A Redeemer You Can Count On

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (St. John 14:1,6)

          Movie technology has advanced so greatly in recent years that “war movies” have been elevated to an entirely new level. I’ve always enjoyed films about war, but such productions as Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers have been exceptionally (apparently, from what I’ve been told by veterans) realistic and vivid, making them even more compelling.

          When watching those movies, it’s fascinating to note what the soldiers say when they’ve been wounded – or, rather, for whom they call out when they’re wounded. Besides the obvious yells and screams, many of the combatants cry out for their mamas.

          That’s certainly understandable. I might do the same. It does raise, however, this question: when you face your moments of greatest tribulation, on whom do you ultimately call?

          The world quickly moved on from Christmas a few days ago. The trees already line the side of the highways; the decorations have been stripped down; and all the salad shooters have been returned in hopes of actually finding that elusive “perfect gift.” We in the church, though, are wise to pause for a few more days and remain in Bethlehem, reflecting on the events of 2,000 years ago.

          Recently you and I have been examining the “I am” statements of Jesus, focusing on our Savior and learning about him as he describes himself. We conclude our series this morning still surrounded by a world scarred by suicide bombings, dreaded diseases, broken families and funeral homes.

          Perhaps that’s why Christ’s description of himself in today’s text – “the Way, the Truth and the Life” – is so comforting. So much in this world lets you and me down.

          Because of his exclusively perfect character, however, our Lord Jesus will never let you down.

          Our passage first confronts you and me with one reality of living in this fallen world: life contains turmoil.

          The context of Jesus’ claim to be the Way, Truth and Life is one of dismay and confusion on the part of his disciples. Jesus has just told them he soon will be departing from them, and Peter, Thomas and Philip each react with a sense of doubt and confusion.

          Jesus begins today’s text by exhorting his disciples to not let their hearts be troubled – but in fact their hearts were troubled. Jesus was about to die a scandalizing death on the cross, and his followers didn’t fully understand the whys and wherefores of his decease. As God, Jesus could peer into their hearts and see their unsettled thoughts and emotions as they contemplated what was about to happen at Calvary.

          You and I face similar times of dismay and confusion as did the first disciples. Whether you’re on a battlefield in Iraq or on a battlefield in everyday life, you face crises. Perhaps your marriage is falling apart, or perhaps you’ve lost some physical capacity, or perhaps you’ve lost your job, or perhaps you’ve lost a loved one. Regardless, in this sin-scarred world it’s extremely likely you’ll have a troubled heart at one time or another.

          So Jesus points you to himself.

          We learn secondly from Jesus’ words that he – alone – offers real comfort during our trials.

          Jesus exhorts his disciples to believe on him (to trust him with all their hearts, minds and wills) just as they believe on God the Father, whom they have not seen. He then makes a sweet, consoling promise: by his redeeming work at Calvary, he was preparing a spacious home for all who would believe on him. There, in the New Heavens and New Earth, his followers will dwell with him personally and perfectly for all eternity. In verses 2 and 3, Jesus intimates that he can be trusted, because he would have no reason to lie to them or to endure the grief of the cross if it were of no avail in saving the elect.

          Yet as comforting as those first three verses are, verse 4 is every bit as provocative.

          “You know where I am going, dear ones, and you know the way to get there,” Jesus assures his disciples. True, they did in fact know where he was going and how to get there; he had spoken already of heaven and of himself as the true Temple and Priest and Way to the Father. Had his followers taken Jesus’ words to heart, they would have known these truths and been comforted.

          Then Thomas pipes up and offers a most-human, and thus utterly confused, interjection: “Lord, we have no idea where you’re going – how is it possible, then, that we could know the way?”

          Once again, Jesus points Thomas – and you and me – to himself.

          Jesus exclusively offers comfort for your soul, because he is the only entrance to God the Father. No one, he instructs, may go to the Father except in Jesus’ name and through his perfect, priestly intercession. Not even well-intentioned Buddhists or Muslims can have a relationship with the God who made them and who will be their Judge unless they repent of their heathenism and look by faith to Christ as their Savior.

          This is true, and Jesus alone can bring you and me comfort during illness, mourning and loss, because he alone is the Way to the Father and to heaven. As we saw a couple of weeks ago in his Good Shepherd discourse, Jesus is the Door to the sheep, and if you would enter the fold of God, you may do so only through faith in him. He is the Guide and Goal of your life, and you must look to him for a God-ward life all your days. (Also, Jesus as the Way reminds us of the Jews leaving slavery in Egypt on a way paved by God; the words are the same in Greek in both testaments. Just as the Lord paved the way from slavery and to Canaan for His people in olden times, so in Christ He paves the way from slavery to sin and finally to the heavenly Canaan. Jesus is our Way out of slavery and into freedom.)

          Jesus alone can bring genuine comfort to your soul also because he is the Truth. To be certain, Jesus as the Truth is the Author of all truth, and apart from him you cannot properly understand your sin nature, your need for his saving grace or anything essential about this life and about the life to come. But here Jesus is saying he alone is the Source of true comfort, which nothing else in this world can bring you. In a world of lies and of disappointing “creature comforts” (food, drink, possessions, even family), Jesus never fails.

          And Jesus is the Life in a world of death. Jesus, our Living Redeemer, uniquely is the Source of all life – not merely biological (which is true) but especially spiritual. Only Jesus transcends the power of the grave and the power of sin reining in your soul and body; only Jesus gives genuine life.

          Hope is found in Jesus alone, because only he reveals the Father to you and me, and only he has conquered our last and greatest enemy.

          I thoroughly enjoy running – the longer, the better. In addition to allowing me to eat with some greater degree of liberty (stop snickering!), running clears my head.

          But when crisis comes, running can’t help me. I can’t cry out for my running shoes and think they’ll deliver me any more than those soldiers could call out to their mamas and expect their mamas to make all things new.

          You and I face trials continually in this broken realm. Even now, a few days after the glow of Christmas has faded, you face crises. To the world, suicide bombings and challenging diagnoses make it seem like their version of Christmas never happened.

          Thank God Christmas did happen – 2,000 years ago. Thank God for our trustworthy Savior, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

          Thank God you and I can call on him – anytime – and he will never fail us.