many of you picked up, I am the way and the truth and the life, no
one comes to the Father except through me, which isn't a very Canadian thing to say.
We're going to look at a passage which is very offensive to many Christians, many non-Christians
in Canada, and because it's a text which is very offensive to people, it ends up often
meaning that we don't really want to look at it or sort of grasp it or hold it tight
to ourselves because we're worried a little bit.
Well, sort of the fact that Canadians in general or many of our co-workers, our neighbors would
find it offensive means it can often be a passage that we become at least a tiny bit ashamed
about.
And so we're going to look at this text which is sort of offensive to many Christians today.
Actually, some of you might have, some of you if you've been to funerals, a part of this text
is a very popular text at funerals.
And I know I've been at funerals where they read the bit of the passage just up before
the part which is offensive and they stop and they spend a long time on the part that
everybody likes the sound of, but they never let anybody know, especially if there's no
Bibles present in the room, the offensive bit that they stop just short of.
And so we're going to look at it.
And if you have your Bibles, it's John chapter 14, verse 1 and following.
John chapter 14, verse 1 and following.
And just as we're sort of finding that text in our Bibles, there are four ancient biographies
of Jesus which are based on eyewitness accounts, either written by eyewitnesses or based on eyewitness
accounts.
And this is one of the four.
And the way John has chosen to tell his biography, write his biography of Jesus, he puts the seven
miracles sort of all, he puts seven significant miracles all together.
And then he takes a long time sharing the private teaching of Jesus with his disciples.
And what's just happened before this, they've had a meal together.
Jesus has washed the disciples' feet.
Judas has left to go and betray Jesus.
And so even as Jesus is speaking, Judas is on his way to betray Jesus.
He knows that Jesus will end up in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And Judas is going to get the soldiers and others and bring them to the Garden of Gethsemane so
they can capture Jesus.
Jesus has predicted in every one of the biographies, Jesus predicts that he's going to be betrayed,
that he's going to die on a cross.
And he also predicts that he's going to rise from the dead.
And so Jesus is talking to the disciples, mindful of the fact that events are in motion.
Judas is left.
And Jesus has shocked his disciples.
He's troubled them because he's told them, just before this, he's told them three things.
He's told them that he's going to go somewhere that they can't come.
So he's going to leave them.
He's going to leave, go somewhere they cannot come.
He's told them that somebody is going to betray him.
And he's told them that Peter, clearly one of the leaders, is actually going to deny Jesus three times
before the next day has even really begun.
And so they're shocked by all of this.
And that's the context where we catch up in verse one.
And Jesus says, let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God.
Believe also in me.
Now just sort of pause there for a second.
Let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God.
Believe also in me.
Jesus is on one hand, excuse me, speaking directly to the disciples who are very, very deeply troubled
that Jesus is going to leave them, that they can't come.
And this whole thing of betrayal and this whole thing of Peter's denying them,
they for the moment have just forgotten his prophecies about the fact that he's going to die on a cross
and rise from the dead, but they're very deeply troubled.
And so on one hand, what we see here is this wonderful thing of Jesus talking directly to his disciples.
But it's also something that's very wonderful for us
because we as Christians believe that Jesus looks down the ages and throughout the years
and he's not just speaking.
When he says, let not your heart be troubled,
he's not just speaking to the disciples, he's speaking to you and me.
That's part of the Christian hope.
You know, if you think about it, one of the things that unites rich and poor,
Democrat and Republican, conservative and liberal,
genius and those who are far from being geniuses,
rich and poor, African, Asian, European, North American, South American,
one of the things that unites all human beings is that they have seasons of trouble.
Being troubled is part of the human condition.
So Jesus, when he's saying this, is speaking to the human condition.
He's speaking to every one of us here.
In fact, there might very well be some people who are here
that are having a very, very hard time listening to anything I say
because you're very deeply troubled about school or romantic relationship or money
or who knows what it is, health.
But you're very deeply troubled.
And Jesus is speaking directly to you and me
because we all have troubles.
Every single one has times when we're deeply troubled.
And so just listen to it again.
He says, you know, it isn't as if Jesus says,
you should be ashamed that you have troubles.
It's not as if he's saying, you know,
you're a bad person because you have trouble.
He knows the human condition.
He knows that when he says, let not your heart be troubled.
And then the following things he's going to be addressing.
He knows that he's speaking to something perennial in the human condition,
that human beings have troubled hearts and troubled minds
and troubled consciences and troubled bodies.
So Jesus says, let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God.
Believe also in me.
He doesn't just say that.
He goes on.
Verse two.
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?
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.
Now just sort of pause there for a second.
The word which is translated is rooms.
In my father's house are many rooms.
It's a perfectly good translation.
But what it means more literally is a dwelling place.
