The Way, the Truth and the Life! Part I

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" John 14:6.

Jesus was sharing with His disciples that He would be leaving them and returning to His Father. He said, "In My Father's house are many mansions (dwelling places)… I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also And where I go you know, and the way you know.

"Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we don't know where You're going, how can we know the way.' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" John 14:2-6.

The way to the Father's home is through Jesus. What does the Father and His home mean to you and me? Let's review some of the statements in the Bible regarding the Father and what they mean.

One of the more quoted statements is what Jesus shared with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" John 3:16, 17. The most important thing to understand in our relationship with the Father is that the Father loves us

To a Samaritan woman Jesus said, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" John 4:21-24. The spirit of love that the Father has blessed us with shows us that the Father is worthy of worship.

Jesus testified of the Father, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" John 5:19-24. Jesus is the Father's representative to us.

Some people came to Jesus one day and asked Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God (the Father)?"

"Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

"They said to Him, 'What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'

"Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world' " John 6:28-33.

Jesus more fully explained the Father's gift of bread from heaven when He said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" John 6:51.

On Christ's last evening with His disciples before His crucifixion, He prayed, Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" John 17:1-5.

This does not come close to scratching the surface of the Father's gifts for you and me. Just these few verses from the book of John share with us that eternal life is not separate from God the Father and the Son.

What does the Father and His home mean to you and me? Let's recap the message above:
- God loves the world passionately!
- God sent His son Jesus into the world that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
- God is Spirit - True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.
- He who hears the word of God and believes in Him has eternal life; He will not come into judgment, but pass from death into life.
- What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Believe in Him whom God sent.
- The bread from heaven is represented by Jesus who gives life to the world.
- Jesus is the living bread sent from the Father that nourishes our souls.
- The living bread gave His life for the life of the world.
- To know God and Jesus Christ is to have eternal life.

Jesus is the way to the Father's home and Eternal life. They are inseparable. God the Father sent Jesus to reconcile us to Himself. All who will yield their hearts to the Spirit of the living God are blessed here and now, and eternally.