Good morning, friends! We’re in week 6 of our I AM series in the Gospel of John. This series is based on the most important question Jesus ever asked—and still asks us today which is “Who do you say I am?” As we look to answer that, we can find ourselves in the Gospel According to John. One unique feature of John’s Gospel is the seven ‘I AM’ statements—where Jesus reveals that he is Yahweh and shows us who he is. We’re going to focus on the sixth I AM statement today – I am the way, the truth, and the life.

Ever since human beings have existed, we’ve asked some form or shape of these questions: is there a God? If so, what’s he or she or it like? If not, why not – how do I decide what’s right or wrong? Is there such a thing as objective truth in the world? Why do I believe that’s right or wrong? What sort of life does God want me to live?

These are big questions but questions that Jesus addresses in John 14. We’ll enter into a scene where Jesus is likely scaring his closest friends…here’s why:

·      He’s just shared that he’s about to be betrayed by someone in his inner circle.

·      He’s going away and in going away, his disciples will not be able to follow him.

·      His closest confidant, Peter, is actually going to deny even knowing Jesus.

The disciples must have been losing it. They’re freaking out, asking: Where are you going, Jesus??? Who’s going to betray you??? What’s going to happen to all of us? We thought you were going to beat the Romans? They were confused and worried.

And if we’re honest, we can get confused and worried in our lives as well. So, what’s the comforting words that Jesus offers them? We’ll be reading John 14:1-7 to find out.

Today, we’ll be answering a very important question: how do you know God? To know God, enter through his way, embrace his truth, and experience his life.

Will you stand with me as we read God’s word?

Enter Through His Way

When Jesus says, he is the way – what does he mean? To answer that question, we must first remember the context of Jesus’ words. Often, these verses are weaponized to cite the exclusive claims of Christ. But, that’s not Jesus’ primary purpose – he is wanting to comfort his disciple’s troubled hearts. So, why is Jesus being the way comforting?

To answer this, I’m going to do my best to summarize the entire biblical narrative as a whole. You ready? Strap in, it’s going to be a wild ride. We need to remember the Bible is a unified story that points to Jesus as the savior of the world. Since it’s a unified story, it can be roughly broken down into four parts: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Next year, we’ll do a 4 part sermon series on this too..(SHOW PIC)

1.      Creation: in the beginning, there was God – the author of life who was good, trustworthy, and holy. He brought order out of disorder, light out of darkness, and life out of nothing. As he creates, he delights in all that he is making but there is a specific creation that he loves most: human beings who are made in his image. He creates man first (Adam) and woman second (Eve). They are God’s pride and joy – Adam and Eve live in the Garden which would be considered the Father’s house (keep that in mind), this is where heaven and earth overlapped and God lived with his people. In the Garden, they are fully known and loved by God and given a job to do: rule over God’s creation, multiply, and serve as his priests. They listen to God’s voice and love hearing it.

2.    Fall: In the story, another character is introduced: the enemy, the deceiver, or Satan. Once a servant of God, he rebelled against his creator and desires power for himself. This enemy infiltrates the Garden (Ie. Father’s House) and talks to Eve then Adam. The enemy tells them that God isn’t to be trusted, he’s not good, and he’s holding out on them. They trust the enemy’s voice instead of God’s – severing their perfect relationship with God and turning their hearts over to sin and the power of the enemy. As this unfolds, God’s heart breaks because the people’s hearts have turned to evil. Because of their sin, God judges rightly and they must leave the Father’s house – the way is then blocked by two angels and a flaming sword. Heaven is no longer on earth due to broken relationship. In the darkest moment of the story, God makes a powerful promise that one day, he will send a seed of Eve (ie. a child) who will war against the Enemy and defeat him but the enemy will bite the heel of the promised savior. This leads us to…

3.   Redemption through Israel: God still wants his image-bearers to live with him in his house. So, he chooses a family to bless the nations. As this family grows into a nation Israel, God establishes a covenant with these people where God promises blessing, faithfulness, mercy, etc. when the people trust him as their Lord (ie. have faith in God). Then, God gives them instructions to build him a tabernacle then a permanent temple – the new Father’s House, a place where God can once again dwell with his people. God gave Israel the temple so he could dwell with his people again, but sacrifices had to be offered continually because sin still separated humanity from God. But, his people rebel and fall to idols and make lots of poor choices. God sends prophets who speak of a coming King from the line of David who will usher in total peace and redemption for his people because the people are unable to honor their covenant responsibilities. So, what happens?

4.   Redemption through Christ: God comes to save his people himself as Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity. Jesus Christ is unlike any man whose ever lived – he perfectly obeys God, never falls into sin, and he demonstrates through his miracles and teachings that he is God in the flesh. To free his people from their sin, Jesus took upon himself the just punishment of our sin allowing it to kill him. Through his resurrection, he demonstrated that sin and death has no authority over him and that the way back to the Father’s house is now open. Jesus invites us into his Kingdom by repenting (turning away) from the kingdom of self and trusting him as our new King and Savior. We are made right in God’s sight through faith. And when we do that, Jesus brings us to the Father’s House because he is the way.

