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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
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The 5th Sunday of Easter (A) In the Name of him who is the way, the truth, and the life – Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In today's gospel Jesus talks about heaven - or as he calls it, "my Father's house". But what exactly is heaven, and what is it like? Many people in the past have visualized heaven as being a place in which the streets are paved with gold. A place that is somewhere “up there” and far, far away. A tabloid newspaper I once saw in a supermarket checkout lane had the following headline (some of you may have heard me mention this before): “Hubble Telescope Discovers Heaven!” Under the headline, there was a picture which looked suspiciously like the Emerald City of the old Wizard of Oz movie – along with a quote from a supposed “NASA scientist”: “We’ve discovered the place where God lives!” But heaven is not a city somewhere out in space far, far way. In today’s gospel, Jesus shows that heaven simply means being with God. Wherever God is, that is where heaven is! And the “way” to get to heaven – that is, the “way” for us to know God and experience his love – is through knowing and trusting Jesus. Jesus begins today’s gospel text by saying: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." The situation was this. Jesus was having what is known as his Last Supper with his disciples in the upper room. He knew that soon he would be arrested and put to death. Jesus wanted to assure his disciples that his death would not be the end, but rather would be the means through which they and others would come to know God’s love in its total completeness. That is why Jesus tells them that he is going to prepare a “place” for them. He is not necessarily talking about some physical “place” like an apartment within his “Father’s house”. He is rather – by giving his life – preparing their hearts so that they can fully know and experience God’s love! Yes, their hearts – and our hearts – are the “places” that Jesus is preparing so that he and God can dwell there – and we can abide with them – forever! That is what heaven is all about! But how do we get to heaven – or to put it another way – to this heavenly existence? As the disciple Thomas asks Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" In reply Jesus answers; "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." It is this reply that I wish to focus on for most of the rest of this sermon. First, Jesus says that he is the WAY. Notice that he does not say that he TELLS us the way, but that he IS the way! William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible Commentary gives an example of what this means. He says, suppose we are in a strange town and ask for directions. Suppose the person asked says: "Take the first to the right, and the second to the left. Cross the square, go past the church, take the third on the right and the road you want is the fourth on the left." Chances are that we will be lost before we get halfway there! But suppose the person we ask says: "Come. I will take you there." In that case, Barclay says that person to us IS the way, and we cannot miss it. That is how Jesus brings us to God’s loving presence – to heaven. He does not only give advice and directions. But rather, he takes us by the hand and leads us; he strengthens us and guides us personally each and every day. Jesus does not tell us about the way to God, he IS the Way! Jesus also says that he is the TRUTH. Through him – his words, his deeds, and everything that he is – Jesus shows us what God is like. As Jesus later tells Philip in today’s gospel, “whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” By his genuine love for all people, his willingness to always forgive, and even to suffer and die for us, Jesus shows us the TRUTH about how God is like towards us. Through Jesus, we know that God is not a condemning judge who wants to send us to hell for our sins – but rather is like a loving Father who will do anything – even give his very life – so that we can be with him forever. That’s the TRUTH – and knowing that is heaven for us! Finally, Jesus says that he is the LIFE. “Life” means knowing God and having a relationship with God that is alive and real. It means knowing that God loves us and forgives us and cares for us and is with us always, even during times of turmoil and pain. It also means knowing that nothing – not even death itself – will ever be able to separate us from God’s love. Jesus says that he is the way and the truth for our being able to have this kind of a life with God! It is through Jesus – more than through any other person who has ever lived – that people have come to enjoy a personal, intimate and never-ending relationship with God as a loving Father. And that, too, is heaven for us! There may be a lot that we don’t know about heaven. We certainly do not – supermarket tabloid claims to the contrary – know where heaven IS. But we DO know that there is room there for all of us. We DO know that Jesus is lovingly preparing a “place” in heaven for us – by preparing our hearts. And we DO know that we do not have to “search” for heaven – because Jesus is the WAY who will bring us there. And thanks be to Jesus, we don’t need to search for heaven – because he brings us there. And thanks be to Jesus, we can have a taste of heaven right now. Thanks be to Jesus, he will take and lead us through life on this earth and through death and then give us life beyond the grave so that we can be with him forever. Thanks be to Jesus, our way, and our truth, and our life – who brings us to God – to heaven. Thanks be to Jesus! Amen! -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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