tonight we'll come back afternoon and consider psalm 98 in light of mary's song in luke chapter one i couldn't stop our series in the gospel of john i think you'll see why today john chapter 14 i think are some of the most wonderful words to preach of jesus and so important for the times in which we live and the comforting truth that is here revealed just struck me this week unlike ever before of how powerful Jesus' words are to the disciples. So we'll be reading together the first 11 verses of John 14. This is the word of the Lord. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 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 take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, 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. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it's enough for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Or else, believe on the count of the works themselves. And there we'll stop the reading of God's Word. What we have in front of us this morning in John chapter 14 is the hour of Jesus' coming death. Awful things are about to be experienced by the disciples. Awful things are about to be witnessed by the disciples. and awful things are about to happen to Jesus himself, and they still don't understand any of this. They still don't understand why he has to do this. They still don't get why he's going through all of this. Through all of this, I was struck last Sunday afternoon by the words of Jesus and Luke when Dr. Godfrey preached, let this sink into your ears, he said. They still had not let it sink into their ears. And I think that has led to a big challenge today for them as now they are about to see things and hear things and watch unfold the taking away of their Messiah to death. Life often goes this way, of course, that people think they are in the worst times ever in history, but sometimes they really are. Sometimes they really are. Sure, you could say throughout history it's been bad And the church fathers always thought they were in the worst time ever at their time. But there are cycles and there are moments that it's really bad. And it's difficult when you have no perspective of what you're going through. And it's difficult when you have no idea why you're facing these things and what this is all about. And this is exactly what is before us this morning. They just don't get it yet. They are full of confusion and they are distressed over the things that are happening. and that's the issue that is in front of us today they don't know the future they don't know what it holds they don't know what it's going to look like and it's with that struggle that john chapter 14 becomes so beautiful and helpful to them that's what makes it one of the most powerful sections in the bible for them and and for us especially to preach today for it becomes a sort of timeless passage on how to think and how to behave and how to move forward when everything around us is falling apart. It's important that we see this because we see in Jesus' disciples with the words that they receive the most comforting truths of Scripture Jesus gives to them to encourage their hearts in the most confusing moment that the Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of sinners. I want to look at this this morning by beginning looking at this distressing moment. You have to put it together here and see exactly why Jesus is speaking the way he is in John chapter 14. Their encouragement of the future, and then we'll end with the way that Jesus gives them to go forward. But I want to begin here with this distressing moment because it is one really big distressing moment that they have faced here. And there's that little word I think you know in John 14 and have picked up on that really is the heart of this text. It is the crucial word that Jesus has chosen in this text where he calls for an end to the disciples' distress. This is not a little thing Jesus is saying. It's not wishful thinking. He says to them, I don't want your hearts troubled anymore. That's it. no more now that's a that's a powerful word isn't it from jesus if we hold that thought for a minute it's really a mistake to disconnect this from chapter 13 i think we make big mistakes at times with the chapter breaks and and the numbers that are in front of us to miss the flow of thought that the holy spirit has put in front of us and this is one of those times where you have to back up a little bit and say well why did jesus say that what is the real effect of that and you can back up and look there in the verses that proceed in John chapter 13 Simon Peter said to him Lord where are you going Jesus answered him verse 36 where I'm going you cannot follow me now but you will follow afterward 37 Peter said to him Lord why can I not follow you now I will lay down my life for you jesus answered will you lay down your life for me truly truly i say to you the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times that's a bad prophecy it's a really bad prophecy jesus is foretelling the future he's a prophet he's foretelling their own failures here he's foretelling the mess they are about to experience but in the midst of this jesus says something that's rather stunning you can't follow me now you can't do that now peter has nothing of it not that not i will follow you which is really a kind of a moving moment because really from the heart of peter yes it's misunderstanding but it is love that is saying this no no no i will never be separated from you i will not i'll do whatever it takes but i'm not I will not be separated from you. And Jesus says, yes, you will. You will deny me three times. We try to console ourselves that the betrayal was a lot worse than the denial, but I'm not so sure they experienced it that way. Denial is a bad thing, you know, to deny Jesus. Especially when Jesus has said in the Gospels, if you deny me before, you know, deny me, I will deny you before my Father. I mean, that's a really distressing moment to hear that you're going to deny Jesus three times, that you are so weak and that you are so powerless, you have no real ability to uphold yourself through whatever is to come. None. Especially when Jesus makes those kind of statements. So you really do appreciate the distressing moment that's here in John 13 and 14, And why Jesus begins to speak as he does. You'll notice here that