Bible Study........................................................................Pages

John 14:6

"What is our function as Believers?"

John 14:6: 'Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."'

Seeing it is that time of year when we are more focused on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, I thought it would only be fitting to talk on John 14:6, words that were spoken by Jesus shortly before His arrest and death.

In the previous verses, Jesus explains to His disciples that He will be going to prepare a place for His followers, that where He is, there they will be also. Thomas asks Him how they are supposed to know the way if they don't know where He is going. Jesus responds by declaring that He is, 'the Way, the Truth, and the Life.'

Jesus was not telling His disciples that they had to find their own way to where He was going; He was saying that He would come to get them and take them to where He is going.

Jesus is the Way... The world tells us there are many paths to God ... go to church, be a good person, different religions, basically whatever works for you. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." The world tells us that the road to heaven is wide open, but the Bible shed blood and selfless sacrifice shattered the barrier between sinful man and God. Salvation cannot be accomplished by good works. Our sinful nature makes it impossible for us to reconcile ourselves to God. The way to salvation is not a process - the

way to salvation is a person ... the person of Christ. Jesus is the only way by which we can be redeemed; He became the perfect sacrifice for us when He gave His life for us on the cross. We cannot strive to earn heaven, we can only seek to follow Christ. And through following Christ, we know God. 2 Corinthians

tells us something totally different. Matthew 7:13 says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." Jesus is that narrow gate; He is the only way for fallen man to get to the Father. And that way was the cross of Calvary, where His 4:6 says, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." God is always there, speaking to our hearts, calling our names, telling us that Today is the day of Salvation. He sent His only Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus is the Truth... Before Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, he asked Him if He was a king. Jesus' response was, "I have come into the world, to testify to the truth." (John 18:37) Pilate retorted to Jesus, "What is truth?"(John 18:38). Ironically, the world doesn't know what truth means. It still believes that truth is subjective, or that it is a collective judgment, the product of cultural beliefs. And then there's those who believe that truth simply doesn't exist. However, the Bible teaches us that truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory and being of God.

Truth is the way that things really are, whether we want to believe them or not. God is the source and author of all truth. Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that the Almighty is referred to as, 'the God of truth.' Jesus says that He is the Truth, which means that all truth is defined by God and His eternal glory. Truth is the perfect expression of God and the absolute embodiment of all that is true. Jesus tells us that the written Word of God is pure, unchangeable truth. Absolute truth cannot contradict itself. Truths about God and His moral standards are stamped on the human heart and to deny this truth is to dishonor God and to provoke His wrath. Any other truth must be measured by the truths of the Bible, because truth means nothing apart from God. It cannot be defined or explained without God as the source. When a society suppresses the connection between God and truth, we end up with a society that is perverted in its thoughts and ways. To reject and rebel against God's truth will result in darkness, sin, judgment and the never-ending wrath of God. To accept and submit to God's truth is to find life everlasting. Jesus is the Life... Jesus teaches us that there is so much more to life than this mortal existence here on earth. What we are to be concerned about is eternal life. This life here on earth is not our ultimate goal; it is a mere drop in the bucket. Our goal is to live a life here that prepares us for eternal life with Jesus and all of His saints in heaven. Jesus shows us that following Him daily in faith will lead us to a better, richer, more meaningful life than we could ever imagine on our own. Jesus is the source of all life, both physical and spiritual and in Him is eternal life for all who trust and believe in His redemptive work. He delivers us from a life of bondage to sin and death to a life of freedom in eternity. He laid down His life for His sheep and then He was raised from the dead. He has authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father.

He is the One who breathes His own resurrected life into a fallen man, by faith. It is by faith in Him that we are indwelt by the Spirit of God who lives within us. Jesus is the life in whom we have our hope. There is no other way to God; no other truth about God; and no other life apart from God. No other religion, no other faith, no other path, no other philosophy and no other gospel but the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads the sinner to God the Father. So, how do we follow Jesus today? By hearing His words and believing in them and obeying them; by confessing our sins and believing that He died to take the punishment of our sins and He rose from the dead to give us new life; by following His commandment to tell others the truth about sin, righteousness and judgment. Believing in Him is not about trying to be good enough to make it with God; it's more about how we live our lives ... following Jesus' examples of selfdenial, compassion, trust and surrender.

We are saved from hell's destruction the moment we invite Jesus in to our lives. Our eternity has already begun at that very moment. It's time to give up 'trying' to work our way into heaven. Christ has commissioned us to be the light of the world, to shine so that we can tell the world of the glory of Christ, to drive out the darkness, to reveal the work that God has done in our lives and to show the world the way to salvation, for Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life; Jesus is, ultimately, the way to heaven.

John 14:6

My Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Your Word is Truth.

Open my eyes and my understanding to grasp, believe and act on these simple yet profound Truths.

Thank you for all that You are and help me to be a light in this dark world to spread Your Truth.

In Jesus' precious name I pray,

Amen.