Which way? (part 6 in the I AM series)

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life".

John 14:5,6

This conversation happens on the last night before the crucifixion, during the passover meal.  Before this, Jesus had washed the disciple’s feet, predicted His betrayal by Judas, His denial by Peter, and told the disciples He would soon be going away.  All of this prompted questions about where Jesus was going and why it was that they could not follow him.

He answers with the well-known verse, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". This is part of a dialogue between Jesus and His disciples, specifically addressing Thomas, not, this time, for the crowds. His friends are asking Jesus how they can know the way to where He is going?

His answer addresses our propensity to want to be in control, the need to know where we are going, and what lies ahead. Most of us don’t do well with not knowing! The disciples wanted to know the next step, the destination of where their journey in faith with Jesus, would ultimately lead them. Thus far it had all been a bit haphazard.

When we have a long car journey ahead of us, we normally want to turn on our Satnav, get a good idea of how long it will be and roughly which route we will be taking to get to our destination  afely, with minimal delays. So, we tend to first determine the best, the fastest routes and then we start our journey. Most of us like to do a bit of planning!

I believe that Thomas was looking for the same kind of reassurance.

However, Jesus clarifies that for His disciples, and that includes us, it’s not the clearly defined road that’s important.  We are, instead, tasked with simply knowing and trusting Jesus, day by day, one step at a time.  We are to walk the walk, in faith, through the deep valleys and over the mountain tops, with Him, in Him, for He Himself is the way.  We may not see clearly ahead, or perhaps it’s clear for a while, and then the path seems hazy and we’re not so sure anymore, but still He is trustworthy.

Steve and I are in that exact situation right now. As I write this, we’re living in a little flat in north London - we moved here two weeks ago to be near my elderly mother who needs a little more help these days. The rental agreement on the property is twelve months, maybe more. We have no idea at this point in time where we will be or go, at the end of a year, let alone two. At present the way ahead is crystal clear, but then it all gets foggy and very unsure!

But Jesus tells us that He is the way - so, we choose to believe Him. That what He says is true - about Him being the shepherd, and us being the sheep. Sheep are pretty stupid, needing constant guidance under the care of a kind and compassionate shepherd, lest they wander off and get lost, or worse still, fall down a ravine. Sticking close to Jesus and following hard after Him, in all things, will take us to where we need to be, to flourish, to be a blessing, to glorify God.

But to be able to follow THE WAY, we have to be able to trust Him, and to trust Jesus, we need to be confident of who He is - that He won’t lead us down some bogus path created by misinformation or fake news. We need THE TRUTH.

Truth has been hotly debated for a long time. Today it is popular to believe that each person or culture determines his or its own truth. It’s random and arbitrary, here today, gone tomorrow.

But truth is not in fashion one day and out of fashion the next.  The truth stands firm and the storms and blizzards of life cannot move it or alter it or diminish it. 

Because truth is a person. Jesus Christ.

Jesus says of Himself, ‘I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life’.

He can testify to the truth and teach the truth because He Himself is that truth.  In Him there is no falsehood, nothing misleading, and nothing fake or uncertain. He speaks truth, embodies truth, understands and guides us all in truth. HE IS THE TRUTH.

So, in the same way that we can choose to follow Jesus as the ultimate way - to deep contentment, joy, peace, fulfillment, so, also we have a choice here, too. Will we choose to believe that the words He speaks are superior to all other words ever spoken or written or typed? Or will we put news headlines and the opinion of others and what we believe about ourselves, over and above THE TRUTH, what God says.

Because someone you know or social media says so, or because you feel something, doesn’t make it true! More than ever, in this day and age, no matter what the prevailing culture is saying, We need to know the truth.

The Bible says, ‘God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?’ (Numbers 23:19)

And then the life. Jesus says He is the life. What does that mean?

One of the startling things that Jesus said to the first century men and women who followed Him, sitting for hours on hillsides hearing Him teach, or waiting to watch Him heal the sick, was this, “I have come that you may have life, and have it in abundance” (John 10:10).

I don’t think those early followers were materially wealthy. The majority lived from day to day, hand to mouth, with little provision for tomorrow. The abundance alluded to was not in possessions or experiences, or travel opportunities. An abundant life in Jesus, I believe, is a life full of what we deeply hunger for - peace, joy, security, significance. We often run hard after good jobs, romantic love, better cars, houses, holidays all in the hope that in them our longings will be fulfilled, but in their attainment, are often still left feeling like something is missing.

The Greek word ‘abundant’ in John 10:10 is perissōn, from the verb perisseúō, meaning “superfluous", "overflowing” or “beyond excess.”  It’s life at its very best.  An amazing promise. But there is a caveat! We are not talking about a life free from challenges, difficulties, trials or even tragedy. These will come - we know this - but with Jesus leading the way, these can, in themselves, become the very pathway to the abundant life promised by Him.

And then of course, there is life eternal - but, we’ll talk about that another time!