Jesus is The Way, Truth, and Life
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Jesus is The Way, Truth, and Life
Text:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
I. Jesus tells his disciples that he is getting ready to depart.
Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.
Jesus tells his disciples, I’m only going to be with you a little while longer. You will search for me, but you can’t come where I’m going.
Peter then replies:
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Where are you going Jesus, Peter asks this because he intends to follow Jesus wherever it is that he is going. Peter and the disciples loved Jesus and the Lord loved them. They did not want Jesus to depart, yet, they did not know exactly where Jesus was going.
Some of the disciples thought that Jesus was going to travel to a different city or even a different country.
Jesus told Peter and his disciples (verse 36) Where I’m going, you can’t follow me now.
Jesus was getting ready to die, be resurrected, and then ascend back to heaven. The disciples thought that they were ready to go with Jesus (although they did not understand where Jesus was going) but where Jesus was going, no flesh and blood cannot enter.
Something had to happen, a change needed to take place within his disciples in order for them to go where Jesus is. Something has to happen to you too, if you want to go to be where Jesus is. You need to be born again if you are going to be where Jesus is. Because flesh and blood, this corruptible flesh, this sinful flesh, can not inherit the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
How? Nicodemus asks Jesus.
Jesus proceeds to tell him how to be born again:
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
You can’t enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
What is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of God is the rule of God in the hearts and minds of his people. The Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom yet, it is a spiritual kingdom, but after awhile, the spiritual kingdom will be both spiritual and physical.
Before you can get to the actual physical manifestation of the Kingdom of God, you have to enter into the Kingdom of God by the Spirit of God, it is through the Spirit of God (The Holy Ghost) that God comes in, takes up residency, and rules in the heart and minds of his people.
To enter the kingdom of God, first, you must be born of the water. Water symbolizes pureness or cleanness. You must first be cleansed. How are we cleansed, alright Apostolics before you jump the gun and say baptism in Jesus’ name, there is something that comes before that:
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Then there is another scripture that says:
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
So first of all, it is the word of God that cleanses us. When the Gospel (death, burial, resurrection) is preached, when we believe it, when we accept it, when we confess and acknowledge it, it cleanses us. So the BIBLE says, that you are cleansed even before you hit the water. Why? Because physical water can’t clean you, there are only two things that can clean you spiritually, The Word of God and the Blood of Jesus:
We read scripture about how the word of God cleanses, but let me give you scripture for how the blood cleanses:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
What does it mean that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin? What does it mean that the blood of Christ purges our conscience from dead works?
It does not mean that his blood is something mythical, rather it means the type of death he died in order for you to be cleansed from all sin, for your conscience to be purged from dead works (sin).
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Jesus was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions (rebellion), Jesus was abused, beaten, smacked, spat upon, nailed to a wooden cross for your rebellion. He was bruised (crushed) for your iniquities. Your iniquities, your sins, your wickedness incurs a penalty, but he took on the penalty for you. You need to take all this personal, Jesus suffered a great deal for us, to bring us out of darkness, to give us eternal life! Everybody right now ought to give the Lord a praise.........everybody ought to give the Lord a praise! The chastisement of our peace, in order to have peace with God he suffered so that we could have peace and then he was whipped, beaten 40 plus stripes, beaten and as he was whipped it ripped his skin and flesh open, but HE DID IT SO THAT YOU COULD BE HEALED!!!! Not Jesus healing from sickness, diseases, or physical ailments, but he did it to heal us from our brokenness from sin!
And now for you to enter the Kingdom of God, you must believe that Jesus died for your sins, you must accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers through his death and resurrection!
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
This is what Jesus is telling Nicodemus, you can’t even see the Kingdom of God......many of his contemporaries did not believe the words of Jesus. Jesus tells him, you must be born of the water (word) first of all. Secondly, water is symbolic of baptism. But again, the water in baptism is not able to cleanse you:
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When you believe the gospel, when you repent of your sins (death, dying to sin) the word of God, the blood of Jesus has already cleansed you. Now, there is a response......because I believe, because I confessed, that Jesus Christ died and rose again the third day, now because I am repenting of my sin, I’m turning away from sin, I’m giving my life to God, I respond by being baptized in Jesus’ name, because baptism is a response to God from a clean conscience, and what makes it effective is the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Because Jesus died for my sin, I’m going to die to my sin. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, when I come out of the water I’m going to walk in the newness of life, finally, because Jesus was raised from the dead, I too (when I die) one day will be raised from the dead.
This is water, you must believe the gospel, you must be baptized, this is half of being born again. But now you must be born of the Spirit!
Listen to what Jesus says:
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit (The Holy Ghost) gives birth to spiritual life. So in order to be born again by of the Spirit, you need to receive The Holy Ghost! You cannot live a spiritual life without the Holy Spirit, you cannot live a holy life without the Holy Spirit!
