Do You Know The Way? (John 14:1-13)
John 14:1-13 | October 25, 2026
discussion guide and verses used below
Sermon Summary
This past Sunday we were in John 14:1-13, and we opened with Lewis and Clark.
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson commissioned an expedition to explore what lay beyond the Missouri River toward the Pacific. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out with compasses and blank parchments into unmapped wilderness. They hauled wooden boats over jagged rocks at the Great Falls. They stared down the Bitterroot Mountains with no road, no pass, no trail and carved one through snow and starvation so that those who came after wouldn't have to wander blindly. They didn't just reach the Pacific; they created a map and brought it back home.
That is a remarkable achievement. But the gospel gives us something infinitely greater than a mapmaker. When Jesus looked at a lost world wandering in darkness, cut off from the Father, with no idea which way was home, he didn't give us a us a set religious coordinates or a moral roadmap. He crossed the impassable chasm himself. He entered the darkness. Showing us that he is both the destination and the way to get there.
Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
In John 13:1 Jesus tells the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled. Why might they be troubled? Jesus has just told the disciples that he was going away, and that one of them will betray him. Then he told Peter that before the rooster crows, Peter would deny him three times. If Peter, the leader of the group, was going to crack under pressure, what hope did anyone else have? Their eyes were on their immediate circumstances, facing an external threat and internal confusion.
We face two of the same enemies they did. There is a real enemy outside of us, Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. And there is an enemy within. Paul names it plainly in Romans 7: "I have discovered this principle in life: when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong." There is a power inside him at war with his own mind, making him a slave to the very things he hates. "What a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life dominated by sin and death?"
The answer is right there in chapter 8: "There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." Jesus didn't leave the disciples because of their failure, and he does not leave us because we fail. He was going away not as an abandonment but as an accomplishment, to die on the cross, to take on the penalty we owe, and to send the Holy Spirit who would give us power over the sin that enslaves us. His righteousness is placed over our failure. When the Father looks at us, he sees the beauty of Christ. We are forgiven. We are free.
Grace doesn't mean license. Paul asks the obvious follow-up question, should we keep sinning since grace abounds? By no means! We were not rescued from bondage so we could run back to our chains. The whole Christian life is about being in relationship with God, being conformed into the image of his Son, and letting that change how we live.
Many Rooms
Jesus moves into one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture. "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?"
The King James translates "rooms" as "mansions," a word that traces back through Tyndale's Latin translation. The Greek word is simply a dwelling place, an abiding place. The image Jesus is drawing is from Jewish culture: when a young man married, he didn't go buy a house. He built a new room onto his father's house. Families grew, and houses grew with them. Jesus is saying: everyone who comes into the family of God through faith in him, there is a room for you. Maximum occupancy is not a concern.
And Jesus isn't just going to prepare the place and wait. His entire journey — the cross, the grave, the resurrection, the ascension — is the preparation. He is making it possible for us to be with him in eternity. He promises: "I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also."
The destination, by the way, is Eden restored. Not a disembodied existence in the clouds, but what Revelation 21-22 describes: heaven and earth combined, God dwelling with his people, the way it was before sin entered. The man and the woman in the garden, naked and unashamed, in perfect relationship with God and with each other. No strife, no separation, no death. That is where we are headed.
I Am the Way
Thomas speaks up: "Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" He's thinking geographically, which town, what road, can you draw us a map? Jesus is talking about going to the Father.
His answer is the heart of the passage: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
The early Christians were not called Christians at first. They were called followers of the Way, which caused Paul significant trouble before his conversion. He was hunting down people who "belonged to the Way," binding them and dragging them to Jerusalem (Acts 9:2). The name stuck because it captured something essential: Jesus isn't a guide who points the direction and walks away. He carries us. Romans 8 says we are in Christ Jesus, not following behind him at a safe distance, but in the one who is the way.
He is also the truth. John 1 tells us he came full of grace and truth, that grace and truth came through him. And the life. The same word that opens John's gospel: "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 10:10: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Whoever Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father
Philip pushes further: "Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us." Moses made a similar request in Exodus 33, and God told him that no one can see his full glory and live. He let Moses glimpse his passing presence, and even that left Moses's face glowing for days.
Jesus doesn't respond to Philip by telling him his request is impossible. Instead he says: "Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Colossians 1:15 calls him "the image of the invisible God." Hebrews 1:3 says he is "the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature."
Jesus is not comparing himself to God. He is the revelation of the Father. The Father and the Son share one divine essence, three persons, one God. To see Jesus is to see the Father.
Philip wanted a vision of God. He had been walking with one for three years.
Do you know the way?
