The Claims of Jesus Christ
9 - The Way
In an earlier study we were thinking of Jesus Christ as “the Life”, and the verse in the Gospel of John where Jesus again says, “I am the Life”, but adds two other claims as well. You will find them in John 14 verse 6. Here they are: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Those last words are important - “No one comes to the Father except through me.” The only true way to God is through Jesus. No one can find the truth except through Jesus and no one can reach the source of life except through Jesus. This verse only confirms what we said right at the beginning of these studies that the claims that Jesus made for Himself were truly remarkable. He stands out as the only Saviour and the only way to God. He is unique and there is no message like or equal to the message He proclaimed.
Now let us think first of what was happening when Jesus said these words. This fourteenth chapter was part of Jesus’ last talk with his disciples in the upper room just before his crucifixion. In this chapter Jesus is preparing them for what is to come, and He begins with the words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” He had told them, and He was going to tell them again, that He was going away from them, but they were not to worry because He was going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. After this He was going to come back again to receive them to Himself. He says that they ought to know where He is going and the way to get there. They don’t understand though, and obviously do not really know what He is talking about. So Thomas says, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Then Jesus speaks the words we are thinking about. “I am the Way”, He says.
The whole idea of a way is to reach the place you want to go to. That is what Jesus meant. I am the way to my Father’s house. Life has a purpose; it has a goal for which you are heading. There is an end, a goal to every life. This is true even for people for whom life seems to be without purpose. Just because people have no purpose it does not mean there is no result to life. There is, although it is a tragic and sad one. It is being in hell, being lost to God forever.
There is another side to it as well. Though their lives are aimless and seemingly useless, it does not mean they have no influence on others. They do, and others who are influenced by them also find themselves in a lost eternity. We cannot live without influencing others; we can do them good or we can do them evil or harm. What a tragedy to do harm to others rather than good. God wants something quite different for us. He made us for Himself and wants us to live for Him now and with Him eventually in the delight of his heaven forever. That is God’s purpose for us, and Jesus is the only way to our being a part of that purpose. It is only by turning away from our sin and trusting Him as our Saviour and asking Him into our lives that we can ever reach God’s heaven.
But God’s purpose for us is not only something in the future. He wants us to belong to Him in the present. That is why Jesus came and died that we may enjoy the life that He alone can give, the life of God Himself here and now. “To me to live is Christ,” says Paul. That is the only way. The only satisfying way is to know Jesus Christ and to walk with Him. That is why Jesus said in answer to Thomas’ question, “I am the way to the Father.”
But this is only the beginning. God has a purpose for the details of our lives, for every moment that we live. It is only as we know Jesus as our Saviour that we can even begin to fulfil the more detailed purpose of God for our lives. In the Philippians 3 verses 12 and 13, Paul wrote that he was pressing on to lay hold of that for which Christ had laid hold on him. Jesus Christ had saved Paul and given him eternal life so that He might carry out His plan and purpose in Paul’s life.
Paul wanted the Lord Jesus to fulfil that plan, and so that was the goal he pressed towards. God has a purpose for each of our lives as much as for Paul. He has a work for us to do, a place for us to be in and people for us to reach with His message. May the one desire of our hearts be to walk in this way and fulfil the purpose that Jesus has for us.
There is also something else about a way; it is to keep going on. We do not get onto a road or path to stand still, but to keep going; we want to get somewhere. Jesus wants us to keep going on His way too. In most towns and cities there are places where vehicles are not allowed to stay - “No parking” the notice says. This is true of the Christian way. Jesus says, “No parking”. We must always keep moving on. God is always giving us something fresh to do, fresh challenges to face, and always we are to go on. In the same passage in Philippians Paul goes on to say: “I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” We are always to be pressing on along the way.
There is one other point to think about. Here it is: a way or a road keeps you going in the right direction. You know where the road is going and you know that if you keep on it you will reach the place you want to go to. However, if you get off onto some bye-way, you might get lost and end up almost anywhere.
The book “Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan is a story of two people on their way from earth to heaven. It is about the people they meet and the adventures and dangers through which they pass. The main character is Pilgrim and his companion is Faithful. It is a picture story to help us to understand how we are to trust the Lord Jesus for ourselves and all the things that will happen to us on the way. At one place the two companions are led astray into bye-path meadow, away from the main road. Because of this they find themselves prisoners in Doubting Castle. This is what happens if we stray from the way of Christ. We become prisoners of all kinds of doubts and fears. But if we stay on the way, talk to Jesus and walk with Him, we shall keep going in the right direction. We shall be fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us and finally arrive at the Father’s house where Jesus has prepared a place for us.