The Way Pt 1, Jesus is the Way, and the Way of Jesus is gentle and willing

“The Way”

Last year, in 2020, I spent some personal time doing some reading and listening in a couple of directions that have converged into the next few sermons for us here at Harrisburg. As I read through a book, Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund, I was struck by the heart of God toward sinners displayed through the life and ministry of Jesus. The compassionate and gracious way of God toward sinners is the opposite of how most of us see the Lord when we have sinned.

For instance, many believe that they need to get all cleaned up and have life back in order to be able to draw near to the Lord. But, the gospel message is that a holy God has come and taken on our mess through death on the cross. Instead of taking steps backward from us, the whole of human history is God taking steps toward us to redeem us, while at the same time calling us to come to Him to find salvation, forgiveness, and rest for our weary and burdened souls. Needless to say God was good to refresh me and remind me of His loving and merciful way toward sinners like myself.

At the same time that I was reminded of the compassionate way of Christ toward sinners, I was intrigued with references to “the Way” in the book of Acts, Hebrews, Proverbs, Psalms, and many of the Prophets. In particular I spent time studying why Paul and the early Christians referred to themselves as followers of the Way or as belonging to the Way.

So, over the next few weeks our sermons will focus on the Way of Jesus toward sinners, the way of church toward Jesus, and the way of the church in the world and in relation to the lost.

Today, I’d like to submit to you that…

Jesus is the Way, and the way of Jesus is gentle and willing

The truth that Jesus is the Way is so connected to the Gospel that early Christians referred to themselves as the Way.

The Way

(Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14)

The early Christians referred to themselves as followers of the Way, because Jesus is the way.

Paul was searching for those who belonged to "the Way” in Acts 9:2 so that he could persecute and imprison them.

In the same passage of Acts 9, Paul is converted on the journey to Damascus. And, from that point forward we see him referring to himself as a follower of the Way.

Luke records Paul sharing the gospel and his testimony in Acts 22:4, and as he recounts the story of his conversion to faith in Jesus, Paul calls the Christians he persecuted “the Way.”

In addition to these instances in the life of Paul, Luke references early Christians as “the Way” in passages like Acts 19:9 & 19:23.

Acts 19:9 (CSB)

9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

Acts 19:23 (CSB)

23 About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way

In Acts 24:14 Paul says that He worships the God of his ancestors according to the Way.

Acts 24:14 (CSB)

14 But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.

The God of his ancestors is the God of the OT, Jehovah, Yahweh, the God of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David.

The reason Paul and others referred to themselves as the Way, is in large part because Jesus referred to Himself as the Way.

John 14:6 (CSB)

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is the Way

(John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5)

The phrase “the Way” is the primary focus of what Jesus says here in John 14:6. The preceding verse, and the second halve of verse 6 help us to see the emphasis on Jesus being “the Way.”

In John 14:5 (CSB) Thomas asks Jesus a question, 5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

Verse 6 is the response of Jesus, and Jesus tells His disciples that He is the Way. But, it is “Only because he is the truth and the life can Jesus be the way for others to come to God.” (D.A. Carson) Jesus isn’t claiming that He is a new way and that everyone should abandon the old ways of God to follow Him. Instead, Jesus is claiming that He “is” the way.

Jesus reveals in John 14:6 that the only way to the Father is through Him. As He says, “no one comes to the Father” unless they come through Him.

You cannot know God without knowing Christ.

Jesus is the way of redemption and reconciliation that He had promised for ages. To reject Christ is to reject all that God has said before the coming of Jesus.

Jesus isn’t claiming to be a way, no Jesus reveals that He is the way, the road, the only path to God. All other forms of religion, philosophy, and belief are ineffective. You cannot come to the one true God by any other means than the Son.

