"Let not your hearts be troubled..."John 14:1a (NKJV)
Only hours before his arrest, betrayal, torture, and execution, Jesus commands his disciples not to worry. They have sensed the impending doom, and Jesus has bluntly told them that Peter, the 'top-dog' of the disciples, would deny he ever knew Jesus. Jesus was not speaking to men who were calm and relaxed and merely urging them to never become troubled. He was talking to men who were depressed, confused, and deeply troubled already.
The word troubled is a very interesting word. In Greek, this same verb is used of Jesus' trouble of soul (11:35; 12:27; 13:21). It is also the word used for the troubling of the waters (NKJV translates this as stirred) in John 5:7.
When I think of this word, I think of an old fashion washing machine. My grandmother had one of these. I loved it because you could open the lid and the machine still ran (unlike modern machines). I would throw my toys into the machine and watch as the machine jolted and sloshed the water around. I remember placing little boats filled with G.I. Joes (toy soldiers) pretending they were in the middle of a great storm.
Jesus is talking to his friends and intimate followers, all of whom were experiencing a tremendous storm. He also knew that a greater storm was coming. In this middle of this story, he was asking his disciples to trust him (John 14:1b).
Do you trust Jesus in the midst of your difficulties? Jesus promises that you can have a troubled-free life. Notice, I didn't say trouble-free, I said troubled-free. Jesus never promises that troubles will not come our way. Instead, He freed us from having to be troubled by these troubles.
You believe in God...start believing in Jesus.
The word troubled is a very interesting word. In Greek, this same verb is used of Jesus' trouble of soul (11:35; 12:27; 13:21). It is also the word used for the troubling of the waters (NKJV translates this as stirred) in John 5:7.
When I think of this word, I think of an old fashion washing machine. My grandmother had one of these. I loved it because you could open the lid and the machine still ran (unlike modern machines). I would throw my toys into the machine and watch as the machine jolted and sloshed the water around. I remember placing little boats filled with G.I. Joes (toy soldiers) pretending they were in the middle of a great storm.
Jesus is talking to his friends and intimate followers, all of whom were experiencing a tremendous storm. He also knew that a greater storm was coming. In this middle of this story, he was asking his disciples to trust him (John 14:1b).
Do you trust Jesus in the midst of your difficulties? Jesus promises that you can have a troubled-free life. Notice, I didn't say trouble-free, I said troubled-free. Jesus never promises that troubles will not come our way. Instead, He freed us from having to be troubled by these troubles.
You believe in God...start believing in Jesus.
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