1. TEXT: John 13:31- 14:10 especially 14:6 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

2. Context: What I Do Not Think Is GOING ON IN JOHN 13-14 and WHY (1) Not an abstract discussion of world religions – Why? 1 st reason… Who would have an abstract discussion on world religions at your last supper with your friends and co- workers if the goal is to communicate love and hope?

3. Context: What I Do Not Think Is GOING ON IN JOHN 13-14 and WHY (2) Not an arrogant discussion of whether or not there are people of God (YHWH) – “salvation” - outside of “Judaism” (or “Christianity”). Why? 2 nd reason… 1.John already told us what Jesus thought about this question: John 10:16 – 16 “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

4. Context: What I Do Not Think Is GOING ON IN JOHN 13-14 and WHY (3) Not an arrogant discussion of whether or not there are people of God (YHWH) outside of Judaism (or “Christianity”). Why? - Old Testament understanding! (Rabbis – “COVENANT WITH NOAH”) 2. 2 Chronicles 16:9 – Prophet Hanani said to King Asa many years earlier: 9” For the eyes of YHWH range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to YHWH.”

5. Context: What I Do Not Think Is GOING ON IN JOHN 13-14 and WHY (4) Why? - New Testament understanding! Romans 2:14-16: 14 When Gentiles, who do not possess the Torah, do instinctively what the Torah requires, these, though not having the Torah, are a Torah to themselves. 15 They show that what the Torah requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them 16 on the day when, according to my good news, God, through Jesus the Messiah, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

6. What WERE the QUESTIONS About GOD in this developing CONTEXT? (1) 1)Is God really a good Father – as Jesus has been claiming for several years - when horrible things start happening to Jesus? Has God abandoned Jesus? Has God abandoned us who followed Jesus? Does God really love us? 2)Do we know anything about “the way” to relate to God as Father given what God is allowing to happen to Jesus? 3)Is God really doing anything that matters in this unjust and hurting world?

7. What WERE the QUESTIONS about relating to JESUS in this developing context? 4) Does Jesus “goodbye” mean he is out of our lives forever? 5) Does Jesus really love us if he can so easily talk of leaving us and not letting us follow? 6) Given how badly we handled Jesus’ arrest, torture, and execution, can he ever really love us again?

8. TEXT: John 13:31 - 14:10 (1) 13:31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jewish leaders so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.‘ (spectacular escape to far away?)

9. TEXT: John 13:31 - 14:10 (2) 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward."

10. TEXT: John 13:31 - 14:10 (3) 37 Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." 38 Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.

11. TEXT: John 13:31 - 14:10 (4) 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust (believe/have faith) in God, trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

12. TEXT: John 13:31 - 14:10 (5) 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know the Father and have seen the Father."

13. TEXT: John 13:31 - 14:10 (6) 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not trust that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does the Father’s works.

14. SIX KEY THEMES (1-2) 1.You can count on God as Father to continue PREPARING the Community/Temple/Place that God is Preparing for you! - “in my Father’s house are many dwelling places” 2.You can count on my love for you even though sometimes you really mess up – “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”

15. SIX KEY THEMES (3-4) 3.You can count on God to truly be FATHER even though things get horrible at times 4.You can count on my love for you even though I will seem further away at times – “Going away and you cannot follow now”

16. SIX KEY THEMES (5-6) 5. The real world is going to require a lot of TRUSTING on your part (“faith” “belief” must include “trust”) 6. Jesus is the way to knowing God more fully as the kind of “Father” God really is

17. Focus on comfort and challenge in John 14:5-9: “way” – “truth” – “life” 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know the Father and have seen the Father." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

18. THE WAY? Ps. 119:105 – “Your word is a torch for (lamp to) my feet and a light to my way (path).”

19. Definitely a “One Way” statement

20. NOT THE EMPHASIS!!!

21. QUESTION IS ONE WAY TO WHERE – WHAT – or – WHO? “Experiencing GOD as FATHER!”

22. “JESUS: I AM THE WAY” to “the FATHER ” (1) Gr. “odos” – a path, way, or road and thus – “a way of life” throughout the OT and the NT Native Americans saw this & called following Jesus “the Jesus road” which is close to the way Acts used the word “way.” Jesus is saying that seeing his way of living – of relating to God as Father – is the way you too can best learn who God is (in context of about to be arrested, tortured, executed – and raised and exalted)!!!

23. “JESUS: I AM THE WAY” to “the FATHER ” (2) IS THE MORE HONEST QUESTION GIVEN REALITY: - “Aren’t there many ways to know/experience what God is like in the real world?” or - “Is there even one way to know/experience what God is like in in the real world?”

24. JESUS: “I AM THE TRUTH” about the Father Many aspects to “truth” – accuracy, exactness, correspondence, factuality BUT – most important foundation of truth? WHOLESOME, TRUSTING, REAL RELATIONSHIPS Jesus’ covenant-relationship with God is clearest self- revelation that we humans can grasp – the kind of “Father” God is. This is “the truth” about relating to God and God relating to us.

25. Truth? RELATIONAL ABOVE ALL ELSE! “DON’T KNOW MUCH, BUT I KNOW I LOVE YOU. AND, THAT MAY BE ALL I NEED TO KNOW” (Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville) TRUTH IS ABOVE ALL ELSE – RELATIONAL. DO YOU KNOW/EXPERIENCE THAT THE FATHER LOVES YOU/US?

26. JESUS: “I AM THE LIFE” from the Father CREATION GOAL: From Genesis 1 and 2 forward – God’s goal – humans in the image of God and breathing the life of God into us humans until we become “THE FAMILY OF GOD” Now we can see – if we trust – “the life” God wants to give us is the life God has given Jesus. Life that is available if we will trust what God has done for us through God’s relationship with Jesus and Jesus’ relationship with God. Taste now the life of God’s future for humanity.

27. SUMMARY: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD & JESUS – THE WAY TO “see” and “know (experience)” the FATHER – the TRUTH & LIFE being “prepared” for us (not fully here yet, taste preparing!) prepared by GOD AS FATHER prepared by JESUS AS the FATHER’S SON prepared for US as CHILDREN of GOD and BROTHERS & SISTERS of JESUS

28. COMFORT I/You/We do not have to get everything right I/You/We do not have to figure everything out Father loves you/us/me Jesus loves you/us/me Father’s relationship with Jesus is the evidence and the comfort!!!

29. CHALLENGE Trusting – and living out that trust – that God is Good, and is the Real Father, in a broken and sometimes horrible world, is only way to know God more fully as the Father God really is. Trusting what God has done in Jesus is the only way to know the way God wants us to live in this broken world in order to experience more of the truth and more life that God as Father is preparing for us – more of what it really means to be human and the family of God.

30. COMMUNION CELEBRATION: OF GOD AS FATHER TO JESUS COMFORT: THAT THROUGH JESUS THE FATHER INCLUDES US in that GIFT CHALLENGE: to LIVE TRUSTING AS JESUS TRUSTED IS THE “WAY” to MORE “TRUTH” & MORE “LIFE” – the “WAY” to “seeing” the FATHER!