Hear:
John 14
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; 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.”
Jesus the Way to the Father
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.
Pause:
What might God be saying to us in these verses?
Wonder:
There are a lot of questions in the world today: When do we re-open our country? Is it too early? Is it too late? Is it safe? How do we fight social injustice? How do we deal with the great hatred in the world today? Most of these have divisive answers in which people on one side hurl insults toward those on the other for “not caring” about those who may suffer on either side of these decisions.
While these are important questions that our leaders should be wrestling through, Thomas asks the ultimate question, “Lord…how can we know the way?”
Oprah Winfrey once stated that there are “many ways to God,” but Jesus’ answer to Thomas is VERY different. It is not popular to say that Jesus is the only way, but it is the truth. We must remember that the beautiful picture of a mansion with many rooms is framed by Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (Ch. 13), the prediction of Peter’s betrayal, and the prediction that the world will hate the disciples (Ch. 15). In other words, the mansions should bring great comfort to us as we live lives serving one another, struggling through difficult times, and dealing with a world that will hate us simply because of our love for Jesus.
There are plenty of questions in the world today and there are real problems that must be addressed; but when it comes to getting to God, there is only one answer. Jesus is the way the truth and the life.
Why is it so “unpopular” to say that Jesus is the only way to God?
Would Jesus’ statement have been popular in his time?
Why are there so many different ideas on how to live in this world…even between Christians?
How can we honor God in the middle of a fallen world?
Bless:
Dear God,
The world is sinful and fallen. Help us to keep our eyes on You as you are the way, the truth and the life. Help us to love one another and treat others the way you would have us treat them. Thank you for Jesus.
Amen.