And what Jesus is saying is that the way that Christians are to understand
the new heaven and the new earth
is that in the new heaven and the new earth,
when we die in Jesus,
well, we don't go to a disembodied state.
We go to a place where we'll dwell.
Well, we'll go.
Literally, we will go to our true home.
And it isn't just that we sort of will get cast out into a new world.
It's like a type of a wilderness
and we're going to be all by ourselves.
But Jesus compares new heaven and the new earth
to being a place where God dwells
in something like Buckingham Palace,
but with also lots and lots of other properties
and guest houses and places to live.
And when you and I go there,
we go to a place where we can dwell,
where we are home.
You know, for some of us,
you live in very, very tiny apartments
and you look forward to the day
where you can have a really, really big place.
And Jesus will prepare a place
that's just exactly what you need
to be truly home.
I don't know what it'll be like for me.
I love books.
I have to get rid of books
because I get so many books
and there's only so much room in the house.
I'm just guessing
I will have lots and lots of rooms for books.
But for some people,
what they want is just something cozy.
They want something small,
something manageable.
And whatever it is,
there's going to be enough room
and it will be a place where you will dwell
and a place where you will feel home.
You are home.
And it's a place that's prepared for you.
It's not a place that,
like you go and then you get there,
you know, you go to another city
and you maybe, you've gone Airbnb
and then, you know,
you have to go out
and you have to buy some food
and you have to buy this
and you have to buy that
and just sort of make your,
it's when you go,
like in my case,
the dark roast coffee will be there
with the beans and the grinder
and the French press.
And it'll be just the dark roast beans
that I like.
They're all prepared for me.
And there'll be lots of freshly baked scones
that just came out of the oven,
some with blueberries,
some with white chocolate.
And in the new heaven and the new earth,
I'll be able to eat as many scones
as I want with my coffee
and not have to worry about getting fat
or having anything
that's going to clog my arteries
because nothing like that
will happen in the new earth,
new heaven and the new earth.
But we go to a place
where Jesus himself
has prepared for us
a place to dwell,
our true home.
And he's prepared it
not just for a generic male
or a generic female
or a generic old person
or a generic young person,
but for you.
For you.
And we'll be with many other people
and with our Father in heaven.
And you can see why this text
is preached at funerals.
But we have to remember
that John is writing a biography.
He's not writing some series
of little tiny pithy lessons for people.
He's recounting what actually happened
in the upper room.
And what happens in the upper room
is well shown in the next verse
because remember,
John is writing this
and the disciples,
it's before the capture of Jesus.
It's before he dies on the cross.
It's before he rises from the dead
and appears to them.
And so they're confused.
And so Jesus in verse four says,
and you know the way
to where I am going.
He says,
and you know the way
to where I'm going.
And Thomas,
remember Thomas,
Thomas,
he's all confused.
One of the things
which is so remarkable
about all of the four
ancient biographies of Jesus
is based on eyewitness accounts
is it shows that in every case,
nobody expected Jesus
to die on the cross
other than the enemies
who were plotting it.
And absolutely nobody
thought he'd rise from the dead.
Absolutely nobody thought
he would rise from the dead.
Not his mother,
not his closest disciples,
even though he told them
it was going to happen,
even though he predicted it,
nobody expected it.
And so,
and if you think about it
from Thomas' point of view,
Thomas has seen
and eyewitness miracles,
he would say to himself,
whenever he hears Jesus speaking,
he would be saying,
okay, well,
I don't know what entirely
this guy,
what he means,
but I mean,
surely somebody
who could turn water
into wine,
surely somebody
who can walk on water,
surely somebody
who by a mere word of command
can stop a storm
on the Sea of Galilee,
surely someone
who can take a few loaves
and fish
and feed 5,000 men,
surely someone
who can heal people
at great distances
just by a word
of his command,
surely someone
who is able
to take a man
who is never seen
in his entire life,
his eyes completely
and utterly don't work
and he can make him see,
surely a man
who can come to a person
who's been in the grave,
has been,
you know,
embalmed in the grave
for four days
and make him alive,
surely a man like this
will not die
by crucifixion.
I mean,
we would have probably
felt the same thing,
like that's just crazy,
how on earth
could that possibly happen,
how on earth
could a man
who's able to do
such spectacular,
miraculous acts,
how on earth
could he possibly
be dying?
And so,
Thomas is just
completely and utterly
puzzled,
Jesus has said
he's going to leave them,
he's going somewhere
where they can't go
and this makes no sense
to Thomas
because he thinks,
well,
Jesus,
if you're going to walk,
I can walk as far as you
and if you're going
to get on a boat,
I can get on the boat
as well
and if you're going
to go on a horse,
I can go on,
like,
I'll run along beside you
and so Thomas
doesn't understand
and he doesn't understand
what's going on
about this betrayal
and why it is
that Jesus isn't
going to be around
and that Peter's
going to deny Jesus
three times
before the sun rises
the next day
and so Thomas says
and John records
what exactly Thomas
says to Jesus
in the upper room.