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
The spirit makes alive (quickeneth), God breathed the pneuma (spirit) into man and man became a living soul. It is the Spirit alone, that gives eternal life Jesus says here.....not just water, not just baptism.....IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT GIVES ETERNAL LIFE! Human effort, doesn’t bring eternal life, just being good to the best of your abilities doesn’t bring eternal life......THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS ETERNAL LIFE!!! You need the Holy Spirit.....the Holy Ghost!!!!
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Eternal life is the life that will come after the resurrection of the dead in Christ!!! Those who have the Spirit of God in them, those who have believed the gospel, those who have been baptized, those who have received the in-filling of the Holy Spirit......if the Holy Spirit lives in you, God will resurrect your dead bodies in the last day:
If you are hear today......and you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal savior, you need to believe the gospel, repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!!!
Closing:
Jesus tells his disciples:
“You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” Peter said “Lord, I’ll die for you.....but he was speaking from the stand point of his human will.” You cannot serve the Lord with your human will......in order to serve the Lord you must be born again! Peter was close though.....he needed to die......he needed to die not to protect the Lord.....but he needed to die to self, die to sin, in order to go where Jesus was going.
Second part of being born again is that one must not be alive (dead) in order to be born again. We need to die to ourselves, die to a lifestyle that apposes God, die to sin, in order for us to be born again.
The disciples clearly....to a certain extent believed Jesus’ words. But they wavered after Jesus died on the cross. However, when he got up on that 3rd day and showed himself, they believed EVERYTHING Jesus said. They had already been baptized obviously.....even though the Bible doesn’t exactly say it.....I’m pretty certain that before the disciples started baptizing other disciples that they were baptized themselves. If Jesus, the one without sin was baptized, that every disciple of Jesus should be baptized.
But there was one thing that was missing, they had the water.....they didn’t have the Spirit.
This is why Jesus says “You can’t go with me now, but after-awhile you’ll follow me later.” A change needed to take place.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Jesus knowing what was in the minds of his disciples, knew that they were heartbroken, knew that they were distraught. Their friend, their master, their teacher, their protector, their provider, was getting ready to leave them, but Jesus says “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.”
In my Father’s house.......in my Father’s home. See Jesus was getting ready to ascend back to glory, he was going back to heaven. Even though the God was in Christ, it never stopped God from being the God that is omni-present (everywhere). God was in the bush when he appeared to Moses, yet God was still in heaven all at the same time because of His omni-presence. So from a human standpoint, Jesus is saying I’m going back home, I’m returning to my Father which art in Heaven.
But don’t worry, there is more than enough room in my Father’s house. I have enough room for you and all of my disciples throughout history. I have room for all of the Old Testament saints. I have plenty of room in my father’s house. If it were not so, I would have told you. You won’t have to worry about living accommodations.
Jesus said then in verse 3 “I’m going to prepare a place for you (get your accommodations ready) and when everything is ready, I will come and get you!!!! Jesus is just not saying this to the twelve, he is saying this to all of his disciples. The Lord is saying today, I went away 1,989 years ago to prepare a place for you......and when this new place.....this new heaven.....this new earth.....and your dwelling place is ready......I’M COMING BACK TO GET YOU AND TAKE YOU TO YOUR NEW HOME......AND IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU DIE BEFORE IT IS READY.....IF YOU DIE BEFORE IT IS READY......I’LL GIVE YOU A NEW BODY AND RESURRECT YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO LIVE AGAIN!!!! AND WHEN I COME BACK TO GET YOU......YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING SEPARATED FROM ME AGAIN!!!! YOU’LL ALWAYS BE WITH ME WHERE I AM!!!!
DON’T YOU WANNA GO? DO YOU WANT TO GO TO BE WITH JESUS??? A place with no more dying, no more sickness, no more suffering, no more tiredness, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more sin, no more hatred......for the formal things will be passed away!
Jesus tells his disciples, you know where I’m going and how to get there.
Thomas speaks us in verse 5:
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Then Jesus give the directions on how to get to where He is going:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
I’m going back to the Father, if you want to come where I am.....there is only one way to get there: I’m the Way, I’m the Truth, I am the Life......no man can come to the Father except through me. There is no other way to get to God.....You’ve got to go through Jesus! You’ve got to believe his word (Truth), you’ve got to receive (Life) through the Spirit of God!
End:
Wednesday Night I will conclude “Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life” with a focus on “Jesus is Life”. I have more, but I needed to catch everyone up so that we will be on the same page going forward. Please make every effort to attend biblestudy in-person or on-line.....preferably in person. We are doing everything else in person.....come out of those comfort-zones. You’re going to work, you’re going to school, you’re going to the grocery store, you’re going to the mall, getting hair and nails done.....but short-changing time with God and fellowship with the saints. This church needs to be on fire for Jesus.....if we have visitors....and we’ve been getting them on Wednesday nights.....i don’t want them to see a less than half full church. Nobody wants to be a part of that.
Altar Call:
II. The disciples want to go with Jesus.
III. After awhile you’ll be able to come with me.
IV. You know where I’m going and how to get there.
V. Final instructions on how to get to where Jesus is.