I Am The Way The Truth And the Life
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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
This is possibly the most quoted verus in the book of John apart from John 3:16.
This veres is very difficult because its counter to our lives.
Its counter to how I see myself , how I see God. how I see reality.
Because I see myself as being the I Am.
I am good, I am kind, I am nice.
I am a hard worker.
This could very much be a reality of the kind of chracter we are .
But we don’t mention the other things
I am rude
I am negative
I am a doubter
I am addicted to lust images
The only I am that I should be is that I am His.
I am His by purchase and I am His by conquest; I am His by donation and I am His by election; I am His by covenant and I am His by marriage; I am wholly His; I am peculiarly His; I am universally His; I am eternally His.
Thomas Brooks
Jesus announces his death in John 13. Needless to say there was confusion, anxiety, lost send of purpose.
The disciples left everything and followed after Christ.
They went through experience after experience with him, seem countless miracles, heard and seen indescribable signs and wonders.
Even after many of His disciples rejected Him, his core disciples wouldn’t go.
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
After hearing that Jesus was departing Peter said that he was willing to die for Jesus. Thats when Jesus spoke about Peter denial where he said “the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.”
Jesus response to this was…..
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
“Do not let your hearts be overcome with turmoil”
“Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by the situation.”
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.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
“In my Father’s house are many rooms , or dwelling places. WE will have a dwelling place within the Fathers house.
He’s making a point that in The Fathers house which is heaven there is more then enough space for all His saints. All of Jesus disciples will be able to join Him.
In My Fathers house theres a place for me I’m a child of God yes I Am
Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you. How does He prepare tht place? It’s Through the cross, This is how He prepares this place its through the death burial and resurrection
The reasoning for Jesus departure was spelled out for them! It was for there advantage that He was leaving.
Its true that He was going away but He was going to prepare a place for them.
But He said He would come back for them.
He coming back in three ways - 1 was after the resurrection which gave them confidence and assurance that who Jesus said He was is true. 2. He came back by sending His Spirit. 3. He will come back at His second coming where satan will be imprisoned and Jesus will reign on the earth.
I remember I wanted to stay a couple more years in Zimbabwe as a missionary, but by this time P. Renaldo ordained 3 local Zimbabwean men to take over the church. Though my desire was to stay as a missionary but the locals where trained and now leading the church and my stay there would of hindered the work not helped. It was more profitable for me to depart. So the Pastor can lead with no hinderances on my part.
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Thomas is looking for very clear instructions. Not ambiguous ones. Like Lord I want very detailed instructions on how to get to this destination which you speak of.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Thomas was looking for a road map and Jesus gave him a relationship.
When we are lost Jesus would say I’m the way the truth and life.
Thomas you don’t a gps, you dont need google maps you need a relationship.
You don’t need another list of things to do and not to do you need a relationship.
You don’t need another system program you need a relationship.
you don’t need another self help book, you don’t need another diet but you need a relationship.
In previous chapters I Am has been used to indicate that
the bread or sustenance of the community (6:35, 48, 51), I am the bread of Life
the light of the world (8:12; 9:5), I am the light of the world
the one who is from above and not from the world (8:23), I am not of this world
the gate or entrance way to the sheepfold (10:7, 9), I am the door
the good shepherd (10:11, 14), I am the good Shepherd
the Vine -( John 15) I am the True Vine
and the resurrection and life (11:25). I am the resurrection and the life.
Here John joins three powerful ideas of “way,” “truth,” and “life” to produce a classic statement concerning the significance of Jesus in providing salvation.
A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.
This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.
Jesus didn’t just blaze a trail for us to follow. But He is the way!
He didn’t just say do the things I do or take the steps I take. Or move in this way or that way but He Himself is The Way!
He is also the way to God because he is the truth: he brought the truth of God into the world
Jesus proclaimed truth and embody’s it.
Therefore, when people come to Jesus, they come to the one in whom the truth about the Father is found.
(John 1:14 , 17 ; 8:32 , 40 , 45–46; 14:6; 18:37 ),
Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is also the way to the Father because he is the life.
In John 1:4 we are told, ‘In him was life, and that life was the light of men,’
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
I am the bread of life.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
All these texts reflect the fact that the life of God was found in Jesus. Therefore, when people come to Jesus they come to the one in whom the life of the Father is found, and in this sense also Jesus is the way to the Father.