I Am The Way, The Truth, And The Life Series

DEFINING JESUS

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

John 14:1-14 (NIV)

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE IN OUR SERIES ON THE “I AM” STATEMENTS OF JESUS, WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH A TRIPLE STATEMENT – JESUS GIVES US THE DECLARATION THAT HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO SEE HERE IS THAT NOT ONLY IS JESUS ONCE AGAIN DECLARING PART OF HIS NATURE AND EARTHLY MINISTRY, BUT HE IS ALSO GIVING US DIRECTION. PART OF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IS TO POINT US TOWARDS AND TO GOD THE FATHER.

OFTEN THOSE WHO DO NT KNOW THE LORD ARE CONFUSED AND EVEN SHOCKED THAT CHRISTIANS WOULD MAKE THE CLAIM THE JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. BUT, AS YOU WILL SEE IN THIS PASSAGE, IT IS NOT THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WHO MADE THIS CLAIM BY THE SON OF GOD HIMSELF.

TRANSITION: SO LETS TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND OPEN THIS PASSAGE UP.

I. INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

a. THE UNKNOWN BRINGS TROUBLE

i. THE CONTEXT OF JOHN 14 IS THAT JESUS HAD TOLD HIS DISCIPLES ABOUT HIS UPCOMING DEATH

ii. TROUBLE IS NOT JUST LIMITED TO THE DISCIPLES

iii. WE CAN BE TROUBLED TODAY AS WELL

iv. THE ANSWER TO TROUBLE THEN AS IT IS TODAY

1. THE SOLUTION FOR TROUBLE IS TRUST

b. EMBRACING TRUST AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

i. SEE GOD AS THE SOURCE OF OUR TRUST

ii. SEE GOD AS THE ONE IN CONTROL OF OUR FUTURE

iii. SEE OUR FUTURE AS SECURE

1. NO ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM HEAVEN

2. EACH OF US HAS A PLACE IN HEAVEN

TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE “PREPARED PLACE”

• THE IS A PLACE IN HEAVEN – A DWELLING FOR US TO RESIDE

• THE PLACE IS THE PERSON OF CHRIST

o THE WORD FOR PLACE IS THE WORD ABODES – A DWELLING PLACE

o THE ROOT OF THE WORD IS ABIDE – OFTEN USED OF CHRIST AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH US.

c. REASONS WHY CHRIST IS NOT ACCEPTED AS THE WAY

i. PEOPLE ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR OWN WAY

ii. PEOPLE DENY THEIR OWN LOSTNESS

iii. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONVINCED THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS

II. THE “I AM” OF CHRIST – WHAT DOES IT TELL US?

a. I AM THE WAY

i. THIS ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF HOW CAN I GO TO HEAVEN

ii. THE WORD “WAY” IS THE GREEK WORD “HODOS”

1. EXODUS

2. A WAY OUT

3. A PATH, ROAD OR JOURNEY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER

4. CAN’T MISS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ORIGINAL EXODUS WHICH WAS A JOURNEY FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM

iii. BENEFITS OF “I AM THE WAY”

1. SECURITY

a. WE KNOW THE WAY TO GO

b. NO GUESSWORK INVOLVED