Jack Graham - Where Is Jesus?

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Welcome to a very special edition of PowerPoint. Easter is the highest and holiest day on the calendar for the believer. Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross for our sins and then rose again. He came out of the grave, securing our victory over death and hell and judgment. And now we can live with him and be with him forever and ever. Will you join me as we study a passage from John chapter 14, where Jesus tells us exactly who he is and what he stepped out of the beauty of heaven to accomplish for you and for me. Let’s join in with the congregation now and the message, «Where is Jesus»?

Take your Bibles and turn with me to the fourteen chapter of the Gospel of John. This is Easter and it’s a day of days for Christians. It is a sacred day. The greatest message that humanity will ever hear is the message that Jesus is Lord, that Jesus lives, that He forgives sinners like you and me, who if they will come to faith in Jesus Christ, you are loved as well, and He will save you by His blood and by His grace and by the power to change a person’s life. So our text says, it begins with: «Do not let your hearts be troubled». So Christians, in spite of all that, don’t be troubled. Don’t let your hearts be troubled by this. Our Lord is alive. Satan will not steal the joy of Easter from our heart. And the resurrection is real and we know it.

So, «Do not let your hearts be troubled». Jesus said, «Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready», I love this! The right time and it could be today! «When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am». I’m calling this message «Where is Jesus»?. That was a big question in Jerusalem 2000 years ago, when the tomb is empty. «Where is Jesus»?

Several years ago, there was a woman who came to our church and she was looking around and she said to someone, «Well, I see all the crosses but where is Jesus»? You see, she grew up in a religion that magnified a crucified Christ, Christ on a cross. And so she said, «Where is Jesus»? Well, friends, Jesus is not on the cross! Nor is He in the tomb! The tomb is empty! But the throne in heaven is not! Jesus lives and is Lord of all. And He said, «I go to prepare a place for you and when I come, I will receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you will be also». You want to know where Jesus is? He is preparing a place in heaven for you and all of you who put your faith and trust in Him. And then Thomas said to him: «No, we don’t know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way»?

So glad Thomas asked this question! We know him as Doubting Thomas but I appreciate the fact that Thomas was one of those persons that would raise their hand and ask a question if they didn’t get it. He said, «I don’t get this. We don’t know». It was a dark night. The disciples were troubled and afraid and fearful because there was foreboding in that upper room. And so Thomas just voiced the question of the ages. «Lord, we don’t know where you’re going! How can we know the way to heaven? How do we get to this place»? That’s the question that everybody needs to ask and answer. And so Jesus gave the most bold declaration of His entire ministry on earth, in my viewpoint. He said: «I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the Father except by me».

The way, the truth and the life! This is Jesus. Dr. Johnston in his book The Body of Proof: seven best reasons you can believe in the resurrection. You should get it; give it to a friend who may be a doubter or skeptic. But he writes: The resurrection both confronts and comforts culture and should also change the Christian’s perspective. Our living hope is based on the historical, unchangeable fact of Jesus’ physical bodily resurrection from death. This was not a resuscitation. I’ve always felt sorry for Lazarus. You know, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. That’s when our Lord said, «I am the resurrection and the life».

And Lazarus, His friend, was dead and in the tomb. He rose to life on the third day. But the problem is Lazarus had to go back and die again! Always felt bad for Lazarus on that one. But Jesus never went back to die again! He came out of the grave alive forevermore! The unchangeable, and it wasn’t a spiritual resurrection, but a bodily, physical, factual resurrection. The Bible teaches us that in the resurrected Christ we have a living hope! Do you have that hope? He called it a better hope in Hebrews 7:19 and a sure hope in Hebrews 6:19. And we know it as a blessed hope because this same Jesus who came the first time; who lived, who died and rose again on the third day, ascended and is on the throne of God. His name that is above every name! He is coming again, victoriously, visibly to receive all to Himself who have trusted in Him.

This is the resurrection story. Easter is not a day that we celebrate just once a year, but it’s the life that we live every day! «To live is Christ and to die is gain». Why? Because Jesus lived! And because Jesus lives, hope lives! Because Jesus lives, joy lives! Because Jesus lives, peace lives! Because Jesus lives, we live! We are alive in Him. And the significance of this day is why it’s so sacred, this day, it’s a day that is set aside to celebrate and to remember what Christ has done every single day. Because the resurrection proves that there is no one like Jesus! No one else could do what He did and what He does in our lives. So He gives us a promise. A promise is given here. He said literally, «Stop letting your heart be troubled! Believe in God, believe also in Me».

In other words, a peace is promised because of the resurrection. This peace that we have with God. Because there’s a broken relationship between myself and God. Jesus brought reconciliation and salvation so that I could have, as a sinful man a relationship with a holy God. That’s peace with God. Do you have peace with God? And then peace within ourselves.