5.    Restoration: One day, Jesus is going to return and fully usher in the Kingdom of God – perfectly restoring the broken relationship between Heaven and Earth. Remember where we started our story? The Father’s House – he’s bringing it back. This is where God and his people will live again – enjoying unbroken fellowship. Jesus will deal with the deceiver once and for all – he will reverse the curse of sin and death. He will wipe away every tear from every eye. But, that day isn’t here yet – God is mercifully waiting for as many people as possible to be restored to their creator.

So in these verses, Jesus is saying that he is the way back to the Father’s House – the place where we are fully known, loved, and healed from the sickness of sin. So as Jesus shares with his friends who are worried and concerned, he’s saying: don’t worry, it’s going to be okay. Your belief in me is not in vain. I am the one who is going to open up the way back to God and it’s only through me. They’re freaking out though because Jesus is making the way to God but he’s doing it on his own terms. They don’t want Jesus to die or to abandon them but Jesus assures them it’s the only way.

As 21^st Century Americans, we dislike being told there is just one way for something. A few years ago, some of you may remember that I got a pretty gnarly tick bite on the back of my knee during VBS. As it progressed, I started to get a purplish rash on the back of my knee. I was feeling sluggish but I figured if I just push through, I’ll be okay. I knew there was a better way to go about healing which likely meant a doctor’s visit but I’m a man, I don’t need a doctor. Finally, some ladies and my wife convinced me I should go to my doctor. He had me do some blood work and what did I have? Lyme disease, I was around 2 weeks away from it becoming something serious. Dr. McCarl told me the only way to get well was to take some antibiotics. So, I did and everything cleared up for me. But, my hesitation stemmed from my belief that there were multiple ways for that bite to clear up. In reality, there was just one: an antibiotic.

And it’s the same way for our walk with God, we may nod our head in agreement that knowing Jesus and believing that he is our Lord is the way back to God. But deep down, our beliefs don’t match our actions. Instead of accepting the free gift that Christ offers us through faith, we add a bit of good works to our faith. Or we really want to make sure that we are his followers so we feel obligated to be involved in something and then judge others for ‘not being as serious of a believer as we are.’ Jesus is the way – but we don’t get to the way through our good deeds, church involvement, or good intentions. We get through to the way through believing in Christ and knowing him as King or Lord. Just receive that good gift for what it is instead of striving or arguing with Jesus about it. And when you inevitably mess up, know that Jesus is on the way with you and giving you chance after chance.

So since we’ve seen that Jesus is the way back to the Father’s House, we begin to follow him. And when you follow someone or spend time with someone, you begin to be influenced by them. That’s why once Jesus establishes he is the way, he goes on to say that he is the truth.

Embrace His Truth

We live in a time that repeats what Pontius Pilate once said to Jesus: what is truth? With fake news, deepfakes, social media, and the decline of objective morality, truth feels illusive or hard to nail down. People are often searching for truth or look for meaning in self-improvement, personal enlightenment, etc. People can opt to define truth for themselves but it ends up becoming inconsistent. For people who go down a spiritual journey, it’s often framed as a discovery process: what are you learning about yourself lately? What are some positive affirmations that have made an impact on your life? People are trying to discover meaning and the ultimate truth or reality of our world.

Then, Jesus says: I am truth itself. He’s the ultimate standard for what reality is, he’s the lens through which we see and understand life. Most religions or worldviews propose that our human existence is one of discovery – we find out who God is or what our purpose is. But, Christianity is about God revealing himself to his creation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you want to know what God is like, you look to Jesus Christ. That’s what Jesus says later on in verse 9 to Philip – if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. Earlier in chapter 13, Jesus just washed the disciple’s feet – the same God who created the galaxies washed someone’s feet. My friends: you don’t have to guess what God is like.

If you’ve wondered, is God merciful? Well, does Jesus heal those who are hurting? Yes. If you’ve wondered, is God loving? Yes, he loves and that’s why he died so that no one should perish. If you’ve wondered, will God really take care of me? Yes, he will provide for your every need just like when he fed the 5,000. Jesus is the truth. If you’ve ever wondered, will God give me a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) chance after I screwed up? Yes, he gave Peter another chance after he denied Jesus in his moment of need.

But as we follow Jesus as the way back to God, we see him as the truth and the truth hurts sometimes. I think of A Few Good Men where Jack Nicholson says: “You can’t handle the truth.” That’s how it can be for us with Jesus as the truth sometimes.

Although Jesus saved us and the Spirit is transforming us, we still have residual effects of sin in our hearts. And those effects cause us to not see the truth clearly at times. A few ways this may play out is:

·      Well, I’m just venting about this person with other believers when in reality, you’re gossiping about them.

