Focal Point

Pastor Mike Fabarez: You want the life that brings you peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances. When you look at the world and you find it falling apart, or you look at your body and you find it falling apart, or you look at your relationships and you find them falling apart, or you look at your finances and it’s falling apart. You want peace in hostile circumstances? Well, then you better have your trust in Christ.

Dave Drew: Welcome to Focal Point. Today, Pastor Mike Fabarez concludes our study in John 14 as Jesus declares, "I am the life." We’ll see how Christ’s resurrection power brings supernatural peace in troubled times and why His victory over death changes everything.

If you’re a first-time listener, we encourage you to reach out and get your free copy of a brand new booklet by Pastor Mike titled, *Why Did We Need a New Covenant Anyway?* It’s a great read for this Easter season. Just go to focalpointradio.org. Now, here’s Pastor Mike with today’s message.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: Go back to John chapter 14. Thomas says to Him, "Lord, we don’t know anything about what you’re talking about. Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, and how in the world could we know the way if we don’t know what you’re talking about?" Jesus says to him, "I am the way," and here’s the second thing: "I am the truth."

This statement that He is the truth is a very interesting one and a helpful one. Let’s just put the point up and then let’s talk about it a little bit. Number two, you need to trust in the truth. And of course, Jesus says He is the truth. Trust in the truth for clarity in doubt. There’s not a Christian in the room who hasn't, if they're honest with themselves, said, "I doubt some of this. I’m not sure."

Thomas was known for doubting, wasn't he? When Jesus rose from the dead and all His trusted allies said, "Hey Thomas, He was here, He was just here," he said, "No, no, no, I’m not going to believe unless I see Him for myself, if I touch His body, if I can see His scars, put my hand where the spear went. I’m not going to believe that He's alive." Now I know we’d like to say, "Oh Thomas, you should have just believed your colleagues."

But Jesus shows up in a great tender act of mercy to say, "Hey, I’ll make a special visit here." And He was making all kinds of visits. For over a month, He was making visits to all kinds of people, sometimes to crowds over 500 people at a time. Jesus showed that He was resurrected multiple times over and over to people. But He decided out of a great care for Thomas, His doubting apostle, to show up and say, "Here I am."

And he responds, if you know the text, he says, "My Lord and my God. You are the King. You are the one I should be trusting in. You are the truth." Earlier, he’d been saying, "I don't even know where you're going." Well, now I know where you're going—you died. And I didn't know it included you becoming alive, even though you said, "If I go the way I’m supposed to go, I’ll come back and receive you." I guess life is implied in that after death, but he didn't get that.

All I’m saying is it’s fine for you to be an honest Thomas and say there are things I don’t understand, things about Christianity that are hard for me to compute. Whether it’s the eternality of God, whether it’s the triunity of God, whether it’s how to reconcile God’s sovereignty and our human responsibility and culpability. I understand those are some difficult things. There are difficult things in any discipline. This has some difficult things.

But He says, "Trust me, because I am the truth." And as 1 Corinthians chapter 1 says, if we trust in Christ, He comes, He becomes for us the wisdom of God. And He says the debaters of the age, the philosophers of the age, the smart people in the ivory towers, they don’t have the answers that lead to salvation. But Christ has the answer because He is the way and He’s also the truth.

Truth is in big trouble these days. Have you noticed that? Especially if we’ve appended a personal possessive pronoun to the word "truth." That’s become very popular in the last 25 years. We start talking now about "my truth." And you have your truth and I have my truth. Well, that’s a silly juxtaposition of words. None of us should ever, ever tolerate someone saying, "This is my truth."

No, you can say, "This is my preference." That chocolate ice cream is the best ice cream. You can have that preference. But you cannot say it is your truth. All you’re saying is it’s true that this is my preference. You can say that. But truth, by definition, is a clear logical statement, an indicative statement about something that represents reality, something that is true.

A generation ago, a great defender of Christianity, a Presbyterian who became a great defender of Christianity, Francis Schaeffer, used to put it this way: You better make sure that you don’t qualify truth in religious terms as something that doesn't have the same rules as any other area of life. Because you don’t want your doctor or your accountant talking about, "Well, this is my truth."

