In John 14 we see something of the kindness and tenderness of our Lord Jesus. He is facing the agony of the cross, He knows what lies ahead, that He will be abandoned, mocked, spat on, flogged, crucified and worse of all face the wrath of His Father so that we don’t have to. And yet, He takes time to comfort troubled disciples before He faces all this.
Do you see His care for troubled, anxious believers? “Let not your hearts be troubled” are wonderful words, but how can the disciples not be troubled?! They have left everything to follow Jesus and now he’s going to die! How can they not be troubled? Because, Jesus’ death is not an out of control accident or mistake, He is deliberately going to the cross so that the disciples and all who will trust Jesus will be able to enjoy being with God forever.
When Jesus says He is going to prepare a place for them, He is not saying He’s going to make the beds and fluff up the pillows. No, He’s going to the cross, to die for the disciples, to take the punishment that they (and all who belong to Jesus) deserve. His death is the way that He prepares the place for us. Wonderfully this means that all who turn to Jesus can know a place prepared for us. Jesus has done everything necessary for us to be able to enjoy being with Him forever. And one day He will return to judge the living and the dead, and at that point, He will bring with Him all who have trusted him into the Father’s presence forever, into the new heaven and the new earth.
Thomas brings everything back down to earth! “Lord we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Thomas does not understand and he’s honest enough to say so. What a great reassurance He gets from Jesus – “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The way to be with God forever is through Jesus, and only through Jesus. He is THE way, and there is no other way. The only way for us to have a relationship with God is through Jesus, not Mohammed, not Buddah, not Mary. We need to come to Jesus and Him alone. Our sin is so serious, that the only way for it to be dealt with is for God to take on flesh and die for us. That’s exactly what He’s done, that means death is not the end, we can know and enjoy God forever, but only if we come to Jesus.
How kind of Jesus to reassure His troubled disciples. And He doesn’t just promise that everything will be all right in the end, He says He will be with them forever through His Holy Spirit (v16). Because Jesus is taking our sin, God the Holy Spirit can come and dwell within us! We can know God forever, and that starts now with Him taking up residence in us. Have a look at the wonderful words in v23 “if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Why not spend some time thinking over what that means, and praising Jesus for what He has done for you.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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