- Following the attacks on September 11th, New York Mayor, Rudy Guilliani spoke before the United Nations. And in his speech he mentioned that on a typical weekend he will visit an Islamic mosque on Friday and a Christian Church on Sunday. Then he commented that both groups worship the same God, but in different ways.
- Is he right? Do we worship the same God in different ways? I guess what I am trying to ask it this... Is Jesus the only way? Or is there more than one way?
- Well, in John 14, Jesus offers some assurances to his disciples. The cross is not far away, and he has already warned Peter of his betrayal. The time is near when Jesus will be arrested, tried and sentenced to death. And in a moment of pastoral care, Jesus offers these comforting and confusing words for his disciples.... 14:1-4
- Actually they didn’t know the way. It still had not crossed their minds that Jesus would leave them. Although he has told them a number of times, they still don’t get it. And finally, Thomas breaks the silence. You remember this is the same Thomas who doubted. The same Thomas who after the resurrection said, "You guys are crazy. I saw him, he was dead, and now you say he is alive. I won’t believe it until I see the marks on his hands, and can put my finger where the nails were."
- This same Thomas speaks up. "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" That’s the question! How can we know the way to God? What is the way? What path must we take? Whose directions must we accept? And here it comes, the answer to that difficult question.... "Jesus answered, ’I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
- Jesus makes it pretty clear, doesn’t he? The one and only way to God is through me. I am the way. There may be many paths, but I am the only one that leads to God. It’s the same claim that Peter makes in Acts chapter 4, after healing a crippled beggar, Peter says this to the religious leaders of the day...
- Scripture clearly teaches that God saves the world, saves you and me through Jesus Christ. He is God’s way of forgiving us of our sins. Jesus is the cleansing agent. He is the One Way ticked to paradise. He is the "way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him." End of discussion, question answered. Let’s go home and eat some lunch now.
- But before we do that, if you’re like me, you still have some more questions. And if Jesus were here this morning in bodily presence, perhaps you would want to ask him a few things. For example, if Jesus were here with us, I might get his attention and say, "Now Jesus, you claim that you are the only way to God, and even your Apostle Peter makes it clear that your name is the only one that can save us, but Jesus, I’ve got to ask...
1. What About Other Religions?
- Is the "mountain analogy" of God true. Where God is pictured at the top of the mountain, and man at the base. And religion is man’s way of carving his way up the mountain, some take the direct route, others take wind their way up, but all eventually reach the top in their own way. Is that analogy true of God? One mountain top, many paths.
- After all, aren’t there many good religions out there, and aren’t there good intentioned people who are a part of those religions or who were brought up in those religions. What about them? Is Christianity the only religion that is true?
- Or are all other religions describing the same God in different ways? Is there really any difference between us and, say, Islam, or Buddhism, or Judaism. Many people claim that all of these religions are valid. But often those who claim that all religions are valid and true have not really looked closely at the truth claims involved. Because when one looks closer, we find that often these different religions contradict Christianity in many important ways. And it becomes clear that both of them can not be true, that one has to be right and the other wrong.
- For example, Buddhism teaches that the ultimate goal is Nirvana where all pain and suffering exist no more. And the way to reach this Nirvana is by following the 8-Fold Path to Enlightenment, and then you reach that place of total nothingness.
In Hinduism, the ultimate goal also is Nirvana, but Nirvana is different. Instead of being snuffed out like a candle, Nirvana for a Hindu is being reunited with Brahm, the all-pervading force of the universe. And the way to achieve this union with Brahm, this Nirvana, is through reincarnation. Depending on how you live your life determines whether you move up or down.
In Islam, heaven is a paradise of wine, women, and song. And the way to achieve this blissful paradise is to, ironically, abstain from these things in this world. In addition, a Muslim must follow the Five Pillars of Islam to achieve paradise.
And, of course, Judaism denies that Jesus Christ is Lord. That it is through the following of the Law that one obtains eternal life. And Jesus, He was merely a human teacher or prophet at best. But he is not the Messiah.
- So you see, these truth claims. These ways to God, and to paradise are completely contradicting to Christianity. It does not mean we are any better, or that we should look down on people who follow such religions. That in itself is contradictory to the Christian life. We should actually learn from them. But, we must also recognize that their are real and serious contradictions that cannot be reconciled.
- As CS Lewis, one of the greatest Christian minds in the 20th century puts it in his classic book "Mere Christianity:"
"Being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in arithmetic - there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong: but some of the wrong answers are much nearer being right than others."
