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John 14:4-7
I wonder if any of you can remember your school days? I remember being in class and didn’t have a clue what the teacher was on about but was too afraid to ask, too afraid to raise my hand, hoping someone else would ask. We have a similar situation here, “And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:4-5). Jesus makes this great statement, but the disciples having mental gymnastics, they are confused, not knowing what Jesus is referring to. Only Thomas is brave enough to ask.
The disorientated nature of the disciples. This is part of a farewell discourse. Jesus had predicted his death as a sacrifice for sin, Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. It is a tough time for the disciples. For Jesus himself, it is a particularly dark time. He is soon to be sacrificed, yet He is ministering to the needs of His disciples. What a saviour we have! Here Jesus gives His disciples grounds for comfort, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3). Here we have the encouragement of the hope of heaven. In verses 4 to 11 we have a second encouragement – in Christ we have a certain way to heaven.
“And you know the way to where I am going.” (verse 4). Jesus is trying to provoke a reaction. Thomas doesn’t hold back. He turns Jesus’ statement on its head, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” He has a refreshing honesty. God respects an honest, seeking heart, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
Thomas’ statement, “Lord, we do not know,” was the state of the disciples and of our world today. “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” (John 1:10). Ignorance is a killer. There is so much ignorance of Christianity in our world today. People are being fed a never-ending atheistic diet. Part of the problem of ignorance is it comes in many forms: some have never been to church and never had a Christian explain the gospel to them. Others know of claims of Christianity and choose to go no further, sitting on the fence. All of us have an inkling we’ve been made for another world, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
There is another form of subtle ignorance. There is a part of Pilgrims Progress where Christian and Hopeful walk along and meet Ignorance, from a town called Conceit. Christian asks him how he will enter the celestial city. Christian warns Ignorance he has come the wrong way. Ignorance probably knows his Bible well, does many commendable things, but he’s lost his way and is ignorant that in Christ alone is salvation. He has turned a blind eye to eternal life. But Jesus says in John 10:1, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” We can see ignorance on many levels around us, yet ignorance is very hard to see in our lives. It takes time to remove it. If you are like that, ask the Lord to show you your ignorance and remove it.
When Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”He gets an answer. And what an answer he gets! Thomas was imagining a physical way but in verse six he got far more than he bargained for, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus says He is the way, the truth, the life – not a way, a truth, a life. He is the real deal – the meaning of life.
This grant statement wasn’t watered-down after His resurrection, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36). “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me] by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
In helping Thomas to find the destination, Jesus provides Thomas with the road and the way, Jesus says he is the way, he is the truth – the whole substance of true religion. Christ meets and satisfies every desire of the human mind. In the Old Testament the priests had to give daily sacrifices. They were not enough to atone for sins. Then, in Hebrews we read, “Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” (Hebrews 7:26-27).
In our natural state we are under judgement. We desperately need our sins forgiven. Jesus is the one answer to sin. Believing and trusting in Jesus saves you forever. We need this truth because we believed a lie – we could save ourselves and there are many ways to heaven.
Jesus is also the life, showing we do not have life outside of Christ, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1). What is wonderful in Ephesians 2 is that it doesn’t stop at verse one! “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Whether you believe in Christ or not our souls will live beyond the grave. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36). It is not just about living forever, it is knowing God. That is the essence of eternal life, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).
The Christian life is the best life there is. We are resurrection people. Our cup overflows with blessing upon blessing. Are you truly alive? Jesus is the way. Jesus paid for our sin once and for all. The curtain is torn into two and sinful man can enter into Shekinah glory. Not only is Jesus the way to eternal life, but for all who travel on not road He is our constant companion, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b).
The great privilege of having the Holy Spirit is Jesus is with you throughout eternity. You have the Holy Spirit with you forever. If you are outside of Christ, you are 1,000,000 miles away from Christ.
Jesus also tells His disciple about the destination. He tells them the destination of which He is the way, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus’ Father, God the Father, is the destination. Here is another blessing of the Christian life, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2). We are going somewhere for eternity. Our God is the end of the journey. We are going to someone! To God! There is no better person to spend eternity with. That is what makes heaven, heaven. God is there. Jesus is there. “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Revelation 21:22). Mind-blowing! Wow!
Are you looking forward to going to God? Is that what you were living for? There is a seriousness – no one goes to the Father except through Jesus. Without Jesus you cannot be saved, you cannot get to heaven. Today, if you are not yet saved, you need to be saved, you need Him to be the truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
Penuel Baptist Chapel, Roch 