Jesus the Life

I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father but by me.  (John 14:6)

The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy.  I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly.  (John 10:10).

The God who made life, gives life again.  Jesus came to die that we might have life.  He came to show us the way to a joyful, hopeful, meaningful life.  Alcohol overindulgence, drug abuse, immorality give the illusion of giving us a temporary meaning for living.  In the process of their false hope they take away hope.  Jesus shows us that the way to life is the way of love- His way. 
    In July of 2017 Stephen Hawking, a well known physicist, said that we should be fearful of life dying on our planet.  He said we should spend huge efforts at colonizing another planet.  He also said that we should fear contact with other forms of life.  Such fears forget that there is a God who gives life to all forms within the universe. C. S Lewis has a great response (exotheology) to this that he wrote.  His space trilogy (starting with "Out of the Silent Planet."  He also wrote a series of essays, (The World's Last Night and Other Essays).  Without God, we may fear this life, and ruin this life. But God calls us to value life and to be good stewards of the life we have been given and the earth we are called to tend as a gardener tends a garden. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to live my life abundantly-without fear.  Help me to live it with great love, hope, and meaning. 
   

Jesus Identifies as the Truth

I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father but by me.  (John 14:6)

Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  (John 8:32)

Thoughts: In our day when spin, political correctness, emphasis on subjectivism and perspective reigns, we have devalued that there is such a thing as truth.  Along with that is to devalue such a thing as reality.  In doing that, we devalue God and take away any ultimate meaning, ultimate hope.  Without a belief that there is truth.
     Jesus embodies the truth.  As He embodies love and caring, He also embodies truth.  The truth is that God is real.  We cannot fight against reality and win.  We cannot fight against truth with loud lies.  Lies may win for a moment (as they killed Jesus on the cross).  But in the end the truth comes shining true.  Subjective thinking, without any object behind it, imprisons with level after level of perspective without any solid core beneath it. 
       Jesus is the truth we must face.  He is God.  Let us face that hard truth- but also that good truth.  Knowing that God is real and He loves us will indeed set us free. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to see and believe the great truth about you.  Set me free by the truth of who you are.

12/4- I am the Way Truth and Life

12/5       John 14:6             I am the Way, the Truth, the Life

5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 

Thoughts: What do these three things have in common?  They are adjectives that build on each other pointing toward hope.  The way is not the way of falsehood and death- but the way of truth and life.  The truth is not a dull fact, but points to a direction-- toward the abundant and eternal life.  The life is not just a bourgeois meaningless existence, but an existence that has direction, integrity and leads to the right end.  Jesus came to be our way out. He came to show us the truth.  He came to give us life. 
     How do we get into the spirit of Christmas?  It is by having hope- not in the shallowness of our consumer mentality, or in the selfishness of getting- but in the deep hope of Jesus as offering us a true way and a hopeful life. 

Prayer: Lord, let me rely on you as my way to hope, my hope that is true, and the hope that leads to life.  May this hope inspire me to get into the spirit of this special season. May this hope inspire me to follow closer to you. 

Application: Think, in this early part of advent, of what you would really like to see happen in your actions, but also in your life with those around you.  Do one thing today that would point to Jesus- our way, truth, and life.