Today’s passage: John 14:1–14
Focus verse: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)
Jesus has but a few hours left on earth. He wants to make the most of every moment. The teacher gives last-minute instructions to his disciples, trying to encourage them, which they’ll need in the days, months, and years ahead.
He talks about his father’s house with many rooms, about him preparing a place for them, and about him coming back to get them so they can be with him. If this isn’t cryptic enough, Jesus adds, “You know the way to where I’m going.”
Thomas, one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, doesn’t. Speaking for the rest of them, he seeks clarification: “We don’t know where you’re going, so how can we know how to get there?”
Jesus gives him a five-part answer, which John records for us. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Let’s explore this.
First, Jesus opens with, “I am.” Don’t miss this. In the Old Testament, God the Father tells Moses to think of him as I am. When Jesus repeats this phrase in his concise answer, it’s intentional.
We’re reminded that Jesus also exists as God, as God the Son. Jesus is the I am, just as much as the Father. (See Day 17 Bonus Content: “I Am.”)
Next, Jesus gives the first of three instructive phrases, saying that he is “the way.” Jesus himself serves as the path to God the Father. As our Messiah, he points us in the right direction.
He provides the means for us to get there. Soon he’ll do this by serving as the ultimate sin sacrifice for all of humanity, past, present, and future.
Jesus adds that he is “the truth.” He personifies what is real. He exemplifies truth, proclaims truth, and models truth. We can always rely on the words of Jesus as dependable. His words will set us free (John 8:31–32).
After confirming that he is the way and the truth, he adds that he is “the life.” Not only does Jesus give us life, but he is life. After giving us life at creation, he continues as one who lives forever. We, as his followers, will enjoy eternity with him.
The final of the five key phrases in this verse is “through me.” Jesus is the door to Father God. The first four parts of Jesus’s answer culminate in his conclusion: through him we reconcile with God the Father, our spiritual Papa.
Jesus supplies what we need for our journey in this life and into the next. He is the source of life, of truth, and of the way to the Father.
Questions:
- How can you encourage others, as Jesus encouraged his disciples?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus is the way?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus is the truth?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus is the life?
- How does Jesus being the way, truth, and life influence how you live your life?
Discover more about Jesus being truth and life in Luke 20:21, John 11:25, and John 18:37. What insights can you glean from these passages?
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Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read more in Peter’s new book, Living Water: 40 Reflections on Jesus’s Life and Love from the Gospel of John, available everywhere in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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