I AM the road

This Sunday I preached from John 14:1-14. Jesus had just told his disciples in the upper room that Judas would betray him, Peter would deny him and that he was leaving them, but not to be troubled. This was someone the disciples had left everything for, had followed for the last 3 years yet he was going to leave them. They had to be shaken up, this was turning their world upside down. Jesus had not done what they thought he had come to do. He did not take over the kingdom. The Romans still had control. Jesus then said he would come back to get them to take them to where he was going, and that they would know they way. Thomas is the disciple I relate to most. He always had a question or a statement because he quite did not understand everything going on. Remember he has the name Doubting Thomas for a reason. He wanted to see Jesus nail scarred hands in order to believe. I do not think it was just his doubt that mad him want to see Jesus hands. His world had been rocked, Jesus just died in front of him and he was pretty dismayed. I think he longed to be reunited with Christ, to see him because he missed him. Coming back to John 14, Thomas replied, "How can we know the way, we do not know where you are going?" This response led Jesus to say one of the most known/talked about scriptures ever. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one shall go to see the Father but through me." Thomas did not understand that he did not need to know where Jesus was going, because all he had to do was follow him. Exactly what he had been doing for the last three years. Jesus was trying to say it is not about going a specific direction or even an eventual destination. As long as you follow me, you will be fine. The way can be translated to "the road." Being a disciple of Jesus means to continue to follow him along the road. The road is the right direction and will get you to an eventual destination, but it is still not about the direction or destination. Anyone that has been on a road trip knows what I am talking about. The drive/journey along the road can be just as much fun as what happens at the eventual destination. Relationships are strengthened, stories are told, laughter is shared, games are played. Guards come down, trust is built, bonds are made that would have never happened otherwise. Heartland is now on the road. We are following Jesus along the way. We are building disciples. We might be like Thomas and do not know where we are going yet but we know we are following Jesus and that is the most important thing.