"Jesus said to him, 'I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me." -John 14:6 (AMP)
This scripture has to be one of the most powerful scriptures in the Bible because Jesus says so much, in just a sentence. However, we're going to break down what Christ said and find out what He really means. Before we can do that though, we must understand that Jesus is having a discussion with his disciples, and He talks about preparing a place for them, and coming back for them. Then, Thomas (the doubter) says, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:5) Jesus replies with the above scripture (John 14:6). Now you're probably thinking, "Henry, what does this have to do with anything?" I will answer your questions by asking these 3 important questions: 1) What "Way" is Jesus talking about? 2) What "Truth" is Jesus talking about? and 3) Why is Jesus "the Life"? Let's take a look at this scripture and break it down.
What is the "Way" Jesus is referring to? Why do we need to know that Jesus is the "Way"? First, the Way Jesus is referring to is Heaven, also known as the Kingdom of God. Let's back up a little bit....The Jews were waiting for "The Messiah", who would come to deliver them and rule with justice as foretold by the Prophets of Old (Isaiah 53 is the most popular description of the Coming Messiah), and they were excited because someone was being sent to deliver them from their PHYSICAL enemies, and let them live in peace. However, they overlooked other prophecies that described this "Messiah" the Jews were waiting for. So, Jesus is talking about the Way To Heaven, and the reason for this was because Jesus was God in the flesh, and therefore could reconnect us with God (sin separated us from Him). Jesus lived a perfect life (sinless) and was the perfect atonement for sin. The reason Jesus makes this statement first is because the Law was obeyed strictly, and Jesus wanted them to know that the way to the Kingdom of God is through me because I am the Son of God, and I will inherit the Kingdom from My Father. Jesus was and is the only One with a direct connection to the Father because He is One with the Father. Since Jesus was obedient until death, He has received the Kingdom from His Father and will return to set this Kingdom up, and the only way to be apart of this Holy, Majestic, Wonderful Kingdom is to know the King of kings Jesus Christ.
Jesus also states that He is "the Truth". What "Truth" is He talking about? Read John 1:1-3 (KJV), which states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." This scripture shows that Jesus Christ is the Word being referred to but it is also important to note that Jesus Christ is the LIVING Word, not the Written Word. In other words, Christ lived the truth because He was Truth. How could He be Truth? He is God, who lived in an earthly body. God cannot lie, and every word He speaks must be performed (Check Genesis 1 for more reference). Therefore, Jesus could not lie because He was 1 with the Father and before the Bible was written, He existed so He was telling His Disciples that He was Truth because He was there when the Law was given to Moses. This is why Jesus said that He did not come to abolish or destroy the Law but rather fulfill or enlarge it (Matthew 5:17). Since Jesus was the Truth, He had to enlarge the Law to make sure people understood its actual meaning (Read Matthew 5:21-22). Jesus Christ never lied and every word He spoke was Truth because He was God and could not lie. Jesus also confirms alot of the Old Testament, and never goes against The Law so this also could be why He is "The Truth" because He never changes, but showed us how God is.
Jesus refers to Himself as "The Life". These 2 words are the most powerful words because they hold special meaning. According to Webster's Dictionary, life can be defined as "The quality or state of being alive". Notice what the disciples were doing when Jesus called them. They were doing their regular routine and Jesus comes and disrupts their flow but they leave it all to follow Christ. Now, why is this important? The world is physical, and everything physical dies because it is temporary (1 John 2:17). Jesus came to give physical AND spiritual life. What do I mean by that? Look at Peter, possibly the most radical disciple Christ had. Peter walked on water, acknowledged Christ as the Living Son of God, and would later go on to do so much more. Peter was a fisherman, an although the Bible doesn't get detailed in his background, it is ok to assume that maybe Peter was unhappy with being a fisherman, doing the same things everyday, and maybe he thought that he couldn't serve a purpose but all that changed when Christ came. Jesus healed the blind, made the lame walk, cast out demons, and many more miracles. The point of this was to show that Christ came to give life to the dying so that they might believe that Christ was the Messiah sent from God. Every single person that needed healing from Jesus, received it according to their faith. Jesus did not change lives but He transformed them to show that real life was found in Christ. This why Jesus used water when speaking of himself to the woman at the Well (John 4:6-29) because in the natural, we need water to survive, and Jesus Christ was saying that without me, you cannot survive. The disciples were normal people before Christ but after Christ ascended into Heaven, they became Men of God. Jesus had given them physical life because they now had a purpose for living and gave them spiritual life through the power of the Holy Ghost, which allowed them to work wonders. However, He also tells them about His Kingdom, which lets them know that they will have LIFE after they die. Jesus was telling them that anyone outside of Him, were not LIVING but EXISTING. This is why Jesus repeatedly condemns the Pharisees because He was trying to free them from the Law and give them abundant life but they rejected Him and continued to exist.
There's only 1 WAY to Heaven, there is only 1 TRUTH that lived, and there is only 1 LIFE that can save you. Jesus Christ is that way, that truth, and that life. There is NO other name that can save men except Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Many people want to go to Heaven but think that they can do enough good to get there while some try to obey the Law to get there. The purpose of the Law was to show us that we needed a Savior. According to Jesus, either of those are dead ends because HE is the only way to Heaven. Some think that there are many truths in the world, especially when it comes to religion but Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the only truth. Many people (including myself) have tried to find life in material things, thinking that if I gain enough money, cars, houses and power I am living but that is a lie. Without Christ, you're existing, living a lie, headed down a dead end. The Bible tells us that "there are ways that seem right to a man, but in the end lead to death" (Proverbs 14:12). If you are not in Christ, you're eternal destination is separation from God (Hell), and Jesus Christ can give you life, both physical and spiritual if you do as the disciples do, and follow Him
If you're wondering how to follow Christ, it's quite easy. Admit to God that you're a sinner, you have broken His Laws and deserve punishment but you believe and truly accept that Jesus Christ was God who lived in an earthly body, and was sinless while His death was the payment of sin and that God raised Him from the dead through the Power of the Holy Ghost, and that you need the Holy Ghost to help direct your paths and obey the Commandments that Christ has given you as you live as Christ lived. If you have confessed this with your mouth, and believed in your heart you have been saved and made Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of your life. You have access to God because you belong to Christ, but the journey is not easy. God Bless
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