For our meditation, for coming to the table, I would ask that you take your copies of God's word and turn to that very familiar passage in John chapter 14. John chapter 14. First three verses. Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Again, these are familiar words of our Lord, but they are words spoken at a time when Jesus Christ knows the time of his crucifixion is near. We read in chapter 13 in verse one, these words. Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that his hour had come, that he would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his home, who were in the world, he loved them to the end. So he's fully aware of what's before him. These words are also spoken at a time when the disciples were very anxious. They know that Christ is soon going to leave them. They also know, as you read through chapter 13, that one of them is going to betray him. And they even ask the question, you know, is it I? Who is it that's gonna do such an evil thing as to betray our Savior? And so there was a real unsettledness and anxiety in the lives, excuse me, of these disciples. It was here that Christ tells the disciples these words in verse 33 of chapter 13. Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I have said to the Jews, now I say to you, where I am, you cannot come. And then he goes on in verse 36 and says, where I go, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me later. And all this points to the cross. All this points to him taking our sin upon himself. And you can even tell with how Peter responds to what Jesus has just said, that this announcement takes them by surprise. Have you ever found yourself at a time where you found out some news that, as we would say, just knocked you off your feet. It was unexpected. You did not see it coming. And there's an uncertainty that comes with that announcement. How will this turn out? What will happen? And you might find yourself with a very troubled heart. Imagine leaving everything for a person. And now that person tells you that they themselves are leaving. The world of the disciples was shattered. They would be bewildered, fearful, confused by the events that were about to transpire. anticipating their emotional turmoil, their feelings of anxiety, Jesus speaks. And he says, do not let your heart be troubled. He speaks words of comfort in the midst of anxiety. Jesus speaks to them in order to reassure them of rich and wonderful truths. Truths that many of us have repeated over and over again. J.C. Ryle says of what Christ says to his disciples, that for 18 centuries, they have been particularly dear to Christ believing servants in every part of the world. Many are the sick rooms, which they have lightened. Many are the dying hearts, which they have cheered. Let not your heart be troubled. Christ is ready to go to the cross. And with these words, he gives them, first of all, a prescription for a troubled heart. He secondly sets before them a provision for a troubled heart. And thirdly, he gives them a promise for a troubled heart. These three things. Have you ever had a troubled heart? Maybe some of you have a troubled heart even now. And Christ's words ought to bring you comfort and help in the midst of a troubled heart. So the first thing I want you to notice with me is the prescription for the troubled heart. Notice the wording. Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. believe also in me. The prescription for a troubled heart is faith. Faith. No one's exempted from a troubled heart. I'm sure if we took time and I ask you to give your own testimonies of certain situations and certain circumstances that really troubled your heart. We could all think of various occasions when we've gone through that. One man has said, even the best Christians have many bitter cups to drink between grace and glory. Even the holiest saints find the world a veil of tears. Notice that believing in this context, believe in God, believe also in me, believing has a sense of an antidote for a troubled heart. Both verbs are found, as we would say, as present imperatives. And while the disciples undoubtedly believe Jesus, These circumstances, especially what Jesus says is before them, shook their faith. So perhaps they began to waver. And Jesus commands them, keep on believing in God. Believe in him even after he leaves. It is a command in the present tense, which means it is continual. Keep on believing in the midst of these circumstances, in the midst of the unsettledness that comes, in the midst of the anxiety. Keep trusting God and me, Christ says. He's calling his disciples and he's calling us to rely upon and trust in him and God. Trusting they love us, trusting they care for us, and trusting they have a plan that will ultimately be for God's good and for his glory. As I look back in my life in those circumstances that were so unsettling and so troubling, I can remember the thought that I had in the midst of them was, God loves me and he loves whatever else is going on in somebody else's life more than I do. And I can trust him. I can trust him. He calls upon them to look beyond their immediate situations to the glorious provision and promise that He's gonna give them. And so in the midst of a troubled heart, keep believing. Increase in your faith. Trust Him. Isaiah 28, 16, behold, I'm laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation firmly placed, and he who believes in it will not be disturbed. We get disturbed all too often because of circumstances and situations. And his prescription for a troubled heart is faith, believe, trust him as you travel through it. Secondly, in the passage that we're looking at, notice the provision for a troubled heart. In my father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go and prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. Jesus, Jesus tells them that he's going to prepare a place. He says, in my father's house are many, I remember it's King James that says, in my father's house are many mansions. And so you get this idea that, oh man, I'm gonna have this great big mansion up there. And really, the term, it's a dwelling place. It's used here, and then it's used in chapter 14 in verse 23, our abode with him. It's the same word. It's where we're going to dwell. When I was growing up, we got more caught up with the mansion than the fact that he's prepared a place where we're going to dwell with him. And he's promised us this. There is my father's dwelling place. It is there. Whatever's troubling your heart is temporary. God's dwelling place is eternal. It's all about our focus. On things temporal or things eternal. Jesus. sought to remind them that God has prepared a place that has plenty of room for all of us. All of us. William Hendrickson says, according to the context, Jesus was comforting the disciples who dreaded to think of the coming separation. Now it is this connection that our Lord assures them that he's going away to his father's house had as its purpose a reunion