The Life, Truth and Way in the darkest of times
This can be listened to here
Gate Pa – Year A: 5th Sunday of Easter,
Readings:
Psalm Psalm:
31:1-5, 15-16
First Reading: Acts 7:55-60
Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel: John
14:1-14
What I want to
say:
what
do these words offered to disciples in depths of grief and impending
hopelessness offer us?
It
is Easter – what is that about
what might Jesus being “the way, the truth and life”
mean for us in this season
What I want to
happen:
people to live the way the truth
and the life
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
the words heard this morning were spoken as
words of hope in the midst of that darkness
so to help us hear these words in this context
hear
what they might offer us as an Easter people
invite you to spend moment thinking about (or
sharing) about time loss and grief
like share with your neighbour
2. John’s words
invite you to hold those thoughts and feelings
and to listen to Jesus words speaks to this loss and grief
“ 1 "Don't
let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. 2 There
is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have
told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? 3 And
if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can
live where I live. 4 And you already know the road I'm
taking."
6 "I am the
Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. 7 If
you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know
him. You've even seen him!"
“Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just
make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a
divine act.
11 "Believe
me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that,
believe what you see—these works. 12 The person who trusts me
will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way
to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can
count on it. 13 From now on, whatever you request along the
lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will
be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. 14 Whatever you
request in this way, I'll do.
what does Jesus offer us in these words?
where is hope? where is resurrection?
thoughts
3. Way, Truth and Life
Todays passage contains one sayings that some
of us struggle with
where Jesus says he is the way, the truth and
the life and no-one comes to the Father except through him
sounds like if you don’t believe Jesus is way,
truth and life – you’re out.
No access to God
è sometimes understood to mean that only
Christians will get into heaven
è feels very judgemental and exclusionary.
used to say that unless you accept that Jesus
is the only way to God
unless believe the right truths about Jesus
and God
you are not going to enter into life after
death with God
just doesn’t seem to fit with other things
that Jesus says in Johns gospel
4. Problems
want to suggest that there is a problem with
this
1. this assumes the point of Christianity is to
get into heaven
spoken about this before
using people like NT Wright suggested
point Christianity from the biblical point of
view
is not so much about getting into heaven
however we understand that
but about the fulfilment of God’s promise or
covenant to creation and all humanity
that all would be renewed through people of
Israel
blessed
to be a blessing.
As Jesus teaches in his prayer
“Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come on earth
as it is in heaven.”
Point of Christianity is so that God’s kingdom
or reign will come on earth as in heaven
not that we can get off earth into heaven.
so that’s the first problem
Jesus being the way, truth and life is not
about the way into heaven
but the way God is renewing creation and
offering life and hope to all people.
5. Conclusion – followers of the way.
what does it mean for Jesus to be the way,
truth and life?
what does it mean for us who are offered words
of hope and encouragement
as we continue to work out what it means to
live resurrected life?
as we continue to live out
your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven
How might we describe the way of Jesus
or the truth of Jesus
where might we say is the life of Jesus?
The way of Jesus is what he lived everyday and
showed in his dealings with people
way of compassion, generosity, mercy, justice,
forgiveness, love
especially
to least, the ones pushed to edge of society and treated as nonbeings
then we will know God
no-one comes to God the Father except through
God’s way of compassion, generosity, mercy, justice, forgiveness, love
especially to least
maybe this is why first Christians were called
– followers of the way.
Jesus the truth is how he lived out truth of
God’s on-going and infinite commitment/covenant to this world and all who live
in it
no-one comes to God the father except by
living out this truth
Jesus the life is invitation to discover that
life is found when we live the way of God for all people
Jesus the way, truth and life is not about
understanding and believing the right things about Jesus to get to God or to
heaven
invitation to live the way Jesus modelled for
us
with all our questions and doubts
uncertainties
don’t have to understand it all
don’t really have to understand any of what
Jesus story is about
simply invited to join in
and in joining the coming of God’s reign on
earth as in heaven
we will know God
we will know ourselves as well.
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