John 14:6,7 says...

Today's verses are John 14:6, 7 which read,

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

 Jesus is speaking to all the disciples but specifically to Thomas who had just asked, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"  And that question was in response to Jesus speaking of heaven and His near departure to there along with the news about His coming again.
Have you been down the cereal aisle of the grocery store lately?  What do you see?  Choices.  So many choices that it is hard to make a choice.  Do you have cable or satellite television?  What do you see?  Choices.  So many choices that is is hard to make a choice.  God takes a totally different route when it comes to salvation and heaven.


"the way" - take us back to Genesis 3:24 that uses that same phrase - So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.  The way is guarded.
"the truth" - John 8:31, 32 says, So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  Who makes us free?  Jesus alone...so there is a inseparable bond between Jesus and the truth.

"the life" - 2 Corinthians 4:11 says, "For we who live are constantly being delivered over to dearth for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."  Now our very lives are a reflection of Him.

Our verses are very exclusive.  "No one," and "the" and "but" and "If you" and "would have" and "from now on" and "have seen", these are all words that add to the exclusiveness of the statement that Jesus is giving.  Jesus is drawing a line in the sand that we all need to deal with.  "Who do you say that I am?"  "Am I the way and the truth and the life?"  What the world might say is not fair and not enough choices, Jesus makes it very clear the path (way) and the content (truth) and the fullness (life) of this decision.

Find comfort today that Jesus makes the way so clear and that we can look at His life and see the content in action and we can know that this is not a distant relationship He is talking about but one where He resides within us and through us.  

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life - Spurgeon

     I heard this phrase today along with another that if you connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life, it will end up effecting all of your life.  This came up in my study of the book of James and specifically the verses dealing with not just being a hearer of the Word but also be a doer of the Word.  It is all about application.  I can't look at preaching the Word without giving steps of applying the Word.  It really is an incomplete sermon if I don't.      Many times I think it has to be big and many points and given cute aliteration that makes it snappy and I think easy to remember and fun to write down.  Reality is, if I would make it a bit of Scripture connected to a bit of life and just that it would probably accomplish much more.  How much time I spend on the opening statement and lame joke and research and introductions and how many points and the closing statement and so little time on connecting the bit of Scripture to the bit of life.      So I guess I ha
Read more

Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."

Image
  Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs.  I feel like the Willy Nelson song, " On the road again... "  I don't know if I agree with the next line though. " ...I can't wait to get on the road again. " One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition.  Traveling mercies prayers please. Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia.  He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region.  The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone.  Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins.  The summary statement of the letter is found in  Galatians 6:15 (LSB) .  " For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. "  Translated another way earlier in  Ga
Read more

Sermon prep and maybe a video...

     James 4 has brought up some interesting study.  First, "the quarrels and fights among you."  Those are usually worse than you think even though we try to minimize them.  The source is simpler than you think because it is coming from within you.  The solution is easier than you think because the solution that James gives is that we need to humble ourselves before the Lord.  Any sincere resolution is specific and brief.  Beware of lengthy resolutions that usually include explaining it away or excusing some of the behavior.      As I have seen before, the words are a sign of the heart.  I read this week that if we have a critical heart we usually start by speaking evil of another to ourselves.  Then we progress to speaking evil of another to that person with a running tally in our heads of all their wrongs.  Finally, we speak evil of another to others and broadcast in a way that we are thinking that we are helping.  Giving judgment is always easier than giving mercy.  I
Read more