Timeless Truths: I AM Series #4. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Each I AM describes who Jesus is AND who we are to be.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone 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 that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 14:1-14 (NIV)
John 14 presents many challenges for the church as we know it today.
Each statement is made to the disciples.
Verses 1-3
· Each person is accountable for the amount of light they receive.
· We have an enormous amount of light in America’s churches.
· God has the capacity to include all of us.
· God determines who is on “the Way.”
What It Means For Jesus To Make This I AM Statement
1. Direction. [The Way]
Some are directionally challenged.
We tend to see people as wrong or bad, not lost, like Jesus does.
Jesus wants to go with us on “the Way.”
2. Intimacy. [The Truth]
No one wants to know or live a lie.
Intimacy requires truthfulness and honesty.
Truth is the way we live as much as it is what we know.
There is not a much better way to get to know someone than to travel with them! Traveling with Jesus is the only way to get to know Him.
3. Proof. [The Life]
Thomas voices the question many of us have.
“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” v5
Jesus demonstrates relational proof where some things don’t continue to require proof over time.
Faith and trust are the proofof who we are.
The real proof is living out our lives as Christians, demonstrating Christ’s love to others—that’s all the proof the world needs.
· Sometimes the best direction to take is to make a U-turn and go back to where we can find the right way.
· Christ offers the Way, the Truth, and the Lifefor all.
· We are responsible for living our lives to demonstrate Christ to others.
Be on the way, not in the way!
Special thanks to Dr. Scott Peterson, Vice President For University Relations at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University for the central teachings in this series.
I'd appreciate your feedback as a comment on Blogger!
Thank you for challenging me beyond my small thinking and reminding me who I am in Christ.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I am the conduit for the most part on these TT posts. I'll share your comment with Scott.
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