Thomas says
in verse 5,
Lord,
we do not know
where you're going.
We do not know
where you're going.
How can we know
the way?
It's so wonderful
that these biographies
capture this,
capture these things.
It doesn't,
the biographies
aren't written
so John can make
himself look good
or he can make
his buddies look good.
John just wants
to record
what really happened
and so Jesus says
this very famous line
which is so troubling
today to so many,
would be troubling
to Canadians.
If I was to organize
a Bible study
at the Starbucks,
one of the Starbucks
that I go to
and got the baristas
that I've talked to
and I was to have them
read this passage,
you can just imagine
the chill
that would come
in the circle
when I say
Jesus said to him,
I am the way,
I am the way
and the truth
and the life,
no one
comes to the Father
except through me.
If you had known me,
you would have known
my Father also
from now on
you do know him
and have seen him.
Andrew,
could you just put up
the first point,
please?
You know,
if there's one thing
that's going to happen
in this sermon,
if all you get
is this,
I am unashamed
of this text,
I believe it 100%
and I want to believe it
300%,
1,000%,
and if all I get
is to encourage
and exhort you
to be unashamed
of this text,
then I have done
my job this morning
before God
and before you.
Even if it's such
a troublesome
text to Canadians.
So you see,
some people might now
at this point in time,
maybe it would happen
if I did organize
such a Bible study
amongst people
who thought,
up until I said this
that I believe it 100%,
they thought,
I thought George
was a nice guy,
now I'm not so sure.
I thought he was
sort of a thoughtful guy,
now I'm not so sure.
I thought he was
a kind guy,
now I'm not so sure.
I thought he was
a gentle guy,
now I'm not so sure
when I see that
he believes something
as offensive as this.
And so maybe
they would say,
maybe you would say,
well, you know,
maybe there's something
in the original language
that takes some
of the sting off of this.
I've said that to you before
when we've talked
a few weeks ago
about hating somebody
and I said
that it's an idiom.
In other words,
it's an expression
which literally means that,
but it's an idiom.
It doesn't mean
the literal thing,
it means something like this.
And maybe some of you
will say,
well, maybe in the
original language
there's an idiom there
which we're missing,
but I can tell you
this right now
that in the original language
this is a perfectly
accurate translation
of the original language
and it is not an idiom.
Jesus says these very words
and he says it
with conviction
and he says it
to comfort his disciples
and to comfort you
and me
who are troubled.
He says these things.
It's not an idiom.
And then maybe
some of us could say,
well, you know,
that's,
okay,
so Jesus said that,
but you know,
he doesn't know
all of the things
like we know today.
We know a lot more
about religions
and we know a lot more
about other different
ways of living
and maybe this just
reflects Jesus'
partial knowledge.
You know,
because he lived
a long time ago
and he didn't have
the internet,
he couldn't just
ask Google a question,
he couldn't say,
Siri, you know,
tell me about it,
are there other religions
in the world?
No, that's not going
on as well.
Jesus might not
have had Google,
but he knew
that there were,
I mean,
he was in Jerusalem,
which was occupied,
he was in Israel,
which was occupied
by the Roman,
by the Roman army.
And most of the Roman army
weren't made up
by Romans,
but made up by people
that they'd conquered
from all over the empire.
And so if there's one thing
that Jesus would have known
on a daily way
is that there,
in fact,
that there were lots
of different gods
and goddesses
and lots of people
who believed it 100%.
So it wasn't as if
he said this
because he just didn't know
that there were
other religions,
he knew there were
other religions.
That he knows
he's going to be tried
by a man
the next day
who was not Jewish,
who believed in many,
many gods
and goddesses,
and he knew
he was going to be tried
by that.
And then some of you
might say,
well, okay,
well, maybe Jesus
sort of knew that,
but maybe it wasn't
offensive then.
Well, that's not true either.
It was just as offensive then.
In fact, in some ways
it might have been,
well, maybe,
I don't know if we can say
it was more offensive,
but it was just as equally offensive.
In fact,
Jesus offended Jewish people
and every pagan
if they would have heard it.
I don't know if you know this,
but in the first couple
of centuries
after the Christian faith
erupts onto the scene,
many people
in Roman society
thought that Christians
were atheists.
It's an odd thing,
but they actually thought
that Christians
were atheists.
Why?
Because Christians
did not believe
in any of the gods,
any of the gods,
and to not believe
in any of the gods
meant you were an atheist.