- Let me simplify this, let me wrap all up by painting a picture that I believe offers the stark contrast between Christianity and all other religions. Picture a Father and his 3 year old daughter. The daughter wants his father to pick her up, to embrace her, to carry her, to hold her close. That’s all the daughter wants is to be in her Father’s arms. And so the little girl lifts her hands up to God and desperately reaches for his father’s neck, so that she can be lifted up. She reaches and reaches, and urges her father to pick her up. But she’s never quite able to reach up high enough. That is a picture of the desperation many have in trying to reach up to God, but never quite reaching high enough. Other religions are a system of rules and pious commandments which will perhaps bring a person closer to God, but never close enough.
- But now picture a Father and this same 3 year old child. The child reaches up to her father to be lifted up and held in his arms. But instead of just looking down at his child, he lovingly reaches down to where the child is, and with compassion and strength lifts the child up into his arms and draws the child close to himself. That is what makes Christianity different than all other religions. God came down to us in the form of Jesus Christ, and made a way for us to be lifted up into the arms of God. Jesus is the way to be in the arms of God. He came here to us, so we could come to him.
- But I would still have another question for Jesus if he were here with us this morning. I would go on to say, "Okay, so Christianity makes sense, and so maybe Jesus is the one way to God, but I was still wondering. If Jesus is the only way to God, ..."
2. What About the Poor, Innocent Native?
- Okay now, let’s be honest. How many here have contemplated this question before. How many here have worried about that poor, innocent native who has never heard the name of Christ? Does that mean that they will be punished for not believing in someone or something they know nothing about?
- Well I want us to consider a few things that will help us with this often asked question. First of all, the Bible teaches that God has clearly revealed himself to all people. There is no one who is absent from God.
Gen 1:26; Ecc 3:11; Romans 1:19-20
- And secondly, there is no such thing as an innocent native or person. As the story goes, there were two brothers who lived wretched, scandalous lives, and when one of them suddenly died, the surviving brother went to the minister and asked if he would preach as his brother’s funeral. He said, "I just have one request: that you refer to my brother as a saint." The minister said he would do his best to accommodate his wishes.
- The funeral came and the minister was talking about the dead man’s life, and he said, "I want you to know this man was a swindler, a liar, a cheater, and a thief, But compared to his brother, he was a saint!"
- Now there is a truth to that story that we don’t always want to see. Sure some of us are more innocent looking than others. We may think of ourselves as more innocent than Osama Bin Laden. But, that doesn’t mean we are. And that poor innocent native is not so innocent after all.
"For all have sinned, and fallen short of God’s glory. There is no one righteous, no not one."
- So the question is not, what will happen to the innocent native who has never heard? The question is what will happen to the guilty person who has never heard? And the answer depends on what they have done with the knowledge they do have of God. Because remember, God has revealed himself to all mankind. So what have they done with the knowledge they have received? Have they sought to know more about this God? Have they recognized their need for a Savior, whoever that is? Have they sought God in their life?
- And I believe, a person who is truly seeking after God, who recognizes their need for a Savior will find salvation. And that is where we as God’s people come into the picture. That is why missions is such an important part of this church. That is why we send money half-way across the world. That is why we do not keep ourselves confined in a bubble. There are people in the world, and even in this country who know nothing of Jesus Christ, but are seeking God, are seeking something. And it is the church’s responsibility to go into the world and tell them what they are looking for.
- So what about the guilty native who has never heard? Well that’s a good question. Their fate is in God’s hands, and in a way their fate is in our hands. What are we doing and what will we do to tell them about the one they have never heard of? What will we do to make sure they hear that Jesus Christ is, in fact, the only way to God? That he is the one they need, and are looking for? As Paul reminds us,
"But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ’How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Rom 10)
- Well, we’ve asked some pretty good questions of Jesus. But I would guess that if he were here, he would interrupt us and ask if it would be okay for him to ask us a question. Jesus, is a gentleman after all, he’s not gonna force himself upon us. But, of course, we would say "yes." Like we would ever say no to Jesus, right?
- And then I would guess that Jesus would say something like this...
"So you’ve asked some pretty good questions this morning. What about other religions? What about those people half-way across the world. Good questions. But now I’ve gotta a question for you. Now that you have heard that I am the way, the truth and the life, now that you have heard that I am the only way to God. The only way to a life of peace and forgiveness and salvation. My question is simple, What About You? What are you gonna do now? You have heard the Truth, what will your response be?"