I don't care what your truth is. Is the tumor cancerous or not? Is this stock crashing or not? Should I sell? Should I invest? We need truth. And what I want to know is something that is objectively true. I don’t care what you think about it. I don’t care what you feel about it. And in our day, it’s all about intuition. It’s about feelings. And I just have to blame this on the societal decay and the weak-mindedness of people saying, "I don’t really want to think too hard."

When it comes to theology, it’s the same way. A lot of bumper sticker theology. I don’t want to think too hard about it. But you do need to realize, just because some of us in culture are lazier than our forefathers, we can’t start saying because I feel this, instead of thinking it through, "I feel this, therefore it is my truth." It doesn't matter what you feel. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a verse for that. I’ve got a verse for almost everything.

Here’s a verse: Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to man." You know what that means? I feel that this is the right way, but its end is the way to death. You stand in the wrong line and you say, "Well, this is my truth: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, the Baha'i faith." You can say whatever you want. You may like the bells and smells or whatever, but it doesn't matter.

What matters is that you have the truth. And what is the truth? Let’s just start with theism and atheism and the little squishy middle that everyone likes to claim: agnosticism. Here’s the fact: either there is a God who created us or there isn’t. Either we are just the debris of a cosmic explosion a long, long, long time ago, or there is a God that fashioned the cells and the DNA of your body. There’s one or the other.

And you can sit there and wave a white flag and say, "Well, I’m agnostic. I just don’t know." But it doesn't really remove you from the question. If there is a God, you need to figure that out. You need to come to some conclusion where you say, "Well, there are some questions about it." If you have doubt, that’s fine. Christ says, "I can answer your questions. I am the truth. You should believe what I’m telling you."

This is a theme throughout the New Testament: that Jesus is the truth and He’s telling the truth. And if He says, "I’m going to go on this way which includes my death, my burial, and my resurrection, I’ll give you a place in the Father’s kingdom." So we need to get to the place where we say we cannot treat religious truth claims as something like choosing your favorite ice cream.

You have to see it as either the statements are corresponding to some concrete reality or they're not. When I say concrete, I mean that in an abstract sense: that there is a God, or that there is a Jesus that lived 2,000 years ago, that lived a perfect life and really never died and was really born of a virgin. And then you need to start asking some philosophical questions about that.

I can understand that people are saying, "Well, I don’t get that because I don’t know. I’ve seen people die, but I’ve never seen anybody come back from the dead." And I realize that. Then you have to start asking, "Well, if there is a God who made the rules of physics and biology, could that God choose to reverse that or put that on hold for whatever He wants to do to prove that He is God?"

As a matter of fact, that’s the only reason, really, when it comes down to it, what we see in the Bible in a very small list of miracles. I know you think miracles are on every page, but they're not. God is breaking into time and space to say, "I’m going to show you that I am the creator of your life." And Jesus is presenting Himself that way with every miracle He performed, including the biggest one of all—that He rose from the dead after He was biologically and physically dead for three days in a tomb.

That is important that we recognize we cannot feel our way into truth. John chapter 14, He says, "I’m the way, I’m the truth," and then there is the third one: "I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." What we need in this world, which attaches to verse one here, is the ability to hang on to this faith, to have the vibrant resolution in our own hearts to hold fast to this.

As it says in the book of Hebrews, firm until the end. And God says, "I’ll grant you this life. I’ll give you life. I will grant you life to be able to have something going on in your life that is going to allow you to find a confidence that will give you courage in death and clarity in doubt, but it'll also give you comfort in difficulties." Let’s put that down. Number three, trust in Christ. He is the life and that life will give you comfort in difficulty.

Verse one of our passage says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." Well, you just told us in essence in verses 36 and 37 of the previous chapter that you’re going to die. And Peter says, "I’ll die with you," and you said, "No, you won't." But this is hard. As He often said, the shepherd's going to be struck down and the sheep are going to scatter. This is going to be a really hard time for the disciples.

