Thursday, January 4, 2018

Jesus Identifies as The Way

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in Goda ; believe also in me. 2My 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? 3And 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. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will knowb my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Thoughts: Jesus is the way to the Father and the way to heaven.  The context of this is the last discourse of Jesus (as recorded by the apostle John).  Jesus was talking about dying and going to heaven- to "His Father's house."   He was trying to tell His followers that there was room for them too.  He was going ahead of them to prepare a place for them.
     He is the way to heaven.  As we follow in His path, His path literally and spiritually leads to heaven.  He is the light at the end of the tunnel.  He has tunneled through the hard rock of death to the other side.  We need to trust that He has made the way and follow in His teachings, in His example, and in His path. 
      Jesus makes a unique and narrow claim that often upsets people.  He claimed to be the only way.  "No one comes to the Father but through me."  It is through Jesus.  It is not just a mild intellectual assent.  The devil believes in God (James says) but that doesn't mean the devil ends up in heaven.  It is a deep trust in the way of Christ.  It is not up to us to judge who will make it in or not. We are not the way so we are not the judge. Jesus is the judge and He made the way. He is far more gracious and kind than you and I can ever dream to be.  We do have assurance, however, that if we follow Jesus we will make it to the Father's House.  Jesus shows us and pioneers the way through death for us.  So we will all go to sleep- but when we wake up- we will be changed.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you made a way through death.  Thank you that you are the way to life.  Thank you that you give life and meaning now, and eternal life to come.  

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