THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life (John 14:6)

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

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I've recently enjoyed a study of the 'I Am' moments in John's gospel. While the other three gospels bring out more of the events in the life of Jesus, John (who describes himself as the disciple Jesus loved) gives us perhaps the greatest descriptions of the way Jesus spoke of Himself. When Jesus says "I am..." we can expect some wonderful illustration of His divine work and character. And every time He does so, it is "I am THE...". Jesus is the only one who could fit the descriptions of Himself.

So Jesus is THE way. If He were A way, it would imply there were others. Often we plan a journey using the quickest or shortest route. Then we come across heavy traffic so we change our journey and go a different way. But with Jesus, not only is there just one way, but He is it! He is not just the guide and the road map, but He is THE way.

He says "no one comes to the Father except through me" - there is no other desirable destination and no other possible way. Do we think, if there were any other way, that Jesus Christ would have died on the cross? Because, when Jesus utters these words in John 14, He is just hours from death. We know from other gospel accounts that it is this point at which He shows His disciples His remembrance service. He is about to wrestle with the Father in prayer, "if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me" (Matthew 26:39), but He is in complete acceptance of His Father's perfect will. If it were possible for any other way to achieve salvation, to forgive sins, to bring us near to God, wouldn't He have done it? His Son, in whom He found delight, was offered up to die the most painful of deaths.

But with God's purpose in mind, Jesus endured the cross and scorned the shame (Hebrews 12:2). It was the only way He could go. Now, if Jesus Himself had only one way He could go, who are we to suggest there is any other way we can choose but the way Jesus shows us? If Jesus says "No one comes to the Father except through me", what could be the point of any form of religion that excludes Him? Let's not fall into the trap of saying 'well, they worship the same God but just in a different way' or 'they may not accept Jesus is God but they're still a Christian'. No one comes to the Father (the way God has made Himself known in the gospel) except through the Son of God that He sent into the world to save us and give us eternal life (John 3:16). Eternal life! That's what's on offer! But with God, it is all or nothing. It is God's way or nothing! God's truth or nothing! God's life or nothing!

I sometimes hear or see people say "That's your truth" when they disagree with something another person believes. And perhaps in our reluctance to offend people, we can hold back on presenting THE truth. But truth is not subjective. Jesus is THE truth - how can there be any other truth? In front of Pilate, Jesus said "the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth" and Pilate's retort was "what is truth?" (John 18:37,38). Well, he had the answer right in front of him, if he'd only chosen to accept it.

In the gospel, Christ is presented as our only means to salvation; as the only way a sinner can be saved. John Newton, the slave ship captain, turned preacher, said at the age of 82, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner — and that Christ is a great Saviour!" The Apostle Paul described himself as the "worst of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:16). In accepting that we are sinners in need of a saviour, we are accepting the way, truth and life that God offers us in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

I hope you will enjoy the video below with a wonderful story told by the late Ravi Zacharias. (Story and explanation from 1.05 - 6.00)

I love that - if we accept the Son, we receive everything!