Sermon title: Knowing the true way in Jesus.Sermon subject: Jesus reassures his Disciples
Sermon Objective: That listeners would understand and follow Jesus.
Introduction.
There is no other part in the gospel I have observed more confusion with the disciples as chapter 14. This is because the attention is turned to the problem of death and separation. The little company that had been so much together is so much threatened by the loss of it's leader and the disruption of the fellowship. How is it going to survive without Jesus?
Explanation
In the beginning of chapter 14 the disciple of Jesus are troubled something he had pointed to them. He however wanted them to set their hearts at ease. He urged them to maintain their trust in God and in him inspite of the threatening circumstances 14:1-2. Jesus did not tell them about the way which he is going but he said “Where I am going you know the way” he assumed that they know the way for he has been with them for a while now and many times he has talked about his Father in heaven.
We see Thomas being genuine and speaking his mind when he said that they do not know the way. He is talking on his own behalf and that of others. I like him for his honesty, pessimistic, and uninhibited. As many Christians would do today he did not suppress his feelings but he voiced his despair. In many ways he acted as peter to questions. cf 13:6, 36-37. Thomas was not ready to accept a state of permanent bewilderment. His question reveals a man who is confused in life and felt that its riddle were insolvable.
Jesus’ reply seem to put them in more confused stat. He claims to be three things at the same time, "I am the way the truth and the life” cf what God said to Moses in Deut.5:32-33. You shall walk in the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you. What did he mean? He was echoing Isaiah 30 21. He meant to tell them that he was what they didn’t know. He was the truth- see Ps 86:11- and he was the life. The writer of Proverbs said: "The commandment is a lamp and the teaching the light and the reproofs of disciple the way of life."
Thus there is one way of putting all this together. He said that no one comes to the Father except through him. He alone is the way to God. In him alone we see what God is like, and he alone can lead men into God’s presence without fear without shame. “Let not your hearts be troubled”
Illustration
I want to illustrate this with my own identification with maybe what the disciples were feeling at this time. One day I went to a new town and I had to ask for direction. The person that I asked was very familiar with the Geography of the area unlike me. What he said was something like this,” Take the first to the right, and the second to the left. Cross the square, go past the Park and the road you are looking for is the fourth on the right” I felt even more lost than before I asked. In my African background it were better if he said; “come I will show you.”
Have you been in a place that you have to relay on people for direction? Are there times you feel so uncertain of what is ahead of you and the options that you have are limited? The disciples of Jesus were in a worse situation than this. As discussed earlier, they were confused of what will happen now that the leader will be gone.
Application
Jesus is not willing to disband any that are his. He expect us to follow him as the way the truth and the life. Here he does not only advice us on the directions. He takes us by the hand and leads us; he strengthens us and guides us. Every day he is the way and the true to everyone. He does not tell us about the way, he is the way. Isn’t this encouragement to us, as it was to the disciples?
At the end of this chapter, Jesus is promising to send a helper to them, so that they continue with the work that he has been doing. However such expectations seem impossible since he was doing them on higher magnitude. But by the power of the promised Holy Spirit we see more converts who came to belief.
We see growth today in the church. Jesus expects that the church should become an instrument by which he could manifest his salvation to his people. How can the church of today become this instrument? By knowing the true way which is Jesus without whom no one can find the
