Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 KJV
The Context:
These were the final teachings of Jesus to his disciples, just before he went the way of the cross. There is no record of anyone else being there apart from his disciples. They were the ones he addressed from chapters 13 to 17. Long sermons, but full of nuggets for all who claim to follow Christ. God's instructions are for his children, though his mercy will reach everyone. It is easy to mistake God's mercy for his approval, and it is a part of God that I must take heed to. The fact that I am alive today is a testament to God's mercy, but it is also an avenue for me to evaluate my life and determine if I have God's approval also. It is not enough to keep claiming mercy; I also must live in line with God's clear mandate and instructions. What decision do I need to make about God's approval as well as his mercy today?
Judas Iscariot was there, listening to the words of Jesus. The one who would betray Jesus also had his feet washed and wiped. Mercy was fully available, but he chose greed. Being in church does not by itself hold the key to eternal life; called by church titles does not automatically assign me the keys of heaven; there is a person that I must know personally and fully embrace, if I will be all that God wants me to be, and end up where he has planned for me.
The Message:
We see Jesus promising his disciples an eternal reality that is different from all they had ever seen or known. He was promising them a home with him; rest from every labour and residence with God. When I consider all the stress of this present earthly phase, it sure makes you look forward to all that is ahead. Jesus laid out some facts here, and these facts hold the secret to all I pursue today and all I look forward to. He calls himself the Way, the Truth and the Life. The use of THE shows that only one version is genuine, and all others are not. As long as it is Jesus' father you seek, the son is the channel that enables you meet the father.
Jesus is saying: There may be other gods that appeal to you, but if it is my father, the Lord God Almighty, that you seek, you have to go through me. I cannot take you to any other father not known to me, and you cannot meet any other god in or through me. The way is the channel by which all who seek God can come. The truth is the laid out fact that only in Jesus do I find out my true state, my need for help and the reality of both this present life and eternity. The Life is the end of it all, when this present earthly phase is over and I stand before this same God for judgment and reward. If I had him in me before physical death comes or he returns to take me home, it is these three facts that secure my eternity.
I cannot pick and choose the ones that make me comfortable; I cannot come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, and then seek to work out my eternity on my own terms. I cannot claim to know Jesus and hold on to the lie that he did not die on the cross or he is not the son of God. I cannot know him and not know life. He is the first one from the dead, who rose again and now lives forever. As it has always been said: Know Jesus, know life. No Jesus, no life.
The Response:
So I see that all is taken care of, from life's first cry to final breath. The journey to that Life on offer starts from knowing who or where will lead me there. That is the WAY. I must also be armed and equipped with that which will keep me focused even in the face of distraction and distress, and that is the TRUTH. Of course, the end of all these is LIFE.
When I have Jesus, I have all three. When I have Jesus, all ends well. He is the embodiment of all three. If I don't have him, nothing else I hold on to will work for me. If I don't have him, nothing else will matter. I pray that Jesus reveals himself to me again, so that I may know what he has called me to, who and how I am to serve and where I am headed eventually. That is focus. His time of favour is here.
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