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What To Remember Amid Anxieties About The Future
(John 14:1-7)
Mari Ikeda
Today we continue with the Gospel of John, reading from 14:1-7.
The passage we’ve been reading lately is where Jesus foretells that he will soon be arrested and executed, and that his disciples will abandon him and flee. Yet Jesus shows no anger toward his disciples; rather, he is deeply concerned for them. He knew that for these disciples, who had loved him and given up nearly everything to follow him, both his execution and their own betrayal would be a tremendous trial. That’s why, throughout chapters 13 through 17, which we’ve been reading for several weeks now, Jesus repeatedly tells them, “You may not understand the meaning of what you are about to experience right now, but the time will come when you will understand.” And he teaches them to trust in God at all times and never lose hope.
For this reason, the series of Jesus’ words up to chapter 17 are words of encouragement for His disciples, and for us as well. Today’s passage especially teaches us what we should remember when the future we envisioned is unexpectedly cut short, or when we feel powerless and don’t know what to do about it.
Though it’s a short passage, I’d like to read it bit by bit. First, verses 1-2.
1. God’s love is greater than we can imagine (1-2)
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
Why did Jesus tell his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”? Let us briefly recall the situation the disciples found themselves in at that time.
Jesus warned His disciples that from this point onward, they would be unable to follow Him for a time. This meant they did not truly understand Him and could not endure the suffering He was about to face. When Peter, the chief disciple, heard this, he insisted, “That won’t happen! I’m ready to lay down my life for You!” But Jesus declared that even Peter would deny him three times and betray him. That is the content of the passage immediately preceding today’s reading, which we read last time.
This conversation between Jesus and Peter was undoubtedly shocking to Peter himself, but it must have also upset the other disciples who heard it. If even Peter, the foremost disciple, would betray Jesus, they must have been terrified to think what would happen to Jesus and what trials would befall them.
Moreover, the very idea that Jesus would leave them behind must have unsettled the disciples. They had encountered Jesus, abandoned their former lives, to follow him. Moved by how deeply he valued each one of them, they placed their hope in him—believing he was the one who would touch people’s hearts and improve society as a whole. The thought that this teacher they respected and placed their hopes in might suddenly leave them behind was understandably disturbing.
Thus, at this moment, the disciples found themselves on the brink of having the future they had so hopefully envisioned cut short. Even as they understood this, they were gripped by a sense of helplessness and anxiety, knowing there was nothing they could do about it. They wanted to follow Jesus but could not, and the reason lay in their own weakness.
We all have times like this. Times when we want to believe in hope but can’t, and don’t know what to do. Times when the trials before us seem too great, and we want to believe in Jesus but can’t. In such times, Jesus’ words today are spoken to us too: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” As I always say, believing in God, believing in Jesus, means believing in God’s love.
The nature of God’s love is hinted at in Jesus’s subsequent words: “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” Again, Jesus is saying this to the very disciples who will betray him. Jesus knows the weakness of His disciples and our own weakness. He forgives us, who cannot believe in God’s love, and still welcomes us. God’s love is a love that forgives and continues to love even those who reject Him. It is a love poured out unceasingly, regardless of our attitude, whether we believe or not. It is also a love that forgives our mistakes and betrayals.
When we lose hope for our future, when unexpected trials strike, it’s hard to believe that God’s love remains unchanged. Yet that belief is the first step toward regaining hope. And Jesus has prepared the way for us to do so. I’ll talk more about that later. Let’s read on to verse 3.
2. God has not forgotten us (3)
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Jesus says here that His departure is only temporary and that He will surely return. The place He says He is going is “the Father’s house,” meaning God’s house, which is heaven. Jesus died on the cross, rose again three days later, and then ascended to heaven. In that sense, the place Jesus is going to is heaven, and His return from there refers to the promise that at the end of this world, Jesus will come back to earth in a visible form for us to see. At that time, it is promised that the dead will be resurrected, and those who love Jesus will live with Him forever at His side. The church calls this the “Second Coming” of Jesus, believing it to be the hopeful time when the injustice and suffering humanity has brought upon this world will be judged by God, and God’s love will be fully realized.
