Our Only Hope - Jesus (Part 2)

 

[Jesus said] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3 ESV).

 

The Bible does not ignore trouble. From the garden in Genesis to the final battle in Revelation, trouble is a part of the picture. Our reading comes from the fourteenth chapter of John’s gospel. It is full of incredible encouragement as Jesus and His disciples face the last moments of His life on earth. We see that even here in the room with Jesus and his disciples there has been trouble. Jesus has spoken of Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial. While the intimate picture John paints of Jesus’ last hours with his disciples is beautiful in many ways, it is not a perfect picture. And for this we can be glad, for our lives are not perfect pictures either.

 

A spiritual song that came out of the United States’ use of slavery says, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.” Not one of us gets through life without encountering difficulty and pain. Sometimes our troubles are so deep, our pain so profound, that it’s hard to have hope. If this describes your life right now, know that Jesus’ words are for you. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”

 

Please notice that Jesus is not saying we should simply ignore or minimize our troubles. No. Jesus’ instructions are simple: Trust the Father; trust me. That is what’s needed. That is what brings hope to a troubled heart. Trust the One who holds your future. Trouble does not have the final word. Trust Jesus, who has given his life to secure for you an eternal home and who offers hope for your troubled heart today.