Believe in Jesus
John 14:1-11
1) He is the Way and the Truth and the Life
2) He Shows You the Father
Sam, Jake, Mason, for the past approximately 14 years you have been preparing for this special day. You’ve gone from being held in other’s arms to soon being as tall as the people who once held you. You’ve built on the saving faith you received at Baptism with the Bible’s details in Sunday School, Catechism Class, and instruction at home. You’ve written an essay to profess your faith as we believe and teach here at Grace and gotten all dressed up. And now you’re here, to hear God’s encouragement from me and to celebrate your special day with friends and family and Grace’s members and guests
Despite all your preparation, is your heart troubled by what will come? You’re probably nervous to stand in front of everyone. That’s okay. In fact, it’s normal before big events like this. Maybe you’re hesitant about what the next stage of your walk with Christ. Not only will you be a communicant member, you’ll be part of our Lifeliners high school youth group which is quite different than Children’s Bible Hour. Are you apprehensive about the vows you’ll soon take, specifically about remaining faithful to your Lord Jesus all the days of your life? You have a lot of life ahead of you and who knows what will happen! If your heart is troubled in any way, I encourage you to listen to what Jesus says to his disciples in John chapter 14.
The disciples’ heart was troubled by Jesus’ earlier warnings of Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. They were all concerned about what was going to happen and where Jesus was going. So Jesus calms their troubled heart in the best possible way: by telling them to believe in him. They were to believe in Jesus as God himself for he is the Way and the Truth and the Life. By believing in him, Jesus would show them God the Father and how wondrous he is. Through this belief, their troubled heart would be calm throughout all that would later come.
1) He is the Way and the Truth and the Life
Jesus identifies himself as the Way and the Truth and the Life when answering Thomas’ question about the correct way to heaven. As the Way, Jesus says there’s only one path to the Father and his home of heaven: through faith in him as your Savior. If you try to go a different way, it’ll either be a dead end or lead you
somewhere else. As the Truth, Jesus says he is completely trustworthy for he speaks the truth and nothing but the truth. He’s better than a courtroom witness who accidentally commits perjury. For Jesus knows all things and will do whatever he says. As the Life, Jesus shows us that there is life after death and it is filled with heaven’s bliss. As Christ enjoys this now, so will every Christian after they die.
These truths are not new to you three confirmands. But what might be new is how these truths will be challenged and the troubles your heart will have in the years to come. There’s the idea that says, “There are many paths to heaven. Though different, they eventually get you to the same place.” If you haven’t heard it yet, you certainly will in secular education, other religions, and even from some erring Christian churches. To say that Jesus is the only Way to heaven may get you some blowback. No one wants to hear they’re mistaken or going the wrong way. When you need to say this, do you think your heart will be troubled?
Though Jesus is trustworthy, not everyone entirely believes him. I’m certain you’ll question Jesus’ words as you mature and question the very nature of truth itself. You’ll for sure hear reputable sources say something that contradicts or entirely redefines what Jesus has said in the Bible. When that conflict comes, what trouble will you have in your heart as you decide between THE Truth and a truth?
Shows and movies stereotypically depict teenagers as living life to the fullest in every sinful way possible: indulging and pursuing the temptations of the flesh, encouraging and approving a me-first mentality, or misusing newfound freedom and independence in ways we’d never tell our parents and pastors. Our old Adam loves to roll around in the mud and muck of sin! When the allure of sinful living entices you, will you give up your constant vigilance and patient endurance for the life to come? Will you relapse to who you were before Christ and so trouble your heart?
You don’t need to suffer such troubles. That’s because of who Jesus is: the Way and the Truth and the Life. There is only one path to heaven and his name is Jesus. He alone is our Savior by dying on the cross, rising from the dead, and paying the price for our salvation. No other path has our Jesus, his promise of forgiveness, or the destination of heaven. There’s nothing to be ashamed or afraid of since that’s what the Bible says. Jesus alone is the Truth who is completely trustworthy in everything he says. Just look to what he said he was going to do 3 days after dying on the cross: rise from the dead. Then look to what he did on Easter Sunday: just what he said. If he can do that, he will certainly do everything else he’s promised you. Jesus alone is the Life, the proof of what every Christian will enjoy after
death. It is far better than any pleasure that sinful living can offer you. So why jeopardize your faith or place yourself in harm’s way just to sow your wild oats? Instead, remain in Christ and look forward to the joys of eternal life that will be yours because of who Jesus is.
