Jesus is The Answer (John 14:6)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

As certainly one of the most well known verses in the Bible, these words from Jesus can - if we are not careful - become nothing more than a cliche.

Typically, this verse is used as a proof text to show that Jesus is the only way to heaven (heaven being defined as the place we go after we die as opposed to hell). And while this isn't false, it almost entirely misses the point of Jesus's words.

When Jesus says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" He is making a clearcut proclamation of His divinity.

Many ancient philosophers, sages, and wise men boldly endeavoured to teach the Way (Socrates, Lao Tzu, Buddha etc) but none of these men ever claimed to be the Way itself.

Who else but God could make such a claim?

Likewise, many great minds have made it their business to seek after, and share to the best of their ability their understanding of, the Truth, but no one would have dared to claim to be the Truth itself.

No one except God, that is.

And finally, we all recognize that Life exists within us and we exist within Life. But who would ever claim to be Life itself?

Jesus, in one statement makes all three of these claims.

Jesus is not just the boat that brings us across the river, which after we've crossed we can forget about and move on to the next thing.

He is also not just the clockmaker that sparks things into motion and then fades into the background.

And He is not even just the light at the end of the tunnel or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

In other words, He is not just the "means," the "cause," or the "end." He is all three simultaneously.

He is at the same time,

Where we're supposed to go

Why we're supposed to be going, and

How we're going to get there.

If we lose sight of any of these three, then we fall into confusion.

There is never a moment in any of our lives when Jesus is not the answer.

The division between the secular and the sacred is an illusion that Jesus came to shatter through His incarnation.

By virtue of His divinity, everything belongs to Him.

By virtue of His humanity, everything belongs to us.

Failure is impossible except by forgetting this truth.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the Lord;    

let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

Psalm 34:1-3