Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Sermon Notes for John 14:1-7, 12-14 Key verses: John 14:12-13 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.” Today, on Palm Sunday, we read a passage from Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in John. This week must have seemed like a roller coaster ride for the disciples. On Palm Sunday, Jesus and his disciples enter Jerusalem as heroes, hailed by the crowds with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna!” On Monday, he drives money changers out of the Temple and Tuesday continues with conflict in the Temple, this time with the authorities—the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. During these conflicts, Jesus further defines who God is, what God’s work is all about, and what life in the kingdom looks like. All of his definitions clash with the religious authorities. On Wednesday, a woman anoints Jesus with expensive oil in preparation for burial, much to the chagrin of his host and of Judas. Judas decides for whatever reason that enough is enough and he will betray Jesus. His failure stands as a warning not to try to make Jesus something he is not, and to not be afraid to follow in Jesus’ footsteps to the cross. On Thursday, we come to the Last Supper, where Jesus prepares his disciples for his death. Our passage today comes from this final address Jesus gives to his disciples. The Bible records several such final speeches which include some or all of the following elements: a gathering of family, an announcement of approaching death, prophecies or promises, a review of the dying one’s life, naming of a successor, final instructions, and prayer. (For other examples, see Genesis 49, Joshua 22-24, and 1 Chronicles 28-29.) Jesus’ farewell address includes these same elements. He promises his disciples his ongoing presence and instructs them to remain/abide/live in him. He describes his life as one pointing to and giving glory to God with whom he is one. He then names his disciples (that includes us!) as his successors and gives them final instructions: be where he is and continue to do the works that he has done. Finally, he prays for the disciples, his longest recorded prayer, found in John 17. The passage we read from John 14 contains several of the elements of this farewell address. Jesus begins by consoling his disciples: “Don’t be troubled.” In other words, don’t be distressed at the seeming victory of evil and death because we can trust him. We can trust him because: “There are many rooms in my Father’s home and I am going to prepare a place for you.” Although we read this text at funerals, Jesus does not simply refer to heaven here. When read in the context of the rest of his address, we see that home refers to where we dwell or abide and Jesus invites us to abide in him. In other words, Jesus here calls his disciples to join in his relationship with his Father when he comes to get them, after the resurrection. God’s home, then, refers to relationship more than location and Jesus’ return to his Father makes it possible for us to join in that intimate relationship. In that relationship, nothing, not even death itself, separates Jesus (and here he includes us) from his Father. The disciple Thomas confuses God’s home with a location and says he does not know the way. Jesus corrects Thomas’s misunderstanding by declaring himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The way, then, equals unity with God which we can live only through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. To follow in this way, we must follow Jesus, taking up the cross of sacrificial love, going where he goes (to the outcasts, the lost, the hurting), and offering his healing love wherever we go. Too often we confuse the Truth with believing the right beliefs, which is why we fight over doctrine. But, Jesus declares himself to be the Truth, meaning that truth can only be found in relationship with Jesus who invites us to walk in his way. By discovering this relationship of Truth, we receive life, the life only Jesus can give. However, Jesus will not allow us to keep this life to ourselves. Instead, he instructs his disciples to continue his life-giving work by doing even greater things than Jesus himself did, all of which point to God and reveal God’s character as sacrificial love. By living in Jesus, joining in his relationship with God, and following his way, we make God’s power and presence known in this world. Jesus chooses us as his successors and if we follow in his way we find the only way that leads to life. Questions for Reflection 1—Where in your life are you troubled? How can Jesus’ promise of God’s constant presence and love address your needs and concerns? How can that presence become real for you? 2—Where are you distressed over the seeming victory of evil over good in the world? Where do you see Jesus in these events? How can you be with Jesus in these events? What “greater works” might Jesus be calling you to do to address these concerns? 3—How do you follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life? What is your relationship with Jesus like now? How do the Holy Week events impact your love for Jesus? 4—How did the Holy Spirit speak to you in worship today?
Walk through Holy Week in Scripture this week. Read Mark 11:1-11 (Sunday); Mark 11:12-19 (Monday); Mark 11:20-13:37 (Tuesday); Mark 14:1-11 (Wednesday); Mark 14:12-72 (Thursday); Mark 15:1-41 (Friday); Mark 15:42-47 (Saturday); Mark 16:1-20 (Sunday).
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