2) He Shows You the Father
There’s good reason why Jesus tells us to believe in him as we would God himself. For not only is Jesus the Way and the Truth and the Life, he also shows us God the Father. We see God the Father in Jesus himself. Colossians chapter 2(:9 EHV) tells us, “For all the fullness of God’s being dwells bodily in Christ” just as Jesus himself did in our closing verse, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.” (John 14:11 EHV) As the Son of God, Jesus is true God and an accurate reflection of his Father.
I’ve seen this reflection of parents through children in the years I’ve had you three in Catechism Class. You reflect some of the same mannerisms, figures of speech, and personality traits as those who have lovingly raised you. In the same but even greater way, Jesus shows us who God the Father is. He is powerful as evidenced with Jesus’ miraculous works. The Father is wise as heard with Jesus’ insightful words. The Father is nearby as found in Jesus who’s with us and watching over us. The Father is extraordinary given his house of heaven filled with luxurious mansions for us to eternally dwell in. The Father is loving as seen in sending Jesus to Earth so he could save us from our sins and bring us to heaven.
However, is that how you see God the Father? Will you continue to have a troublefree heart once you’re a confirmed member of Grace? Perhaps you’ll only see Jesus and not the one who sent him. Whereas your perfect brother and Savior is nearby, your Father in heaven becomes the cold, dark, and distant father figure that troubles fractured families. When teenage problems overwhelm you, will you see the Father as only concerned about big problems but leaving you troubled with day-to-day problems? When you complain about living under someone else’s roof or having to share your room with someone else, will you see the Father as being unfair? Will it trouble you to wait until heaven to finally have a place prepared just for you?
If we look at the Father without Jesus, it’s easy to get the wrong picture of him and be troubled. But if we look at the Father as Jesus shows us, then we correctly see how wondrous our Father is. God our Father is not cold, dark, and distant. He’s found in Jesus and thus always by our side with his blessings and love. God our
Father isn’t just for the big problems, but also the day-to-day problems with his allsufficient grace to get us through. While we may complain about our earthly blessings, let’s be honest: our Father has given us far more than we could ever deserve. In so doing, he also whets our appetite for what else will be ours when we enter our heavenly mansion.
See God the Father as Jesus shows him to you: powerful, wise, nearby, extraordinary, loving, and simply wondrous. God will not change after you get confirmed. Nor will his blessings go away. And remember that mansion that Jesus has prepared for you? Your Father will keep it reserved until you finally come to dwell in it for eternity.
Concluding Encouragements
For almost 14 years, you three have been preparing for this special day as you’ve grown in wisdom, stature, and favor before the Lord. However, I’m sure you have some troubles on your heart about today, what soon follows, and what is required to remain a confirmed member for the years to come.
To calm your troubled heart, listen to how Jesus calmed his disciples’ troubled heart in John chapter 14. Believe in Jesus as you believe in God himself. For Jesus is the Way, the only path to heaven, the Truth, completely trustworthy, and the Life, the proof of heaven’s bliss after death. See God the Father as Jesus shows him to be: powerful, wise, nearby, extraordinary, loving, and simply wondrous.
Then keep your heart from trouble by believing in Jesus. You need never be troubled by who Jesus is – the Way and the Truth and Life – for there is no shame or fear in saying what the Bible says. You need never be troubled about where God your Father is. He’s by your side in Jesus himself with his full share of wondrous blessings.
Though you may be nervous to stand in front of everyone in a little bit, there’s nothing to be nervous about the one you believe and trust in: Jesus Christ. For your heart is free from trouble by believing in him. That is God’s promise to you as you begin communicant membership, transition into adolescence, and eventually mature into full adulthood. It will remain so through faith in your Savior until you finally see your mansion prepared for you in heaven. Amen.