Watch the full sermon above or on YouTube
Scriptures Referenced
discussion guide and verses used below
Sermon Summary
This past Sunday we were in John 14:1-13, and we opened with Lewis and Clark.
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson commissioned an expedition to explore what lay beyond the Missouri River toward the Pacific. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out with compasses and blank parchments into unmapped wilderness. They hauled wooden boats over jagged rocks at the Great Falls. They stared down the Bitterroot Mountains with no road, no pass, no trail and carved one through snow and starvation so that those who came after wouldn't have to wander blindly. They didn't just reach the Pacific; they created a map and brought it back home.
That is a remarkable achievement. But the gospel gives us something infinitely greater than a mapmaker. When Jesus looked at a lost world wandering in darkness, cut off from the Father, with no idea which way was home, he didn't give us a us a set religious coordinates or a moral roadmap. He crossed the impassable chasm himself. He entered the darkness. Showing us that he is both the destination and the way to get there.
Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
In John 13:1 Jesus tells the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled. Why might they be troubled? Jesus has just told the disciples that he was going away, and that one of them will betray him. Then he told Peter that before the rooster crows, Peter would deny him three times. If Peter, the leader of the group, was going to crack under pressure, what hope did anyone else have? Their eyes were on their immediate circumstances, facing an external threat and internal confusion.
We face two of the same enemies they did. There is a real enemy outside of us, Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. And there is an enemy within. Paul names it plainly in Romans 7: "I have discovered this principle in life: when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong." There is a power inside him at war with his own mind, making him a slave to the very things he hates. "What a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life dominated by sin and death?"
The answer is right there in chapter 8: "There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." Jesus didn't leave the disciples because of their failure, and he does not leave us because we fail. He was going away not as an abandonment but as an accomplishment, to die on the cross, to take on the penalty we owe, and to send the Holy Spirit who would give us power over the sin that enslaves us. His righteousness is placed over our failure. When the Father looks at us, he sees the beauty of Christ. We are forgiven. We are free.
Grace doesn't mean license. Paul asks the obvious follow-up question, should we keep sinning since grace abounds? By no means! We were not rescued from bondage so we could run back to our chains. The whole Christian life is about being in relationship with God, being conformed into the image of his Son, and letting that change how we live.
Many Rooms
Jesus moves into one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture. "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?"
The King James translates "rooms" as "mansions," a word that traces back through Tyndale's Latin translation. The Greek word is simply a dwelling place, an abiding place. The image Jesus is drawing is from Jewish culture: when a young man married, he didn't go buy a house. He built a new room onto his father's house. Families grew, and houses grew with them. Jesus is saying: everyone who comes into the family of God through faith in him, there is a room for you. Maximum occupancy is not a concern.
And Jesus isn't just going to prepare the place and wait. His entire journey — the cross, the grave, the resurrection, the ascension — is the preparation. He is making it possible for us to be with him in eternity. He promises: "I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also."
The destination, by the way, is Eden restored. Not a disembodied existence in the clouds, but what Revelation 21-22 describes: heaven and earth combined, God dwelling with his people, the way it was before sin entered. The man and the woman in the garden, naked and unashamed, in perfect relationship with God and with each other. No strife, no separation, no death. That is where we are headed.
I Am the Way
Thomas speaks up: "Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" He's thinking geographically, which town, what road, can you draw us a map? Jesus is talking about going to the Father.
His answer is the heart of the passage: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
The early Christians were not called Christians at first. They were called followers of the Way, which caused Paul significant trouble before his conversion. He was hunting down people who "belonged to the Way," binding them and dragging them to Jerusalem (Acts 9:2). The name stuck because it captured something essential: Jesus isn't a guide who points the direction and walks away. He carries us. Romans 8 says we are in Christ Jesus, not following behind him at a safe distance, but in the one who is the way.
He is also the truth. John 1 tells us he came full of grace and truth, that grace and truth came through him. And the life. The same word that opens John's gospel: "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 10:10: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Whoever Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father
Philip pushes further: "Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us." Moses made a similar request in Exodus 33, and God told him that no one can see his full glory and live. He let Moses glimpse his passing presence, and even that left Moses's face glowing for days.
Jesus doesn't respond to Philip by telling him his request is impossible. Instead he says: "Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Colossians 1:15 calls him "the image of the invisible God." Hebrews 1:3 says he is "the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature."
Jesus is not comparing himself to God. He is the revelation of the Father. The Father and the Son share one divine essence, three persons, one God. To see Jesus is to see the Father.
Philip wanted a vision of God. He had been walking with one for three years.
Do you know the way?
