“You know the way to the place where I am going.” Jesus was not talking about Google Maps. He wasn’t dropping a pin for them on their smartphone. Rand McNally would be of no help here. Thomas took one for the team and asked the question on everyone’s mind…
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My 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? 3 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. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
John 14:1-7 NIV
They had been travelling together for three years. They knew their routes and their camps and hideouts and safe houses. When you are needing to hide from people who are conspiring to kill you, there are places you go. They knew those places. But Jesus hadn’t told them where he was going.
He told them about heaven. He told them about his heavenly destination where he would take them one day. Like many of his teachings, this went over their heads. Thomas asked, “How can we know the way?”
Jesus’ answer is one of the most quoted and notable statements the Rabbi made. If we pay attention to it and apply it to our lives, we will find the Father and everlasting life.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus links his answer back to his destination. He had told them where he was going. Jesus was going back to the Father.
Would you like to go to Father God in heaven one day? Would you like to be accepted by Almighty God into the pearly gates? Well, no one can go to the Father in heaven except through Jesus. That’s what he said.
When Jesus told his disciples they knew the way, it is because Jesus is the way. Jesus is the way to God, he is the truth about God, and he is the giver of life everlasting.
“If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Not only will we know how to get to Father God if we know Jesus, we will actually know Father God if we know Jesus. We will dig into this tomorrow, but this is a section of John’s gospel that is very helpful in our understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are revealed in these chapters as unified while also playing distinct roles in relation to humanity. And Jesus, the Son of God, is the way into relationship with God and life everlasting…
Amen.
Marc Kinna
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