1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”
During the last two Sundays in our series on the 5 Solas of the Reformation, we have been looking at the truth that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus. Today we come to the final part of this rallying cry of the early reformers: what is also known as the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and in order to try and understand just what this means, we will be focussing on His words in John 14:6.
Four of the most remarkable yet controversial statements made by Jesus are found in this one verse. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In this four-fold statement Jesus draws a clear distinction between the Christian faith and every other belief system. As He makes this proclamation, Jesus takes Christianity and sets it apart on its own. The choice we need to make for ourselves is to decide whether we believe what He says or not. There is no room to debate the meaning of what He says here. The words of Jesus in John 14:6 are either accepted, or they are rejected.
In this verse, Jesus makes a truth claim which either is or isn’t. Either He is speaking the truth, or He is lying, and we each need to decide for ourselves whether we believe Him or not. That is the gift of choice we have, but either way we must decide.
You can’t look at the words of Jesus and study the remarkable claims He made and just shrug your shoulders and say, “Whatever.” There is no room for fence-sitting when it comes to Jesus Christ.
C S Lewis’ words in his book Mere Christianity are often quoted here, and you’ve probably heard them many times, but they are worth looking at once more. “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else He would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
And so, bearing in mind the reformers’ teaching that salvation comes through Christ alone let’s look at the four truth claims Jesus makes in John 14:6 in more detail. As we do so, just bear in mind that there is no room for relative truth here. You can’t take the words of Jesus and adapt them to suit yourself. They are either the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or they are a lie.
1. I am the Way
Jesus clearly claims to be the only way to God. The apostle Peter in Acts 4:12 proclaims to the Jewish leaders, among them Annas and Caiaphas who were directly involved in having Jesus put to death, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
In our modern world of relative truth where we are encouraged to embrace different belief systems and to acknowledge that truth is what you believe it to be, you need to know that when you say Jesus is the only way to God you will be branded as narrow-minded and intolerant at best. It’s a politically incorrect statement to make today, just as it was in Jesus’ time, but He made it nonetheless. Now assuming everything else He said is true, then so must this statement be true. If Jesus really is who He claimed to be, then logic dictates that He is the only way to the Father.
But how is Jesus the way to the Father?
Firstly, by revealing the Father to us. He says in John 12:44-45, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in Him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees Him who sent me.”
In the Old Testament, the main task of the priests was to represent the people to God, and God to the people. Because of their sin, the common man had no access to God, so He appointed the priests to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. The priest was the only way to God in those days. When we turn to the New Testament, a major theme of the book of Hebrews is the role of Jesus as our great high priest. Hebrews 10:21-22 says, “Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” The apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
Now the way to God is open once more, but there is only one way, made possible by the Cross of Calvary, and that way is through our great high priest, Jesus Christ. The Bible teacher Paul Washer wrote, “The true Gospel is radically exclusive. Jesus is not a way. He is the way, and all other ways are no way at all.”
2. I am the Truth
Before we’re able to grasp this claim of Jesus, we first need to try and answer the question asked of Him by Pontius Pilate: “What is truth?”
The meaning of the Greek words translated as ‘true’ and ‘truth’ in various Bible dictionaries and commentaries are (among others): “unconcealed, manifest, actual, true to fact, true in the sense of real, ideal, genuine, objective as opposed to subjective, reality lying at the basis of an appearance, the manifested, veritable essence of a matter, not merely verbal, but sincerity and integrity of character.”
A bit of a mouthful, but essentially, truth is something that can be proven, something objective that can be established beyond any doubt. Just as a simple example, I can prove to you beyond any doubt that 2+2=4. That is an objective, rather than a subjective truth.
Now when we consider Jesus’ claim that He not only speaks the truth, but that He is the truth, we must apply the same principle as we do to His claim that He is the way: Assuming everything else He said is true, then so must this statement be true. It would make no sense for everything else He said to be true, except this one statement. It’s either all true, or none of it is. So if Jesus really is who He claimed to be, then logic dictates that He not only speaks the truth, but that He is the truth. How is Jesus the truth?
One of the most amazing things He says about truth is that it is something that can be known and applied in our lives. In John 8:31-32 He says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In other words, “Do you want to know the truth? Then come to me because I am the truth, and I will set you free.” Free from what? Free from the bondage of sin, and ultimately, free from the eternal consequences of our sin.
Why did Jesus come into the world? He answers that question in John 18:37 during His conversation with Pilate. “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world - to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” It was in response to this statement that Pilate dismissively said, “What is truth?” He was standing in the presence of truth Himself, but Pilate rejected the truth.
John MacArthur writes of Pilate’s comment, “In response to Jesus’ mention of truth in verse 37, Pilate responded rhetorically with cynicism, convinced that no answer existed to the question. The retort proved that he was not among those whom the Father had given to the Son.” (The MacArthur Study Bible)
Like Pilate, we need to decide whether we are going to accept or reject Jesus as the truth. If we apply the understanding that all Jesus says is the truth, and if we believe in Him we must accept all He says. This means He not only speaks the truth, but He is the truth. In His wonderful prayer in John 17:17 He says, “Your Word is truth,” and in the opening chapter of John’s Gospel it says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) Don’t miss the clear connection between these two verses. Jesus is the Word, and the Word is truth.