But He says, "You know what? You need to understand. You’ll have a lot of tribulation." But He says, "Take heart, I have overcome the world." Have you looked at that passage in the context lately? It’s just two chapters away. So let’s go there real quick. John chapter 16, near the end of that chapter. He’s talking still in the same context as Leonardo is painting the scene. That was kind of funny for me.

He’s saying these words. Leonardo wasn't there. Certainly wasn't what you saw in the Olympics. Sorry, okay, no, I took you back to a bad place. That’s probably providential that I bring that up. Let your heart not be troubled. This world is a mess and I know that. And there’s going to be a lot of difficulty as people put the target on your back and our culture continues to become hostile.

Which, by the way, this particular Easter 2025, I think has been the most hostility against Christianity I’ve ever seen. Social media, it’s fun to watch weird things with AI on Instagram and I will admit, I laugh at things that give me a little release of pressure. Every theologian and pastor needs a little time on Instagram watching things that are stupid.

But I will say this: I see more open hostility toward Christianity than I’ve ever seen. And it is amazing to watch as we continue to find ourselves in a line that more people are throwing bricks at us when it used to be just words. There’s increasing vitriol against biblical Christianity. Verse 32 of John 16: "Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it is coming. We’re about to break and go from here to the Garden of Gethsemane, from the Garden of Gethsemane to a trial, a kangaroo court overnight, Caiaphas’ courtyard, then off to Golgotha, the place of the skull to be crucified."

So all this is about to happen. He says the hour is coming, indeed it is come, when you will be scattered each to his own home and you will leave me alone. But of course, never alone alone. Yet I’m not alone, the Father’s with me. Now I’ve said these things to you that in me you may have peace. Do you understand what He’s saying there? He’s just said you’re going to be scattered and I’m going to die.

I said these things so you’ll have peace. That doesn't sound very peaceful. I don't derive peace from that unless, of course, you see the big picture. This is the way and this is the truth. I’m going to provide a place for you so that when I go and prepare this place for you, I give you access to the place of living in the kingdom of the Father. I’ll come back and receive you unto myself, that where I am you’ll be also. That’s a good thing.

So just know what it involves is the cross between here and the crown. Before you get to the kingdom, there’s going to be a hard time on this planet. And in this world, you’re going to have tribulation. In the world you’ll have tribulation, but take heart, I’ve overcome the world. You know what you need to do that? You need the first verse in chapter 14: Have faith in God. Trust in God. Believe in God.

Believe also in Christ. He is the way. He’s told you the truth. Now you want the life that brings you peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances. When you look at the world and you find it falling apart, or you look at your body and you find it falling apart, or you look at your relationships and you find them falling apart, or you look at your finances and it’s falling apart.

You want peace in hostile circumstances? Well, then you better have your trust in Christ. Because Christ is the one who gives you peace and can tell you if you believe me, you can take heart even if it’s bad news. And the forecast, as I often say, is not given to scare you, it’s given to prepare you. And the Bible says before Christ is dispatched to come back, it’s going to go from bad to worse. So get ready.

And in one sense, as you read the discouraging headlines, in some sense you should take heart and know that God has overcome this world. As it says in 1 John 5: the thing that has overcome the world is our faith. We’re trusting in the absolute, unwavering and faithful promises of Christ. He is the way, He is the truth, and He can give you life.

Just like He had life as He sat there snoozing away on a cushion in the hull of a boat in the middle of a storm. And the disciples were freaking out. What’s the difference between sleeping and napping and freaking out? Well, He said it because as they were freaking out and woke Him up, "Don’t you care if we die?" He said, "Oh you of little faith. You don’t believe me."

You don’t believe me. I told you that God’s got a plan for us and it’s going to culminate in Jerusalem with my betrayal and that I’m going to be crucified and that I’m going to rise again. And you don’t believe me, so you think you’re going to die in a boating accident. What is wrong with you guys? You better believe what God said.

And He says in this world you’re going to have tribulation, but you better take heart because at the end of this line, when we check out across the threshold of this human life, you’re going to step into the presence of God or into outer darkness. You’re either going to be in a place where all of your ultimate desires are going to be fulfilled once you get your physical body back.