As Jesus says in vs 7, if you know Him you know His Father. There is no other way, but Jesus, by which anyone can be saved

Acts 4:12 (CSB)

12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

1 Timothy 2:5 (CSB)

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

The connection between the early Christians calling themselves followers of “the Way” really emphasizes the significance of what Jesus says in John 14:6. The claim of Christ to be the way

When Paul says admits in Acts 24:14 (CSB), that he worships the God of his ancestors according to the Way, he is claiming the truth that Jesus makes in John 14:6. This is the truth Paul claims and that he is proclaiming- to rightly worship the God of the Scriptures, you must do so through the way… which is Jesus. This means that the only acceptable response to God is to believe in Jesus. It is only through Jesus that you can rightly understand the Scriptures. (This is a theme in books like Galatians, Romans, and Hebrews)

Followers of the Way know that Christ is the only means by which any person can come to God. And, followers of the Way know that the way of Jesus is different from the way of the world.

Because Jesus is the only way, our evangelism is entirely built on the fact that apart from Jesus there is no hope for the souls of those in the world. My hope is today is to make sure that the truth of Christ as the one and only way to be right with God is coupled with the truth about the way of Jesus toward the sinners he came to save.

There are so many understandings when it comes to Jesus. The exclusivity of the claim that Jesus is the only way is too often coupled with a harsh or cold view of Jesus.

Matthew 11:28-30 introduces us to the very heart of Jesus toward those in the world.

Jesus is the Way, and the Way of Jesus is gentle and willing

Matthew 11:28–30 (CSB)

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The heart of Jesus

When the Bible speaks of the heart (OT & NT), it speaks of the central motivating or animating center of everything a person does. The heart is not a part of who you are, it is the center of who you are. The heart drives everything that we do.

When Jesus says that his heart is lowly and humble, He reveals to us that the motivating factor behind everything that He has done for us, is the truth that He is gentle and gracious.

Jesus says “I am lowly and humble at heart”

This means that He is gentle, meek, humble, not arrogant or prideful, and that He is accessible.

“Jesus is not harsh, reactionary, or easily exasperated. He is the most understanding person in the universe.” - D. Ortlund

Jesus stands with open arms, not with a pointed finger.

“You don’t need to unburden yourself or collect yourself and then come to Jesus.” - D. Ortlund

There is no payment required… in fact it is your burden that qualifies you to come.

Jesus stands with open arms, not with a pointed finger.

Jesus did not come for those who are well, He came for those who are sick

Mark 2:17 (CSB)

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus is tender, loving, open, and ready for you. And we can trust with the same certainty that we believe He is the only way to be saved. And yet, too many who believe that Jesus is the only way struggle to see Jesus the way He actually He is. And here is the confusion that I hope we can find clarity on today in the coming weeks.

For those who come to Jesus burdened and yet believing, he promises rest for your soul. But, for those who don’t come to Him, those who reject the truth that He is the Way, the truth, and the life; they will find the judgment that they fear to be true in Christ.

Look briefly at Matthew 11:20–24 (CSB)

20 Then he proceeded to denounce the towns where most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

These verses perfectly describe those who hold on to their own sin and pride. For those who continue in their own strength, who pursue their own way, and reject the gracious and loving offer of Christ… they will receive what their sin deserves- eternal hell.

But, for those who come to Christ, or as Hebrews 10:19–20 (CSB) calls him, “the new and living way”; they receive rest for their souls, and a lighter load to carry, and whole new purpose and reason for life.

“19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)” - Hebrews 10:19-20

Two characteristics of Jesus' heart toward sinners

1. Jesus is willing

He has come for all who are weary of the weight of sin and the world.

Jesus is not forced into saving us… You never belong to Him against His will… He has made it clear… all can come, and He is willing and ready to save.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The phrase “weary and burdened” doesn’t refer to physical exhaustion. Jesus is speaking of the spiritual burden and weariness of sin.

Those who feel the crushing, perplexing, and despairing weight and hopeless of sin can come to Christ and find rest for the soul.

Jesus offers to give you rest, and then offers the way to find rest. We will look more deeply at what it looks like to find the rest that Jesus offers in the next sermon.

The rest that Jesus gives to the weary and burdened is forgiveness from sin and freedom from the weight of relying on yourself.

