Jesus was preparing his disciples for his imminent crucifixion when he comforted them saying:
“‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.’
Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’"(John 4:1-6, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).
Jesus made a clear, undeniable, and exclusive claim. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
“The way” asserts that there is only one right road to the presence of God. After His death, burial, and resurrection, whoever heard the good news concerning Jesus -and believed it- repented of their sins, confessed Him, and were immersed in water to have their sins washed away (Acts 2:37-39; 8:35-38). These were added to His church, the people “of the way.” We commonly call them Christians (Acts 2:47; 9:2; 11:26).
Jesus’ statement that He is “the truth” fundamentally destroys today’s wishy-washy, post-modern, directionless, and hopeless excuses for Christianity. Jesus only acted by His Father’s authority (John 14:10). Far be it for us to act according to our own opinions and say we are followers of Christ. He came to bear witness of the truth (John 18:37). He could say He is the truth because He lived it. He left the revealed Word of God, through His inspired prophets and writers, for us to follow (John 1:1-3; 14:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-3). We can know the truth and be set free from sin (John 8:31-34).
Following the way of truth is not just for truth’s sake. It is for the promise of “the life” Jesus makes possible. He came to give abundant life to his followers by giving His own life (John 10:10-11). The grave couldn’t hold Jesus (Acts 2:24). He conquered death (1 Cor 15:55-58), making eternal life available to all who come to the Father by Him.
Anyone who wishes to deny Jesus’ claim effectively must prove one of three things: One, there is another way to the Father. Two, Jesus is not the way to the Father. Three, there is no Father. In response to the first two challenges, it may be said, “What more could anyone do than what Jesus did to pave a heavenly way?” (See John 7:31). Regarding the third rebuttal, that there is no Father, if such could be proven, all it would establish is utter futility in existence.
On the other hand, we can know there is a God. Jesus is the Son of God. All who desire to have life eternal with the Creator of all can do so by the path Jesus made, taught, and paid for. He is the way, the truth, and the life.
-Van