·      Well, I’m just wired this way so it’s okay that my language is foul or my thoughts are impure.

·      Well, I’m just extra tired so it’s okay that I was mean-spirited and selfish just a little bit ago.

But since Jesus is the way to God, if he is God himself, and came back to life after being dead, he is the only one who has the authority to define truth. Our role isn’t to redefine truth but to surrender to a person, Jesus.

So, how do we embrace Jesus’ truth? Well, we need a helper. Jesus promises us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He says: “I’m going back to the Father and it’s actually going to be a good thing for you. The Spirit will guide you in all truth.” The Spirit doesn’t just help us follow rules – the Spirit helps us to look more like Jesus who is truth.

So when we read Scripture for instance or pray, we’re growing in truth because the Sprit is guiding us in those practices. Jesus as truth himself knows how life should work, he know what we need to hear even when it’s hard to hear, and he knows what comforting words we need.

So, if we’ve joined Jesus on the way and embrace his truth, that means our life slowly begins to change. How does this change happen? Is it good change? That’s our last theme for today.

Experience His Life

As we head to this final theme today, I want to remind you of the scene in John 14. Remember the scene — Jesus is heading toward death, and yet he tells his friends he is the life. What could he possibly mean?

Throughout John’s Gospel in particular, life is mentioned repeatedly by Jesus. It’s mentioned ~36 times actually and when Jesus talks about life, does he mean a good life or a bad life for us? Again, think of the scene that Jesus is sharing this with. The disciples likely thought Jesus was promising them a bad life but that’s not what Jesus is saying, he’s wanting them to see that following him as the way, embracing him as truth, etc. actually leads to the good life.

A pastor from Arizona, Seth Troutt, gave this helpful illustration. He talked about how him and his wife will often overhype how much they enjoy eating broccoli to their son. They want their son to eat broccoli because it’s healthy and good for him. But as soon as their son believes them and he takes a bite, he looks at his parents with a look of: “I trusted you” and he doesn’t enjoy it. He thinks they’re holding out on him and he really wants bacon instead.

Seth then went on to share that we often view Jesus that way. Deep down, we believe following Jesus is like eating our broccoli – it’s the right choice, the responsible choice but ultimately, it’s a little sad and not the good choice we really desire. Instead, we crave the bacon which could be wealth, pleasure, whatever. But with Jesus, he calls us to sacrifice, to service, to fight sin, etc. So, we choose the right choice even if we’d rather have the bacon.

But, my friends, in doing so: this explains something profound. If you believe that just following Jesus is the right choice and not the best choice, you’ll look for your good life elsewhere. This explains why so many struggle with secret sins even if they are ‘believers’ – that’s why you habitually use pornography. That’s why you are prideful and arrogant. That’s why you can’t stop gossiping or talking behind people’s back. You view God not as a loving father who wants to give good gifts but as a dad who doesn’t want to give his kids anything good. People indulge in those sins because they doubt that Jesus offers them a better life – you doubt that he can offer your sweetness, comfort, or significance in life. But, he can.

Like Adam and Eve, we believe the lie that God is holding out on us. He’s withholding good things from us and we can’t find them in him so we’ll secretly find them in other places, hoping against all hopes that no one finds out about our secrets. So, what do you do? You need to shift your belief about the life that God has for you.

When I say experience his life, I want you to experience life where you know the truth of what Jesus promises further along in John 14:16 where he promises to send the Spirit who will help you and be with you forever. God knows you, loves you, suffers alongside you, care for you, and will never forsake you – that’s the good stuff of life or the bacon of life.

My friends – don’t view following Jesus as this long slog until he comes back or we die and go to heaven. Jesus is present with us right now and eternal life isn’t a future promise, it’s a present reality. Jesus is with us now and will be in the future. The Spirit guides us now and will be in the future. Catherine of Siena was a nun in the 14^th Century and she said: “"All the way to heaven is heaven, because he said 'I am the way.'" (PIC) My friends, let us be people who are captivated by the goodness of God now. Let us see that God’s goodness brings life, not the promises of the world.

As we prepare to close today, I want to remind you that to know God, we join him on his way, we embrace his truth, and we experience his life. My friends, remember how chapter 14 began “do not let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus said that right after he expressed he was leaving and that Peter would betray him.

My friends, you will betray Christ just like Peter. There will be moments where you give into a temptation. There will be moments where you fall into that same sin pattern. There will be moments where you really wonder if following Jesus is worth it or if he’s still on your side. When that happens, hear the words of Christ “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Get back on the way, embrace the truth of Jesus, and experience his life where you find that he is so good and worthy of following.

As we prepare to sing a final song, I want you to just reflect on a simple question: do I believe in the goodness of God? Do I believe that his way, his truth, and his life is actually good for me? Jesus says it is good for us but do you believe it?

Let me pray.