Watch the full sermon above or on YouTube
Scriptures Referenced
- John 14:1-13
- John 13:21, 33, 38; 14:27-28 (betrayal announced; "where I am going you cannot come"; Peter's denial)
- John 1:1-4 (in the beginning was the Word; in him was life)
- John 1:14, 17 (word became flesh, full of grace and truth; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ)
- 1 Peter 5:8 (Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion)
- John 3:16 (God so loved the world; eternal life)
- John 8:32 (The truth will set you free)
- John 10:10 (I came that they may have life and have it abundantly)
- John 17 (Father and Son are one — referenced ahead)
- Romans 7:15-25 (I do what I don't want to do; who will free me?)
- Romans 8:1-4 (no condemnation in Christ; the Spirit frees from the power of sin)
- 1 Peter 5:8 (the devil prowls like a roaring lion)
- Colossians 1:15 (image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation)
- Hebrews 1:3 (radiance of the glory of God; exact imprint of his nature)
- Hebrews 10:12 (Christ sat down at the right hand of God after his single sacrifice)
- 1 Timothy 6:16 (God dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see)
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 (now we see dimly; then I will know as I am known)
- Exodus 33:20-23, Deuteronomy 4:12-16 (Moses asks to see God's glory; cannot see God's face and live)
- Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4, 14; 24:22 (early Christians called "the Way")
- Revelation 21-22 (the new heaven and earth; God dwelling with his people)
Sermon Discussion Guide
Do You Know the Way? | Text: John 14:1–13
Getting to Know Me
To the Leader: Our primary goal is building authentic, Christ-centered relationships around God’s Word. Remember: you have more material here than you can cover in an hour. You do not need to cover all questions or take them in numerical order. Pick the questions best suited to your group, prioritize authentic sharing, and safeguard at least 20 minutes for prayer.
Getting to Know Me
- When you’re traveling to a new destination and miss an exit or take a wrong turn, which of the following best describes your instinctive reaction?
- [ ] Immediately pull over and study the map/GPS
- [ ] Keep driving in the general direction, confident it’ll connect back
- [ ] Ask the passenger to double-check directions
- [ ] Refuse to admit you’re lost until the fuel light comes on
- Think back to a time you were away from home and felt stressed, sick, or exhausted. What is it about walking back through your own front door that brings instant relief?
- Reviewing your sermon notes from this past weekend, what was one point, illustration, or verse that you found particularly encouraging, challenging, or surprising?
- When Our Hearts Are Troubled
In John 14:1, Jesus urged the disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled." In the Upper Room, their anxiety came from hearing that someone would betray Him, Peter would deny Him, and Jesus was leaving.
Read Romans 7:21–25 and Romans 8:1–4.- Paul is remarkably transparent about his own struggles with sin. How does knowing that even seasoned believers experience this internal battle encourage you?
- Sunday we discussed the "cloak of righteousness" (Christ's imputed righteousness). How does Romans 8:1–2, 9-11 free us from chronic, low-grade guilt while still motivating us to walk according to the Spirit?
- Roadmaps vs. The Way
Read the following passages that expand on how God guides His people:- Proverbs 3:5–6 & 14:12
- Isaiah 30:19–21
- Hebrews 10:19–23
Passage The Human Tendency God’s Promise / Provision Proverbs 14:12 Believing a path seems right in our own eyes Isaiah 30:21 Wandering to the right or left Hebrews 10:19–22 Fear or hesitation in approaching God - In what ways does having Jesus Himself as "The Way" give you greater peace than merely having a set of religious rules or moral principles?
- In what ways does having Jesus Himself as "The Way" give you greater peace than merely having a set of religious rules or moral principles?
- Seeing the Father
Philip asked Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us" (John 14:8).- Read Exodus 33:18–23 and Colossians 1:15–19. Why was Moses unable to see God’s full face, and how has Jesus bridged that gap for us?
- How does knowing that Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature reshape how you think about God's attitude toward you when you stumble?
- In our sermon, we saw that Thomas wanted an exact route and destination before trusting the next step. In what circumstance right now are you tempted to demand a "turn-by-turn itinerary" from God instead of simply walking with Him day by day?
- When life feels overwhelming, what practices or truths help you remember that Christ has already prepared a dwelling place for you in eternity (John 14:2–3)?
- Is there someone in your circle of influence (family member, coworker, neighbor) whose heart is clearly troubled right now? How can you extend Christ's comfort or point them toward "The Way" this week?
- Sentence Prayers: Keep spoken prayers to one item at a time so everyone who wishes to participate feels comfortable praying out loud.
- Items to Lift Up:
- Pray for specific areas where group members have carried troubled hearts, stress, or self-condemnation this week.
- Pray for our church body as we seek to be a welcoming home for newcomers seeking Christ.
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