The Way, Truth, Life

In John 14, verse 6, Jesus says that he is "the way, the truth, and the life." It's a verse that's familiar to most Christians. It's also the trump card we often use to prove to non-believers that they need Jesus in their hearts or else they'll go to hell. But as I read the whole chapter, it becomes yet another reminder to me, and for every Christian, that it is unbiblical and unloving and unfair to drop John 14:6 on anyone as a trump card.

Jesus is talking here about ascending into heaven after he is crucified and resurrected. He's saying that where he's going, no one can follow him, not even his closest disciples. But where he's going, he's going to be preparing it to receive his followers; and they will know the way to where he's going. One of Jesus' disciples, Thomas, tells him that they don't know the way; "How can we know the way?" He asks.

Then Jesus answers, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So Jesus is talking about something very specific here. He's saying there's a way to this place he's going to and preparing. And in essence he says that he himself is the way. It's not a path to be followed or a trail to be walked; it's him, it's Jesus.

He's talking about the way to God. He says that he and the Father are one. If you know Jesus, you know God the Father because they are both one. Then Thomas speaks up again, "Show us the Father, and it is enough for us." He's saying "(my own words) This is hard to understand. Just show us God, show us the Father, show us where he is and then we'll know the way; we'll know how to get there." Jesus reiterates that they have been seeing the Father all along because they have been with him for a long time now. Anyone who sees Jesus has also seen God.

Verses 11 and 12, I think, are key to understanding all of this. It helps to understand what we're actually supposed to do about all of this. Whenever we mention that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, we should always have verses 11 and 12 follow:

11 "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

Here's what it all means: Jesus is the way to God, because he is God. He was here on earth for a time, but had to go back to heaven. If he indeed is the way to God, but is no longer here, who will show others "the way?"

Since the disciples had been with Jesus, they knew him. Even if they didn't believe that he was God, he tells them to believe that statement based on all the things they had seen Jesus do (heal the sick, forgive sins, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons, etc.). He then tells them to go out and do the same things he did. Why? Because some people will not believe in Jesus through words alone. Some people will only believe if they see the works of God happening in their midst.

The next time we are eager to tell someone that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We should always be eager to pair that with showing them the works of God. If you have no evidence to show the work of God that you have seen with your own eyes, what right have you to tell anyone that Jesus is the only way to God?

I don't think this means you had to have seen anyone raised from the dead, or that you have to have been crippled but now can walk. But it does mean that you should be able to point others to a tangible example of the miraculous work of God in your life. Has he truly changed your life in a way that otherwise would have been impossible? Then tell people about that. Let's not be eager to just point to Jesus without being able to point back at ourselves saying, "here's the proof."