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The Way, the Truth, and the Life

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“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 ESV)

“Wow, Jesus! Why did you have to say those words? Now, following you puts me in a pickle! It puts me at odds with my coworkers and friends because your statement is just not politically correct or socially sensitive!” If we are to be honest with ourselves, that’s the statement that many Christians today would like to tell our Lord! In a world that insists upon moral inclusiveness and religious plurality, Jesus calls us to exclusiveness and singularity! He didn’t say he was ‘a’ way! He didn’t say he was ‘a’ truth! And he didn’t say he was ‘a’ life! The articles are not indefinite; they are definite! Jesus made the claim and if we are to truly follow him, we must echo the claim of his exclusive and unique status.

Now logically speaking, if Jesus is indeed, just a way and there are indeed other ways to get to the Father, then his suffering on the Cross was not necessary! If there are indeed, other ways, then his life, suffering, death, and resurrection were pointless! When I was young and one of my siblings would try to exercise parental authority over the rest of us, we would ask them: “Who died and left you in charge?” That’s the question the world is asking of Jesus! As the Pharisees asked him: “Who gave you this authority?” Well, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:6-11: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (KJV) On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter preached in Acts 2:36: “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (KJV) It’s uncomfortable and it puts us at odds with the current consciousness, but if we are to be true to our Lord, then we must be willing to, as the Hebrew writer says, “. . . go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Heb. 13:13 KJV) We must remember, Jesus said: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38 KJV) If we are ashamed of him now before the world, he will be ashamed of us before the Heavenly Father.

Now there is another aspect of this statement of Jesus that I don’t think many of us have really thought about! Look at the metaphors Jesus used. First of all, he said “I am the way!” What is the way? The way is the means of access! The way is the route, road, or the pathway! The way is not the destination; the way is the means to get to the destination! Many of us have made Jesus the destination, but in his owns words, Jesus said: “I’m not the destination you’re trying to reach! I am the means. I am the access. I am the way to get you to your destination!” And what is the destination? The Father God! Jesus came, lived, died, and was resurrected so that we might have a means of access to God!  

When we really look at this, the meaning is profound! Jesus was saying to us: “Don’t stop at me! Keep going! I’m just the way! I’m just the access!” He said to his disciples in John 16:23, “In that day (the day when the Holy Spirit comes to take permanent residence within you) you will ask me nothing, but whatsoever you ask the Father in my name and He will give it to you!” Now that is profound! Jesus was saying that, through me, you have the same access to God the Father that I have!

That is, I believe, one of the greatest statements in all of Scripture! Jesus didn’t come to bring men a new religion; men already had plenty of religion! Jesus came to renew the way, the means, the access, the truth and the life that leads to the Father that had been broken and destroyed by sin at the Fall in the Garden of Eden! We look at the life of Jesus as a means of salvation; and it is! But more importantly, the life of Jesus was and is a model for us to study and imitate! Everything he did was an example for us! Most theologians and commentators say that when Jesus calmed the storm, by saying; “Peace be still,” he was using his divine power. That might have been so, but I believe that when Jesus was on earth in the flesh, he didn’t function primarily as Son of God, but rather as son of man! In other words, I believe that when Jesus was on earth, he did not use any of his Divine prerogatives or attributes, but rather functioned as a man fully empowered and led by the Holy Spirit! For if Jesus functioned on earth as Son of God, then the statement recorded in John 14:12 makes no sense. There, he said; “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (KJV) Therefore, I believe that when Jesus calmed the stormed, he wasn’t displaying his divinity, but rather he was showing his disciples and us, through parabolic action, how to calm the storms in our lives!

