Believe

Farewells are no fun. We learn this even when we are children. The apostle John writes about Jesus saying farewell to his disciples, and they do not want Him to go. They had left everything to follow Him… their families, their professions, their homes… and now He has told them that He will be leaving them. Did the disciples know that He was predicting His death? Did they suspect this when He said, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later?” We don’t know. But we do know that they were troubled. Jesus answers their fears in John 14:1-4. He says, Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going. How is it that Jesus could say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” when He knew what was coming for these men who loved Him and had committed themselves to Him? This is hard, for death is troubling. But, Jesus has a reason… not just “its OK… you’ll be alright.” However, before He gives the reason, He gives a command, “believe.” This is one of the most important words in the whole Bible… it is how you get on the narrow way, the way of salvation, not by being a good man, not by going to church, not by praying. You have to believe. In Acts 16:25-31 we read about what happened to Paul and Silas when they were in prison, expecting to die. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your household." They didn’t die. There was an earthquake. And, because of the miracle, their jailor asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” What did Paul say? Be good? Go to church? No! He told the man to believe. Believe in the Lord Jesus! Notice that Paul did not tell him to believe in himself nor does he recommend belief in just anything… but in Jesus. Why Jesus? In John 1:4-5 we read about Jesus, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” And in John 1:14 we are told that, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” So Jesus is the giver of life. He is light even in darkness. He shows us God. In John 1:9-12 we read about Jesus, There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. You have to believe and receive Jesus to be born again… and you must be born again. Jesus tells us this in a conversation with a Jewish teacher in John 3:3-6. Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. We have all been born physically. In order to be comforted in the face of death, we need to be born spiritually. We must be born again. And, this spiritual birth begins with belief. Jesus makes this clear in John 3:16-18. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. There have been many who have claimed to have some way of salvation. But, our problem is sin, the result is judgment, and the penalty is death. Jesus is the only one in all of human history who has claimed to pay that penalty for you or for me. He died on the cross, taking our judgment upon Himself, so we could have new life in His death. Not only did He make this claim, and He died… but He rose again from the grave, proving that He has authority even over death. This is the reason that Jesus says to His disciples in John 14:2-3 that He is preparing them a place. It is a home forever, a perfect home. There will be no more tears, no pain, no infirmities, no blindness. It will be a perfect new heaven and new earth. This is the place He said He was preparing for His disciples. And He will prepare such a place for you, if you believe. And this is great comfort. But, Thomas did not understand this. John 14:5-6 tells of his question and Jesus’ answer. Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Notice that Jesus does not really answer his question. He doesn’t need to. There is much we don’t understand, and the Lord is not obligated to answer all of our questions. But He promises to provide all the answers we really need. And you can understand this. This is all you really need.

Jesus is the way, and there is no other way. If you believe and receive Jesus Christ, you have eternal life. If you refuse, you have judgment. It is as simple as that.