the shepherd, right after this, is standing right over his flock. This is the imagery. He knows what's about to happen. He's told them what's about to happen. And the imagery is a shepherd standing over his disturbed flock and putting out his hand and speaking and calming that flock with his word. Calming that flock and wooing that flock and helping that flock with a calming word in the midst of panic and in total confusion. It's really powerful, isn't it? How they struggled with Jesus' words. I'm going to lay down my life. Where are you going? What do you mean you're going to do that? And I guess what? Right now you can't follow me. Imagine what raced through their minds. Why is he leaving us? Why is he leaving? We have the ability to stand back and read all of this, and we know the whole story. We know the whole truth. We read this all the time. They're living it, and they don't see any of it. Why would you leave us in the midst of this world? Why would you do that? And then Jesus says, you're not even going to have the strength to uphold yourselves. Whatever's coming, I can say that right now, 2020. He said, you will not have the strength to uphold yourselves. Feel it. What a combination of terribly tragic events. What a combination of fearful moment for the disciples. When it rains, it pours, and everything is coming down on them. The shepherd is about to be struck, and the sheep are about to be scattered. Well, that's the connection. You're going to deny me three times, and now read chapter 14, verse 1. do not let your hearts be troubled that's a really powerful statement right after that in other words there is no condemnation for you not only have we studied that everything in the gospel of John is going according to plan but it tells us with his sheep that Jesus is not when he does these things in the gospels he's not so convicting them of their failures so as to make them think that he's against them. You know, we can do that as pastors. We can preach Jesus in such a way to make God's people think that he's against them. And I think this corrects all of that right away. This corrects right now the intention, as we understand it, of how we are to look at what Jesus' ministry is and what he's doing and why he's doing it in the way that he's speaking. This is a big point. You will fail me in the worst sort of way that you could imagine. And when you do, listen to what I'm saying to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. How can you say that? It's really remarkable, isn't it? Jesus uses a word here to communicate the distress and agitation of this all. The word troubled in your English, the original means to be thrown into a state of confusion and panic. When Jesus said, let not your hearts be troubled, he was not giving a little kind, nice suggestion to them. He was speaking as the divine son of God, commanding their peace through this. Stop worrying. Don't fall into confusion. You are not to fall into panic when you fail. You are not the one shouldering this. He was taking that burden on himself. Now, as you study John and you begin to study John and you see what John is doing, you know that one of the great themes, anyone who spent any time in the Gospel of John, one of the great themes of John we'll see over and over, especially now as we continue to go through this, is the idea of substitutionary atonement. Jesus is stepping into our place. Jesus is bearing what we cannot bear. And when you turn back to chapter 12, it would be easy to miss the connection with John chapter 14 that Jesus is doing, what he's doing, what is in his mind. Do you remember what he said in chapter 12? In verse 27, he said this, Now, my soul is troubled. Same word. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. As soon as he said the hour had come, his intense suffering in his soul, in his existence, soul existence, had begun. In his body and soul, as we say in the Heidelberg. The Gospel of John is showing us this. The Gospel of John is helping us to understand this, that every place where we fail, every place where we have walked, Jesus is stepping in to that very place, and he's bearing it, and he's carrying it. Imagine living with this the whole time that you live. think about this we say um we confess in the heidelberg you know that his suffering didn't just begin in the in gethsemane his suffering began right at the incarnation right in right in even right from the beginning um we'll look at that here um as we celebrate the the birth of christ which imagine living this knowing the whole time that you come to this earth you have a cross to bear and the whole time knowing that you will be betrayed the weight of carrying the sins of the world on your back he has to do carrying around next to you is a guy who has the money box who's about to betray you and he's stealing the whole time from you how would you handle that silent silent he was knowing that this hour is coming where he has to face paying for your sins and face in your place the wrath of God the judgment that should fall on you he has to bear all that he has to become the curse and face the extreme agony of body and soul of the wrath of God being poured out on him. No one covered for him. No one really understood it at the time. Mary's the closest. No one said, let not your heart be troubled. No one came and did that. In fact, I think it was picked up last Sunday afternoon, he often faced the burdens and the sorrows of the complete misunderstanding of his work. his soul was thrown into intense agitation. The horrors of the cross are beginning to be felt. Jesus is being shook to the very depths. He's entering Gethsemane. He descends into hell, the awful weight of bearing all of your sins that you so carelessly pursue. See why chapter 14 matters? Now my soul's troubled, so I don't want your soul troubled. I'm not going through this for you to run around that way. He commanded their peace. He commanded that it would not be any longer. Just like the calming of the storm, Jesus is standing over and calming their hearts. There's nothing in this life I want you so shook up over because it's not intended for you to bear. It's really kind of arrogant when we run around bearing it. I don't want you bearing it. The very work of Jesus was to carry your sorrows. Did you know that? To carry your burdens on his back. To take that all upon him. I