The Only Way

That moment - between confusion and trust - is exactly where we meet the disciples in John 14:1–14.

Jesus speaks on the night before His crucifixion. The room is heavy. The disciples sense something is wrong. Their world, built around Him, feels like it’s about to collapse.

Into that fear, and fear like it, Jesus speaks .....

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Welcome, sisters and brothers, and peace be with you. May the words on my lips and the meditations in our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. In February of this year, Kim and I landed in Singapore without my luggage. The airport was crowded. I was sent from one desk to another, and after a long delay, we eventually got to our hotel, still without my luggage, but with growing frustration, knowing only that my luggage had never left New Zealand. During the night I received a text message from someone at the airline apologizing for the lost luggage, but also telling me that this was the plan. They had found my bag, put it on another flight, and would deliver it to the hotel the next day. Something changed in me. The situation hadn't improved. The lack of the bag and all its contents was still there. However, now I trusted that someone knew the way. I went to bed not with all the answers, but with enough assurance to rest. That moment between confusion and trust is exactly where we meet the disciples in today's gospel John chapter fourteen verses one through fourteen. Jesus speaks on the night before his crucifixion. The room is heavy. The disciples sense that something is wrong. The world built around him feels like it's about to collapse. And into that fear Jesus says Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. Jesus does not deny the reality of the situation. Instead, he invites them into trust not in circumstances, but in him. He continues In my father's house there are many dwelling places. I go to prepare a place for you. This is not just about heaven some day. It is about belonging. It is about knowing that no matter how uncertain the journey feels, there is a place already prepared, already waiting, already secured. But then Thomas speaks up, and we should be grateful that he does. Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Thomas gives voice to what all of us feel at times, and it goes something like this. I don't understand the plan. I don't see the path. I don't know how to move forward. And Jesus responds with one of the most profound statements in all of Scripture. I am the way and the truth and the life. This is not I will show you the way, not I will give you directions, but I am the way. This is Jesus telling us that faith is not about having a perfect map of life. It is about walking in relationship with the one who really does know the way. The one who really does have the plan. Human beings often want clarity and certainty before they move. Jesus offers himself instead. Think about how much of our anxiety comes from not knowing. Not knowing what will happen next. Not knowing will things work out? Not knowing am I making the right decision? We want certainty. Jesus offers presence. I am the way. Walk with me. I am the truth. Trust me. I am the life. Remain in me. Then Philip asks another question Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. It's such an honest request. Just show us God clearly. Give us something visible, something undeniable. And Jesus replies Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. In other words, if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus, his compassion, his mercy, his patience, his willingness to suffer for love. God is not distant or abstract. God has a face, and it is the face of Jesus Christ. And then Jesus says something that has always had the power to stop me in my tracks. Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and greater ones than these to me, to you. Jesus is saying My life will continue through you. Yes, Jesus is saying my life will continue through you. The disciples frightened and uncertain are being told that they will carry forward his mission. And so are we Which brings me back to my lost luggage. I didn't need every detail of the recovery. I needed someone I could trust, someone who knew the way and would not forget about me, and on the greatest scale of life that is exactly what Jesus offers us. Not a life free of delay or disruption, not a guarantee that everything will go as we expect, but a deep, deep promise. You are not alone. I know the way. I am with you. So what does this mean for us today? It means that when our hearts are troubled, when life feels uncertain, when the future is uncertain and blurred by worry and by doubt, we are invited to trust. Not blindly, but in a relationship with Christ, trusting the one who says I go to prepare a place for you. I am the way. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And perhaps the most practical question is this. Where in our lives right now are we waiting for clarity, for certainty before we trust? Is it a decision, a relationship, a change of job, a change of location, a fear about the future? Well, Jesus does not always answer those questions directly. Instead, he offers himself. That should be enough for us. Because when we walk with him, we are already on the way, even if we cannot yet see the destination. So when you feel that familiar uncertainty rising in you, remember the voice of Christ speaking into your life. Stay near me, trust me, I will come and get you. And in that trust may your troubled heart find restonga itengoa oteatu tematu atapu Amine.