I AM series #6
I AM the Way the Truth and the Life
John 14
Scripture Reading: John 14:1-6
INTRODUCTION:
Of all the I AM statements Jesus made, this one is the most controversial to the postmodern world in which we live. Folks today are willing to see Jesus as “A way, a truth, and a life” but not as “the way, the truth, and the life.” Our pluralistic culture cannot abide Jesus saying that he is the only way to the Father. We need to understand why he said that, and what it means for us.
Jesus told his 12 apostles “I am the way, the truth and the life” at the Last Supper. During the meal, Jesus was making some important final words to his men. Jesus was preparing them for his coming death, but they didn’t understand what he was saying,
In chapter 13:33 he said “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. Peter (who was never afraid to ask the obvious) said, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter insisted He would follow Jesus anywhere; Jesus told Peter that he would deny him 3 times before morning. All through the Last Supper and into the Garden where Jesus prayed before his arrest we notice two things about Jesus disciples:
· They understood that Jesus was troubled and under great pressure. They wanted desperately to reassure Him that they would be loyal no matter what happened.
· They did NOT understand what Jesus was telling them about his upcoming arrest, torture, trials, and death. They couldn’t get it --- or maybe they just didn’t want to get it. It was unthinkable that the Messiah they had waited for so long would die before he could establish His kingdom.
They had another reason to resist the predictions Jesus was making. They were concerned --- not only that Jesus might be killed --- but that they might be killed along with him. When Jesus said, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later” He was trying to reassure them that they would not be killed by the Jews at the time of his death.
Sadly, they understood nothing about what he was attempting to explain to them. The more He talked of going away to a place where they would follow later, the more frustrated they became. Was He going to Galilee? To Samaria? Was he going to hide from the Jewish Leaders in the desert, or maybe in Egypt? Finally, in exasperation, Thomas summed up the feelings of the whole group. “Lord, we don’t know where you are going so how can we know the way?”
Jesus used that one desperate question to answer all the questions of desperate people throughout the ages. His response was not detailed, but it was personal. His solution was not a recipe; it is a relationship. (Frank Gaebelein) Jesus didn’t just claim to know the way, the truth and the life as some kind of formula or philosophy. He claimed to BE the way, the truth, and the life. He actually claimed to be the answer to human problems.
In that statement, Jesus answered the questions that every person eventually asks about life. It is common to all people that we long for purpose and meaning. Any thinking person will eventually ask some fundamental questions about life.
One question people tend to ask is Where am I going? Many people ask that question over and over in life without ever finding an answer that lasts. They are going to get a degree or to get a promotion or to take a dream vacation or buy a dream house. But as every temporary goal is attained the question remains: Where am I going? To that question, Jesus answers: I AM the Way.
1. Where am I going? I AM the Way
Jesus was telling the apostles that where He is going is ultimately where they are going. He was talking about Heaven --- the ultimate destination for every believer. In John 14:2 He said, “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.” The Greek word translated “rooms” actually comes from a verb that means “abide” or “remain.” This is not a temporary shelter. It is a place that continually abides and that remains for all eternity.
Speaking of Heaven, I like this quote from D.L. Moody. He said, “We believe it is just as much an actual place as New York City, and a good deal more; because New York will pass away, while the heavenly city will abide forever. It has foundations whose builder and maker is God.” (Classic Sermons on heaven and Hell; Wiersbe, p. 9)
The attack on the twin towers just two years ago showed us that even the greatest of cities can crumble and fall in an instant. Only God’s eternal city will last forever. And that is where we are going … IF we know the way.
A story is told of a missionary who was traveling to a remote village deep in a jungle region. A guide was selected to take him because the only way to reach the village was to walk through the tropical forest. The journey started out without much of a problem; the path was good and easy to follow. Soon, however, the path literally disappeared and the guide was forced to cut away at the overgrown jungle with his machete. As time went by, the missionary grew concerned and asked, “Where is the path?” The guide smiled, looked back at the missionary, and said, “I am the path.”
People can’t live much of life without wondering (and even worrying) about the future. When we ask WHERE AM I GOING? Jesus answers, I AM THE WAY. Follow Him, and you will end up at the eternal city where he has already prepared an abiding place just for you.
