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
2. SERENITY
a. WE CAN BE CALM WHEN JESUS IS LEADING
b. WE CAN BE CALM WHEN JESUS TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
3. STABILITY
a. NO NEED TO CHECK OUT DIFFERENT ROADS
4. SIMPLICITY
a. I AM THE WAY – CAN’T GET MUCH CLEARER THAN THAT
b. WANT TO SEE CONFUSION IN TRAVEL CHECK OUT ROUTE 64 DOWN TO LORRAINE
5. STANDARD
a. JESUS APPLIES THE WAY TO HIMSELF
b. CHRISTIANITY IS MORE THAN CHURCH IT IS A WAY OF LIFE
c. A WAY OF LIFE SET BY THE STANDARD OF CHRIST
b. BENEFITS OF “I AM THE TRUTH”.
i. ANSWERS THE QUESTION HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM GOING TO HEAVEN
1. THE WORD USED HERE FOR TRUTH MEANS TRUTH AS DISTINGUISHED FROM FALSEHOOD
2. WHAT IS REAL AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS COUNTERFEIT
3. JESUS WAS TRUTH INCARNATE
ii. IN TRUTH WE FIND CONTINUATION
1. TRUTH ENDURES FOREVER AND IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF WHIM OR FAD
iii. IN TRUTH WE FIND COUNSEL
1. John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
iv. IN TRUTH WE FIND CONQUEST
1. CONQUER PROBLEMS
2. CORRECT ERROR
3. EXPOSE DECEPTION
v. IN TRUTH WE FIND CONFIDENCE
1. Titus 1:2 (NIV) a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
2. THE TRUTH OF GOD IS DOGMATIC, DEPENDABLE AND DURABLE
vi. IN TRUTH WE FIND COMPLETION
1. THERE IS NO, “OH, BY THE WAY”
2. NO BAIT AND SWITCH WITH GOD
vii. IN TRUTH WE FIND CLEANSING
1. SETS US FREE
2. SETS US APART
viii. IN TRUTH WE FIND CREDIBILITY
1. TRUTH IS CONVEYED BY EXAMPLE
2. COULD YOU SEE THIS:
a. If a greedy person teaches on generosity,
b. If a domineering, proud man teaches on humility,
c. If a bitter, angry individual teaches on love and forgiveness,
d. If an adulterer teaches on the need for purity,
e. all WOULD be ineffective because they have lost their credibility.
f. Jesus Christ is credible and His Word is credible and trustworthy because they are true.
c. BENEFITS OF “I AM THE LIFE”
i. ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF HOW CAN I BE SATISFIED
ii. Acts 4:12 (NIV) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
iii. Acts 17:28 (NIV) 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
SO, THIS “I AM STATEMENT OF CHRIST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF HOW I CAN GET TO HEAVEN, KNOW FOR SURE I AM GOING TO HEAVEN AND BE SATISFIED TILL I GET TO HEAVEN.
WE FIND OUR ASSURANCE OF HEAVEN IN FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.
WE FIND OUR SATISFACTION HERE IN OUR WALK WITH CHRIST.
