|
The Way, The Truth, and The Life 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 (LITV) Early Christians were called “Followers of The Way.” What way? Jesus. Paul clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 2:2 that he determined not to know anything “except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (See also Galatians 6:14) The cross of crucifixion itself has no application to us. Rather, it is what Christ did on that cross that has meaning and purpose. Jesus established the Way to the Father through the cross, but it is only the beginning! We must press on to Truth. Often times we get caught up in knowing truth. All scripture is true, but somehow we think that the Bible is a book of magic. We believe if we apply the words just right we will see power unleashed. We hold the Bible up as though it in itself is special and miss its message: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is a living Person who dwells among us and in us through His Spirit. If you try to make your life look like the Bible says it should, scripture will be untrue for you every time. Why? Truth is a person, a Life. That person speaks through the written word, but He is not the written word. (See John 5:39) Are we willing to put the written word in its proper place and move on to Life? Life doesn’t only mean life in heaven with Jesus. It means Life in communion with the Father wherever we are. He came to give us Life, and Life abundantly (John 10:10). This is not a life that has no struggles, temptations and weaknesses. It is a sufficient and victorious life over every struggle, temptation and weakness. Life is not the absence of trouble, but the conquering of trouble’s power over us in the midst of trials. “I have told you these things, that in Me you may have shalom. In the world you have oppression, but cheer up! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 HNV) The challenge is this: are we willing to walk with Jesus (as the Way), know Him (the Truth) and experience Him (the Life) to encounter intimacy with the Father? This is the greatest desire of Jesus, the very heart of the Father, and that for which we are designed. It is where He desires us to live this very moment. We must be willing to set aside our “goals” of being born again, employing the written word, and going to heaven to live with Jesus in the future in order to embrace Him and His life in this moment. Verses for Reflection …through the tender mercy of our God; by which the Dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:78-79 MKJV And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven. Col 1:20 MKJV So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. I Cor. 15:45 ASV This is the One coming through water and blood, Jesus Christ; not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the One witnessing, because the Spirit is the truth. I John 5:6 LITV Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come sought out and searched out, searching what person or season the Spirit of Messiah within them was indicating as He testified beforehand the sufferings of Messiah and the glories after. 1Peter 1:10-11 MKJV And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Gal 4:6 MKJV It is the Spirit that makes alive, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63 MKJV 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 LITV |
|