That's actually
what many people
of the contemporaries
of the early Christians
thought.
And so Jesus knew
that he was being offensive
to the Romans
and to the Greeks,
to the different gods,
and he was being offensive
to the Jewish people
because he doesn't say
that the way
that you have to follow
is the way of Moses,
that the truth
is found in the law.
He says,
I am the way
and the truth
and the life.
No one comes
to the Father
except through me.
So,
how is it that we can
comfortably believe
something like this
surrounded by a sea
of opinion
that thinks it's wrong
and offensive?
Well, let's just take a moment
to think about this
for a second.
And this is going to be
if you're here as a guest
or you're really struggling
with this whole thing
or you've come to the point
that you can be a Christian
you believe
without believing this.
I want to say
that most of the reaction
to it
of finding it untenable
is at the level
of the emotions
and the level
of the imagination
but not of reason.
Now, I know I've been
a little bit hard
by saying that
but I think it's actually
very, very true
that if you actually
just pause for a second
and sort of decouple,
take away
our emotional responses
to it
and just take away
what often goes
with the emotions
which is how our imagination
and our affections work
and you just look
at this as an idea
you'll see that
at the level of reason
it actually makes
a lot of sense.
You see,
one of the things
for most Canadians
when they think
of religion
or when they think
of spirituality
and generally,
of course,
religion is bad,
spirituality is good
but if we think
of a person
who's being spiritual
and Jesus is a spiritual person
and he's saying
something like this
for most Canadians
when we talk about
spirituality and religion
we're not talking
about something
which is real.
Now, we're talking
about something
which is really important
to us
and we're talking
about something
which is very personal
and we're talking
about something
which is in fact
so deeply personal
that it's offensive
to say that something
which is deeply personal
and important to them
is somehow wrong
but it is
at the end of the day
something which is
we don't really believe
it's real
in the same way
that if you got
your visa bill
your next visa bill
and there's $3,000
of expenses
that you know
charges
that you know
you didn't make
you would immediately
get on the phone
and you would be
on the phone
and you would be
doing everything
in your power
to make sure
that the visa people
understand
you did not spend
that $3,000
your card's been compromised
because what you see
in a visa bill
is real
it is so real
that you will lose
sleep over it
you will have to control
some of us
will have to control
ourselves
saying very naughty words
and yelling
and screaming
and doing all sorts
of things
because we believe
a visa bill
is really, really, really,
really, really, really, really
real
but we don't think
that about religion
in Canada
which is why
if somebody tells us
that they're going
to have smudges
or going to a sweetgrass ceremony
we don't really think
that they believe
that the entire world
is on the back
of a turtle
or that it was a result
of, you know,
some ravens dropping
like we
if you press them on that
it would be viewed
as rude
to press them on
whether they really
believe that
why?
because we understand
that religion
and spirituality
is something
which is just
sort of personal
it gives me some peace
it gives me meaning
we have troubles
in this life
we have worries
about romance
and worries
about our job
and worries
about our bills
and there was just
a thing in the paper
the other day
about how I think
like 85% of Canadians
think that the world
will be worse
for our children
than it is now
and so we have
lots of troubles
and you know what
if belief
and if having some smudging
and some smoke
helps you get through the day
good on you
you go for it
but it's not really real
if you know what I mean
but here's the thing
is that Christians believe
Jesus is saying
that this is true
Jesus is saying
there is a God
who is there
Jesus is saying
I really will die
on the cross
I really will
taste all there is
to taste of death
I will
really will
rise from the dead
I really will
defeat death
I really will
defeat that
which causes death
I really will
ascend into heaven
and the new heaven
and the new earth
is a real place
and I really will
return
and everything about
this is a claim
to be real
claim to be true
and if Canadians
understand that
they might say
whoa
okay
like really
it's true
my mom stopped laughing
it's true
at least it puts in
a different thing
it's not just a matter
