I Am the Way Truth and Life

Jn 14:1-11

This is our last passage of the I Am statements. I saved this one for last because I think it summarizes all the other statements in the one sentence here. I Am the way, the truth and the life.

However, this passage as a whole sheds light on Who Jesus is. He is trustworthy, he prepares a new home for us, and quite simply he is God. As we finish this study on Jesus, I hope you will have gained a greater insight into our Lord and a greater love for him as you see how much he has loved us.

Prayer

I. He Prepares a place

A. It is interesting to note here that Jesus uses three different words to talk about his father’s house.

1. Father’s house

a) family dwelling.

b) Permanent residence

2. many rooms

a) mansions.

b) We sing the song “mansions on the hilltop”, but that really isn’t what this passage is saying. It’s not a community of rich homes, but one home with lots of rooms!

c) Permanent home with rooms. Not an inn.

(1) On our honeymoon we stayed at a bed and breakfast. This was a home that had several of its rooms for people to stay. It is much more cozy than a hotel. A hotel is simply a room for people passing through. A home is for people to live in everyday. A refuge.

(2) While I lived in Alaska, my parents moved to Noblesville. For 2 years they lived there, but I had never seen the house. When I finally moved from Alaska, I moved back home to look for a new job. This house that I had never seen before, was really my home because that’s where my family was…And they had a room ready for me when I arrived.

(3) We’re going HOME someday to be with our father, and he kept a room for us.

3. Place

a) This is a specific spot.

b) Made for certain person or item.

B. What we have here is that Jesus has gone to his home that he is opening up for each and every one of us to come to him.

1. Not a room for travelers,

2. but a special place, just for us in his home.

II. Way, Truth and Life.

A. As his disciples struggled with this thought he goes on to make them understand one last time that he is God, not just a prophet or good man.

B. Way

1. As we have talked about earlier in the gate sermon, there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus the Christ.

2. Tony Campolo tells about a conversation he had on an airplane: "It was one o'clock in the morning when I boarded the red-eye flight going from California to Philadelphia. I was looking forward to getting some rest, but the guy next to me wanted to talk. "He asked, `What do you do?' "Now when I want to talk, I say I'm a sociologist, and they say, `That's interesting.' But if I really want to shut someone up, I say I'm a Baptist evangelist. Generally, that does it. "`I'm a Baptist evangelist,' I said. "`Do you know what I believe?' he asked. I could hardly wait. `I believe that going to heaven is like going to Philadelphia.' "`I certainly hope not,' I thought. "`There are many ways to get to Philadelphia,' he continued. `Some go by airplane. Some go by train. Some go by bus. Some drive by automobile. It doesn't make any difference how we go there. We all end up in the same place.' "`Profound,' I said and went to sleep. "As we started descending into Philadelphia, the place was fogged in. The wind was blowing, the rain was beating on the plane, and everyone looked nervous and tight. As we were circling in the fog, I turned to the theological expert on my right. `I'm certainly glad the pilot doesn't agree with your theology,' I said. "`What do you mean?' he asked. "`The people in the control tower are giving instructions to the pilot: "Coming north by northwest, three degrees, you're on beam, you're on beam, don't deviate from the beam." I'm glad the pilot's not saying, "There are many ways into the airport. There are many approaches we can take." I'm glad he's saying, "There's only one way we can land this plane, and I'm going to stay with it."'

3. That is the idea behind Jesus saying he is the way

4. "There is no other name whereby we can be saved except the name of Jesus."

C. The Truth

1. We often work so hard to make Christianity hard.

2. Here is a list of dos and don’ts. And they are impossible to keep by the way.

3. Religions have all kinds of rituals and ceremonies that you must follow to be that brand of Christian.

4. Jesus says I am the Truth.

a) Think about that.

b) All of the gospel boiled down comes to something so simple as knowing Jesus?

c) You had better believe it.

5. We often let the gospel get mixed up with packaging."

a) We must preach Christ and Christ crucified as the only way to Heaven.

b) Everything else is packaging.

c) Don’t get me wrong, The Bible is filled with much more than that for Christian living, but the core of the Gospel must be Christ and we cannot forget that.

d) I used to work with a church that would insist you be re-baptized if you were not baptized in the church of Christ.

e) What they had unwittingly done was preach that the church was the core of salvation rather than the Savior, Jesus.

D. The Life

1. All that Jesus taught comes together in the thought of I am the life.

a) There is no life outside of Christ.

b) There is only life in Christ.

2. To separate Christ from God, to try to get to God without Christ is simply death.

a) We use the word tantalize to visualize the idea of the frustration of almost having something in our grasp, yet not quite able to gain it. The word comes from a Greek myth where Tantalus was chained to a lake for all eternity. If he would ever bend down to try to quench his thirst, the water would recede out of his reach. Above him were branches laden with lush ripe fruit, but every time he tried to reach up for them, they would rise above his grasp.

b) Trying to seek God apart from Christ is that same utter futility.

III. Concl.

A. I mentioned the home that Jesus went to prepare for us. It is a place for all those who give their lives to Christ and become part of his family.

1. As Christians, that should give us tremendous peace when we face death, be it our own or a loved one’s.

2. When I do a funeral for a Christian, I always make sure this phrase is somewhere in the end of the funeral service. We are not saying good-bye to this loved one today, we are saying see you later.

3. That is one of the greatest promises of God that give Christians peace that non-Christians can never have.

4. If something were to happen to you today, would we say see you later or good-bye?

5. You control your own destiny.

6. If you life isn’t right with God, make it right this morning.