Imagine a little league baseball team of six and seven-year olds learning how to play the game. Having once been a six-year-old eager to play the game and having coached little league, I know that many six and seven-year olds would rather just play the game than learn how.
Now can you picture one imaginative player who thinks he has found a better way to play the game? This little guy stands at the plate and manages to get the bat to hit the ball. Immediately he jumps on home plate and yells “Home run! Home run!”
Meanwhile the fielder throws the ball to first base and the umpire calls the imaginative player out. The little guy bravely stands up to the umpire and says, “I’m not out. I got on home base before they did. I got a home run.”
The umpire says, “I’m sorry slugger, but you have to run all the bases to get a home run. The rules say ‘you’re out.’”
“That’s what they told me,” the imaginative player responds, but I decided it’s too hard that way. My way I get a home run every time and never get out!”
Unfortunately every generation of little leaguers must learn to play the game BY THE RULES. Now if that’s how it works in baseball, what makes us think it would be any different making our way to our eternal home in heaven? Just like baseball players must run the bases to get home, God has established a specific path we all must follow.
✎ If you were to plan a trip to Washington D.C., you could sit down with a map and plan many different routes to take. Each route would have its own unique experiences, but regardless of the way you decided to go you would ultimately arrive at your planned destination.
Unlike a trip down the road, our journey to heaven has only one road we can take to reach our eternal home of heaven. Every other road is a dead end isn’t it?
God has set the course we must follow. Like baseball, if we decide to try to go our own way and not follow the path God has set for us, then when we arrive we will find ourselves being called “Out.”
Does this seem unfair to you? More and more people today–even many who consider themselves Christians–believe there are many roads that lead to God. Today people believe that as long as you are sincere in what you believe and do your best to be a good moral person God will accept you in the end.
Let’s look at God’s rule book–the Bible–and see what Jesus said about making our way safely to heaven. Some folks may want to use a different book. If the book has God’s guidelines or the path for man to follow, then regardless of the book you use each one should agree because it’s from God. If they don’t agree, then either God is schizophrenic and can’t make up His mind, or some of the books that claim to be given to us by God really aren’t. I accept the Bible as God’s inspired, infallible and inerrant Word with the authority for our lives today. It has proven itself to be the authentic Word of God.
+ John 14:1-6 1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In 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. 3And 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. 4You know the way to the place where I am going." 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV)
Jesus makes a very bold statement. What Jesus says does not fit within our pluralistic society that encourages tolerance of all beliefs. Jesus claims to be THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE (not just a way, a truth and a life). But He didn’t stop there. Jesus also said no one would come to the Father God except through Him. Jesus leaves no room for the inclusive mentality that believes all paths will lead to God.
Before we look closer at Jesus claim of being the way, the truth and the life, let’s explore what else Jesus said. How He comes to the place of making such a statement will either be validated or contradicted through what He said.
Jesus begins by reassuring His disciples to trust Him. The hearts and minds of each of the disciples were overwhelmed with the thought of what Jesus has told them. They can’t imagine that each of them would forsake Jesus, that one of them was set to betray Jesus, and that Jesus would be crucified–executed like a criminal. It was all unbelievable, and yet it all happened just like Jesus said it would.
In the midst of these overwhelming circumstances Jesus tells His disciples to trust Him. “Don’t give up hope! You can trust me even as you have faith in God” (John 14:1 paraphrase).
How can Jesus make such a statement? If what Jesus is telling His disciples happens, how can they trust Him if He’s dead? Notice Jesus does not ask His disciples to have faith in a corpse. Jesus wants the disciples to look beyond their present difficulty. The hearts of the disciples to rest confidently within the assurance of what is to come.
Look again at what Jesus tells His disciples in verse 2-4:
+ 2In 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. 3And 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. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
Jesus shows His disciples a future reality that is greater than their current difficulty. That’s worth repeating! Jesus tells the disciples they can trust Him because He is not going to be defeated; He will be with the Father. Notice these four realities Jesus told His disciples they can hold onto in the midst of present circumstances:
1. The Father has an eternal dwelling place. The Greek word translated “rooms” or “mansions” in the King James comes from the verb that means “abide” or “remain.” This is not a temporary shelter; it is an eternal home.
2. Jesus is going there to get a place ready for them. He will be with the Father making things ready for His followers arrival (not the activity of a corpse).
3. Jesus will return to bring them with Him into the eternal dwelling He has prepared. Jesus’ desire is for His followers to be in His presence.
4. This can’t be overlooked: Jesus reminds the disciples that they know or comprehend the road that He is taking to His Fathers house. Jesus has spoken publicly about His departure; He wasn’t keeping anything a secret. The disciples knew what was going to happen because Jesus told them in advance.
