Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Dial In - John 14:1-11 (Ep. 37)

Episode Date: May 21, 2020

Dial In is a devotional series with the intention of helping followers of Christ understand God’s word and love Him more. Jonny seeks to communicate the profound depth of scripture in a digestible and condensed format each weekday. The goal of the podcast is that our “minds would be renewed” as we behold who God is in His word. In this series, Jonny is walking sequentially through the Gospel of John.In this episode, Jonny covers John 14:1-11 where Jesus, immediately after telling his disciples he would be betrayed, arrested and murdered, encourages his disciples to “not be troubled.”Jesus comforts his disciples hours before his execution by telling them of their future home in heaven and by proclaiming that He is the only way to God. In a world of relativism and tolerance, Jesus gives the most exclusive statement regarding salvation. Watch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey guys, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. We are back in the upper room where Jesus is meeting with his disciples the night before his death. Our passage in this episode is John chapter 14 verses 1 through 11. These are the words of God. Let's view them as such in Dial In. John chapter 14 verses 1 through 11. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, verses 1 through 11. that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, One thing to note here as we approach chapter 14 is that there is no real division in time between chapters 13 and 14. This is the same conversation with Jesus and his disciples. This is the same Last Supper on the same Thursday night. On Friday, Jesus will be the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world and will be killed at the very same time the Jews are killing sacrificial lambs for the Passover. The previous Monday, Jesus had come triumphantly into the city and they had hailed him as their

Messiah. Hundreds of thousands of people had shouted, Hosanna, as they waved palm branches. But by tomorrow, on Friday, they will scream for his blood and yell, crucify him, crucify him. Chapter 14 starts off with these familiar words from Jesus. Let not your hearts be troubled. Literally meaning stop being troubled. So in order to understand why the hearts of the disciples would be troubled, we need to go back to the 21st verse of chapter 13, where Jesus tells the disciples that most assuredly one of you will betray me.

This would have been shattering to the group. But then Jesus continues and tells Peter that Peter will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows. So Jesus proclaims that one of the disciples is a betrayer, their leader is a denier, and their master was about to die. And he immediately transitions from this doom and gloom into telling them to not let their hearts be troubled. Enter the drama here. There is a pit in the disciple's stomach, and the elephant in the room on that Thursday night is that Jesus was leaving the one they thought

would lead a political and spiritual revolution, the one they thought would establish a kingdom was going to be arrested, beaten, and murdered. So Jesus tells them, don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God and believe also in me. In order for the disciples' hearts not to be troubled, they needed to believe Jesus. Jesus is telling them, you know that God exists. You believe in a God you cannot see. Now believe in me when you can no longer see me. Believe that I am God. That is the cure for the troubled heart. Now these disciples had seen

miracle after miracle after miracle. They had seen Jesus walk through the fog on water in the middle of the night. They had seen him give sight to the blind, give hearing to the deaf, feed thousands, and they had seen him bring Lazarus back from the grave. If anyone had a reason to trust the teachings of Jesus, it was these men. Jesus continues in verses two and three. In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you

that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am, you may be also. Jesus tells them in my father's house, there are so many rooms. And if this were not true, I would have told you guys. This is amazing. Instead of Jesus being comforted the night before his execution, he is the comforter. Instead of being occupied with what was before him, he is completely consumed with his friends' sorrow.

He gives them comfort by what? Giving himself. He's telling his disciples, trust me, guys. You believe God, then believe in me. I'm going to heaven to prepare a place for you. And there are so many rooms for you there. The question that haunts mankind more than any other question is the one that Job asks. If a man dies, will he live again?

What happens when we die? People want so badly to believe in life after death. They want so badly to know that their concept of eternal life is not their mere fancy or imagination. Jesus turns to the disciples and he turns to us today in his word and says, if it were not true that I was preparing a place for you, if this was just a myth or a story or some sort of false human hope, I would have told you guys. It would be cruel to let you go on and live your life with a hope that is divorced from reality. But the truth is, I am going to prepare palatial accommodations for you in glory. It is not a Motel 6.

It is a glorious palace with many suites. That's where I'm going, my father's house. And there are no overbookings in this palace. You're not going to be on the outskirts of heaven when you get there. You're going to be in the father's house with me because where I am, you will be also. That is the first and simplest definition of heaven. Jesus is there. Where I am, you will be also. Now listen to the words of Thomas in verse 5. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?

Jesus responds with the sixth I am statement in the Gospel of John. You can miss a few items in theology and still end up in heaven, but you cannot miss what Jesus says here in verse 6. Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. This is the heart of the Christian faith. There is no way to God except through Jesus Christ. All other religions might claim to show or reveal a way to God. Jesus is the way to God. Christianity actually became known as the

way in the book of Acts because of its exclusivity. There is no other way to God. This is extremely bigoted and narrow-minded in a world of tolerance and relativism, but it is nonetheless true. Jesus is the only way to God. Philip says to Jesus in verse eight, Lord, show us the father and it is enough for us. Now, if we ever see Jesus exasperated with his disciples, it is here. He responds in verse nine and says, Philip, how long have I been with you? And you still do not know me? Are you serious, dude? You've heard everything I've taught. You've seen me perform miracles. You've seen me give life to the dead.

Don't you understand? He who has seen me, Philip, has seen the Father. And if you know me, you know the Father. And conversely, if you know the Father, you know me. The biblical Jesus is the true, virtual, flesh and blood manifestation of God himself, who alone can provide atonement and the forgiveness of sins. Can Buddha? No, he's dead. Can Muhammad? No, he's dead and remains dead. There is only one who provides atonement and only one way to God the Father,

and his name is Jesus. Jesus is the only way to God. God didn't give ten ways to God. He gave one. He gave his only begotten son. I hope no one stands before God and says, Why didn't you provide another way? Jesus would respond and say, I left heaven. I left glory, lived a perfect life, was betrayed by my friends. I was beaten

and whipped, crucified with thorns shoved in my head and a spear thrown into my side. I gave you my spirit. I prepare a home for you in heaven heaven I will one day wipe away every single tear and you can dwell in my house for all of eternity No, I am the only way there is no other savior. There is no other way to god Jesus is the only savior What a raging catalyst for missions in evangelism Read between the lines here and read the anthem of scripture. If Jesus is the only way to God, and if he is the only savior, go preach the gospel to every single creature on earth because no one will get to heaven without confessing Jesus is Lord.

It sounds like a daunting mission, but Jesus has not left us alone. He has given us his spirit. And we will talk about that in the episodes to come. Stay dialed in.