There’s going to be a whole new experience for you, going to be a lot like this earth but without all the sin and corruption, without all the pain, without all the tears. No death and no dying. Or you’re going to be cast into outer darkness where there’s weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. There’s only two ways to go. And the risen Christ says trust me, trust me, trust me. I have overcome the world.

One last cross-reference, please: 1 Corinthians chapter 15. To have comfort in difficulty is to know that this whole entire timeline, the chronology of God’s plan, is going to end with Him coming back to receive us unto Himself that where He is we’ll be also. I know it’s been delayed. It seems delayed from our perspective. The apostles thought it would happen in the first century.

They said, "We got to have everybody here repent so the times of refreshing can come from the presence of God." Well, it didn't come in the first century, it didn't come in the fifth, it didn't come in the 15th, and it hasn't come yet in the 21st. But God says you always ought to be expecting this. Because one day I will come back.

And it speaks here in 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then it starts to speak of our resurrection in verse 23. Now look at verse 24. When He solves the problem of our disembodied spirit in the presence of God and gives us a resurrection body, if in fact you die before He comes back, it says then comes the end and He, Christ, will deliver the kingdom to God the Father.

After destroying every rule, every authority, and every power, you can put a cross-reference next to that Isaiah chapter 59. We just read it: He’s going to bring vengeance to His enemies, but He’s going to bring salvation and righteousness for us. For He must reign until He’s put all enemies under His feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is not even a person, it’s the concept and reality of death.

For God has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says all things are put under subjection, it’s plain that He is excepted who put all things in subjection under Him. In other words, the Father’s not subjected to the Son, obviously. But when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him.

This is a tongue twister, I know, that God may be all in all. This is when the copacetic reality of all your desires and joys and pleasures being fulfilled in the place where God dwells, where the dwelling place of God is among men, where Jesus Himself is ruling and reigning on a new earth with no sin, no adversary, no tempter, but only what we all desperately desire.

In the dark corners of our heart, we wish things were different. That’s called sin—things not being the way they ought to be. And we have been set in our hearts, God says in Ecclesiastes, eternity. We know something about something that we haven’t yet experienced. And it’s coming. But you got to be willing to get in the right line. You’ve got to be willing to forsake what is unrighteous and follow Christ. And it starts with you trusting in Him.

It’s great to see all these strollers that are stacked up. Talk about traffic jams—our strollers in the hallway back there. Maybe it’s because I’ve reached the grandpa age that I forget all the pains that go with that part of parenting. But it’s a joy for me to see all these young moms in our church having children.

I think of that Isaiah 59: children and grandchildren who have the word of God in their mouth because the spirit of God is dwelling richly among His people and the covenant promise of Him pulling people to Himself. But I think about those babies and I think this is just so good to see in a culture that’s rebelling against the natural order and doesn't even believe in having children anymore. It’s great to see the people of God having those kids.

And Jesus talked about that in John 16, the passage we were just in. At least right above that, He says, "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come." It’s called labor. No "amens" from the women on that? Okay. But when she’s delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

And when you see that baby in the arms of that young mom and you recognize that’s a beautiful thing, we start to forget about all the pain and labor. What’s He doing? Just being an obstetrician for us? Why is He giving us that? Here’s why, verse 22, the next verse in John 16: "So also you will have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you."

Now get these statements rightly aligned. He’s going to go away to the cross, to the grave, to the ascension. He’s going to go away and then He’s going to come again to receive us unto Himself that where He is we’ll be also. We’re still waiting for that. But He says to the disciples two chapters later, "I’m going to go. You will scatter. You will have sorrow watching me be crucified, at least from the shadows."

And then I’m going to come back. I’m going to come back three days later. I will see you. I will come back and hang out with you. I will have breakfast on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with you. I will be with you again for 40 days. Then He'll ascend. And He says, "When I come back and you know that your Master is risen, you will have joy and no one will take that joy away from you."

