John 13:30-38; John 14:1-31 is a treasury of the crown jewels of Christian faith. It includes some of Jesus' most familiar and beloved sayings: The command to Jesus' troubled disciples to put their trust in him. The promise that he would prepare a place for them in heaven. His promise to send the Holy Spirit. The claim of Christ to be the only way to the Father.

Yet this same richness also poses a problem. How do we fit it all in? It is tempting to consider each statement separately and make each the focus of an entire message. Commendably, this sermon opts for a different approach. The first strength of this sermon is it seeks to deal with Christ's statements in context and conveys them in a way that has a narrative feel, even though the section itself is more of a discourse.

This approach is effective. We get a sense of the dialogue and events that prompt Jesus to make these promises. They no longer seem to be a string of unrelated sayings attributed to Jesus but are part of a larger conversation focusing on the importance of faith in the person and work of Christ and hope in his inevitable return.

A second strength is the sermon uses analogy and nontheological language to convey exegetical points. The sermon's fundamental metaphor of a " dark and stormy night " is drawn from a single phrase in John 13:30. The speaker rightly concludes that this is more than a time designation. The statement reflects the fundamental conflict between Christ the Light and the evil of sin. It mirrors the temporary dominance of sin as demonstrated by the betrayal of Judas.

The observation that Jesus' going prepared the dwelling place promised by him is a simple but accurate reflection of the theological significance of Christ's work: " This journey of Jesus prepared a place for us, his suffering of that dark and stormy night. It included the awful pain of the next day when Jesus was crucified, and the greatest pain — beyond imagination — when the Son of God found himself looking at the back of the Father. Forsaken. "

The sermon uses simple description rather than theological language to convey the theology of substitution: " It was the process, the path, that he prepared for us. Because as Christians, when we ask Jesus to be our Way, our Savior, it is as though we grab his coat tails. The words the Bible uses is 'we are in him' as he goes. So, his very going there is preparing a place for us. "

One weakness of the sermon is the main metaphor takes over. The use of the phrase " it was a dark and stormy night " is easy for the audience to identify with and provides a neat point of contact with John's abstract imagery, but at times it seems as if this analogy is pushed beyond a reasonable limit in an effort to identify with the audience. When this happens, the metaphor takes over the sermon to such a degree that the biblical text becomes a springboard for applications drawn largely from the sermon's illustrations.

A second weakness: The sermon makes applications not based clearly in the text. The applications themselves are generally consistent with the content of the biblical text, but it is not always easy to see how they are drawn from what the passage actually says. According to the author, " These words were given to us by Jesus for people who think, I'm not sure there will be a place for me there. "

But does this really reflect the context of the passage? The focus of the passage is primarily on Jesus' imminent departure, not on the disciples' insecurity. Similarly, the assurance that Jesus " continues right now to make heaven more and more beautiful and wonderful for us " is purely speculative. It may be true. But there is nothing in the text to support such a statement.

One of the sermon's most subtle theological points comes when the speaker explores the idea of Christ's preparing a place for us. The observation that the praises of heaven are enhanced by the addition of voices from every tribe, tongue, and nation is both profound and consistent with the sense of Christ's statement in John 10:16: " I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. " However, this verse falls outside the parameters of the sermon text. The preparation spoken of in John 13:30-14:31 seems to point to Christ's work on the cross, his ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would come as a result.

The sermon's strongest point is its focus on the audience. It raises core issues that today's listeners would find it easy to identify with. It speaks of the pain of loneliness and the discouragement of failure: " Maybe it was the time you carried your little box of personal belongings out of your office for the last time in disgrace. Maybe it was the time you watched your child walk into the worst mess of her young life. Maybe it was the time you took your wedding ring off and dropped it in a drawer, and you felt like a failure at the most important things in life. "

These examples help the audience to see the relevance of the text by linking the listener's own experience to the experiences of Jesus and the disciples. Yet in many ways, this audience-centered focus is also the message's greatest weakness. In order to build a bridge to the contemporary listener, the speaker sometimes moves away from the exegetical significance of the words themselves. The speaker says, " I think Peter felt like that that night. " In reality, Peter felt the opposite. He did not believe Jesus' warning that he would deny Christ three times.

Overall, however, this is an excellent message. It conveys the passage's core biblical truths with subtle depth and a simplicity that is disarming. It is a well-crafted case for the spiritual.

John Koessler is professor and chair of the Pastoral Studies Department at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois.