Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
I am tempted to say that the world we live in today is much worse off than in past generations. In our current cultural environment, all things are fluid and relative. Black and white, absolute truth no longer exists. There is only a pervasive gray version of truth that morphs all things into simply what is “right in the moment” perceived reality.
However, as I think back over history, I realize that this mindset is nothing new. There is nothing unique about the time we find ourselves living in. Distorting truth and causing fear and uncertainty in humans is one of Satan’s most used tactics. From the moment the serpent whispered to Eve, “Did God really say that?”, humankind has questioned everything. People in every generation, have worked very hard at making truth untrue while working equally hard to make untruths true. Fortunately for us, disbelief in an
absolute truth doesn’t change the truth itself. It is still true whether we believe it or not!
In last week’s blog, we learned an absolute truth from Jesus, choosing to serve others above self is the better way to live. As the upper room discourse continues, Jesus foretells several disturbing events. One of the twelve will betray Christ, one of His inner circle of three will deny Him, and He will be going away to a place where the disciples cannot go. After three years of constantly being with Jesus, they had grown very close to him, learned much from his teachings, and witnessed many amazing miracles.
As I read this account, I can so easily imagine the emotions and the plethora of questions Jesus’ words had to invoke in the Disciples. We have all had those moments in life where the trajectory of our lives takes an unexpected turn, where “our planned life” is shattered and we find ourselves trying to grasp and understand what the future holds. In those moments, we are forced to look through the pain and emotions to find the firm foundation of truth that Jesus offers to us.
Because Jesus experienced all human emotions, he is familiar with the pain of a troubled spirit. In John 11:33 at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus was “deeply moved in His spirit and very troubled.” In the Upper Room, Jesus knows his statements were troubling and were causing fear in the disciples’ hearts. His next words are meant to comfort them and draw their hearts upward to the promises of God.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
He doesn’t admonish them for the uncertainty in their hearts. However, he doesn’t want them to languish in that emotional state for very long so he reminds them of the larger truth on which they should focus. Belief and trust. Believe in God. Believe in me and trust that my words are authentic and true. He wanted to shift their focus from emotions to truth. In the next verses in John 14, Thomas questions Jesus. “Lord...we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Thomas, like so many of us, can’t rest in the assurances that Jesus gives. He needed to see the end of the story, in detail, so he will know how to walk the path. In Romans 8:28, we are told “for those who love God all
things work together for good...”. Yet when troubles come, our first instinct is to ask “why” and search for answers using human means instead of waiting and trusting that God will provide a way through the troubles.
In response to Thomas and to every one of us who has asked the same question, Jesus responds:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him. ” (John 14:6)
This is such a powerful statement from Jesus and encapsulates all that we ever really need to know. Pay attention that there is the definitive article “the” before way, truth & life. In grammar, a definitive article indicates the identity of the noun is known by the reader. One website, (www.versebyversecommentary.com), captured the essence of the statement perfectly: “Jesus did not merely claim that he knew the way, truth, and life. He asserted that He was all three of these things. There is no bridge to heaven other than Him, other than His payment for our sin. Truth is embraced in everything that Jesus is. He is veracity. Jesus is also eternal life.” Jesus was no alternative to other gods. He was not a way among other ways. He was and is uniquely THE access to Heaven.”
Philip, still unsure of things, speaks up with a sentiment that we so often have when we are struggling with our faith. “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough” (John 14:8) Not only do we struggle to understand the plan and purposes of God, but when we are in a crisis of faith, we often question the very identity of Christ.
“Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.” (John 14:9-11)
Just as the Pharisees had earlier asked for a sign, Philip is asking for a special revelation of the Father. He doesn’t yet understand all that Jesus has taught them. He needs more proof in order to believe. When we are in the midst of a crisis of faith, we so often ask similar questions: “If God is all-powerful, why didn’t he stop this from happening?” Or, “If God is real, why hasn’t he answered my prayers?” We don’t like the way God is allowing life to play out so we question His ability and authority.
But Jesus gently admonishes Philip and reminds the disciples, as well as all of us, to remember. The disciples had witnessed firsthand the many miracles Jesus performed. A mere man could not have performed those miracles. But their fear was blinding them from recalling what they had previously witnessed. Jesus calls them to recall what they have been taught and what they have seen with their own eyes.
Fear and uncertainty are blinding emotions. They cause us to lose perspective so we forget reality and truth. In those times, we tend towards seeking a quick resolution to make the pain go away instead of holding firm in our knowledge of God. It is hard to patiently wait for God to “work out all things for the good...according to His purposes” (Romans 8:28) But when we look to our own ways as means to resolve a situation, we are building upon shifting sands and not upon the firm foundation of a God who never changes. When life is dark and our circumstances are hard, we need to look through the circumstances to find the truth. As Jesus told Philip (my paraphrase), “if you can’t believe in Me solely on the words I say, believe based on the works that you have seen me do.”
Like the disciples, we can easily forget that God has established the only foundational truth that we need. He loves us so much that he sent Jesus to rescue us. (John 3:16-17) The greatest challenge mankind faces is that of being eternally separated from God. Because of Jesus, we have a way to be secure in our Eternal destination. That is the greatest truth because that alone provides a hope that will carry us through any trial we may face on this side of Heaven. Because Christ is one with the Father and chose to become a man so that He could ransom his life for ours, we have the ability to be in a direct relationship with Christ.
If you are in one of those times in life where you find yourself questioning Jesus’
identity and purpose, I pray that you will read through the book of John. Reading the words will not magically make the circumstances in your life change, but as you saturate your mind and heart with God’s truth, your perspective will change. Truth will prevail over emotion. Hope will replace despair. A deep unexplainable internal joy will overcome all fear.
One of my favorite modern authors, Jen Wilkin, has a saying she uses often, “we can’t love what we don’t know”. The more we get to know about God, through His word, the more we will desire to love Him. John’s narrative begins by telling us who Jesus is and has always been. He wants us to know the magnitude of Jesus’ glory. He shows us by recounting all the many signs and wonders of Jesus while He walked this Earth. John loves Jesus and desires his readers to understand the magnitude of the gift of
love that we have been given by the Father, through the Son.
A foundation built upon God may at times be shaken but it will never fail. Above all else, there is one truth, from the beginning of time, throughout every generation that we must cling to above all else, JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!