I am the Way
If you are a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, then you know that he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ In a disquieting time, a time of turmoil, this knowledge is crucial. It is in believing Jesus that we can put our troubled minds to rest and have confidence in the future. But do we understand what Jesus meant? How is Jesus the way? What is the truth about his mission? And how will he bring us eternal life?
‘I am the way’ refers to the manner of life that believers live as they follow in Jesus’ footsteps. He is preparing a place for us in his Father’s house, the kingdom of God. But it is only Jesus who can show us the way, and it is only through him that we can stand in the Father’s presence. If you have been baptized and have received God’s spirit, then Jesus has become the mediator of your covenant with the Father. He is your high priest through whom you have access to the throne of God. Without Jesus to show you the path you cannot know the way to God the Father.
The Lord God our Messiah
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day could not accept that Jesus was the way to God. They thought they already knew God! However, the disciples of Jesus slowly began to see the connection between the Lord God and Jesus, their Messiah. Isaiah had prophesied of the Lord God of Israel who would come to save his people. And when he came he would perform miracles so the blind would see, the deaf would hear, and the lame would walk.
The Messiah would establish a way of holiness where the redeemed and ransomed would walk. These things would all occur when the Lord God and Messiah returned as King of Kings. However, Jesus came as the Lord, Immanuel –God with us, in the flesh, and not as the conquering Messiah that they Jewish nation had anticipated. Jesus had come to offer them personal salvation and not national salvation. Eventually, the disciples recognized that Jesus was truly the Lord, the one who fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and could save them and heal them and give them eternal life.
The Only Saviour and Redeemer
Isaiah had foretold that the Lord alone was Saviour, and Redeemer, and their Creator. And yet Jesus claimed to be all of these things. How could this be true? It took a great spiritual transformation for the disciples to believe that Jesus was indeed, the Lord God, the I Am, who spoke to Moses and redeemed Israel. It was only the few according to the apostle John, who understood this vital truth. And as a result, Jesus own people did not recognize or believe him.
Isaiah had written that it was the Lord God who would wipe away the sins of his people. But Jesus claimed that he had the power to forgive sins, and even the unbelieving Jews knew that God alone could forgive sins. They realized Jesus was speaking as if ‘he were God.’ and this infuriated them. They could not connect Jesus’ miraculous healing of the deaf, blind, and lame and forgiveness of sin to Isaiah’s description of the Messiah. They were blind to the truth that he was their Messiah and unable to embrace the only way to eternal life.
The Way to Eternal Life
But to the disciples and those who were healed this was confirmation of Jesus claim, ” I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The disciples believed that Jesus taught with great authority because he was the Lord God in the flesh. Jesus was the Rock of Israel, the cornerstone, and “there was no other name under heaven ” that could bring salvation. Why? The disciples understood that it was only through Jesus, that they could pray to the Father. For Jesus was the door to a relationship with God the Father, and the only path to eternal life. If we are Christians, we are encouraged by this message from Jesus about his role in guiding us. For in spite of the difficulties we may face in life we have hope. The Lord Jesus is our hope for he shows us the way, sustains us in the truth, and will give us eternal life. We have this hope because we believe the scriptures, and trust in Jesus’ word.
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