Good morning. John 14:1-6 is one of the more recognized passages in the whole of the New Testament. At the heart of it we read in verse 6 the words of our Lord: “I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life. No one comes to the Father unless he comes through Me.”
Today, I would like to spend a few moments to think about what it means to know that Jesus is “the Way.”
The word “way” could just as easily be translated as “the road” or “the path.” The point is that Jesus is saying that if God the Father is your destination, He, Jesus, is the way to get to Him.
The idea of God’s way is not reserved for this passage alone. We read in Psalm 27:11 these words of king David: Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
In Deuteronomy 5:32-33 we read the command given to God’s people: You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
Isaiah 30:21 is the voice of God’s prophet telling His people that God will guide them along His way: And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
In the 22nd chapter of Matthew we read of a plot of the Pharisees to trick and to trap Jesus in order to prove that He is not the way. In the 16th verse we read: And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.
Jesus is the way of God, and He is the way to God. Jesus always taught and represented the truth of the way of God and that truth has never changed.
Today, in an era of compromise, arbitration, and concession, the thought of there being only one way to life and one way to God is offensive to some. But please think about these truths:
Jesus is the way out. He is the way out of sin, and there is no other way.
Jesus is the way through. When illnesses, disappointments, and failures come, Jesus is the way through these difficult challenges in life. He takes us by the hand and leads us through the fog that is created when life becomes most difficult.
Jesus is the way in. Jesus gives life in abundance. We all seek satisfaction, yet sometimes we become confused and think that an affluent life is equivalent to abundant living. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10 He is the way to inexpressible joy, a condition much deeper and more permanent than happiness.
Jesus is the way for us to be our best. He enables us to reach greater potential. We’re made to love, worship, and serve the Lord, and Jesus is the best way to do so. Someone once said, “If you would find the best potatoes, go to Idaho; the best onions, go to Michigan; the best apples, go to Washington; the best peaches, go to Georgia; the best sailors, go to Annapolis; the best soldiers, go to West Point; but to find the best human and heavenly being, you must go to Jesus.” He alone will lift you up to heights never imagined before.
Jesus is the way to the Father. There is no other way. God supplied mankind with a path, a road, a way to come back to Him. A way to be restored. A way to be redeemed. A way to be righteous and holy, worthy of being in His presence. Jesus is the way, the only way.
May you recognize the hert of Jesus as He provides you with the way to peace, joy, and love, this and every day.
Vern