mean, that's Isaiah 53. Surely he has borne our sicknesses and carried our sorrows so that when these things come our souls would not be thrown into a state of intense agitation and panic that we would not be shaken up or confused so as to forget what he came to do. See the connection. Christ says this, do not be troubled because he became that for us. That's what John is telling us. That's why John is telling us he's saying this. And it's not that when we face the hardships of life and we face sickness and burdens and sorrows, Jesus is saying, just be stoic through it. That's not what he's saying. He's not saying that. He's teaching that the full implications of all the sorrows, the full weight of all the sorrows that we have in this life, he has already carried. And that's really important for going forward, isn't it? And that's why he gives an encouragement to the future here. He says, I am troubled, and now I've got to go to hell to pay for your sins so you don't be troubled because I'm coming to take you to heaven. See the beauty of that? That's the perspective here. It's interesting what he says in the Greek. It's fascinating. Jesus says here, do not be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. The verb there, it means keep on believing. Keep on believing. Which tells us that at times, and in different seasons, it's going to be really difficult to believe. It's going to be really difficult to believe. There's going to be circumstances, just like the disciples are in, when it becomes really hard to believe because we can't see how God could be in control of this at all. But it's how Jesus calms them that's of real interest to me in John 14. I mean, really, it's how he does it that is of real interest to me. Jesus gives now a glimpse into the future, doesn't he? What he does is give them an encouragement of the absolute certainty of their future. Verse two, in my father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I don't want you troubled. Do not be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. It's so beautiful, isn't it? The sorrows of this life are just temporary. They're very temporary. They're very short-lived. I know you don't feel like that, but it is the truth. They seem long. They seem unending, but they're just a short while. And I want you to know there's a place being prepared for you. There are many dwellings there, many dwelling places. I've always found this passage to be so comforting, but often misunderstood, really misunderstood, as if we're all going to heaven and getting our own little piece of land, right? We can go do our own thing and ride our tractors. That's not what he's saying. There's a time coming when you will be before the face of God. And there's a lot of room there. There's a lot of room for you. You're not going to be kept away from me. There will be a time when you will no longer, listen, fill this for a minute, there will be a time when you will no longer and forever experience what you're struggling with now. there will forever be a time coming when you will never be alone again. It's either a burden. We want to be with you. Now, in my father's house, there's all sorts of room. And you're going to dwell there. You're going to dwell there with your dwelling place. I've often thought, when Moses could not enter the land and he stood out looking over the land, the burden of knowing that he had to die for his sin and that somebody else named Joshua would lead them in, right? Somebody else named Jesus would have to lead us in. When he comes to Psalm 90, he stands back and he says, Lord, you are our dwelling place throughout all the generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, wherever you had formed, the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Moses realized he lost nothing not going into that land, for God is our land. You're my dwelling place. I've lost nothing. You're my dwelling place. This is what Jesus is saying here. You're our dwelling place. Notice how Jesus comforts them. Not only does he promise that there is more than enough room, for he is our dwelling place, and there's dwelling places in front of him, he's coming again. He will come again and he will bring us there. That's the message of this. That's what he's saying to them there. And he says in verse three, if I go and prepare this place for you, I will come again to receive you to myself that where I am, you may be also. Did you catch that? He didn't say I'm coming to bring you to your great mansion. I'm coming to bring you to me. I'm your mansion. I'm your home. I'm your house. I'm your land. You're going to be face to face before me forever. In other words, Peter, I know you want to be with me now. but I promise you, you will be forever. You see the beauty of that? Secured, sheltered. This is Psalm 91. Dwells under the shadow of the Almighty. Dwells in that lodge, into that dwelling place forever. I think this is what all the writers were talking about. The sun shall not strike you by day or the moon by night, Isaiah. Say to the prisoners, come out. To those who are in darkness, appear. They shall feed along the ways. On the bare heights shall be their pasture. They shall not hunger or thirst. Neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them. For he who has pity on them will lead them. And by springs of water will guide them. And I will make all my mountains a road. And my highways shall be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar. And behold, these from the north and from the west. These from the land of Cyrene. Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult. O earth, break forth, O mountains, into singing. For the Lord has comforted his people and he will have compassion on the afflicted. You know, the great reward of glory for you. And this really kind of tests where we are today. The great reward you're going to get on that day is what the old theologians used to call the beatific vision. You're going to get to gaze your resurrected eyes on Jesus. And you will be with him forever. no more sin no more sorrow no more suffering i think this is exactly what paul was trying to encourage the thessalonians with and all of their hardship as a church in the times they lived and all the bad teaching that was going around and all the apostasy and and the and the persecutions that they were facing when he said listen listen listen to me those who have died in the lord they're going to come with him when he returns their bodies are going to get up out of the ground and we who are alive are going to be changed and we're going to meet the Lord in the air and then he said this and thus we shall always be with the Lord that's John 14 so I want you to comfort one another with those words you want ultimate comfort hold on to that thought through this one thing I've desired of the Lord that I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. That's what we're going. That's what's going to happen. That's Psalm 27. Everything in the Bible is pushing us to this and saying it's coming quick. It's coming quick. Now, the early Christians, I think, in the heart of their persecutions and struggles lived for this. They were in such persecution for their faith and suffering for the cause of the gospel. They looked for something better. And I think that informs our prayers that should be prayed. Notice how much better the prayer sounds right now, come Lord Jesus, quickly, than it did a few years ago. You know? We can pray that with a little more earnest, can't we? You pray it? What does it take to get us praying that? come, come, that's what's ahead of you. I like this world too much. What? You see, it sounds really stupid as this world spirals out of control, doesn't it? I was in the post office the other day and I looked around and I saw an older man, he could barely walk, came with a mask on and then I looked at another mother who was totally distressed and then I looked at someone who was out of their mind all I saw was misery if you just stand back from it and could take a picture and hold that picture out what a sorrowful world we're in right now full of misery and sorrow Jesus says put your eyes on the future let not your heart be troubled I command your peace. And then Jesus says something so beautiful here. You know the way. You know the way. Thomas asks him a question. Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way? It's such an important thing that's said here in verse 6, Jesus says in response. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. I think we have an illustration of why he said that right after this. Philip says, show us the Father and it will be sufficient for us. Jesus says, have I been with you so long that you've not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say that? And Jesus says to them in verse 11, which is the whole driving point of this, I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Look at this beautiful truth here. Philip, in me you have the full and final revelation of God. I know it's going to be difficult in light of what's happening to believe, But this is what I want you to consider. Consider who has been sent to you. Consider the works themselves. Consider the goodness of God. Believe me. I think what he's saying in this section to close this out today is this. The greatest challenge in this life will simply to be not to be pulled away from me. The greatest challenge in this life will be to not be in the difficult circumstances and difficult times to be pulled away from me. You will be tempted your whole lives to try to find another way. You will face that all your lives, to be pulled away when everything's full of confusion, to try to find another way to solve all this. And I think that's why Thomas and Philip are asking here for unmediated access to God. Give us something that we can see that's better than this. To get us through this. To help us through this mess. Jesus is saying, I am your God. You believe in God, believe in me. Take me at my word. I have promised to prepare this place for you. What you are experiencing is short-lived. And I will come again to take you to be with me. And that's what I want to leave you with today. There's more to say on this point, but I'm going to leave us with that thought. When Polycarp in the first century was being offered up to the lions, imagine that? He was given a choice to save himself just by saying Caesar is Lord. He looked at the lions and the Lord gave him an incredible strength to not be troubled because as he was heading to death, he said this, For 46 years, I have been Christ's slave, and he's done me no wrong. How could I blaspheme my king who has saved me? After a horrible moment, I can't imagine what it would have been like as soon as he breathed his last to look and see the risen Christ stand up and receive him into the kingdom forever. Jesus is coming again. Hear me. He is. The world thinks that's a stupid thing, a crazy thing right now. He's going to come again, and they're going to, in shock, see that glory. He will take us to be with him forever. We will always be with the Lord. You understand that? And so today, the Lord commands your peace. You don't have to bear all this. You understand that? Too many Christians are trying to bear all this right now. You can't sleep at night because you're mad about a government. You can't sleep at night because you're troubled about this. And the reality is, you're trying to bear something you're not meant to bear. You don't have to bear it. You don't have to bear the troubles of this world. He has. He's bore your sins. He's carried your sorrows, and He commands you today. He commands your life now in His gracious words. Do not be troubled. Well, that's a path for the future, isn't it? And this is total hope for the future. Praise your God. That's who's come to you. That's who's delivered you. And that's the certain hope that you have in life and in death. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for these words. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for helping us through all of this. These are the words we needed to hear. It's sad that we bring much of the sorrows on ourself because we're bearing things we were never meant to bear. And we bear nothing. We accomplish nothing. We just talk. Forgive us for this. May these gracious words of our Lord Jesus Christ penetrate deeply into our hearts. let not your hearts be troubled keep on believing in me i have a place prepared for you i'm coming again you will be with me look nowhere else may those be the words now and forever as we live in this life and the afflictions and sorrows that encompass us knowing that we have this hope for the future in jesus name we pray Thank you.