The Way

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father Except through me.” This is the verse that a lot of Christians and particularly evangelists throw at people to remind us who’s in and who’s out. But what does it mean to be in? What really is the way?

Let’s start by reading John 14:1-14 and praying that God would really speak to us and His Holy Spirit would transform us as we meditate on His word and will for us.

John 14:1-14

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And 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. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Jesus shared these words with his disciples as they lounged around the table having their last feed before Jesus was arrested later that night. He was trying to encourage them as their whole world was about to come crashing down around their ears. He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled, but to trust in God. They had no idea what was going to happen over the next couple of days.

The Bible is clear that we are saved through our faith in Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross. Check this out in Ephesians 2:8-10 “…it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Saved by grace, through faith, but note: saved to live the good life that God has destined for us. Saved to live the way of Jesus. Jesus is not just the means to salvation. He is the way to live. We are called to do more than just believe, we are called to follow. We must read Jesus’ words in the light of what he says later in the conversation. After saying that no one comes to the Father except by Him (v.6), He then says that if we have faith in him we will do what He has done (v.12), and even greater things! Imagine that, doing greater things than even Jesus did when He walked the earth. But only if we put our faith in Him and follow His way. Jesus is the Life, not just the afterlife, but the life to live right now!

Is your practice of faith more about a prayer you prayed once or a daily journey with Jesus?

What do you think it looks like to follow the way of Jesus every day?

What do you think you would need to help you follow the way every day?

Jesus continues…

John 14:15-27

‘If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.’

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

I serve as the worship pastor at my church. Every week I lead our people in awesome love songs to Jesus. I certainly feel very good about singing them and feel pretty Christian as I close my eyes and raise my hands. However, the hard truth is that my songs mean nothing to God if my heart isn’t in the same place as my lyrics – they end up hollow and hypocritical. Jesus put it this way: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” – Matthew 15:8. It goes further than that though. Through the prophet Amos, God tells us that our songs are just noise to Him and He’ll tune us out if our actions don’t reflect the justice and righteous of true worshippers. “Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing

stream!” – Amos 5:23-24

More than anything God is looking for obedience from us. We can demonstrate to Him just how much we love Him by how we try to follow His will for our lives, by how we try to honour Him in our lifestyles, by how we try to follow the Way that He lived – the way He has laid out for us in His word. Now let me tell you, obeying Jesus and honouring Him in action and thought is way harder than just singing nice churchy songs to Him. In fact, I have found it pretty much impossible to live for Him 24/7 and honour Him in everything I do. Of course God knew we wouldn’t be able to do it all on our own, and so He hooked us up. God has given us the most incredible gift to help us live the way of Jesus. He has given us a part of Himself. He has given us His Spirit, who lives in us and empowers us to learn the Jesus way and then to live it.

How honoured or loved would you feel by someone who said nice things to you once a week but spent the rest of the week doing things that hurt you?

How do you think God feels when we do exactly that?

What are you going to do about it?

Ask God to help you follow the way of Jesus, that you would hear/sense/feel the guiding of His Spirit and that He would empower you to honour Him and love Him in all you do.

More Phat Scripture

1 Samuel 15:22 | Matthew 25:31-46 | John 16:5-16 | Romans 12:1 | Galatians 5:16-26 | James 2:14-26

Other reading

A Generous Orthodoxy Brian D. McLaren

For the Audience of One Mike Pilavachi

By Clay McGregor