If you believe in Jesus, then you believe that He is the truth, just as He claims in John 14:6.
3. I am the Life
In John 10 Jesus uses the analogy of Himself as the Good Shepherd, and in verse 10 He says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
What is life? Life in its simplest form is when all the bits and pieces inside our bodies are working relatively well and in harmony. Blood pumps through our veins, the various organs are doing pretty much what they’re meant to do, and we’re able to breathe in and out and move around. You don’t need a medical degree to tell the difference between someone who is alive and someone who isn’t.
But Jesus says something very interesting in John 10:10. He speaks about life “to the full.” Paul prays in Ephesians 3, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)
That’s what living life to the full is really all about. It is living in Christ, and for Christ. Our sinful nature spurs us on in our insatiable pursuit of fame and possessions, but sooner or later we reach a point where we have to hold up our hands and agree with the words of Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” There’s an old saying that you can’t take it with you, but so many people live this life as if they intend to do just that. We all know that this life will end one day, but Jesus goes above and beyond the grave when He promises us true life. In fact, He not only promises life, but He promises us Himself, because He is life.
In John 3 Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus when He says in verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Now Nicodemus was already alive. He’d already been born. His heart was beating, his blood was flowing and he was breathing in and out, but Jesus makes it very clear that unless he is born again, unless he comes to Jesus, the very source of life, Nicodemus would not see the Kingdom of God.
So even though Nicodemus was physically alive, in reality he was dead. The life Jesus talks about is not this physical life that we see around us, but a whole new life – an eternal and spiritual life, which is only possible through Him. We’ve looked at this truth in some detail over the past couple of weeks. Colossians 2:13-14 draws a clear distinction between spiritual death and spiritual life: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
Jesus not only offers us life, but He is life.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Those three truth claims point us to the logical conclusion that Jesus reaches in His next statement:
4. No-one comes to the Father except through me.
Of all the controversial statements Jesus made, this is surely the biggest. Even within the Church there are many Christians who find it hard to accept that devout followers of other religions are excluded from the promise of eternal life, simply because they do not put their faith in Jesus. This is such a stumbling block for so many, but the reality is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if true (that’s your choice, remember) is by its very definition exclusive. The way to eternal life excludes all other options. Paul Washer again: “The true Gospel is radically exclusive. Jesus is not a way. He is the way, and all other ways are no way at all.”
We might think it unfair or unreasonable, but that will not change the truth. One of the greatest lies that satan has foisted upon the human race is this: “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as you’re sincere.”
If you believe in Jesus, then you must believe all He said – no more, and no less. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that all religions lead to God. The words of 1 Timothy 2:5 again, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” That is an exclusive truth claim that leaves no room for debate. 2+2=4 whether you like it or not, and Jesus Christ is the only way to God, whether you like it or not.
God loves everybody, regardless of their faith. For God so loved the world. That’s the message of hope we are to take into the world, but we cannot compromise on the only way to be reconciled to God: Jesus Christ. Don’t apologise for the exclusivity of the Gospel. You have no need to, because Jesus is the one who claimed to be the only way to God. It’s not something we made up.
Solus Christus - Christ alone.
Jesus truly is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. It is not our place as Christians to redefine Jesus’ words to fit in with our all-inclusive society. In the very last chapter of the Bible we are given this warning: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)
Remember the first of the Solas with which we began this series: Sola Scriptura - the authority of the Scriptures alone. We either accept all of the Bible, or none of it. We cannot pick and choose the verses which suit us and the lifestyles we’d like to live. We cannot ignore some teachings of Scripture just because we don’t happen to agree with them. This may sound like a rather fundamentalist point of view, but if you think about it, is there really space for any other true interpretation of Biblical truth? The entire Bible is the entire Word of God.
If we struggle to accept the Bible in its entirety, we will struggle to share the truth of God’s Word. Our foundation of faith must be firm. It must be built on the Rock who is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone - not on the shifting sands of human philosophy and our own definition of God’s Word.
A question often raised is the issue of other faiths. There are some really nice people out there who are not Christians, and if the truth be told, many of them put us to shame when it comes to helping and serving others.
The simple answer is that salvation is a gift. It is not based on works or merit. It is a gift of grace, offered to us only in and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
We hear often that you get out of life what you put into it, and you can certainly apply that principle to virtually every aspect of life – our marriages, our family relationships, our careers, you name it. But the one exception to the rule is our eternal salvation.
We have done, and can do nothing to achieve our salvation. It is a gift offered to us by God, but it hinges on whether we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or not. There is no other means of salvation available to us.
Sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
Homegroup Study Notes
Read John 14:1-6
Discuss the 4 main points of Jesus’ statement in verse 6.
Why is this verse in particular so controversial in the modern world?
Bearing in mind the call which came out of the Reformation in the 16th century (we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone), how as Christians are we to share the Gospel message in grace and love, without compromising the exclusivity of that same message?
(See 1 Peter 3:13-17)
How would you answer the accusation that Christians are arrogant and narrow-minded in claiming that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father?
Discuss this quote by Paul Washer in your group:
“The true Gospel is radically exclusive. Jesus is not a way. He is the way, and all other ways are no way at all.”
Close by praying that God would grant us a boldness to accurately proclaim the Gospel message, and that He would enable us to “do this with gentleness and respect.”