2. Jesus is gentle

The world is harsh… and without a constant connection with Jesus and the experience of grace in your relationships with other Christians you become convinced that He is like the world.

When you sin today, Jesus is as gentle in your repentance as He was in your salvation.

Jesus doesn’t save you gently, only to be harsh to you after the fact.

Too many Christians believe they must clean themselves up, get right, and hit a hot streak of 7 days of good deeds so that they can be close to God again. This way of thinking is based on a wrong idea of how Jesus is. Jesus doesn’t hold his nose or cover his eyes when you come to him for forgiveness. In fact this way of thinking contradicts the gospel that we preach and are saved by. If you aren’t saved by your works, then you won’t be reconciled later by your works.

The gospel is that a Holy God has made a way for unholy people to be forgiven and granted eternal life. At the reception of eternal life these unholy people are given access for all time through the way, Jesus Christ. Those who belong to the Way have no reason to run and no cause to fear. Because of Christ every Christian has access to God and is empowered by the Holy Spirit to repent of sin and immediately return to living for God.

This doesn’t mean that Christians go about life sinning as if it doesn’t matter. No, not at all. Paul made this clear in Romans 6:1–2 (CSB) when he said, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

I know that this truth feels scary and like we are on the edge of a slippery slope. Like this kind of grace and gentleness gives everyone permission to just keep on sinning. And I know that you may feel like fear is the better guard rail or motivator for people. But, I didn’t put the guard rails up and God decides what to use as motivation for obedience. He is abundantly clear in Scripture. Jesus is gentle, and the motivation for living according to God’s ways is way of grace, love, and kindness; not fear.

Listen friend, I am simply conveying to you that when you sin, Jesus is gentle toward you. He doesn’t step back from you. He doesn’t hold up a hand to keep you away from Him. And Jesus isn’t harsh to you in your moment of great need.

Hebrews 4:16 (CSB) says, “16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Don’t stay back from Jesus. If you are standing there covered in the mess that you have made of your life trying to get clean enough to come back inside where Jesus is, just come on in. He is good, He is kind, He is gentle, and oh man is He gracious.

The same gentle savior who received you by faith through grace, is the same gentle Savior who walks with you today. Jesus doesn’t tell you to stay back, He calls you forward away from your sin and into His grace.

David Phelps sings in his song entitled “Gentle Savior”

Why can’t I walk away from my regrets

And why is forgiveness so hard to accept

My past surrounds me like a house I can’t afford

But You say, "Come with me, don’t live there anymore"

Gentle Savior, lead me on

Let Your Spirit light the way

Gentle Savior, lead me on

Hold me close and keep me safe

Lead me on, gentle Savior

When Jesus says come to me, all who are weary and burdened he means it. Jesus doesn’t change, He is gentle and He is kind. He doesn’t use fear to motivate us to obedience or to repentance. So do not fear… No, that is not what is in His heart… in His heart is gentleness, kindness, graciousness, mercy, and willingness.

Jesus is the Way, and the Way of Jesus is gentle and willing

To the one who has never known the gentleness and grace of Jesus, He says come… come all who are weary and burdened and He will give you rest. There is no other way to the Father than through faith in Jesus Christ. Cry out to God today, and like the great hymn writer Fanny Crosby wrote, cry out and say…

Pass me not, O gentle Savior

Hear my humble cry

While on others Thou art calling

Do not pass me by

Savior, Savior

Hear my humble cry

While on others Thou art calling

Do not pass me by

Let me at Thy throne of mercy

Find a sweet relief

Kneeling there in deep contrition

Help my unbelief

Savior, Savior

Hear my humble cry

While on others Thou art calling

Do not pass me by

Trusting only in Thy merit

Would I seek Thy face

Heal my wounded, broken spirit

Save me by Thy grace

Savior, Savior

Hear my humble cry

While on others Thou art calling

Do not pass me by

Closing: For those who know the Way… remember the willingness and gentleness of Jesus, be revived and refreshed today by goodness and grace of Jesus Christ.

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