He is the Answer
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Irreplaceable: there is no substitute for Jesus
This lesson is going to be talking about something that is absolutely irreplaceable
Today we are going to hit on the foundation of the Christian faith.
Before we get there,
What is a foundation?
You get a wonky foundation what happens to the building?
It is vital that the foundation is made right!
Another analogy: going a direction far away if i start heading the direction of something wayyyy far off, what happens after I walk a couple miles?
Likewise if you do not get this right nothing else will matter
So lets get into the passage we are teaching today:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Jesus is going to reply to them with three claims.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the Way
Jesus is the Way
Jesus does not say he is A way, but THE way
He is claiming Exclusivity
That means, he does not share
Ask if anyones seen this…
I looked up Coexist, heres what I got
“Aww it looks so nice, the cat and the mouse are buddies”
It is in the nature of the cat to eat the mouse
Likewise, if Jesus says, “I am THE way” that means by nature, Christianity cannot work with any other religion
We can and should be at peace, but we cannot coexist
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
I this case Jesus is talking about money, but the principle remains the same. You cannot serve two masters, Jesus is THE way there is no other option, either he is Lord or he is not.
He does not share
He is the way,
So what does that mean for us?
That means that if I put my faith in anything other than Jesus, that thing will ultimately fail me
Other religions… not just that though
People (Friends, family, pastors, influencers, boyfriend/girlfriend)
Stuff (Cars, money)
Experiences (Trips, movies)
Jesus claims exclusivity, not because he is selfish, but because he truly is the only way.
If Jesus is not just the way
Jesus is the Truth
Jesus is the Truth
What do I mean by that?
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” -Attributed to CS Lewis
Follow me here
It all comes down to this, if Jesus is right, he is everything, or if he’s wrong he’s nothing.
And it is because of this, that he is the truth
Math people!
Who knows what the order of operations is? PEMDAS
Parentheses
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction
If I give two people the same math problem, I tell one you must follow the order of operations and the other it does not matter what order you do things. Are they going to get the same answer?
Who is right?
Think of it this way, if Jesus is the way then that should be the equation from which everything else flows
You all hear of this WWJD?
If he is the way, if he is our Lord, that should effect, how we think, and what we do and that is because, he is the truth, if something is not the truth you don’t follow it.
Jesus is the Life
Jesus is the Life
In order for us to need him as the life it also means something about us.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
So we are dead
If you are not following the way (Jesus), you are not living in truth, which means you certainly are not alive.
Living in sin is death
Sin is ultimately what separates us from God
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Now I want to make this clear, when Jesus says he is the life he does indeed mean that we will be with him forever in heaven. But as the verse makes clear that is not the only death that there is
Part of having Jesus be your way is you are made alive both spiritually and eternally
Spiritually: We are no longer seen as sinners in the sight of Gods eyes
How? Through Jesus Christ
Eternally: Due to Jesus’ sacrifice, we now will be with the Father forever
If you get one thing out of this camp it should be this
Jesus died for sinners like you and I so that he could be our way, our truth and our life
There is no other answer, if you get this wrong nothing else matters, you will stay spiritually dead, and ultimately that leads to eternal death.
So my question is this, the most important question anyone can ask you, Is Jesus your way, your truth, and your life?
Because no one comes to the father except through him.
