In John 14:6 we read that Jesus is the way to God. How can this be possible? The reality is that as soon as Adam and Eve chose to sin by disobeying God, he began laying out the plan for our forgiveness. God did not want to leave us separated from him.
Quite the opposite! He took the initiative. He decided to come to incarnate as a human being, Jesus, to die on the cross as the perfect sacrifice and thus give us the opportunity to live with him for eternity.
This is why Jesus could claim to be the only way to reach God. Not only that, but it is through him that we can know the truth and receive eternal life. Let’s see why Jesus said those words and discover how important they are for us today.
Who was Jesus talking to?
Jesus was with his disciples at the last supper. He was explaining to them that his end was near and that he must return to the Father so that he would no longer be with them physically. As expected, they were amazed and saddened. They had spent three years with Jesus, they were his friends, his disciples. And now they had to say goodbye to him…
In that moment of sadness and uncertainty, Jesus encourages them:
Don’t be distressed. Trust God, and trust me too. In my Father’s home there are many dwellings; If it wasn’t, I would have already told you. I’ll make you a place. And, if I go and prepare it for you, I will come and take you with me. That way you guys can be where I am. You already know the way to go where I am going.
(John 14:1-4)
Jesus tells them that the physical separation would be temporary, then they too would go to the Father’s home. In fact, he tells them that they already knew the way to the Father. Tomás, always inquisitive, asks him how it was possible for them to know the way if they didn’t even know where the Father’s home was. It is there that Jesus answers with this well-known verse…
I am the way, the truth and the life, Jesus replied. Nobody comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6)
Jesus, the way to God
The first thing Jesus says is “I am the way.” The road to where? The way to the Father, to the Father’s home. Actually, it is not difficult to understand: a son knows where his father lives. Jesus was on earth, but he had previously been at the Father’s side in the heavenly home and knew how to get back there. That is why he is the way, he leads us to God the Father through his death and his resurrection.
But it is more than this. Jesus was encouraging his disciples to change their gaze from the temporal to the eternal. We receive the same challenge. Our dwelling here on earth is for a period of years and it will end. But we can have the eternal dwelling in the Father’s house and we must decide while we are alive if we want to spend eternity with him or not.
Jesus is God’s provision for us to dwell with him for eternity. Only Jesus was willing to die for our sins. He had declared: “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30). Only in Jesus – God made human – do we obtain the forgiveness we need and peace with God. By ourselves or by our own efforts we would never be able to obtain salvation and eternal life. God Himself opened the way for us through Jesus.
Have you accepted Jesus in your heart? Have you recognized him as the only way to God through which you can receive salvation and eternal life?
Jesus, the truth that sets us free
In Jesus Christ, the truth about what God the Father is like is revealed. When reading the gospels we realize the great love of God for humanity, how much he cares about our physical well-being (our health, for example), and above all, our spiritual well-being. Jesus’ ministry consisted of healing the sick, freeing the demon-possessed, raising the dead, comforting the afflicted… And all these actions clearly reveal the truth about the heart of God and his great love for us.
God loves us very much and knowing that should fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. Knowing that we are loved in such a real and complete way frees us. It sets us free to live the life God wants us to live by letting Him guide us. We accept daily challenges because we know that God will never leave us alone. We count on his help and we can have confidence in his fidelity and presence in the midst of any situation.
Food for thought: Have you heard the voice of God in your heart speaking the truth about who he is and who you are in him? Have you received the love of God, that love that remains and that accepts us without conditions while helping us to grow and give the best of ourselves?
Jesus the life
In Jesus, we find true life, one with clear purposes both for our years on earth and for eternity. The devil tries to take away our peace, health, and the certainty that our life counts for something. His desire is to keep us discouraged and separated from God. We give Him permission to do so every time we sin and choose to reject God.
However, Jesus came to earth so that we can have the abundant life that God desires for us.
The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
(John 10:10)
With his life, Jesus showed us how to live, what priorities to have, and how to act. With his death and his resurrection, Jesus overcame the power of death. Thanks to him we have access to the life that the Father had wanted for us from the beginning: a life in friendship with God, enjoying his presence forever.
When we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we open the door to that abundant life that God wants to give us. His Holy Spirit fills us with his fruit and enables us to live according to God’s will for us. In Christ we live with hope; it is up to us to choose if we will accept to live each day with him, for eternity.
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Does your life reflect that Christ lives in you? Do you feel the presence of God daily, the joy and hope of knowing that he is with you at all times? Do you seek God’s direction in prayer each day so that he guides your decisions?