So many people are troubled by life and broken by life’s experiences. No peace. I think if you could categorize our society, our culture today, I would say it’s just so filled with war and division and no peace, no peace. And then peace with the people, others. We have peace with God, peace within and peace without because of a relationship with God, and we can get along with others and build relationships in our homes and our families and marriages. Building your marriage, building your family, parenting, marrying God’s way, the way home, because Jesus is «the way and the truth and the life». But there is peace.

I love the story of Jesus walking with two disciples after the resurrection. The word was out that the tomb was empty. But people didn’t know exactly what was happening. They were saying, «Where is Jesus»? Well, Jesus joined these two despondent, discouraged disciples who were walking home from Jerusalem, on their way to their home in Emmaus. I actually believe this was a married couple, a husband and a wife on their home from Jerusalem. And they were so defeated and so despondent. And the Divine Stranger joined them on the road. They didn’t recognize Jesus. Perhaps blinded by their tears, perhaps their heads down. They’re just talking to someone who was with them, or the Lord somehow blinded their eyes. They did not yet know it was Christ. They didn’t know it was Jesus with them. And Jesus spoke with them and said, «Why are you so sad»?

And I look at that story and I think, that’s what Jesus does today with so many people who are sad and sorrow fills their lives, and tears fill their eyes. Maybe you! You came here with sadness today. And Jesus noticed how sad they were. I can tell you from my vantage point, from this pulpit each week, I look across a congregation and I see a lot of sad people. Not all, of course. But I see the tears. And as a pastor, we deal with sadness every single day. And I see it, but not like Jesus sees it. Jesus sees when we think nobody else sees. God sees, even when you think He doesn’t! They were crying; they were broken, but God, Jesus, the risen Christ saw their tears and walked with them. And the same risen Christ will walk with you. Not one time have we walked alone! Because the risen Christ is with us! Not on time have we cried alone, because He keeps our tears in a bottle. He knows our tears; He understands our fears.

The risen Christ is with us every step of the way. Yes, the tomb is empty, but we are full of His presence because of a living Christ. But then He spoke of a place that He was preparing. He said, «I go to prepare a place for you». And He’s talking, of course, about our hope of heaven. Now heaven is not a state of mind. We talk about something being heavenly. It’s not an adjective, this heaven of heavens. Heaven is not a magic kingdom; it’s a real kingdom. It’s not a fairy land; it’s not an ethereal existence where you get checked out some wings, become an angel, fly around the sky. No, heaven is a place beyond our imagination, prepared even as we speak by the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, «I’m going to prepare a place for you».

And we often hear this message from John 14 preached at funerals. But we should not delegate the message of the resurrection to funerals and just Easter, because right now, this moment the resurrection is real and Jesus who conquerors death is preparing a place in heaven for us. And that place is real. It’s not a place of our imagination; it’s a place of the resurrection. And the Bible tells us that we will be raised with Him. Because He rose, we will rise with Him and be with Him. That’s what makes heaven heaven.

Jesus said, «that where I am, there you will be also». Where is Jesus? He’s preparing a place for you. Yes, He lives in hearts by His Spirit. He lives in our lives, that’s where He is, but He is preparing a place for you in heaven. That’s where Jesus is this moment. This is why we live with hope in a troubled world. As a pastor I have delivered messages at literally thousands of funerals and I’ve seen the tears and known the sorrows of others. And I have also experienced sorrow and grief. But to know this hope, this blessed hope of Jesus Christ because of the resurrection makes life worth living. It puts everything in perspective in life because now we live with a holy habit. Our hearts are turned towards Him. We set our affection on things above.

Now I know there is a dread of death. And you know what people according to well-known psychologist has written about death, you know what people fear most about death? It’s not hell because most people write that off and don’t believe in hell. But there is a hell and Jesus talked about it. There is a judgment. «It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment». And you will be alive in eternity somewhere in eternity forever and ever and ever and ever either in heaven or in hell. So, yet people, we don’t worry too much about hell. You know what the greatest fear according to this well-known writer and author and psychologist, is the fear of non-existence.

Now if you’ll just let your brain contemplate non-existence for a few seconds, it will frighten you. I know everybody’s a tough guy but the prospect of not living, of being dead and gone forever. I remember even as a little boy thinking about this. Is it possible that when we die, we’re done forever? You just don’t exist? Is that the dread that so many people live with today. Yes, death stalks every life and ultimately as much as we want to prolong our lives and our health as much as we do, death eventually stalks us down. And yet, for the Christian because Jesus won over death, hell and the grave, «O grave, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting»?