How does this relate to our daily lives? It assures us that even when we find ourselves in realities that make us doubt God’s existence, those realities are not eternal, and God has not forgotten us. God is certainly not present in a form visible to our eyes right now. And many people despair because of the wars humans cause, the gap between rich and poor, and the exploitation and discrimination repeated within society and between individuals. If God were truly indifferent to all this, we would indeed have no choice but to despair. But God is not indifferent. God is still working to change this world, using those who believe in God and people of good will. And God has promised to return to this world in the end. Therefore, we must not despair over our own powerlessness or the cruelty , nor give up on striving to make this world better.
Furthermore, Jesus’ words here carry another meaning. While Jesus was heading toward heaven, heaven is not a place accessible only after physical death. As Jesus said, heaven is the “Father’s house,” the “house of God.” It is a place where God’s love reigns. It is a place where nothing separates us from God, where we can rest secure in His presence. It is not a physical location, but a place that exists within our hearts. When we believe we are loved by God and strive to share that love with those around us, heaven manifests there. God’s love is realized within relationships where we forgive each other’s mistakes, seek to understand one another, and support each other. God and Jesus are there with us.
So what does it mean that Jesus had to go and prepare a place for us? Reading verses 4-7 that will become clear. Let’s read them.
3. Jesus has become our way (4-7)
4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Jesus’ words, “You know the way to the place where I am going,” seem to contradict what he had said before, so it’s only natural that Thomas asked his question. Not just Thomas, but I think all the disciples were confused in their hearts, thinking, “Weren’t you the one who said, ‘You cannot follow me’?”
The true meaning of Jesus’ words lies hidden in His statement: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This means that the way to God’s house, the way to know God’s love, is Jesus Himself. Therefore, if you know Jesus, you know the way; and since the disciples knew Jesus, they knew the way.
Even hearing this, the disciples probably didn’t understand, and neither would we immediately. The key to grasping Jesus’ true meaning lies in paying attention to what it means to “know” Him. At that time, the disciples certainly knew Jesus well as a respected teacher. But they did not know Him as the Son of God who would give His life on the cross and rise from the dead three days later. We are the same. Unless we know that Jesus is God Himself, who died and rose again for us, we cannot know God’s love. For His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection three days later prove the breadth and depth of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and love toward us.
Therefore, if we know that Jesus is the only Son sent by God, that He came into this world to lay down His life, that He did exactly that, and that He fulfilled God’s will, then we also come to know what kind of God the Father is. As Jesus says in verse 7: “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
So then, what does Jesus mean when He says at the very beginning today, “I am going to prepare a place for you”? It refers to Jesus suffering and dying on the cross, and then rising again. For God’s love to reach us, our sin stands in the way. To remove it, Jesus Himself had to become our substitute, suffering and dying in our place. By dying on the cross, Jesus opened the way for us to know God’s love, the way back to God’s house. At the same time, Jesus Himself embodied what God’s love is like, what God is like, and what God’s home is like. Therefore, Jesus is the Way itself. And it is Jesus who guides us along that path. Thus, Jesus is the One who opened the way, the Way itself, and the Guide along the way.
Even if we are overcome by uncertainty about the future, even if we lose our way, the path we should walk is already laid out before us. It is the path of suffering that Jesus walked, a path we walk with Him, aiming for God’s love. Even when we cannot see what lies ahead, God has not forgotten us. He loves us unceasingly and promises us hope for the future. Therefore, no matter what happens, if we place our hope in God, who works beyond our imagination, and take one step forward at a time, we will absolutely be okay.
(Prayer) Let us pray. Lord Jesus, thank You for always walking with us. Even when we did not know You, even when we turned our backs on You, You remained the One who unceasingly shows us mercy and love. When we lose our way in anxiety and loneliness, please help us to feel Your presence beside us. Fill us with Your Spirit and show us the direction we should walk. And let us believe that this path is filled with Your hope. Lord Jesus, we pray in Your name. Amen.
Summary
When the future we once envisioned is cut short, or when we feel powerless against it, we become shaken, anxious, and sometimes even despair. Yet no matter what the circumstances, there is no change in the fact that God knows us and pours out His love upon us. God’s love is wider and deeper than we can imagine. Though we may not see it, God’s good plans for us continue. Through His death on the cross, Jesus proved this and opened a way for us to never lose hope, in every circumstance.
For Discussion
1. What does it mean that Jesus is our way?
2. What goal are you pursuing in life?