Do These Things Bother You?
John 14:6
Let me share with you some things that bother me today: telemarketers who call at 8:58 PM or any other time; kids without respect for anything or anyone; motorized scooters; rap music; a lack of commitment that permeates our society; certain cap-less heads in the bright sunlight; weak coffee; and Christians who believe that there are other means of access to God other than Jesus. If we believe that Jesus is really the Son of God, then why is the notion that He is the ONLY acceptable WAY to God so reprehensible to so many?
Let’s take a look this morning at what Jesus meant by His statement, I am the way, the truth and the life.
Jesus is the only WAY by:
A. The DOCTRINE He taught—John 6:41-58
a. Jews thought Jesus was teaching cannibalism
b. The plain meaning of the passage is, that by his bloody death-his body and his blood offered in sacrifice for sin-he would procure pardon and life for man;
c. That they who partook of that, or had an interest in that, should obtain eternal life.
d. He uses the figure of eating and drinking because that was the subject of discourse; because the Jews prided themselves much on the fact that their fathers had eaten manna; and because, as he had said that he was the bread of life, it was natural and easy, especially in the language which he used, to carry out the figure, and say that bread must be eaten in order to be of any avail in supporting and saving men. To eat and to drink, among the Jews, was also expressive of sharing in or partaking of the privileges of friendship.
e. It is Jesus’ teachings that truly gives life to the soul.
f. This Bread or Doctrine of Christ is of no good unless it is taken and eaten.
g. Jesus’ doctrine lead to life and action. So long as there is a radical difference between truth and falsehood, and so long as truth sustains relations to life, it will make a difference whether men believe true or false doctrine. Doctrines are the roots of life. Great lives do not grow out of false beliefs. Doctrine is immensely important, but not all-important. The root does not exist for itself; it is a means to the tree and the fruit as an end. A Christian acts in the life as naturally as the root pushes its stalk up into the air and the sun. Cut the stalk, fell the tree, and the root dies at length. A faith without works is soon dead. If our doctrines do not flower and produce fruit in Christian living, they die. Many a man’s creed is a field full of stumps. There was life there once, but because the natural expression of that life was prevented, it perished. We have not overestimated the importance of believing the truth, but we have underestimated the importance of living the truth.
B. The EXAMPLE He lived—1 Peter 2:21-23
a. This is what we have been called to because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps:
b. In Birmingham, Alabama, many years ago, lived a Presbyterian pastor, James Bryan. Throughout the city he was known as “Brother Bryan.” There were many preachers stronger in pulpit oratory, but none preached better sermons than he did with his life. Like Jesus, he went about doing good. It was a common thing for him to come home on a cold day without his overcoat. He had given it to some poor man who had none. One spring day he was driving a horse and buggy through the countryside. He saw a farmer standing dejectedly in the field. It was time for his spring plowing, but his only horse lay dead. Brother Bryan unhitched his horse and gave it to the man. Then he walked home. It was fitting that when his biography was written it was called A Sermon in Shoes. Of all the commentaries on the Scriptures, good examples are still the best.
c. Christ also suffered--Here, of course, is the personification of divine love. Here is our pattern. We cannot expect to fare better than His example.
d. Peter reminds his readers that this was done for them. That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. He implies that Christ’s death was more than an example. By sharing his cross they will share his triumphant life.
C. The SACRIFICE He made—Hebrews 9:11-14
a. Old Covenant sacrifices did not cleanse one’s mind from the guilt of his or her sin.
b. Only Jesus’ sacrifice can clean your conscience.
D. The SPIRIT He gave—John 16:13-14
Jesus is the only TRUTH which:
A. Opposes all FALSE religions—Galatians 1:8-9
a. Illustration of a Mirage
Always left with a pile of sand
b. If, on a hot, August day in Mississippi someone offers you a glass of fresh, sweetened iced tea, but in which he has cleverly concealed a painful and deadly poison, he would deserve and receive the curse of all honest men. Much more terrible shall be the doom of him who, pretending friendship with the souls of men, and offering them in their need, instead of the pure water of life the deadly poison of false doctrine, shall bring down upon himself the righteous and unerring anathema of God.
B. Is superior to the MOSAIC LAW--Matt. 5:17-20
a. The Law pointed out our sin and directed us to God. The Law can never forgive—it is unbending—it doesn’t break—a broken law doesn’t mean the law is literally broken—it remains in force—we violated the law and that is sin.
b. Jesus, on the other had, is superior because He does forgive—He is our means of forgiveness.
C. Is the fulfillment of all God’s PROMISES-2 Cor. 1:20
Jesus is the only LIFE which:
A. Saves from DEATH--1 Cor. 15:54-55
a. Acid in a beaker—would you accept the professor’s statement or drink the clear liquid for yourself? The professor would offer to you words of life and save you from death.
b. Sin is like the acid—when we drink of it, it will lead to death.
B. Brings life ETERNAL--John 3:15, 16, 36
C. Gives us ACCESS to the Father—John 14:6
a. Once we have discovered any of the laws that govern the universe, we proclaim them with absolute certainty, and admit to no rival laws and theories. In school we don’t find one teacher saying that two and two are four, and another that two and two are five. Once a physical law has been defined and established, we don’t hold that any man’s contrary claim is equally valid. The truth of physical phenomena render its laws exclusive. Yet the human mind often refuses to grant that this holds true regarding the laws of the spiritual realm. They prefer to accept the glib assumption that all roads in the religious world lead to God and heaven. The argument goes something like this: "There’s only one God, and every religion is based on serving and following and worshiping that one God, by whatever name they call Him. After all, we’re all children of one Heavenly Father." Strangely enough, even some who profess to follow the teachings of Jesus blandly ignore His unequivocal statement, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Such words are totally unacceptable to non-Christians, and even some nominal Christians unthinkingly say that all religions are equally good and lead to God.
Thomas a Kempis, in his work, “The Imitation of Christ” wrote, “Without the way, there is no going, without the truth, there is no knowing, without the life, there is no living. I am the way which thou shouldst pursue; the truth which thou shouldst believe; the life which thou shouldst hope for.”
Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God? If not, then you are holding the beaker of acid. You don’t believe what the professor has stated about it, so why not drink it.
