The Way, The Truth, The Life

Scriptrural Text: John 14:6

Am The Door

A tourist in Syria observed with interest how a shepherd drove all his sheep into a sheepfold one evening. The fold was an enclosing wall with only one opening. On that opening he noticed that there was neither door nor gate. He remarked to the shepherd: “Can’t wild beasts get in there?” “No,” answered the shepherd, “because I am the door. When the sheep are in for the night, I lie down across that doorway. No sheep can get out except over my body, and no wolf or thief can get in except over me.”

The Way to God Is by Jesus Alone (John 14:4-7)

The Consolation He Gives to His Disciples (14:1–4)

A. “I am going to prepare a place for you” (14:1–2).

B. “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (14:3–4).[1]

· Christ’s ascension is the preparation and guarantee of our entrance into heaven. (Note also Eph. 2.6)

The disciples were shaken about Jesus leaving them, note this conversation

The Conversation between Thomas and Jesus (14:5–7)

1.     Thomas’s question: “We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (14:5).

However, Jesus told the disciples where is was going and the way they did know. He told them time and time again:

In His prediction of His death and ascension (Jn. 13:33, 36; 14:3, 4)

John 13:33 (NKJV) Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.

John 13:36 (NKJV) Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”

“The way to get there you know”: through Him (Jn 3:16, Jn 5:24, Jn 11:25-26)

John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 5:24 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

John 11:25–26 (NKJV) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus told them in simple and clear terms: He was to die and rise again (Jn. 7:33–34; Mt. 16:21–28; 17:1–13; 17:22; 17:24–27)

John 7:33–34 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. 34You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

Jesus told them in simple and clear terms: He is to go the Father(Jn. 7:33–34; see Jn. 8:14; 13:3; 14:2–3; 16:5, 10, 17)

John 8:14 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.

John 14:2–3 (NKJV) 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.

What is the problem that the dots did not connect:

Problem (1): thinking in terms of an earthly and temporal government, of worldly positions and power, of wealth and possessions, of pomp and ceremony (Jn 8:19, Jn 16:3, Acts 17:23, Acts 28:27, Eph 4:18)

John 8:19 (NKJV) 19Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”

John 16:3 (NKJV)And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

Acts 17:23 (NKJV)for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

Acts 28:27 (NKJV)For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ’

Ephesians 4:18 (NKJV) having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Problem (2): The person who thinks worldly terms and lives for the earth (position, power, wealth, honor, possessions)…(Jn 3:3, 5; 1 Cor 2:14)

shall never know where Christ has gone nor how to get there.

John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:5 (NKJV) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Jesus’answer (14:6–7)

a.     “I am the way, the truth and the life” (14:6a).

b.     “No one can come to the Father except through me” (14:6b–7).

I Am The Way – the way to salvation - the way to God

“Soteria (NT word for salvation) is the rescue of fallen man through Christ from all that would ruin his soul in this life and in the life to come”

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is way of death. (Proverbs 14.12)

3268 Life’s Viewpoints

The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything

Because He is the way to discover God, our way of life (the “way of life;” the life choices one makes and lifestyle one adopts) is improved:

(Matt. 7.13-14) “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The song writer wrote, Show Me The Ways Lord

That I may walk with You

Show me Your ways, I put my hope You

The cry of my heart, Is to love You more

To live with the touch, Of Your hand

Stronger each day

Show me Your ways

I Am The Truth – the truth that put our existence into perspective (John 8:31-32, Ro 6:14, Eph 4:14)

John 8:31–32 (NKJV) 31Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Romans 6:14 (NKJV) 14For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Ephesians 4:14 (NKJV) 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

You do not remain exactly where and what you always were.

I Am The Life – an eternal life that is to be lived here and now. (Ps. 16:11; Pro. 6:23; 10:17)

In the OT, a believer’s lifestyle faith is spoken of as a path unto the life

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) 11You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV) 23For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

Proverbs 10:17 (NKJV) 17He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.

Conclusion: Jesus’ mission is to bring life to humankind (Jn 5:39–40; 10:10).

How can you bring “life” to something that is already alive?

John 5:39–40 (The Message) “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! 40And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

John 10:10 (The Message) A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.