of me insulting people
we believe
Christians
were called
to believe
this is just as true
as your visa bill
it's just as true
that should have been
a point maybe
it is just as true
as your visa bill
or MasterCard
just to show
I'm not showing
any type of favorites
in terms of
financial providers
but some people
might say
okay George
but don't we all
go to the same place
that's a very
very common thing
like don't we all
go to the same place
and so if we're all
going to the same place
why does it really matter
if you follow
the Buddhist way
or you follow
a native way
we're all going
to the same place
but if you think
about it for a second
we don't actually
think we're all
going to the same place
like if we just
actually give people
the dignity
once again we remember
that it's not just
a matter of
like some people
use Prozac
some people use
Jack Daniel
some people have
Buddhism
and they're sort of
all the same
if it helps you
get through the day
as long as you don't
hurt people
and rob banks
and insult people
and get along
with people
it doesn't really matter
if we understand
we're talking about
something true
if you actually
listen to what
people say
the fact of the matter
is that the different
ways don't actually
all claim to go
to the same place
you see if you
were a Buddhist
or a Hindu
and you hear
that after death
you go to a place
where there's a room
what would they
tell you
they'd say
ah
you haven't paid
for all your
karmic debt
yet
you still have
to keep doing
things
because
where we'll all
end up
is it will be
like a drop
in the ocean
we lose
our individuality
it's like a drop
in the ocean
and the cycle
of death
and rebirth
will come
to an end
but if Jesus
is saying
that after death
you go to a room
and you dwell
there
it means
you still think
there's a difference
between you
and the room
and you still
have to die
and you still
have to
you have to
work on your
karma
because you
you haven't
actually reached
the end yet
and for the
average Canadian
who believes
that when you die
you go to a
better place
what the average
Canadian means
by a better place
is that there's
an invisible
world
an invisible
world
of
immaterial
spirits
like spirits
or minds
that's invisible
because we can't
see it
but if we could
just sort of
pierce the veil
and maybe we can
do that through
meditation
maybe for a moment
we can do it
through drugs
or some type
of higher
consciousness
but there's this
invisible
immaterial world
which is just
sort of parallel
to us
and beside us
and when you die
you go there
but Jesus says
no no
that's not what
happens when you die
we're not talking
about going to
the same place
and you see
if what religion
and spirituality
has to deal with
is what is real
and if they all
go to the
different places
then you can't
all say that
the different ways
are all going to
equally work
it would be like
going into a pharmacy
and for some reason
you know there's been
the zombie breakout
has happened
and so all the
pharmacists have left
and you go into
the pharmacy
and somebody tells you
just take whatever
drug you want
and as much
as you want
it'll all be fine
because they all
make you better
and the doctors
would go
no
you don't
all take
whatever drug
any combination
as much as you want
some of them
will kill you
and so they don't
all go to the
same place
and then some
of you will
maybe say
some people
will maybe say
George
maybe
and here's
we can put up
the elephant thing
George
I think
your problem
is
George
the Christian
problem
is
George
that all you do
is
Jesus has just
touched one
small part
of reality
and he's
extrapolated
from that
one small
part of reality
to think
that he's
understood
the whole
it's like
the classic
case of
the blind
men
touching
the elephant
and some
blind men
touch
the elephant's
tusks
and think
that well
God
is
like a
knife
or the
whole
thing
is
like
a
knife
and
others
touch
the
trunk
and
they
think
of
a
snake
and
others
touch
the
leg
and
they
think
of
a
pillar
and
others
touch
the
side
and
think
of
a
wall
and
not
quite
sure
what's
happening
at
the
end
and
at
the
top
they
touch
the
end
and
somebody
would
say
George
that's
the
problem
is
that
you know
Buddhism
touches
God
is
so
immense
and
they
touch
God
in a
tiny
little
way
and
so
they've
come
up
with
this
conclusion
and
Hindus
have
touched
God
in
this
way
and
they
come
up
with
this
conclusion
and
they
come
up
with
this
conclusion
and
Jews
and
Muslims
and
Christians
but
the
fact
of
the
matter
is
you're
just
touching
a
tiny
part
of
the
reality
and
you
don't
realize
that
it's
an
elephant
and
it's
a
very
powerful
and
emotionally
powerful
illustration
in
our