Jesus also wants us to have the same confident assurance that He will see us through any difficulty. We should not be overcome be our circumstances; we have a future reality in heaven reminding us that Jesus is trustworthy.
Our faith is not a blind faith. Ours is a faith based upon the solid reality of heaven.
+ Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see. (NIV)
Faith is not wishful thinking nor is it a denial of reality. Faith sees a greater reality than whatever negative situation we may presently face. The King James says faith is the SUBSTANCE of things we hope for and the EVIDENCE of things we don’t see. Faith is linked to an eternal reality in heaven.
> Speaking of heaven D.L. Moody said, “We believe it is just as much a place and just as much a city as New York is, and a good deal more; because New York will pass away, and that city will abide forever. It has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Classic Sermons on Heaven and Hell; Wiersbe, page 9).
Dare I say it? The twin towers of the World Trade Center stood in New York as a testimony of American wealth and power. No matter how great any city may stand today, it will one day crumble and fall; only God’s eternal city of heaven will last through out eternity. This is the place that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for all those who would follow Him.
Perhaps each of us is a little like Thomas. Although Christ speaks to our hearts telling us not to be overwhelmed and troubled, we don’t always hear Him. Although we know we can trust Jesus, we sometimes loose sight of the eternal and focus on our problems; we see our immediate surroundings and lose sight of the eternal. That’s what Thomas did in verse 5; Thomas missed what Jesus had just told him.
+ 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
I’m glad Thomas asked Jesus what I’m sure each of the other disciples was thinking at that moment, and what you and I also ask in one way or another each time we face difficult situations. “Lord, how . . . how can I make it through this? Lord, what should I do; where should I go? Lord, why?”
Jesus’ statement, “I am the way, the truth and the life” is made in response to Thomas’ question. If Thomas had not asked his question then we may have never had such a direct statement from Jesus as to the way to the Father. Notice that Jesus does not answer the first part of Thomas’ question; He just told the disciples He was going to be with the Father. Rather Jesus focuses in on clarifying the way. He does not want His disciples nor you and I to be uncertain of how to come into the Father’s presence.
Now think back for a moment to what Jesus had told the disciples prior to answering Thomas’ question. Remember in verse 4 Jesus told them that they knew the way that each of them could perceive the path Jesus was taking to the Father because He told them what would happen in advance.
What Jesus told his disciples happened just like Jesus said it would. Therefore, Jesus statement that He is “the way the truth and the life” is proven valid. Jesus’ word is established as trustworthy; Jesus did not lie or speak in error. If Jesus had miss spoken in foretelling what was going to happen, then nothing He said would hold any value. However, Jesus word carries authority because He didn’t make a mistake in what He said; He spoke nothing in error.
Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. NO ONE can come to God apart from Him. The pluralistic and tolerant mind set of the twenty-first century cannot accept what Jesus has said. Those who argue for tolerance can’t accept the exclusive claim of Christ.
Jesus is THE WAY.
Don’t look for another path. All other roads are leading in the wrong direction; there is only ONE WAY.
That’s why the apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” What is Paul saying? “I’ve set out on the right road; I’m following Jesus. As long as you see me walking this road you can follow me and we will all arrive safely in God’s presence.” (1 Cor. 11:1 - NIV)
Jesus is THE TRUTH.
The truth does not waiver or change; it remains the same. Because Jesus is the truth we have a light for the journey. We can see clearly to follow the road without fear of going the wrong way. The truth leads us to where we want to go.
+ Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. (NIV)
As long as you hold to the truth you don’t have to fear going the wrong way. The WAY is illuminated by the TRUTH.
Jesus is THE LIFE.
We cannot follow Jesus in our own strength; nothing we can do in and of ourselves can bring us into God’s presence. Jesus gives us THE LIFE providing us with all the strength we need to reach our destination.
+ Colossians 2:13 . . . God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. (NIV)
The WAY is illuminated by the TRUTH and energized by the LIFE! If we commit to follow Christ, He will bring us into the presence of the Father. Period.
NO ONE comes to the Father apart from Jesus.
Just in case you thought it might be possible to find another way, a new truth or a different life Jesus adds this final statement. All those who are welcomed into the Father’s presence must come through Jesus; NO ONE CAN COME ANY OTHER WAY.
+ Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (NIV)
Conclusion:
> A story is told of a missionary traveling to a remote village to train
leaders of the local church. A guide was selected to take him to the village because the only way to reach this remote place was to walk through the jungle. The journey started out without much of a problem; the path was good and easy to follow. Soon, however, the path literally disappeared as the guide cut away at the overgrown jungle with his machete. The missionary grew concerned and asked, “Where is the path?”” The guide smiled; looking back he told the missionary, “I am the path.”
Looking for directions? Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Follow Him!
