John 14:1-14
Jesus’ Farewell
to His Disciples
John 14:1–14
14:1“Your heart must not be
troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s
house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.
3If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and
receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4You know
the way where I am going.”
5“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t
know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”
6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me. 7If you know Me, you will also know
My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
8“Lord,” said Philip, “show us
the Father, and that’s enough for us.”
9Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without you
knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you
say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Don’t you believe that I am in the
Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My
own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. 11Believe Me that I
am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the
works themselves.
12“I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.[1]
[1]
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp.
213–214). Holman Bible Publishers.
(JOHN 14:1-14)
Jesus Speaks Privately With His Disciples.
THE CONSOLATION HE GIVES TO HIS DISCIPLES (14:1–4)
A. “I am going to prepare a place for you” (14:1–2).
B. “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (14:3–4).
THE CONVERSATION HE HAS WITH HIS DISCIPLES (14:5–31): Jesus answers three questions asked him by three disciples.
A. Thomas and Jesus (14:5–7)
1. Thomas’s question: “We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (14:5).
2. Jesus’ answer (14:6–7)
a. “I am the way, the truth and the life” (14:6a).
b. “No one can come to the Father except through me” (14:6b–7).
B. Philip and Jesus (14:8–21)
1. Philip’s question (14:8): “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”
2. Jesus’ answer (14:9–21)
a. He says anyone who has seen him has seen the Father (14:9).
b. He says that he is in the Father and that the Father is in him (14:10).
c. He says they will do greater things than he has done because he is going to the Father (14:11–14).
OPEN:
- What is your favorite room in the house? Why?
- Can you remember a time when you got lost? What happened?
DIG:
- What comfort does Jesus offer his disciples?
- Look at John 13:36, 14:6,8, and 22. What problems are the disciples struggling with?
- Put Jesus' statement in John 14:6-7 in your own words.
- How does John 1:18 relate to what Jesus says in John 14:9? With what tone of voice do you imagine Jesus speaking in verses John 14:9-14? What evidence does Jesus give for his claims?
- Do you think the promises Jesus makes in verses John 14:12-14 are "blank check" promises about prayer? In John 14:12, does he mean the church will do works greater in power? Greater in scope? How could this be?
REFLECT:
- If Jesus is the Way, do you feel you are on a bumpy, dead-end street, or on a four-lane highway? Why?
- In light of John 14:6, how would you respond to someone who says, "There are many ways to God"?
Intro Questions
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
#IAm:InHisOwnWords
I Am: "I Am the Way Truth & Live"
https://youtu.be/EQAYH87UwRs
“Greater Things”
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
Evangelism and discipleship begin with a heart that is touched by Jesus. The deeper your relationship with Christ, the more you begin to see people as Jesus saw them.
What caused the Pharisee and the Levite to walk by the wounded traveler while the Good Samaritan stopped to help (Luke 10:25-37)? Let us step into the shoes of the Levite and the Pharisee to see why we might not stop to help such a person. We may be concerned for our safety. Or we may have a full schedule; helping someone might make us late for an appointment. We may have an attitude of indifference toward someone who is different from us. We may think we will miss doing something fun by taking the time to help. Or we may have a hard heart toward someone we feel got what he deserved?
Any of these might be a great excuse in our own eyes; but what would God say in this circumstance? We are not called to respond to every need we run across, but we are challenged to respond from a heart that is being cultivated in the image of Christ.
As God captures your heart, you will begin to take on a new mission. You will start to see life in the context of eternity with God. Life on this earth begins to evolve from a life that focuses on building a kingdom on earth to being on a mission for God. Acts 20:24 gives a picture of what our mission is: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”
Do you think Jesus was thinking of nicer homes, less debt, and more impressive work titles when He said you would do greater things than He when the Holy Spirit comes? No! Instead, in Luke 19:10, Luke declares of Jesus, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” A heart that knows the miracle of salvation and the freedom and peace that come from not facing hell (eternity without God), should burn with a desire to be used by God in obedience to Jesus as in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
A Christian on mission starts to think, see, and act like Jesus. Does your mission field consist of increasing measures of Christian fellowship or, as Luke 5:31-32 says, living a life focused outwardly instead of inwardly, “Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” A Christian’s mission is to reflect the heart of Jesus, who said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45).
Are you pursuing God’s mission for you in your life? What fruit is being born out of God’s life in you? In all you do, let your mission be aligned to God’s heart and His will for you.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." — John 14:6 (NIV)
Put your trust in Me, and I will keep you safe. There is a deep, deep yearning in your heart for safety and security. You can mask these longings with activity for a time, but only for a time. These feelings actually serve a very good purpose. Properly used, they can point you to Me and My sufficiency. I am the only One who can really, ultimately keep you safe.
Whenever you start to feel insecure—about anything—come to Me. Talk with Me about your fears and concerns; then affirm your trust in Me. Voicing your trust connects you with Me at a deep level. It also pushes back the darkness of deception. The evil one has been deceiving people ever since time began, since the Garden of Eden. Do not listen to his lies.
Instead, put your trust in Me, for I am the absolute Truth. As you come to know Me—the Truth—better and better, I make you increasingly free.
"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." — Proverbs 29:25
"The Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'"— Genesis 3:13
"Jesus said to [Thomas], 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'” — John 14:6 (NKJV)
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” — John 8:32 (NKJV)
No comments:
Post a Comment