culture
I've
had
it
told
me
I
don't
know
four
five
six
times
a
year
somebody
will
tell
me
this
but
the
problem
is
huge
problem
what
can
we
all
see
the
elephant
we're
not
blind
the
person
telling
me
the
story
is
saying
George
you're
blind
but
I'm
not
blind
like
they
don't
say
this
they're
not
actually
meaning
to
be
arrogant
but
it's
an
unbelievably
arrogant
thing
to
say
and
it's
so
common
in
Canadian
culture
that
if
you
challenge
I
remember
just
a
little
while
ago
I
said
to
somebody
that
in
fact
it
was
an
arrogant
statement
and
he
got
so
mad
at
me
he
got
verbally
abusive
to
me
in
the
Starbucks
and
wouldn't
now
maybe
I
could
have
been
a bit
more
gentle
about
it
my
wife
will
tell
you
truly
that
I
don't
always
I'm
not
always
a
good
communicator
I'm
often
a
very
bad
communicator
but
if
you
think
about
it
that's
why
I
had
Andrew
put
it
up
is
the
mistake
is
that
somebody
knows
that
it's
a
whole
elephant
well
who
made
you
God
who
made
you
different
than
every
other
human
being
you
see
the
fact
of
the
matter
is
that
actually
it
doesn't
actually
work
as an
analogy
at all
it has
emotional
power
but
it
actually
isn't
true
another
more
common
problem
though
to say
could you
put up
the
number
one
again
Andrew
thanks
Jesus
said
unto
them
I
am
the
way
and
the
truth
and
the
life
no
one
comes
to
the
father
except
through
me
a
more
common
one
is
that
when
people
hear
that
they
think
that
if
I
said
that
to
somebody
they
think
that
I
was
saying
that
I'm
better
than
them
and
the
problem
is
that
often
Christians
throughout
history
have
been
very
arrogant
and
not
just
throughout
history
that
there's
ways
that
I
can
be
arrogant
without
realizing
it
but
the
fact
of
the
matter
is
that
when
I
share
with
somebody
that
Jesus
said
I
am
the
way
and
the
truth
and
the
life
no
one
comes
to
the
father
except
through
me
what
I'm
saying
is
actually
that
I
have
absolutely
nothing
to
boast
about
I've
shared
with
you
many
times
Spurgeon's
famous
line
that
the
Christian
faith
is
one
beggar
telling
another
beggar
where
to
get
free
bread
it's
not
a
billionaire
bread
producer
saying
that
if
you
just
worked
as
hard
as
I
did
etc
you
could
make
lots
of
bread
as
well
it's
not
like
that
at
all
it's
very
humbling
Jesus
is
saying
George
all
of
your
ways
none
of
them
will
work
all
of
your
truths
none
of
them
will
work
all
of
the
ways
that
you
justify
yourself
they
don't
work
none
of
these
things
work
I
am
the
way
I
am
the
truth
I
am
the
life
no
one
comes
to
the
father
except
through
me
and
I
am
telling
you
this
because
I
have
done
everything
for
you
to
know
the
father
I
have
done
everything
for
you
to
know
the
truth
I
have
done
everything
for
you
to
the
life
all
I'm
asking
you
is
to
set
down
all
of
your
ways
to
justify
yourself
and
make
yourself
look
good
and
make
yourself
look
like
you're
special
and
make
yourself
I
I'm
just
me
and
I
take
you
I
am
the
way
I
am
the
truth
I
am
the
life
Jesus
is
saying
it's
all
me
it's
not
you
at
all
see
the
fact
the
matter
is
that
this
passage
and
what
Jesus
is
doing
answers
the
deep
longing
of
our
hearts
and
answers
a
part
of
our
cultural
longing
that
our
culture
can't
figure
out
for
itself
because
you
see
what
we
want
in
our
culture
is
if
you
think
about
it
what
we
want
in
our
culture
is
we
want
to
know
that
there's
the
truth
of
the
visa
bill
and
there's
the
truth
of
science
that
the
first
and
second
law
thermodynamics
is
true
and
we
want
to
know
the
truths
that
are
scientific
and
historical
but
they're
also
impersonal
and
we
have
this
basic
sense
that
the
truth
can't
just
be
impersonal
that
real
truth
has
to be
somehow
a
personal
truth
that
it's
something
that's
personally
known
and
somehow
or
another
that
actually
personally
knows
you
and
we
want
to
think
that
there
must
be
something
that
we
want
more
of
life
we
want
to
have
hope
about
the
future
we
want
things
to
be
real
and
we
want
to
feel
at
home
in
the
world
we
want
to
feel
at
home
in
our
bodies
and
we
want
to
have
a
sense
that
where
things
end
up
as
we
get
older
is
that
it's
a
moving
towards
being
at
home
at
home
with
who
we
are
at
home
with
our
bodies
just
at
home
with
the
created
order
and
our
culture
longs
for
that
but
at
the
same
time
our
culture
longs
for
that
we
know
that
the
smartest
people
in
our
culture
knows
that
is
just
something
which
will
all
come
to
an
end
and
collapse
I
don't
know
if
I
can
recommend
it
as
something
for
you
to
watch
Louise
and
I
have
just
passed
the
halfway
mark
in
watching
a
very
interesting
BBC
series
which
is
on
Netflix
called
Black
an
attempt
by
Rwandans
to
bring
some
of
the
perpetrators
of the
genocide
to
justice
and
it's
not
only
trying
to
bring
some
of
the
perpetrators
