Bible Studies for Life: March 20

A Life of Trust • John 13:36-14:6

By Lee Faler

Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, isn’t it? In many cases it takes a lifetime to build trust and only a few moments, or less, to lose it. We are quickly becoming a society that struggles to trust anyone regardless of their position.

Pastors, politicians, and even parents have all broken our trust at some point, leading us to wonder if anyone can be trusted. Yet the Bible teaches us that Jesus is worthy of and demands our trust. Today I want us to answer the question, “Why is Jesus worthy of our trust?”

We see first that Jesus is worthy of our trust because of who He is. This is made evident for us in John 14:1. Here Jesus tells the disciples to, “not let your hearts be troubled.” Why would Jesus tell them this? Could it be because their hearts were indeed troubled?

Consider the context: Jesus has prophesied that one of the disciples would betray Him, He has informed them that He is leaving them and they cannot follow Him, and He has informed Peter that he would personally deny Him three times. Imagine the emotions the disciples must have felt!

They needed comforting, so Jesus comforts them by essentially saying, “Since you believe in God, believe also in me. If the Father is worthy of your trust, so am I.” This verse is a simple reminder to every heart that is troubled that Jesus is not just 50% God, and He is not similar to God. He is God. He is not created; rather, He is Creator. He is not of similar nature as the Father; He is the same nature as the Father.

Jesus would later tell His disciple Phillip, “Whoever has seen me has the Father” (John 14:9 ESV). The Christian faith has a claim that no other faith can make: our God came down for us! What a wonderful and comforting reminder of who Jesus is. Jesus is worthy of our trust because of who He is.

Secondly, Jesus is worthy of our trust because of what He is currently doing and will one day do. Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus doesn’t only seek to comfort the disciples by just telling them who He is? He also reassures their hearts by informing them of what He is going to do while He is away, and what He will one day do for not only them, but all who believe.

He tells them that He is going to “prepare a place” for them in verse three and that in His Father’s house are many rooms. Some translations render “rooms” as “mansions.” We should not allow the ambiguity of whether we will have a room or a mansion in heaven to be a cause for stumbling or debate. Instead, we should be humbled that we would even get to go to heaven.

Jesus also promises in verse three that He will “come again” and take us to Himself, so that where He is we may be also one day.

While we don’t know all the details surrounding heaven or the return of Christ, we do know that we have a lot to joyfully anticipate. We know that sin and sickness won’t be in heaven, and Jesus will be.

Jesus is worthy of our trust because of what He is currently doing (preparing a place for us), and what He will one day do upon His return. May we sing along with the famous hymn, “What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see.”

Finally, Jesus is worthy of our trust because of the way He has provided for us. Jesus says in verse six that He is, “the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Apart from Christ we have absolutely no way to get to the Father, and no way to live in heaven. Apart from Christ we are dead in our sins, followers of self, Satan, and the world, and children destined for the wrath of God from birth (Ephesians 2:1-3).

However, in His infinite mercy God has freely and richly provided the way to have our sins forgiven, experience new life in Christ, and live forever in heaven when we die. This is the promise made not just to us but to anyone and everyone who will call on the name of the Lord seeking to be saved.

May we say along with Proverbs 3:5-6 that we will, “Trust in the LORD with all our hearts.” 

Faler is senior pastor of First Church, Terry.