and was not a permanent separation. In the place to which he is going, there is room for them all. In fact, his very going away, and when you think of his going away, don't think of him just running into heaven. When he tells his disciples, I'm going away, what's the next thing that happens? He's not gonna be ushered into heaven. He's going away to the cross. He's gonna give his life. And then we have the ascension. So when he says he's going away, think of his death on the cross. And what follows that? Then comes the Spirit. He's gonna give us a help and the Spirit will come. And all this makes the reunion possible. So that what looks like to be a tragedy was in reality a blessing. Him going to the cross was a horrible scene. It was a terrible scene. But in the end, it's a blessing. It's my only hope of eternal life and living with Him forever. Apart from Christ's death, there would be no work of the Holy Spirit, and there would be no place in heaven for His disciples. But Him going to the cross and sending His Spirit prepares the way for us to go to Him. It's all part of it. And so here's this beautiful provision of a dwelling place that he will provide. It's, look at it this way. One day, all right, get ready, there will be no troubled hearts. One day, there'll be no Earth-shattering news that knocks you off your feet and brings sadness or disappointment or discouragement. There's a day coming. Now, it's not it. So you can expect it now. But he's providing, and he's providing that by his own preparation, which means going to the cross and dying for his people. He takes our place. People who are so undeserving. I was just reminded this morning I preached on the Pharisee and the publican. And just going over that again and seeing that tax collector going into the temple. And it says that he stood at a distance. He knew he was unworthy to go into the presence of God. It said he would not look up, which demonstrates a disposition of guilt. He was undeserving to go into the presence of God. And then it said he beat his breast, which demonstrated a sense of helplessness, a sense of being unable to do anything in and of himself to go into the presence of God, unworthy, undeserving, and unable. It is the same language that Paul uses in Romans chapter five when he refers to us as helpless, ungodly sinners. But Jesus gave his life And for all who believe upon him, there's a righteousness which becomes ours, his righteousness, so that now, as we read there with the publican, he went home justified. It's an amazing story. I was just struck with it again as I was preparing for this morning. Struck with it again. Here's a Pharisee that looks so good and did so many good things in our terminology. And yet what's implied in that is that man was not justified before God, but the man who was unworthy, undeserving, and unable, God justified. Why? Because he cries out, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I need a propitiation. I need somebody to appease your wrath. And God sent forth his son. And that son has prepared a way. in which we will be in those dwelling places He has prepared for us. So as difficult as things get here, there's a better day coming. And Christ reminds his disciples of that reality. So there is a prescription. You believe in God, believe also in me. There's the provision in my father's house or many dwelling places. And then there's finally the promise for a troubled heart. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. What? That where I am, There you may be also. Now just let me say something. I mean, our Bibles read, if I go and prepare a place for you. And when we hear the word if, what do you think? Well, maybe he won't. I mean, if I say, if I'm able, I'll come to your house tomorrow. It does leave an opening that maybe I won't come to your house tomorrow, right? If. But in the original, this could be translated after I go, or when I go, or better yet, that word if could be translated since, since I go. It's a done deal, since I go. And the entire focus with regard to going to him, is this, our union with him. He does not say, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, you can be there as well. It's not what he says. He says that where I am, you may be also, you're gonna be with me. It's that relation. That that is in focus here. Heaven is not heaven. And we grew up with maybe some of this. Oh, heaven's heaven because it's a street of gold. You ever hear that? Or heaven is is heaven because of the pearly gates or or even the presence of angels. Listen, heaven is heaven because Jesus is there. Jesus is there. So Jesus says, far more than you're just gonna come to a place where I am. He says, I will take you to myself. I will take you to myself. Again, William Hendrickson says, so wonderful is Christ's love for his own that he is not satisfied with the idea of merely bringing them to heaven. He must needs take them into his own embrace. Not enough that he can take you to heaven. Oh, you're here, good. He wants to embrace you. He wants to embrace you. John Owen noted, a sense of God's presence and love is sufficient to rebuke all anxiety and all fears. And not only so, but to give in the midst of them solid consolation and joy. What a wonderful quote. And one that perhaps we need to put on our mirrors at home. A sense of God's presence in love is sufficient to rebuke all anxieties and fears. And not only so, but to give in the midst of them solid consolation and joy. Now, let me give a disclaimer. I don't have this down the way I want to have it down. And my heart can be troubled all too often. But as I was meditating on these verses, I was praying, Lord, help me keep these things in mind. Whatever you bring into my path, help me to remember them when my heart is troubled. Because I guarantee you, we're all going to have troubled hearts. And may these things bring us comfort and encouragement in the midst of them. And so when we have troubled hearts, live by faith. He knows. And he cares. And when you have troubled hearts. Live in hope. This is not the end. There's better days. And when we have troubled hearts. Live in the embrace of Christ. May God help us. And as we come to the table, may we remember he's prepared that place for us. Let's pray. Father, we give you thanks for your word and the direction that your word gives us. And we pray that you would help us to remember these things in the midst of a broken world in which we live, in the midst of going through at times some very deep and difficult waters, May our hearts be comforted. May our hearts be encouraged. And may you help us live by faith. We have so little faith. Increase our faith. Father, help us to dwell upon heaven and the glory of heaven more and more. That we might be able to truly say with the Apostle Paul, to die is far better. And Father, we pray. that you would help us to just drink in your love for us, your embrace of us to your glory and honor. For we ask these things in your son's name. Amen.