But we’re not there yet. And meanwhile, people also can’t help asking, Why am I here? For many people, life seems pointless. Some say we should just eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Others say we should renounce all earthly pleasures and take up meditation, chanting, or yoga. People follow gurus and philosophers of all types. They listen to celebrities and rock stars and professors and politicians and sometimes even preachers. --- All in a search for TRUTH. After all that searching, they come up empty.
It reminds me of a song I heard many years ago called. “Is That All there Is?” I don’t know all the words, but it went something like Is that all there is? Is that all there is? If that’s all there is my friend, then lets keep dancing… bring out the booze… and so forth. I always made kind of a joke of that song because it was so melodramatic. But unfortunately, it sums up the way too many people feel.
People spend all their lives searching for a definitive answer to an essential question: WHY AM I HERE? If only they will listen to Jesus, they will hear the answer. I AM the truth.
2. Why am I here? I AM the Truth
Jesus is the truth because He has the power to make life one coherent experience. Life is full of ups and downs. Only Jesus can put it all together into something with purpose and beauty.
On the night of the Last Supper, the Apostles had every reason to wonder what purpose their lives could have. If Jesus died --- like he kept saying he would --- everything they had given their lives to for the last 3 years would be completely meaningless. How could it possibly be TRUE that Jesus was going to die? He had done nothing wrong. Beside that, He had all the power of Heaven at his disposal. And yet Jesus kept saying he would soon die.
They knew the Jewish leaders were set on arresting him. They knew they would seek the death penalty. They knew the danger was real. But Jesus was telling the disciples what is REALLY REAL.
When he said I AM the Truth he was telling them AND US that no matter what anyone says, and no matter what circumstances come our way, we can always know the TRUTH if we know HIM. If we take our eyes off the current circumstances and look to him, we will know WHY WE ARE HERE and our lives will be filled with true purpose.
Because Jesus is the truth you can have light for the journey. You can see clearly to follow the path. 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. And both are found in JESUS.
When we ask WHERE AM I GOING? Jesus answers I AM THE WAY.
When we ask WHY AM I HERE? Jesus answers I AM THE TRUTH.
But all of us need to know more than our destination and our purpose for living. We have a need to understand an even more basic question: WHO AM I? To this question, Jesus answers: I AM the Life.
3. Who am I? I AM the Life
The interesting thing is that WHO I AM has everything to do with WHO HE IS. It is through Jesus that we understand our own identity. Jesus is the life because he lived here on earth. But more than that, he is the life because He still lives. Jesus died in order to conquer death.
In an earlier sermon, we spoke about Jesus as the resurrection and the life. Jesus is the life because he alone has authority to bring life out of death. We don’t have that authority within ourselves. But if you put your trust in Jesus, you will have “the life” within you.
People talk about living The Good Life. (Or if not that, then maybe Livin’ La Vida Loca.) Many years ago there was a TV sit-com called “The Life of Reilly” Some of you may remember the phrase, “He’s living the life of Reilly.” This implied that someone was living a great life full of pleasure and enjoyment. Jesus explained to his men that knowing and being connected to Him was the good life. It was life to the full.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life. And then he finished with this astounding claim: no one comes to the Father except through me. Because he is the way, the truth and the life, he is the only means of reaching the Father. Jesus was not being arrogant He was making the only possible deduction from the fact that He is the unique and only Son of the Father.
Jesus is the only authorized revelation of God in human form, and he is also the only authorized representative of humanity to God.
When Jesus said, “If you really knew me you would know my Father as well.” Vs. 7 He was explaining that he had completely represented the Father in his own person.
In vs. 9 he said, Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
In vs. 10 he said, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.”
The personality of Jesus is the very personality of God himself. The life of Jesus is the life of God.
Are you asking the question, Where am I going? Your future is assured in Jesus Christ. He is the way.
Are you asking the question, Why am I here? Real purpose is found only in Jesus Christ He is the truth.
Are you asking the question, Who am I? Your true identity is found only in Jesus Christ He is the life.
