John 14:1-7 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

“I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life” – Knowing God’s Way John 14:1-7 Chapter 12 Entry to Jerusalem on a donkey Chapter 13 Washing of the feet The Lord’s Supper and betrayal

Chapter 14 of John begins with… “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Why? Because the previous days were difficult Hosanna’s and complaints Passing the baton; the washing of feet Communion and the betrayal by all

To all of this Jesus says… Don’t be troubled Don’t worry It’s going to be okay There is a plan Let me tell you about it

Who is Jesus sharing this information with? His closest friends and followers It is not a speech or a sermon It is a heart felt conversation among fellow workers in ministry

John 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

This is the starting place We trust Jesus Or we don’t! Nothing he says after this matters if we do not trust him

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

You know the way… No we don’t! So how can we get there?

4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

You are in relationship with me I am the way If you know the Father you know me If you know me you know the Father The way is a relationship with Christ

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

The ten commandments The Mosaic Law The priests, judges, prophets and kings They provided rite and ritual But it does not save Jesus provides a relationship Family

After all, that is what he had been teaching them Three years together This teaches us we need to spend time with Jesus

What did they do together? Prayed Served Studied Practiced Learned how to live life differently New values, morals and a new family

They learned that sacrifice and discipline bring joy They sacrificed Jesus sacrificed It is interesting: we tend to get more joy out of giving than receiving

They learned about compassion, grace, forgiveness and service They learned that it was not about observing laws Laws can change lives Relationships change more lives Now, for us, it is about being the I AM for others – we become an extension of God’s love in Christ

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. These words are not weapons to use on others They are words that remind us of the importance of relationships A relationship that we need to share with others

Connect, spend time with Jesus Interact with Jesus Sacrifice for Jesus and discover joy Learn compassion from Jesus Be in relationship with Jesus That is Jesus’ way

Litany When we face a complicated situation that challenges us to see what God wants us to do, we can remember Jesus saying to his friends, “I am the Way.”

When we find ourselves wondering if we’re really accepted by God, we can take comfort in remembering the grace embodied in Jesus who said, “I am the Way.”

When we are tempted to believe that we know who’s in and who’s out, we can remember that Jesus welcomed outsiders and outcasts and said, “I am the Way.”

When we fall into the trap of thinking that faith is about rules, we can remember the call to relationship found in Jesus’ words, “I am the Way.”

When we wake in the morning and wonder what God asks of us in that day’s encounters, we can find our model and our answer in the one who said, “I am the Way.”