The bottom line is that when Jesus made the statement: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes unto the Father but by me.” Not only was he saying that he was the only way to the Father, he was encouraging us to see him, not as the end, but rather as the means to the end! He did not come to glorify himself; he came to glorify the Father! Therefore, by looking at and using his life as example, a model, or a blueprint and by being empowered by the same Spirit that was in him and having the mind of Christ, we can also fulfill the specific purpose for which we were created. Most people, even so-called Christians, think that life is all about them, but it’s not! Humanity was created to be the physical, visible and practical expression of the Spiritual God in the material world! Whatever God does in this world, God does it through human agency! Man was created to glorify God! And how do we glorify God? Perhaps the answer is found in high priestly prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his passion. Jesus said: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:4 ESV) We bring glory to God by completing our assignment! Our assignment is our life’s purpose; our reason for being! Jesus had a specific assignment and so do you and I and every person in the world! Whether it’s preaching the Gospel, or helping people discover their talents, gifts, and potential, or working at the bank, every work is a divine endeavor! Every work is a means by which God seeks expression through our human personality!

Yes! In the statement, Jesus was saying he was the only way to get to the Father, but he was also saying that he was the way, his teaching was the truth, and his life was the example of how we might truly live the abundant life here and now on earth!

Jesus: The “Model” for the Christian

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Jesus in a suitBeside the fact that Jesus is the Lord and the Savior, I think many people who claim to be Christian forget that he is also the Model! Let me show you what I’m talking about! How many times (I’ve lost count!) have you heard someone who is supposedly a Christian say something like this: “Nobody’s perfect! The only perfect person who ever lived was Jesus!” They usually say this as an excuse for a failure or a mistake. Or they may something like this: “That was Jesus, but I’m just human!” The point of their excuses is that they don’t think they should be expected to live like Jesus! But isn’t that the whole point of being a Christian; to live like Jesus? By the way, although Jesus was and is the Son of God, he lived his life on earth as the Son of Man! Whatever Jesus did on earth, he did it as a man fully indwelt and controlled by the Holy Spirit. He did not use any of his divine prerogatives! In other words, whatever Jesus did on earth during his earthly ministry, we have the potential to do also! In fact, Jesus said in John 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whosoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (ESV) The primary goal of Christianity is not a ticket to Heaven or a pass from Hell; it is to be like Jesus!

Luke wrote an interesting point in his introduction to the Acts of the Apostles. Luke wrote: “In the first book (a reference to the Gospel of Luke), O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. . .” (Acts 1:1 ESV) Do you see that? He didn’t say that his first work was about all that Jesus did and taught, he said it was about all that Jesus “began” to do and teach! The implication is that although the atoning work of Jesus was finished at Calvary and with his resurrection, there are certain aspects of the ministry and work of Jesus that were NOT completed! The work goes on! All that Jesus began to do and teach is to be continued by those who live in his name; by those who wear the name: Christian!

Just as Jesus did not live for himself, but was totally consumed and occupied with the will of his Father, so should the life of the Christian be today! The life of the Christian is a life lived in the name of Jesus! The Apostle Paul put it this way: “To live is Christ!” In the Greek text, there is no verb. Paul literally said: “To live, Christ!” The terms “live” and “Christ” stand in apposition to each other. For Paul and for the true Christian; life equals Christ! Therefore, everything we do and everything we say should be in the name of Jesus. The Christian life is a life in which Jesus lives through the life of the Christian. Just as the Father did His work through Jesus; Jesus does his work through the Christian. Therefore the life of the Christian does not belong to the Christian to do as he or she pleases, but rather to do the will of Christ! That is why the first requirement of following Jesus is that a person deny (that is say “no” to) their self! (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)

So, what should the “Christian” be doing today? They should be continuing all the things that Jesus began to do and teach while he was on earth! The life of the Christian is not just about preaching and teaching the Gospel, it also involves getting involved with people to make their lives better!  It is also about providing a physical and practical demonstration of the power of the Gospel! If every person in the United States who claims to be Christian would actually “be Christian,” many of the moral and social evils that are present in our society would be gone in a matter of years, perhaps even months or weeks! The ministry of Jesus was about relieving the suffering of people in addition to helping them establish a relationship with the Heavenly Father. He didn’t do one or the other; he did both! He preached to the multitude AND he fed the multitude! He preached the Kingdom of God AND he demonstrated the power and validity of the kingdom by casting out demons and healing the sick! Jesus was concern about and ministered to the whole person; mind, body and soul! Therefore, if we are to be truly Christian; we are to be models of him! We are to continue to do what he started in his name! We are to be the visible, physical, and practical agents and representatives of the invisible spiritual God!