to
justice
it's
all
about
how
the
colonial
powers
the
French
the
English
the
Belgium
and
maybe
the
Americans
and
the
degrees
within
which
they've
been
complicit
in
the
genocide
and
I
can't
tell
you
if
it's
a
good
thing
or
not
I'm
only
five
but
so far
it's
very
grippingly
done
and
the
principal
star
of the
show
is a
stunning
young
African
woman
and
she
plays
a
Tutsi
but
she's
actually
from
Ghana
I
looked
it up
on
the
internet
and
she's
from
Ghana
and
she's
a
very
powerful
actress
and
it's
very
powerful
she
plays
a
person
who's
an
investigator
she
herself
lost
all of
her
family
in
the
genocide
in
Rwand
she
herself
was
physically
disfigured
although
you
can't
see
it
just
on
her
face
but
she
was
physically
disfigured
left
for
dead
found
by
this
English
lawyer
and
adopted
as
her
own
daughter
and
raised
up
in
England
and
part
of
her
problem
is
that
she
doesn't
know
her
language
she
doesn't
know
her
biological
parents
in
one
level
she's
English
but
in
the
other
hand
she
bears
in
her
body
the
scars
of
the
genocide
and
she's
very
broken
up
and
the
powerful
things
in
the
movie
there's
this
very
powerful
scene
this
isn't
a
spoiler
alert
none
of
these
are
spoiler
alerts
but
there's
this
powerful
scene
she's
just
brilliantly
and
powerfully
acted
by this
young
woman
and
there's
this
very
powerful
scene
where
she
meets
the
sister
of
her
adopted
mother
and
her
sister
is
the
sister
of
the
her
daughter
filled
with
hatred
completely
and
utterly
unattractive
and
she
does
this
long
dump
on
this
young
woman
and
her
response
is
that
I
long
ago
kicked
God
out
of
any
place
in
my
mind
in
my
life
because
none
of
these
things
mean
anything
and
she
is
obviously
the
one
who's
very
powerfully
committed
to
justice
even
in the
midst
of
her
pain
and
all
of
the
Christians
presented
in
this
particular
thing
whether
it's
this
devout
woman
or
the
monks
because
one
of
the
things
that
the
show
brings
out
is
the
complicity
of
some
of
the
Catholic
church
in
the
genocide
and
the
monks
are
completely
and
utterly
unattractive
and
give
biblical
verses
to
justify
lying
and
she
the
woman
who's
cast
God
out
of
her
life
is
the
one
who's
obviously
at a
level
of
the
emotion
and
the
imagination
we
are
drawn
to
her
we
feel
with
her
we
want
to
be
like
her
not
like
these
dead
forms
and
these
lies
and
this
hatred
and
this
unforgiveness
and
yet
as the
movie
as the
show
progresses
there's
this
very
powerful
scene
where
she's
speaking
to a
group
of
young
girls
at
a
school
that
she
had
attended
when
she
was
younger
and
she
shares
about
how
all
of
her
life
she's
been
running
and
running
and
running
from
the
evil
which
has
been
part
of
her
childhood
and
she's
come
to
the
conclusion
that
you
can
never
outrun
evil
that
evil
cannot
be
defeated
that
evil
comes
into
you
and
grabs
you
and
you
can
never
get
rid
of
it
out
of
you
as
a
person
it
is
just
something
that
ultimately
wins
and
these
poor
of
the
reality
this
woman
who
has
cast
God
out
of
her
mind
and
out
of
her
life
that
evil
wins
you
can't
outrun
it
and
they
don't
clap
there's
just
stunned
silence
and
then
finally
a
perky
head
mister
starts
to
give
a
little
bit
of
a
clap
and
they
all
clap
but
what
I'm
sharing
about
you
this
is
that
our
culture
has
this
deep
desire
that
there
can
be
that
there
must
be
a
way
that
there
is
true
knowledge
that
there
is
hope
that
something
is
real
that
there
is
something
like
peace
that
there's
something
which
is
life
giving
and
that
there's
something
which
is
true
and
yet
at
the
same
time
that
we
have
such
a
desire
about
this
in
our
culture
our
culture
also
knows
that
the
smart
people
know
that
the
end
of
the
day
the
second
law
of
thermodynamics
wins
and
everything
all
life
comes
to
an
end
that
at
some
point
in
time
the
sun
will
burst
into
a
supernova
and
all
life
will
win
that
human
beings
all
will
die
and
it
doesn't
mean
how
much
you've
built
or how
much
you've
won
you
all
die
you're
so glad
you came
here
you all
die
death
wins
evil
wins
on this
side
of the
grave
injustice
doesn't
happen
and so
we're
caught
between
our
desires
on one
hand
at the
same
time
you almost
don't even
want to
think
about the
message of
shows like
black earth
rising
which
so
powerfully
portrays
the human
condition
and in
such a
world
only the
gospel
only
Jesus
answers
the end
of our
longings
and yearnings
Jesus
really did
exist
non-Christian
sources
Jewish
sources
Christian
sources
he really
did
exist
he really
did
die
on the
cross
the
biographies
he really
did
die
on the
cross
he really
did
predict
that he
was going
to die
on the
cross
and he
was going
to rise
from the
dead
he really
does do
this not
for himself
but for
you
he really
does
