CELEBRATING THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

Jesus said to him, “I am the WAY, and the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me” – John 14:6

On the last night before His betrayal and death, Jesus in His 'Farewell Discourse' was preparing His disciples for the dark days that lay ahead. For over three years, they had been following Jesus and learning from His teaching and example. They had placed their hopes in Him as the Messiah, but they still had no idea what that really meant. Was he a political messiah who would rescue them from Roman tyranny or a spiritual one who would redeem them from the tyranny of sin? After the Last Supper, Jesus began to speak about His approaching departure from earth, which led to questions from His disciples.

Thomas’ question probably reflected the anxiety of all the disciples. Essentially it was this: We don’t know where you are going, so how could we possibly know the way? They were still expecting Israel’s physical deliverance from the hands of the Romans, not a spiritual salvation. They had not made the connection that Jesus was going back to His Father in heaven. Jesus gave them a four-fold answer, one that echoes through eternity: “I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”! Jesus was using the same words to describe Himself that every Jew used to describe the Torah, the Word of God. He was presenting Himself as the embodiment of the Law, the fulfilment of God's promise. He was claiming to be the Messiah!

To this small group of devout Jews, the Torah, the Law, along with its animal sacrifices and rituals, was the way to God, (Exo.18:20). The truth was the Torah (Psa.119:142, 151). Also, life was the Torah; Moses offered them a choice of life or death (Dt.30:11-20). Now they were hearing such radical declarations by Jesus, that He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the only route to God. He was essentially claiming to be the Law; hence, the only way to God! The disciples did not fully comprehend Jesus’ radical revelations until after His death and resurrection. Once they did, they exploded with excitement, proclaiming the gospel; they could not keep the message to themselves but shared it with anyone who would listen.

I’m also excited as I celebrate the eternal “I AM” – the Way, the Truth and the Life! The reality that Jesus is THE WAY to God echoes His claim to be the Door of the Sheep (Jh.10:7-9). There is only one God, with only one Kingdom, and only one entrance – Jesus Christ. Only those who rest in Christ alone for redemption will enter heaven. Jesus is not only the sole avenue to life eternal, but He is the Source and Guarantor of Life itself – THE LIFE that can never be lost (Jh.11:25-26). He is THE TRUTH, the One whose revelation in Scripture and in nature is our sure foundation on which to stand. I am not engaging in wishful thinking or cunningly-devised fables by believing in Him. I am fully persuaded, for He is the Living Word!