And so there is no fear of the future. «Don’t let your hearts be troubled». When Jesus said that, He literally said, «Stop letting your heart be troubled». He said, «Stop worrying and fretting about what’s twirling around you. Stop worrying about the future». Don’t you know «Believe in Me, trust in Me because I’m going to prepare a place for you. In my Father’s house». The old King James translated that «in many mansions», and you know, I like the idea of a mansion, a big house. But… somebody said Amen right here on the front row, but… You know, sometimes, I was thinking about that, you know sometimes mansions can seem vast and cold. It’s not the size of the building that matters; it’s Who’s in the house that matters.

So what Jesus is saying here is: In My Father’s house, of all the things described in heaven, heaven is described as a garden; Heaven described as a great river; heaven is described as a sparkling place with pearly gates and all of the beautiful symbols of heaven, the beauties of heaven. But of all of the illusions, the illustrations that Jesus gave to heaven, the unimaginable prospect of heaven, He said, «It’s like a house, it’s like your Father’s house because your God, your Father Jesus, that He loves you and He’s preparing a place for you».

And so going to heaven is like going home. I remember as a little boy when we’d go on a trip somewhere and it was fun at night laying in the backseat and going to sleep in the backseat. Sometimes you just kind of passed out back there. Now, sorry to say, there were no seatbelts and none of that. You know, you could stretch out there. Even get on the floorboard and ride. And then go to sleep. And then I would wake up the next morning and I would be in my bed. And, of course, what had happened. I had fallen asleep on the ride, on the journey and my dad had picked me up and carried me to my room. And when you die, Jesus is coming for you. He said, «I will come again and I’ll take you to myself».

He’s going to pick you up when you go to sleep and He’s going to put you in your room that He’s been preparing for you. And you’re going to wake up to a future beyond your imagination. He said, «I go to prepare a place for you». Heaven, it’s been said many times many ways, is a prepared place for a prepared people. The Bible says «Prepare to meet your God». Are you prepared to meet God? Is He coming for you? Does this promise, does it have your name on it? So Thomas, doubter, but again, I congratulate him because doubt is often faith acting up. It’s doubt with questions. And some of you have questions. And you have fears and doubts regarding your future. You don’t know whether you’re going to heaven or not. You don’t know eternal life or experience the presence of Christ in your life so Thomas was willing to raise his hand and say, «Lord, wait, wait! We don’t know! How can we know the way»?

And that’s when Jesus said, «I am the way, and the truth, and the life; and no man comes to the Father, no one comes to the Father», Jesus said, «but through Me». «There is one mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ». «There is no name given among men whereby we must be saved (according to the apostle) except the name of Jesus»! Only Jesus died and rose again! Buddha lived and died; he’s gone. Mohammad lived and died; he’s gone. All the religious leaders in the world died and they are gone! All the religions cannot get you to heaven. All the rituals, all the good works, all the good deeds. There is one way to heaven and His name is Jesus Christ!

And when you trust in Christ as your Savior… You say, «Well that’s extremely narrow. This is what I don’t like about Christians. You’re all so narrow». Well, Jesus was narrow. And so what Jesus said is either true or it’s false. If it’s false, then what does that make Jesus? A liar. And a liar cannot be your Lord. So you have to decide if He is who He claimed to be. And you know how we know Jesus is who He claimed to be? The way, the truth, the life, «Without Me there is no going; without Me there is no knowing the truth; without Me there is no living».

You know how you know it? The resurrection! The claim of Jesus Christ is compounded by the power of the resurrection. And the eye-witnesses and the empty tomb and all the other reasons that we can believe in the resurrection give evidence that what Jesus said is true. Ultimately, it’s all about Him, who you believe Jesus really is. And if you will put your faith and trust in Him, He will take you across to the other side. We were saddened to see the terrible accident up in Baltimore when the boat, the ship that collapsed the bridge and the bridge went down and people lost lives. As I looked at that, I thought about that faulty bridge, how it failed and I thought about Jesus who is the one who bridges the gap between me a sinful man and a holy God. And that bridge, the bridge through the cross of the Lord Jesus and the resurrection will never fail! That bridge will never collapse. So get on the bridge and follow Jesus Christ.

So what do you believe about Jesus? Who is Jesus? Is he Savior? Is he Lord? The question is, is he your Savior? Is he your Lord? Today you can know that you can spend eternity with him by simply confessing that you have sinned, that you’re separated from God, but when you put your trust in him, repenting of your sins, that means to turn away from your sins and to trust in Christ and Christ alone. The Bible says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And believe and confess that because of his death, for you on the cross and the power of his resurrection, that he has given you eternal life and right standing forever with God. So simply telling something like this:

God, I know that I’ve broken your commandments, that I’ve sinned against you, but I know that you paid the price, the penalty of my sin on the cross, that you died for me. I turn from my sin, and I trust in you. I do believe, Jesus that you are the Son of God and that you are the Lord of life. Lord Jesus, come into my life. Be my Savior. Be my master. Be my King. Be my Lord. Today reigns supreme in my life, and I will follow you as my Lord and Savior until you come for me. In Jesus name.