Is Jesus Really The Only Way To God? Series

Is Jesus Really the Only Way to God?

John 14:1-7

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We continue this morning with our apologetics series with the question, Is Jesus really the only way to God? In our culture of tolerance and pluralism, the claim of the only way sounds narrow and closed-minded. Limiting at best. Maybe even arrogant.

There is a classic story of a pastor giving a message during children's church. He started out by saying, "I'm going to describe something, and I want you to raise your hand when you know what it is." The children nodded eagerly.

"This thing lives in trees and eats nuts (pause)..." No hands went up. "And it is gray and has a long bushy tail (pause)..." The children looked at each other. Finally one little boy raised his hand. "Well," said the boy, "I *know* the answer must be Jesus ... but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!"

In the church we're expected to answer "Jesus" for many spiritual questions, but do we really know why? Is Jesus really the only way to God? What about other religions? Islam. Hinduism. Buddhism. Judaism. Are other religions wrong?

What about those who say all religions have basically the same idea but with different names. Or, those who say that all religions lead to the same God. How would you respond? If you were not in church?

A Christian I talked with recently had romantic feelings for a Muslim man. She asked if the Christian God and the Muslim God were the same God. Because emotions were involved, I gently suggested she ask the Muslim man whether his God came in the form of a man to die on the cross to restore us to Himself.

If all religions lead to the same God, why would the same God have different requirements in order to come to Him? In a way there are only two kinds of requirements. First is that of the Christian God who requires us to trust in His effort through Jesus' death on the cross. Second is that of all the other religions' gods who require us to make our own efforts to have a right relation with the gods.

Christianity says the way to God relies on what God has done on the cross. All other religions say the way to God relies on what we must do in this life. Knowing this

difference is important, but it doesn't answer the question, Is Jesus really the only way to God? So let's take some time to answer this question. Our first text is John 14:1-7 (READ).

Verse 6 is Jesus' answer to the question, Is Jesus really the only way to God? He says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me."

Jesus says He is the way for people to come to God the Father. He is the truth: What He says is reliable. And He is the life: True life is life in relationship with God.

Let's look at some reasons to believe why Jesus is really the only way to God. First is because of who Jesus was. Second is because of what Jesus did.

Who was Jesus? He was the Son of Man. This was a title Jesus used for himself many times in the Gospel records. He is God come in the form of a man. So, Son of Man.

Two reasons for God to come in the form of a man. First, so mankind could understand the love that God wanted to communicate. If God wanted to communicate His love for birds, He would have come as a bird and chirped. He didn't. He came as a man to communicate His love for mankind.

Second, so the penalty for mankind's sin could be paid. In the OT, animal sacrifice was only a symbol of the shedding of blood required for the forgiveness of man's sin. In reality only the shedding of man's blood is sufficient for the forgiveness of man's sin. That's why God had to come as man.

Romans 5:8 reads, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Who was Jesus? He was also the Son of God. This was a title Jesus used for himself in the Gospel records also. The Bible reveals the one true God exists as three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And Jesus is the second person of God, the Son of God.

We're tempted to ask, "How can One God exist in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?" But we're not tempted to ask, "How can one spider have 8 legs?" This is because we expect God to be like us but we don't expect a spider to be like us. But God is not like us.