I am conscious that my grief is not unique. My dad was 92 and we had a great relationship. I am aware that most of you have lost loved
ones. Pain is an inevitable consequence of
living in a fallen world.
My grief is somewhat complicated by the fact that I struggle
with an anxiety disorder, but again that does not make me unique. I am aware that many of you will struggle with
mental health issues, or have people you love who do.
This morning I want us to see that Jesus speaks into our suffering
at Easter time.
I have three points:
- Easter
shows us that we have no friend like Jesus.
- Easter
shows us the depths of His love.
-
Easter shows us that Jesus wants us.
1. Easter shows us that we have no friend like
Jesus
Do not let your hearts
be troubled. Trust God. Trust also in me.’
These are the words that I feel Jesus has been challenging
me with at this time. ‘Trust me.’ But why would we trust Jesus? Well look at the sort of friend that He is!
This is the night before the crucifixion. On that night Jesus could have demanded that
the disciples comfort Him, for he was going to go through far more than
they. But instead He comforted
them. It was almost as if He was more
concerned about their suffering than His own.
Then think of who this is that He is comforting. He knows that these men will desert him at His
greatest hour of need. But He holds no
bitterness against them.
There is no friend like Jesus.
He then tells them that He will deal with our greatest fear,
the fear of death.
In my Father’s house
are many rooms, if it were not so would I have told you? We misunderstand Jesus if we think that He is
reluctant to bring people to the Father’s house. He is a God who delights to rescue people.
But how do we cope as we live in the shadow of death. The Good Shepherd is with us. These disciples will have many difficult days
in the years ahead, but he will be with them.
Look down at verse 18, ‘I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to
you.’ He is talking about how He wills send
them Holy Spirit after He has ascended to heaven. Somehow, where the Spirit is, there the Father
and the Son are also.
One of the terms we use for the Holy Spirit is ‘comforter.’ God promises to be close to the broken
hearted and to lift up those who are crushed in spirit’ (Ps. 34:18). He is more than close to us, He is in us.
2. Easter shows us the depths of Jesus love
‘… I am going there to
prepare a room for you’ (2b).
I don’t think that He is saying that ‘I am going to my
Father’s house and when I am there I will spend my time decorating a room for
you.’ I think He is saying, ‘I am going,
and in my going via the cross and the resurrection, I am preparing a room for
you in my Father’s house.’
It is as He takes our guilt upon Himself on the cross and as
He is raised to life that we are made ready for heaven. Through His work we are forgiven and changed. Being a Christian is not about what we do for
God, but accepting what He has done for us in Jesus.
This life is genuinely offered to all of us. Jesus desired than none would reject it. But if we refuse His love and will not let
Him transform us by His grace then we will be excluded from His forgiveness and
spend eternity apart from Him. I wish it
were not so, but that is the clear teaching of the Bible.
C. S. Lewis explained that at the end of the day there are
only two types of people. Those who say
to God, ‘Thy will be done’, and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’ All those in hell choose it.
Easter shows us that
Jesus wants us
‘And if I go to prepare
a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you may be
where I am’ (3).
There is a debate about what this coming back is referring to. Is it Jesus’ coming back to be with them
after the resurrection, or when He sends the Holy Spirit, of bring us to
Himself at the end of our lives or His final return? I don’t know.
But what I do know is that it expresses His longing. It is almost as if He is saying to them, ‘I
love you so much, that I must have you in my Father’s house with me. The Father’s house without my people is not
enough for me. So, I will come back to
bring you to where I am.’
Indeed, this longing gives us the assurance that He will
never let us go. ‘And this is the will
of my Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of them that He has given me, but
raise them up on the last day’ (6:39).
Conclusion
Many of you have experienced greater grief than I am going
through. Jesus suffered more than all of
us. In this life we will have many
sorrows. But He has given us the
Comforter, and He has given us each other.
He has given us His Word, with promises of His presence and wisdom for
our need. And he speaks of a future day,
when the risen Christ brings all our pain to an end. Then there will be no more crying or sickness
or pain or death. Then God Himself will
wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Easter shows us that Jesus is a trustworthy friend.
Easter shows us the depths of His love.
Easter shows us that Jesus wants to be with us.
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