Sermon Notes

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August 9,2026

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What Did Jesus Say About Heaven and Hell?

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Three life-changing truths:

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1.  Heaven is the everlasting home of those who belong to Jesus.

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Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus gathered together with His disciples.  Their world was about to be shaken.

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Jesus has told them that He was going away.  

Peter had been warned that he would deny even knowing Jesus.  Fear and confusion filled the room.

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Into that atmosphere, Jesus spoke these words: 

 

John 14:1-6...

Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you. 

I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the father, but by me.

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Notice that Jesus describes heaven as "my Father's house."  Some versions say home.

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Jesus is not describing a cold, empty religious building.

He is describing the welcoming home of our heavenly Father

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Heaven is not precious primarily because of what will be there. Heaven is precious because of who will be there.

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Jesus said, "You will always be with me where I am."  The greatest gift of heaven is Jesus Himself.

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Billy Graham one said:  "My home is in Heaven.  I'm just travelling through this world."

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That does not mean this life is unimportant.  It means this world in its present broken... condition is not our final home.

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Paul expressed the same truth:  Philippians 3:20:  " But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.  And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior."

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Philippi was a Roman colony.  Its residents were proud of their Roman citizenship, even though they lived some distance from Rome.

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Paul used language they understood... followers of Jesus might live on the earth, but their ultimate citizens of heaven who happen to live in the United States.

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We speak truth because our king is truthful.

We show mercy because our king is merciful.

We forgive because our King has forgiven us.

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We resist hatred, greed and prejudice because they do not belong in the kingdom from which our true identity comes.

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Sin promises excitement but eventually traps us in the same cycles of selfishness, shame and regret.

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Heaven will be life in its fullness-the goodness, beauty, joy and creativity of god's renewed creation, entirely free from evil.

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For the believer, heaven is not wishful thinking.  Our confidence rests upon the resurrection of jesus.

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Because Christ rose bodily from the grave, those who belong to Him have a living hope.  But if heaven is real, we must also listen carefully to what Jesus said about the alternative.

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2.  Hell is the final and terrible consequence of rejecting God.

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Towards the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus described the judgement that will accompany his return: 

 

Matthew 25:31-40

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my father;  take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 

 

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

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"Then the righteous will answer him. 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, of needing clothes and clothe you?

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When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, of needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

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"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

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But Jesus also speaks words of judgement to those who have rejected Him.

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Verse 41...

"Then he will say to those on his left,'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 

 

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look at me.

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"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes of sick in prison, and did not help you?"

He will reply,'Truly I tell you , whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

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Verse 46....

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

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We should notice that the word "eternal" is used to describe both punishment and life.

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Jesus places the two destinies alongside each other.

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We cannot make eternal life permanent while treating eternal judgement as insignificant.

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Imagine someone saying, "I want to live without oxygen,

I don't like being dependent upon it."

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That person may feel independent, but rejecting oxygen does not produce freedom... it creates death.

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Oxygen is essential for life.

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In a much greater way, we were created for God.

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He is the source of our life,

Rejecting Him cannot finally produce freedom and fulfillment because we were made to know him.

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Sin says, "I want God's gifts without God.

I want life on my terms.

I will decide what is right and wrong."

That rebellion began in Eden, and it continues in every human heart.

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Roman 3:23 says:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

And sin is much more that making mistakes. 

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It is rebellion against God expressed through our attitudes, desires, words and actions.

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This means the dividing line is not between "nice people" and "nasty people".

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That is true because...Every one of us has sinned.

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None of us earns heaven through good behavior, church attendance, giving to charity or comparing ourselves favorably with someone else.

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Hell is not a truth that should make Christians smug.

It should break our hearts.

We do not point at others and say, "That is where you deserve to go."

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We stand humbly beneath the cross and say, "Apart from the grace of Jesus, I too would be lost."

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Hell is real-but God does not delight in people being lost.

He paid a tremendous cost to save us.

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3.  Jesus is the only Savior who can bring us safely home.

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Thomas asked Jesus the question every human being needs answered:

 

John 14:5...

The apostle asked Jesus..."How can we know the way?"

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Jesus did not give Thomas a map, a religious ceremony or a list of good deeds.

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He said: John 14:6... I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the father except through me.

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Jesus did not give Thomas a map, a religious ceremony of a list of good deeds.

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He said, "I am the way. "I will show you the way."

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Jesus did not merely say, "I will show you the way."

He said, "I am the way."

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Jesus is not one road among many equally valid roads.

He is the way to the Father because only Jesus has dealt with the sin that

separates us from his love.

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