part 3 of “The Last Night with Jesus”
In this series so far, we have looked at John 13. We have seen Jesus having dinner with His disciples. We have seen Him get up from the table and wash their feet. When He did this for them, He showed them, love, how to be humble, and have a servant’s heart. I also shared two takeaways that I believe Jesus would want us to know from the events in John 13 and those are:
1. You are loved by Jesus. Jesus loved us to the very end of His life. Jesus loved us enough to go to the cross even though God had given Jesus the authority to do as He wanted (John 13:3). But Jesus loves us and He knew we needed Him to do what we could not do. Jesus loves us and wants us to show the same love we have received from Him (John 13:34).
1. You are chosen by Jesus. Jesus chose you. Jesus chose you just the way you are. Jesus is for you. Jesus is there to help you. Jesus is there to pick you up when you fall. Jesus has chosen you. You may feel unchosen. You may feel like no one will ever choose you. But Jesus did. Jesus chose you.
But we saw the dinner conversation take a surprising turn as well when Jesus called one of His disciples a traitor, told Peter of his coming denials of Jesus, that all of them would leave Him, that He was going away and they couldn’t follow Him. This was unlike any other dinner they had with Jesus in the past. But Jesus sensing that his disciples were upset, He tells them:
“‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.’” - John 14:1 NLT
Jesus didn’t want to upset the disciples with what He had said, but He could tell they were upset. When Jesus told them not to let their hearts be troubled, He was telling them that they could ease their hearts and that things were ok. Jesus didn’t want them to be upset either. So He went to words of comfort for His disciples.
Jesus wants the same thing for us as well. He knows that there are a lot of things in life that trouble our hearts. The things we hear in the news. The questionable decisions that our kids make. There are things that trouble our hearts. But the encouragement that Jesus gives His disciples in their moment of troubled hearts is the same He gives us too [1]!
But it is important to note here what Jesus is not telling His disciples. Jesus is not telling them that they will have a trouble-free life. He is telling them and us that we can have a trouble-free heart even in a life that has its troubles [1]. Jesus also tells them and us how to do it! Let’s look at the verse again:
“‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.’” - John 14:1 NLT
Trust in God! Jesus is telling His disciples to trust in God. But not just to trust in God, but to also trust in Him [Jesus]. Jesus is showing them what leads to comfort for a troubled heart and that is putting their trust in God.
Jesus’ words are for us as well. Jesus wants us to know that our hearts will be troubled sometimes, but that trusting in God is a good way to put your heart at peace. God has a perfect record of being trustworthy. He has always come through for His people.
So one of the first takeaways from this section of John 14 is - Trust God.
Next, Jesus tells His disciples and us that He was going to prepare a place for us.
“There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” - John 14:2-3 NLT
This is another picture of the love that Jesus has for His own (John 13:1). Jesus is going to prepare a place for the ones He loves. Love prepares a welcome. When parents are expecting a child, they prepare the nursery or a room for the baby. When we are expecting guests to our house, we prepare for them by cleaning the house, cooking food, and welcoming them in. The same is true for Jesus as well. He is preparing a place for us to come home to when we die or He comes to get us [2].
The second takeaway is - Trust Jesus. Jesus doesn’t lie. We can see that in the words that Jesus says “if this were not so, would I have told you” (John 14:2). Once again, we can trust in Jesus because He does what He says He’s going to do.
But as the disciples are sitting there listening to the words of Jesus. There was a phrase that had to have jumped out at them. Jesus had said this:
“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” - John 14:3-4 NLT
Jesus knew that He was in His last hours, but the disciples still weren’t there yet. So when Jesus said that He would come back to get them so they could be with Him again it had to have been confusing for them. Then when Jesus asked them if they knew the way had to confuse them even more. Finally, probably frustrated and confused, Thomas spoke up:
“‘No, we don’t know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?’” - John 14:5 NLT
Thomas finally broke the silence of the disciples and expressed what they all were thinking. Jesus had been talking for a little bit now and He kept saying more and more confusing things. Thomas finally couldn’t handle being confused anymore.
This moment with Thomas should be praised because he spoke up. We typically only hear about his doubting that the other disciples had seen Jesus (John 20). But at this moment he was confused and voiced his confusion, even when the other disciples didn’t do so [3].
The disciples were confused because Jesus was talking about going someplace and that they couldn’t go. This is why Thomas responded in the way he did to Jesus. Thomas and the other disciples thought that Jesus was just going to another city or town and wasn’t telling them where to go or where He was going so that they could follow Him later [3].
We can learn something here from Thomas. Jesus isn’t scared of our questions. Jesus knows that we have doubts, confusion, and fears - just like the disciples did in that moment. But also like the disciples we can be afraid to ask our questions or express our confusion to Jesus. Jesus answered Thomas’ question and He will answer ours as well.
This is what Jesus said in response to Thomas:
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” - John 14:6 NLT
Jesus didn’t say that He was going to show them the way. He said He was the way. Once again, Jesus was not talking about a city or town. He was talking about the place He was going to prepare in Heaven (John 14:2) with His Father. Jesus was telling them that the only way to get to where He was going was through Him. Jesus was going to Heaven to be with His Father and prepare a place for them. Jesus is the one and only way to Heaven [4].
But as I often say, Jesus is talking to us as well. Jesus is the way for us to be able to go to Heaven. Jesus came to Earth to be the one and only sacrifice for the payment of sins that we could not pay on our own (John 3:16 and Romans 6:23). Without Jesus, we would have no way to Heaven. Jesus is the way.
Jesus also said He was the truth. Jesus encouraged the disciples and us to trust in Him. Of course, we have more proof now of Jesus' trustworthiness than the disciples might have back then. Jesus doesn’t change. So if He was trustworthy then, He is trustworthy now. Jesus says that He is the only way to the Father (Heaven) then He is the only way. Jesus tells the truth because He is the truth. Everything Jesus said to His disciples in these last hours came true. Jesus wasn’t trying to teach us the truth, He is the truth. When we don’t know what to do or to think, Jesus is the truth [5]!
Jesus ends the sentence by saying that He is the life. This was the main purpose of Jesus. He wanted them and us to have life in His name (John 20:31) and life to the full (John 10:10).
In these six verses, Jesus tells us a lot. He tells us that we can:
1. Trust God
2. Trust Him (Jesus)
He also tells us that He is:
1. The Way
2. The Truth
3. The Life
When we need help. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. When we are confused. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. When we have doubts. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. When we have questions. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
Just as Jesus told His disciples then, He’s telling us now. We can trust God and we can trust Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life!
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[2] Love prepares a welcome. With love, expectant parents prepare a room for the baby. With love, the hostess prepares for her guests. Jesus prepares a place for His people because He loves them and is confident of their arrival. - Enduring Word -
[3] Thomas should be praised for honestly and clearly explaining his confusion. He thought Jesus was simply going to another place, as if it were another city. - Enduring Word - https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/john-14/amp/
[4] Simply put, if Jesus is not the only way to God, then He is not any way to God. If there are many roads to God, then Jesus is not one of them, because He absolutely claimed there was only one road to God, and He Himself was that road. If Jesus is not the only way to God, then He was not a honest man; He was most certainly not a true prophet. He then would either be a madman or a lying devil. There is no middle ground available. - Enduring Word - https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/john-14/amp/
[5] Jesus didn’t say that He would show us a way; He said that He is the way. He didn’t promise to teach us a truth; He said that He is the truth. Jesus didn’t offer us the secrets to life; He said that He is the life.
· I’m wandering about; I don’t know where I’m going. Jesus is the way.
· I’m confused; I don’t know what to think. Jesus is the truth.
· I’m dead inside and don’t know if I can go on. Jesus is the life. - Enduring Word - https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/john-14/amp/
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