What are we so afraid of?
John 14:1-6
In this passage Jesus is instructing the twelve before his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus is also giving them some comforting words regarding the event that will follow. For us there is also a great lesson from these words.
We are living in very troublous times and there are truly many things that both troubling and scary. From politics to pandemics there are many confused and trouble people in this world today, but we are not just talking about lost people. Fear and trouble have entered into the church and saved people are very much caught up in this as well.
That is the reason that this passage is so valuable for us today. It not only gives us the command “Let not your heart be troubled”, but it also gives us the solution for when we are troubled.
Trouble – To agitate, to disturb, to put into a confused motion. [American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828]
The command:
“Let not your heart be troubled”
The solution for when we are troubled:
Step 1: Go back to what you know.
- Jesus said, “ye believe in God, believe also in me”.
- We must remember that Jesus is God and the creator of the universe. If a pandemic is going to destroy us then it must be of God. If climate change is going to destroy us then it must be brought on by God. If there is a massive government conspiracy that is trying to destroy us then God is either going to allow it to run its course, or he will keep us safe.
- The key is that he is still on the throne and still in control.
Step 2: We must remember that Jesus Christ is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the Life.
- What he has promised will come to pass.
- When you are troubled and not sure of the way you should go, he is the WAY.
- When you are confused and not sure who is telling the truth, Jesus is the TRUTH and his word never lies.
- When you are at the point of death or death has come to your loved ones remember Jesus is the LIFE, and there is no death in him.
Examples from the scriptures of things that trouble us:
1) Others (Luke 10:38-42)
- Martha was focused on Mary instead of who we are serving.
- When we get focused on others instead of Jesus Christ we will be troubled as Martha was troubled.
- This Solution is to go back to what we know and get back on to serving the way God has told us.
2) Storms of Life (Mark 6:45-52)
- The disciples were in the midst of the storm and Jesus was not with them. The wind, waves and rowing had affected them to the point that when Jesus came unto them walking on the sea, they thought he was a spirit and were troubled.
- The disciples lost sight of the truth that they knew. Jesus had already calmed the storm at sea once for them. It was also Jesus who also Jesus that had placed them in the boat and sent them to the other side.
- During troubles and storms of our lives if we are not careful fear will cause us to lose sight of the truth. We must look to Jesus is the truth and see what his word says and not google.
3) Death of a Loved One (John 11:33)
- Jesus groaned in the spirit and was troubled when he saw the suffering of Mary and others at the death of Lazarus.
- When a saved person goes home to be with the Lord, it is most difficult for those who are left behind, it is times like this that we must remember that Jesus is the Life.
4) End times (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
- In this verse we are admonished by Paul not to be troubled when we see the signs of the times.
- While the vaccine is not the mark of the beast, it is definitely a form of preparation that Satan will use to ready the world for his coming.
- It is during times like these that we must go back to what we know it true from the Bible and rejoice that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is near instead of letting Satan use this as a tool of division between saved people as he has done so well with this pandemic.