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Introduction
I want to finish the “I AM” saying of Christ in John 14:6 this evening.
We were interrupted in that study by the arrival of little Miss Mawson.
She was a welcomed interruption.
For that reason, we never finished our study of John 14.
So, this evening, I plan to wrap it up so we can proceed to the next “I AM” saying of Christ in John’s Gospel.
So, take your Bibles and turn with me to John 14.
We will read the first 6 verses together and then get right into our study.
We left off at verse 4 last time we were studying this passage.
We want to pick up with Christ’s ending statement there.
He said to them:
Remember that Peter asked the Lord this question at the end of chapter 13.
Peter’s question was in response to the Lord’s revelation in John 13:33 where He revealed:
Peter’s question was sincere.
Along with the other disciples, he was somewhat perplexed at the thought of Christ’s leaving.
Thus, the natural response is always to ask where He would be going.
Peter followed Christ’s answer, “thou canst not follow me now” with another question.
The answer to that question was given to all of them in John 14:1-3.
No doubt they were indeed troubled by what He had revealed to them.
Thus, Christ responded with:
In the meantime, they also had a task.
The disciples could not come with Him because He was going back to Heaven to make the necessary preparations for their arrival.
Later, Christ would commission them to:
A commission that still exists even as Christ is preparing for our arrival.
So the answer to Peter’s questions is John 14:4.
Look again at that verse.
Where was the “whither?”
The “whither” was the “Father’s house.”
And, as we can surmise, the way is how a person can arrive in the same place - the Father’s house.
Now comes Thomas’ question.
Thomas missed all that the Lord just said.
Even though Christ spoke plainly, He was still misunderstood by Thomas and, I imagine, others.
Remember that Thomas was a very pragmatic individual.
He was a genuine “matter of fact” kind of guy.
Thus, in his mind, if the Father’s house was the destination, then he wanted to know just how do you get there.
Is there a road?
Where does the road start?
How long is it?
He wanted all the practical details.
Too many times, we are quick to judge Thomas.
I believe the reason we do is that we readily identify with him.
However, before we pronounce judgment on him, let’s also remember that Christ had not yet imparted the Holy Spirit to them.
Remember Christ’s promise in John 16:13.
So similarly, we, as believers, have no excuses for ignorance.
We have the Holy Spirit.
Yet, in the moment of our text, Thomas did not have the enlightening power of God’s Spirit within him.
Thus, in his ignorance and with a pragmatic way of thinking, he naturally asks, “whither thou goest and how can we know the way?”
Now comes one of the most prolific answers given in God’s Word!
It is the next “I AM” saying.
It is also the center of our study.
Before we dive into this verse, let me remind you of this one thing.
At the beginning of this study, I hammered home that the phrase “I Am” is crucial.
Why is it important?
Each time Christ said “I Am,” it was a glaring divinity statement, especially for the Jew.
The first time that God revealed Himself to the nation of Israel was when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush.
It was there that Moses inquired to what name God wanted to be known to Israel.
God replied to Moses saying:
Christ’s answer in John 14:6 starts with the words “I AM.”
In doing so, Christ once again made it clear that He was indeed God.
He was the God of Israel - Jehovah God.
From there, He gives us three characteristics that identify Him.
Jehovah God is the way, the truth, and the life.
Long before Adam and Even sinned, they enjoyed perfect fellowship and communion with God.
A communion that possessed three essential privileges.
Each of these is a crucial quality.
Man’s path (way) to God was clear and straight.
Man’s knowledge (understanding) of God was accurate and unfeigned.
Man’s life was spiritual and eternal.
However, as we know, man’s sin ruined that relationship.
His path to God was blocked, and being alienated from God.
If you recall, Adam and Eve hid from God.
Their way to God was now obstructed by sin.
From that moment on, man’s ability to perceive the truth was tainted by sin.
Adam and Eve made fig-leaf aprons thinking they could hide their guilt and sin.
And, in the end, God cast them from the garden, keeping them from the tree of life.
They became spiritually dead.
Since that day, every person born into the world has been born with this same three-fold condemnation.
Thus, they require reconciliation, illumination, and regeneration.
Christ then became the perfect Savior.
He is the way to the Father; He is Truth incarnate, and He is Life to all who believe in Him.
So, for a few minutes, let’s consider each of these.
“I AM the way”
John 14:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Going back to Adam’s dismissal from the garden, man’s attempts to gain Heaven on his own are numerous.
First, men tried bringing their own type of sacrifice (Cain).
Afterward, men tried building a tower into Heaven (tower of Babel).
Even today, men still try making their own way into Heaven.
They attempt to enter Heaven by resolutions, reformations, prayers, and tears.
They use religion, good works, and many other means to reach Heaven.
All their attempts are vain and futile.
It is impossible to get to Heaven without Christ.
He is the One Who spans the distance between God and sinners.
On top of all this is the fact that Satan seeks to keep man centered on his own attempts to reach the Father’s house.
Yet, amid men’s attempts and Satan’s efforts, God loved us and provided us with a Way back to Him.
It is incredible to think of how Christ came all the way down from Heaven to us.
Yes, we can’t come to God.
Our path is blocked by our sin.
Yet, in the person of His Son, God came down to us.
Christ then is the way.
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