April 20, 2008 — Fifth Sunday of Easter
“Jesus Gives You His Promises For Your Troubled Heart” — Vicar Huehn
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Dear friends in Christ,
When a loved one leaves us, we are often sad. Separation from a loved one can leave our hearts troubled. Our country has been in a war in the Middle East now for over five years, and many men and women, and boys and girls have been separated from their loved ones for a long time. Many of the men and women who left the comforts of home and their loved ones to fight for their country…promised their spouses and children, “Don’t worry…don’t be troubled…I’ll be home soon.” But unfortunately, the sacrifice of many lives is the inevitable part of any war. Promises have been broken…not out of choice…but because of sin. Because the wages of sin is death and because each and every person on this earth is appointed a place and time in which they will die and leave this earth… promises between human beings are often broken. And for those young mothers who have lost their husbands…and now raise their children without a father… there is not much consolation…except for the hope of seeing them once again someday in heaven…and taking pride in their husbands as a hero…one who died doing what he thought was right in protecting the future of his children and his country.
But there is good news for those who are troubled in their hearts. Today in our gospel lesson, Jesus comforts those who are troubled because of separation from loved ones. Jesus comforts his disciples who are deeply troubled because Jesus had told them that he is going away, and where he is going, they cannot come. But unlike the promises of human beings…which are often uncertain and unreliable… Jesus brings words of certainty to his disciples because His Word is truth. Jesus gives them these comforting words, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” So dear friends…this morning we focus on the Word of God as Jesus gives you His promises for your troubled heart.
As Jesus’ disciples reclined at table with him in the upper room, Jesus knew what their troubled hearts needed to hear. Jesus had been training and preparing them for years for the moment when he would leave them to fulfill His passion on the cross at Calvary… preparing them for when he would rise from the dead…greet them with the certainty of His resurrection and then ascend to the right hand of the Father. But the disciples still had a hard time understanding Jesus’ words. Peter, Thomas, and Andrew all spoke with questioning words of uncertainty. They were too troubled in their hearts to believe the words of Jesus...to believe in God…as Jesus had exhorted them to do. Jesus told them to relieve their troubled hearts by trusting in Him…the God-Man who was born into this world to die for them and all sinners…so that they might go to be with Him for eternity in the place which He would prepare for them.
Even though the disciples didn’t deserve to have a place with Jesus…Jesus calmly gave them His words of assurance that he would return to bring them to himself, that where Jesus is, they too may be with him also. Jesus even told them that they knew the way to where He was going, even though Thomas rejected Jesus words by saying, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” The disciples knew the way because Jesus had been telling them all along. He had been forecasting to them what was to come…but they had their own ideas as to what Jesus would do for them. They were caught up in their own sinful desires so that they didn’t hear Jesus words. The disciples knew the way because Jesus had been with them for three years now…teaching them His ways…teaching them about the Kingdom of God…even telling them three different times… that he must suffer and die and be raised again on the third day. And yet all of this had gone in one ear and out the other. They quickly forgot.
But Jesus took on their troubled hearts…he took on the troubled sinful hearts of all humanity that wouldn’t trust in his promises….and he took those troubles to the cross. He became troubled in his spirit for us. He became troubled so that we might not be troubled any longer… over our sins…over the uncertainty of our future with God…and over being separated from loved ones. Jesus reveals to us just how troubled he became for us in the 12th chapter of John’s gospel when he says, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour?” Despite how troubled Jesus was…he followed through with his plan…going through all the anguish and pain and suffering when he bore the full damnation of our sin upon himself. His soul was troubled more than ours could ever be. For he bore not only your sins but the sins of the whole world. He was forsaken by God the Father as the sin bearer.
And because of what Jesus did for you and me…there is a place where our hearts will no longer be troubled with the uncertainties of this sin filled world…you can also be certain that this place is awaiting you…Jesus has prepared a place in heaven for you and me and for all who have put their trust in the promises of God.
And Jesus has even more words of promise for the troubled heart in our text for today. In responses to Thomas’ uncertainty of knowing the way…Jesus doesn’t give him and the other disciples a map of where He is going…instead He tells them that the One speaking to them is the map…He is the way…because He is the great “I AM.” He is God in human flesh. And therefore He is the only truth, and the only One who gives life…eternal life…and He gives it to the fullest. Without Jesus, there is no other way to God. For as Jesus has revealed himself to his disciples and to all people who hear his words…he has revealed to them that they have the certainty that because they have seen Him…Jesus of Nazareth, they have also seen God the Father…because they are of one divine essence and substance.
Earlier in John’s gospel (Jn. 8:32) Jesus had told the Jews with his disciples observing close by, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Jesus words couldn’t be any clearer. He is the Word made flesh and He is the truth which would set all humanity free from their slavery to sin and death. Jesus also told his disciples in our gospel lesson for last week (Jn.10:10) his reason for coming to this world. He says, “I came that they…that is all people…may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus came into this world so that you and I could have eternal life with him forever. What a promise Jesus made and what a promise he fulfilled. When Jesus rose from the grave on Easter morning, he proclaimed his victory when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
In our text, Philip says to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus lightly rebukes Philip by asking him the pointed question. “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?” In other words, don’t you listen to me when I speak to you and tell you who I am? Again Jesus points Philip and the other disciples to himself by saying, “Whoever has seen me…Jesus Christ…has seen the Father.” Jesus even tells the disciples that his very words he speaks do not come from his own authority, but they come from the Father who dwells in Him. Jesus therefore is one with God the Father and therefore, He himself is fully God. Many have tried to deny the divinity of Jesus, but here Jesus words explain to the disciples and to all humanity that Jesus Christ is truly God. He could not be in the Father and the Father in him if he was not fully God.
It seems like the more we read the gospels, the more we can relate to the disciples. Even though we look at them as immature in their faith…often quite dense in understanding God’s ways…we can see that without God enlightening our hearts and minds by His Holy Spirit…we too would never know the way to God. We would continue to ask questions over and over even after Jesus told us the answer…and maybe we still do ask questions when Jesus has clearly revealed the answer to us. Without Jesus showing us the way through Him…by drowning us in our sin…and being crucified with Him in the waters of Holy Baptism…raising us up to new life through His resurrection from the dead…we would not know the promises of God for our troubled hearts. We on our own power could not come to believe in the Word of God without God working that faith in us. Dear friends in Christ, God has worked that faith in you…for you who are part of the body of Christ…your hearts need not be troubled any longer…you have the certainty of God’s promises. Jesus has shown you the Father because He is God in human flesh. He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. Let us rejoice that our savior Jesus Christ has come to calm our troubled hearts. To bring us peace by showing us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. By sending us the Holy Spirit to work faith in our hearts and strengthen that faith through the preaching and teaching of His Word. Jesus has assured us that a place is waiting for us with Him and that He will come to take us to that place. And for those loved ones who have died in Christ, we have Jesus promise that we will see them again too…in that special place prepared for all the faithful. So dear friends in Christ hear the words one last time as Jesus tells you, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” Amen.
