Has God Abandoned Me
Has God Abandoned Me – It was a deeply depressing moment, and it occurred on the worst possible occasion. The conversation was extremely distressing. The men gathered to remember God’s great victory that brought their nation into existence. It was a sober time, but a joyful time. They should have talked about God’s incredible power to deliver His people, they talked about their leader going away.
Has God Abandoned Me – It was not fair! They left everything to follow this man! Recently he was more popular than ever! A month ago they feared his death, but in the last few days, he was untouchable. Their concept of victory was in their grasp!
Has God Abandoned Me – Now the man who was the center of their daily companionship said he was going away, and for the first time, he said none of them could go with him? Daily life without Jesus’ physical companionship was unthinkable! All their expectations were centered in his physical presence, and now he said he was leaving.
John 14:1-4 “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. 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. And you know the way where I am going.”
(The same conversation.)
John 14:16-21 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
Please remember these statements were Jesus’ statements to eleven of his apostles just hours before he was arrested.
A Common Cause Of Great Joy And Great Suffering

* I call to your attention several statements Jesus made to eleven of his disciples/apostles in this reading.

* First statement: “You trust God; trust me in the same way you trust God.”

* The eleven men are confused and disturbed.
* Their confusion is so deep that they are troubled in their inner being.
* It was much deeper than intellectual troubling, more than “this does not make sense.”
* They struggled with troubled hearts; their emotions as well as their thinking were deeply distressed.
* Jesus said they had an option.

* They could be heart troubled by what he said.
* Or, they could trust him.
* The antidote to a troubled heart is faith in Jesus.

* Second statement: “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places.”

* There are several contrasts made by Jesus’ use of dwelling places.

* In a poor country with primitive housing, a big issue confronting most people was, “Where are you going to live?”
* As they followed Jesus, they did not have a house–Jesus owned nothing.
* But Jesus said his Father’s house had lots of rooms, and his Father’s house would be their permanent residence.

* He would leave them now, but eventually, they would live with him–permanently.