The Way, The Truth and The Life

In John 14:6 Jesus declared, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Christ claimed exclusivity in a unique and profound way by revealing Himself as the narrow path that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). He is the path that few will find and many will avoid because human nature prefers the easy and broad road. There is only one narrow path. Apart from Jesus Christ there are no other ways to heaven because God is the only way to God.

In Acts 4:12 Peter is speaking before the Sanhedrin in response to their inquiry into what power he had healed a crippled beggar. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter declares, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Not only did Jesus claim to be the “Way,” He also showed us the way. His humanly life was a testimony of how we all ought to live. He is the ultimate King of Kings because his leadership is based upon the fundamental premise of leading by example.

The Way Of Jesus

Firstly, He was submissive to His Father’s will as evidenced by His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will but, Yours be done.” (Luke 23:42). And in Hebrews 10:7 Jesus is quoted: “Then I said, ‘Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will. O God.’”

Paul wrote about Christ’s demeanor in Philippians 2:6-8: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.”

Not surprisingly, Christ’s personal attributes were the very same as God’s personal attributes. He had compassion on the weak, loved His enemies, He was quick to forgive and slow to anger, and He was uncompromising in the truth He proclaimed. He refused to change to please the religious authorities and the Roman rulers. The writer of Hebrews stated, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).

Phil Wickham’s song The Jesus Way illustrates the characteristics of Christ in the lyrics: “If you crush me, then I will bless you, if you hurt me, I will forgive. If you hate me, then I will love you. I choose the Jesus way.”

The early church was referred to as “the Way” (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9; Acts 24:14) before the term “Christian” was coined at Antioch (Acts 11:26). Acts 18:24-25 describes Apollos of Alexandria, who was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the scriptures, that had been instructed in the way of the Lord. Additionally, in verse 26, Apollos accompanied Priscilla and Aquila to their home and explained the way of God.

The first use of the term the way, occurs in Acts 9:1-2, where Saul was actively persecuting followers of the Way. Acts 19 describes how some of the people at Ephesus “refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.” (Acts 19:9), and Acts 19:23-41 records how a riot broke out over the teachings of the Way. Finally, in Acts 24:14a Paul is recorded as saying, “However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect.”

The Truth About Christ

In the first chapter of John’s gospel, in verse seventeen, John says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” In his first epistle he tells us, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true – even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20 ). In this passage John equates Jesus and the Father. Just as God is true, so is Jesus.

The Bible also tells us, “God is not a man, that He should lie,” (Numbers 23:19a). And Psalm 86:11 reads, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;”. Additionally, in Psalm 119:160a, we are told of God, “All your words are true;” Jesus established His own credibility when He said, “Even if I testify on My own behalf, My testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.” (John 8:14), and He goes on to say, “I am one who testifies for myself; My other witness is the Father, who sent Me.” (John 8:18).

The divinity of Jesus is revealed in the Gospels and as part of the Trinity; the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). Christ’s divine nature is evident in His references to Himself as “The Son of Man” (Mark 14:62) and in His famous declaration in John 8:58, “’I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘Before Abraham was born, I AM!’”

The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the church at Corinth had this to say regarding the truth of Jesus Christ: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and He appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). This statement illustrates the completeness of scripture, it’s prophetic nature and transcendent truth as the Word of God (John 1:1).

The historicity of Jesus Christ is irrefutable. Jesus has been written about more than any other human being both in the biblical narrative and nonbiblical sources reference Him. Historians such as Josephus (Jewish), Phlegon of Tralles (Greek), Tacitus (Roman), Thallus (Greek), and others all add to the veracity of the historical Jesus.

In fact, there are over 40 ancient sources who refer to the life of Jesus, who despite being a lowly carpenter with a fairly local ministry, had a major impact on human history. Compared with the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who was a well known and influential public figure, there are only ten ancient records that speak of him.

If the Bible was held to the same standards as other ancient documents, it is clearly the most authenticated ancient document in the history of civilization. Jesus’ historicity is equally authentic, and is proven by what is written about Him, considering the reliability of the writers, the timeliness of their writing and the abundance of it. No other person in human history is more authenticated than Christ. Jesus is incontrovertible truth.

John 1:4 says “In Him was life.”

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die.” (John 11:25-26). These are more than just encouraging words, they are the promise of Christ and they imply that eternal life begins when we sincerely believe.

Christians have life because of Christ. Not only eternal life but a spiritual life here and now. Colossians 2:13 tells us, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.” And in Romans 6:11, Paul writes, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Furthermore, Paul instructs in Ephesians 2:12, “As for you, you were dead in your sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”  The worldly are blind to their sin and unaware of it until the Holy Spirit convicts them of it. In much the same way that a corpse cannot feel a heavy weight upon it, someone who is dead spiritually cannot feel the weight of sin upon them. It is the weight of sin that prevents us from rising to the higher calling we have in Christ – until we believe – and then He takes that burden from us.

Returning to Ephesians, in chapter 2:4-6, we read, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,” Paul is not speaking of some distant future reality but of the status of true believers in the present.

True believers have been made alive in Christ and this life will be evident in the way they live. A born again believer no longer lives the way they used to live nor do they remain worldly as nonbelievers are. They are committed to Christ and faithful to Christ, forsaking all others. They fully embrace Jesus as the only way to heaven, the only absolute truth and the only giver of eternal life.

Jesus Christ is exclusively and uniquely the Way, the Truth and the Life. In the words of A.W. Tozer, “Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways. He is the only way.”