The 11 apostles all died proclaiming this message. Ten of them died as martyrs and one of them died exiled on an island in the Mediterranean. And they all carried this joy that kept them afloat, the life that God granted them from within, a peace that surpassed all understanding because they trusted in the life. And they knew He was the truth.

And they knew they were right with the Father because He was the way. The way, the truth, the life. You don’t get to pick your truth. You need to investigate so you know that you’ve attached yourself to the truth, the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. And no one’s going to come to the Father except through Him.

I plead with you: if you’re in the popular line, it’s time for you to skip out. And it’s never going to be easy. It’s not hard to distinguish the right and wrong. It’s hard for you to depart sometimes from thinking the short-term gratification is worth it. Not worth it. Hang in there for God’s promise. We know He is the truth because He’s the way and He will give us life. Let’s pray.

God, let some people in this room right now reconsider where they stand with you. And while everyone likes to think in our day at least that there must be some middle ground somewhere, you’ve made it so clear so many times: You’re going to come back and you’re going to separate the people the way a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

There will be no confusion in your mind about who’s in your line and who’s in the wrong line. May there be some here today that exercise the kind of faith in you that takes their troubled heart away, whether it’s the conviction of sin that they know that they do not qualify and they’ve got to trust in you to qualify.

Or maybe they're just using questions and doubt as an excuse to not trust you. God, I pray that they would realize you are the truth and you tell the truth. And you’ve told the truth and everything about the future promise is the truth. And God, may we also understand that you want us to get through this life as long as it lasts for us with the kind of peace and joy that springs from the life that you give us, the new life we have in your Son.

I pray that today people might experience that in a way that they haven’t before. They would trust in you fully, repenting of their sins, trusting in your Son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Dave Drew: This is Focal Point with Pastor Mike Fabarez. Today’s message is called "The Only Path to the Good Life and Making Sure You're on It." To revisit or share this message, just go online to focalpointradio.org.

With Easter weekend right around the corner, there’s no better time to sit with a book that shows you just how intentionally all of scripture points to Jesus. That’s the heart of this month’s new resource, *The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament* by Edmund Clowney.

Long before the manger or the cross, God was weaving His redemptive plan through His people, patterns, and promises. Clowney brings that hidden-in-plain-sight story to the surface, tracing the line from Genesis to Calvary with a clarity that makes you want to go back and reread everything.

Whether you’re preparing for a rich Easter Sunday or simply wanting to see the Bible as one cohesive story, this book gives you the framework to read all of scripture with fresh eyes. Get your copy of *The Unfolding Mystery* when you make a donation to Focal Point today. Just call us at 888-320-5885 or donate online at focalpointradio.org, or send your donation by mail by writing to Focal Point, PO Box 2850, Laguna Hills, California 92654. And now, Pastor Mike has details about a special trip coming up this fall.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: Thanks, Dave. I’d like to invite you to join me September 19th through the 26th, 2026, on a Christian cruise through New England and Canada. We’ll sail Holland America’s Zaandam, known for its elegance and exceptional hospitality, to historic cities like Boston, Halifax, and Quebec City.

We’ll gather for devotional times in God’s Word, followed by thought-provoking Bible teaching throughout our journey. Grammy-winning musicians Keith and Kristyn Getty will lead us in worship. You’ll enjoy the stunning autumn landscapes as we explore charming coastal villages, all while building friendships with like-minded believers.

It’s a unique opportunity to deepen your faith and see some of the most beautiful scenery on the eastern seaboard. Space is limited, so don’t wait to sign up. Secure your cabin today at focalpointradio.org.

Dave Drew: Tomorrow, Pastor Mike shares a fascinating Easter message titled "The Truth About Golgotha." I’m Dave Drew. We’ll see you tomorrow here on Focal Point.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: Pastor Mike here. I pray today’s message will help you live out your faith with truth and love. After all, that’s the kind of biblical faith that changes lives and transforms a crooked culture.

But if you haven’t truly surrendered your life to Christ, then I’d like to invite you to get in touch. We’d love to pray with you and help you discover God’s plan of salvation. Visit focalpointradio.org.

Dave Drew: Today’s program was produced and sponsored by Focal Point Ministries.