The Way, the Truth and the Life

Lesson #223

At the end of the last lesson we left Thomas saying, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” In this lesson we will look at the answer Jesus gave: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”” (John 14:6 ESV). (A table of information on the seven I AM statements of Jesus can be found in Lesson #137.) Looking at what Jesus said, it probably isn’t going to help the disciples much and if we look ahead to verse 8 we see that it didn’t. For this lesson we need to stop and think about what his answer means to us. What do you think is the meaning of “I am the way?” Jesus is the way to what or to who? Remember the context of our study; Remember in verse 2 Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. Jesus is the way for them and for us to the Father’s house and that special room designed and constructed just for each of us, but there is so much more. Remember, Jesus said he was from the Father and that by way of the cross he is returning to the Father. If you were to go to visit your dad’s house would you not want to visit with your dad? That house that Jesus is the way to is our Father’s house and surely visiting with him is much, much more important that simply visiting our room.

Jesus is the way to our Father’s house where along with Jesus we will see our Father and also our special room, but that raises an important question that needs to be answered. How does Jesus provide the way for us? Jesus was sent by his Father on assignment, just as you and I as believers were chosen by the Father and sent here on assignment (Ephesians 2:10). The assignment for Jesus was to reveal the Father to us, explain that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, and then allow himself to be hung on a cross to die in payment for our sin. If we come to Jesus, believing who he claimed to be and accept his death on the cross in our place as payment for our sin, and that he can and will raise us from the dead, then we will have clearance to enter the Father’s house. This is what the disciples must eventually get their minds and hearts around; so must any unsaved person if they expect Jesus to be their way to the Father.

Probably the most important figure in the Old Testament was Moses because through him the law was given. That law was God’s instructions on proper behavior toward one another and toward God. It also described a method of sacrifice to cover one’s sins, but it was only a shadow of what was to come. When the time was right, God the Father sent his Son, the Word, to become flesh and dwell among us. He was described as being full of grace and truth and so through Jesus, grace and truth came to us. (John 1:14, 17). Since Jesus was God in flesh and since he never sinned, he became the perfect sacrifice and dying on the cross he provided justice by satisfying the law, which allowed God to forgive our sin and show us mercy and extend to us grace in the form of eternal life. Because of his death and resurrection, Jesus is the only source of God’s grace and the only way to the Father. But Jesus is also truth in that he teaches the knowledge of God and directs us in the way to the Father. As the Word he also assures us that all promises God makes will be kept and all instruction will be true and coming to Jesus, to the Word, to the truth we find freedom, because if “the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 ESV).

We need to stop here and finish this verse in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, I pray that my readers have come to understand that Jesus is the way to the Father and the source of true instruction on that way. Father, such horrendous cost in the death of Jesus to provide our way to you for those who through faith surrender themselves in obedience to Jesus. Thank you for providing the way to you through Jesus as a gift.