Fifth Sunday of Easter May 2-3, 2026
“A Better Place; A Clear Path” John 14:1-14
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
This might be a silly question, but I guess I need to ask it. Why do I get up here every Sunday? Why do I preach? What is the goal of talking with you, or at you, every week?
I need to be reminded, or to remind myself, that the goal of preaching and teaching is to present the truth of God to you. A sermon is all about God and His place in our life. A good sermon will leave you with the exclamation, “My, what a great God I have!” It is like John the Baptist said of his whole position in life, “He must become greater and I must become less.” (John 3:30).
Do you know that God is extravagant? Over and over again the excessive grace of God is present in the life of Jesus. The very first miracle that Jesus did set the tone. The first miracle was changing water into wine at the wedding of Cana. (See John 2:1-11) Do you remember the dilemma? They ran out of wine at the wedding. The party was going to be over. And Jesus takes 6 huge water jars – holding 20-30 gallons – each – and makes it into 150 gallons of wine. The party didn’t stop. Now that is excessive and extravagant.
Do you know the account of the feeding of the 5,000? (See John 6:1-13) Five thousand men, plus their families, came to listen to Jesus and they stayed longer than they should have. They had nothing to eat and Jesus, showing a power that none had ever seen, took two fish and five loaves of bread, and fed them all. Now, did each get a crumb, no, it says that they distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. Jesus did the same with the fish. He wasn’t chintzy. They had more left over than when they started. That is excessive and extravagant.
Prodigal Son. The party once he came home was a party to remember. Hamburgers and hot dogs? No. Steak. God doesn’t pinch pennies.
Jesus, in our reading tells us of His plan for our eternal future and He comforts us with His words for those who have left us to go to heaven already. “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And I will come back and take you to be with me that also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
Jesus spoke these words the day before His death upon the cross. He had the great days ahead of Him. Good Friday. Easter Sunday. The Ascension. He was going into heaven to prepare a place for those whose heart had been baptized and believing and ready. He says that we, and all those who belong to Him, will be with Him and He will be with us. What extravagance!
The disciples didn’t quite put everything together. They had heard that Jesus was going to get a place ready for them. They had heard that He was going there. They heard that He would come back and bring them to that place. And then He says, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:4). But they just shook their heads. What? Where? How? Thomas, who didn’t seem to mind speaking his mind – especially when things didn’t seem to make sense – said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
And Jesus made it all clear. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There is a better place, in fact a far better place, that we will spend our life when we are done living here. And the path to that place is crystal clear. It is through Jesus. It is a gift generously given to us. We make it our own through faith in Him.
A writer by the name of William Barclay gave this explanation to what Jesus said, “The Jews knew much about the way of God in which a man must walk. Jesus said: ‘I am the Way.’ What did he mean? 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 to the right and the road you want is the fourth on the left.’ The chances are that we will be lost before we get half-way. But suppose the person we ask says, ‘Come, I’ll take you there.’ In that case the person to us is the way, and we cannot miss it. That is what Jesus does for us. He does not only give advice and directions. He takes us by the hand and leads us; he strengthens us and guides us personally every day. He does not tell us about the way; he is the Way.” (William Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume 2, Page 157)
Remember – Jesus spoke these words the day before His crucifixion. He speaks about eternity – heaven and being in a place that He has prepared for us – and then He talks about how He will make that a gift to us. “How do we get there, Lord?” “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
We can’t get there because our sins are too great. They make us unfit for eternity. Our heads would be lowered in shame, afraid to look at God on the day of our death. We would never want God to see us. But the way to a confidence to stand before God without fear is to have Jesus take us to the Father. He stands with us and beside us.
Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to heaven. Through His death for all our sin of deeds and words and thoughts, or our pride of self-salvation, we are allowed to stand confidently before God. Paul, fully confident in the work of Jesus wrote, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
This section from John 14, this section about the extravagance of God and the saving work of Jesus, is spoken to hearts that were unsettled. Jesus had just spoken words like:
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. (John 13:33)
- Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered him, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” (John 13:38)
And now Jesus begins this section, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.” (John 14:1) Literally, Jesus says to them, “Stop being troubled.” They were already in distress. Life wasn’t tranquil or calm. Any sermon that is centered on Jesus and what He has done for us and what He is doing for us right now, is a sermon that impacts our life. Jesus had said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
I remember seeing a show titled “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. The first thing the show did was to tell you the situation of a family who lived in a house that had become run down. For many reasons the family could not keep up with the maintenance of a house. The place had been neglected. And it showed it. Somehow that family was chosen for a complete makeover of their house – at no cost to them!! The lucky folks left their house, moved into a motel and stayed there until the day when they returned home to their completely renovated house.
Blindfolded, they got out of their car and for the first time in months they saw what had happened to their shack. It now was the most beautiful “mansion” they had ever seen. Tears fill their eyes. Shock and amazement is seen on their faces. “How can this be?” “How did you ever do this?”
Hearts that were troubled months before, are now filled with joy and thankfulness. (I’m wondering if I should give the home makeover folks my address?)
Folks, we have a God who does more than we ask or imagine. We have a God who prepares the place of our eternal joy. We have a God, our Lord Jesus, who is happy to take us by the hand and bring us home. No disturbed hearts anymore.
Folks, what a great God we have!! Amen!!