die
there is
in fact
good
evidence
that the
grave
actually
was
empty
that people
actually
saw his
life
only the
resurrection
accounts
for what
happens
in the
days and
weeks and
months and
decades
of Jesus
it really
happens
it happens
in history
it happens
because it's
true
and this
thing
which happens
in the
truths
says
listen
your
longings
at the
end of
the day
you will
be at
home
at the
end of
the day
there is
life
at the
end of
the day
justice
is done
at the
end of
the day
mercy
is real
at the
end of
the day
goodness
is there
at the
end of
the day
we are
meant
for life
we are
meant
to live
under
justice
we will
live in
a place
with bodies
where we
are at
home
and we
can dwell
and this
is guaranteed
by the
man
who is
saying
this
to his
disciples
hours
before he
will die
on the
cross
not for
himself
but for
you
and for
me
and he
dies
as the
way
and the
truth
and the
life
and no
one
comes
to the
father
but through
him
and he
does not
say this
to exclude
but to
wooed
you desire
truth
there is
personal
truth
there is
the personal
God
I am
God
is forever
the father
and the son
and the holy
spirit
he is a
personal
God
who desires
not only
to be
known as
real
but to be
known in
a personal
way
and to
come into
you
and to
know you
in a deep
and personal
way
and to see
everything
there is
within you
and love
you so much
that he
would provide
the way
by which
you can
be made
right with
God
and know
truth
and know
the way
and know
life
only the
gospel
deals with
the longings
of our
hearts
in a way
that the
world
cannot
provide
an answer
so I
just want
to encourage
you
I know
emotionally
and imaginatively
it is very
hard
Jesus said
I am the
way
and the
truth
and the
life
no one
comes to
the father
except
through me
Andrew if you
could put up
just and just
listen to these
other promises
that will go
with you
that go with
it
remember he's
already said
about home
in verse 18
I will not
abandon you
as orphans
I will come
to you
the next point
verse 23
if anyone
loves me
he will keep
my word
he will keep
the word
of John 14
6 and my
father will
love him
and we
will come
to him
and make
our home
with him
the next
point
verse 16
and 17
and I will
ask the
father and
he will
give you
another
helper
to be
with you
forever
the spirit
of truth
and this
word helper
referring to
the Holy
Spirit
is also
known as
advocate
he advocates
for you
he counsels
you
he gives
you wisdom
and insight
I will
ask the
father and
he will
give you
another
helper
to be
with you
forever
the spirit
of truth
and the
next point
the final
point
peace
I leave
with you
verse 27
my peace
I give
to you
not as
the world
gives
do I
give to
you
because the
world
what does
the world
give to
you
the world
gives you
you can
have an
imaginary
thing
that's
personal
or you can
have Jack
Daniels
or Prozac
but at the
end of the
day you're
still going
to die
and human
life
and human
life is
by trying to
forget those
inconvenient truths
and Jesus
says peace
I leave
with you
my peace
I give
you not
as the
world
gives
do I
give
to you
let not
your hearts
be troubled
or lacking
in courage
can you
all please
stand
for those
of us
who are
in Christ
this text
is a call
for us
to cry
out for
the courage
to fully
embrace
the hope
of John
14 6
that Jesus
said I
am the
way and
the truth
and the
life
no one
comes to
the
father
except
through
me
and it's
a time
to call
out to
God
that he
would
grant
us
the
courage
that
we
would
grow
in a
humble
trusting
knowing
walking
in the
truth
of who
Jesus
is
and what
he
does
for us
and what
he
says
and if
you
are
here
and you
have
not
yet
given
your
life
then it
is a
time
to cry
out
to
God
that
you
might
have
the
courage
the
courage
to
embrace
and to
receive
Jesus
who is
the
way
and the
truth
and the
life
who will
bring you
a dwelling
place
not just
in a
room
but in a
dwelling
place
where you
are at
home
and you
will
know the
peace
of Jesus
as it
starts to
grow within
you
and there
is no
better time
than now
to call
out to
Jesus
who will
give you
the Holy
Spirit
let's
pray
Jesus
you know
our hearts
you know
how many
of us
are troubled
by different
things
and
we
thank you
Jesus
that you
know
our
hearts
you
know
that we
get
troubled
and you
know
that
sometimes
we
just
need
courage
and we
ask
Lord
that you
would
pour
the
Holy
Spirit
deep
within
us
and help
us
to
grow
as
people
of
courage
people
with
the
courage
to
grow
in a
humble
trusting
walking
knowing
believing
hoping
resting
in the
truth
that you
Jesus
are the
way
you
Jesus
are
the
truth
you
Jesus
are
the
life
that you
bring us
to the
Father
and you
make your
home
within us
and all
God's
people said
Amen
t
do
and
do
and
go