Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus” friends,
Has anyone ever said to you; “don’t be troubled”, when they saw your tears or the worried look on your face? How did those words make you feel in your moment of anxiety or grief?
“Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1) is what Jesus has said to His disciples in the upper room that Passover Thursday evening. But they were visibly shaken. Why? Because one of their group, Judas Iscariot, had walked out of the room a few minutes ago, identified by Jesus as a betrayer! And now Peter, the unshakable rock of a man, is shaken to the core because Jesus had just warned Peter, in front of all the disciples, that he will DENY Jesus three times, before daylight!? Unimaginable!
Have you ever been in such a deeply troubling situation that you wonder when the next explosion will be? That’s how the disciples must have felt. Therefore, the words “Do not let your hearts be troubled” seem trite, almost flippant. But what Jesus said next stunned them: ‘You believe in God, believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms…I’m going there, to prepare a place for you…And I will come back and take you to be with Me where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
Once again Jesus was predicting what these disciples could not imagine! But now, with 2000 years of history since, and the Bible complete, do you understand it and do you believe it, my friends? The Risen Jesus is today in heaven, preparing a place for us and interceding for us as He watches all that is going on in our lives, from the vantage point of His Sovereign throne! That truth should CONFRONT any anxiety, do you agree?
Everything in that upper room stopped as each man searched his soul. What was Jesus talking about? What had each man learned about Jesus during these many months? Thomas was the courageous one who asked for more, and Jesus then said: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by Me. If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well.” (John 14:6,7) Suddenly every man had to search his own soul.
How deeply did he believe in God? Who did he think Jesus really was? How had these months with Jesus affected each of them? What could Jesus possibly mean by saying the only way to God is through Jesus? What about Moses? What about the Jewish holy books? What about all the Jewish traditions and festivals and laws, which their ancestors had received from God?
Pause. How well do you and I understand what Jesus had just said? Do you have any confusion about Jesus being the ONLY way to God? Philip courageously spoke up: “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” I assume it was with a tender look and voice that Jesus said something to Philip none of them would ever forget: “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…”. Pause. How well do you know Jesus, my friends? Have you claimed to be a Christian for a long time?
Years later the writer of Hebrews gave these words of Jesus fuller meaning: “…in these days God has spoken to us by His Son…through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” (Heb. 1:2,3) Do we understand that Jesus fully displayed God the Father’s glory through His daily, earthly life?
Jesus continued: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and He is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work. Truly I tell you whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater works because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John 14:8-13)
What Jesus had just said demands a response… from every living person who ever hears or reads these words. Jesus’ words are radical! Do you see the claim of Jesus that the unusual relationship He had with God the Father is available to you and me and any person? Jesus is declaring that His life here on earth, His words and miracles, were all in full and total obedience to God the Father who had sent Jesus, God the Son, to earth. Jesus is declaring that you and I can live intentional, purposeful lives, similarly obedient to God’s leading! And yes, we can reflect God’s glory to our world! Can you imagine what that would be like, my friends?
Jesus’ words also declare that if you and I fully believe Jesus’ and entrust our lives to Him then Jesus will draw us into union with both Him and God the Father. And more, then God will do IN and THROUGH us similar things to what God did in and through Jesus. Now pause and ponder that for a moment and look closely at your life. Do your attitudes, words, relationships, decisions, actions demonstrate the truthfulness of what Jesus said? If not, why not?
Oh yes, there’s one piece missing isn’t there? And that’s what Jesus said next: “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him because the world neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be IN you!” (John 14:16,17)
Who is this Counselor, this “Spirit of Truth” whom God will send to live WITHIN those who are united to the Father and the Son by our full trust in Jesus the Son? That Spirit is God’s Holy Spirit, of course. Jesus is declaring that just as the Holy Spirit of God lived in Jesus, guided Jesus, empowered Jesus to action, so God’s Holy Spirit will do the same, when God the Father sends His Holy Spirit to live within and empower those people redeemed by Jesus Christ!
Oh my! We need to pause, catch our breath and ponder deeply. It had begun with Jesus saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”. May I suggest an action plan for all of us right now? Take your journal and go back through John 14 and what we discussed today, marking down each and every specific truth that Jesus spoke which should be an antidote to having a troubled soul!
Then pray over your list, asking the Holy Spirit to help EACH of those things become a living, vibrant reality in your life, starting today!
Then review the ‘lessons learned’ notes below and worship with the great worship song attached, and let’s live anxiety free this weekend! And let’s meet again on Monday, back in that upper room with Jesus and the disciples.
Today’s Scripture: John 14:1-17.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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