I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life
The Upper Room
John 14 Let not your heart be
troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither
I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not
whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I AM
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye
know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father,
and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you,
and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10 Believest thou not
that I AM in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you
I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11
Believe me that I AM in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me
for the very works' sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall
he do; because I go unto my Father.
John 14 Let not your heart be
troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you.
As
Lenski has written, this is the address of Jesus in the Upper Room, concerning
their dismay and fears about their Teacher going away. Those who have lost a
beloved person can understand the shattering transition from life to death,
from a reality of happiness to the dread of grief and sorrow. The suggestion of
such a transition overtakes all other thoughts and emotions, a seemingly
endless storm. The urging of Jesus to trust in Him and the Father is not a call
to faith, but a challenge to apply that faith they have already obtained
through His miracles and teaching. Jesus is not leaving them forever but preparing
a place for eternal life. Many people want to describe this place, but eternal
life transcends anything we can imagine. These two verses summarize the human
condition, enjoying life and fearing death, but assuring that Jesus Himself has
prepared a place for those who believe in Him, as promised.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the
way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and
how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So many alleged scholars have tried to
make exceptions and excuses about this passage, which is foundational and true.
This is the Gospel from Jesus’ beloved disciple, the Spirit led biography that
includes and assumes the previous three Gospels. The Gospel of John also
emphasizes essentials of His ministry and His departing sermons. In the Bible,
much like today, the words of someone at the end of life are given great
attention and preserved for their value.
Doubting Thomas, the patron saint of seminary
professors today, has two significant episodes in the Fourth Gospel, both
setting up Jesus’ teaching of His divine-human nature. We have the perspective
of knowing His resurrection and ascension, but to the disciples, Jesus was a
man who walked with them, taught as a rabbi would, performed astounding
miracles but still did His work as a flesh and blood man. Jesus’ response
includes the Divine Name – I AM. That is essential to recognize in light of
what is taught in the Upper Room.
I AM the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The Angel of the Lord, Who spoke to Moses from the Burning
Bush, gave Thomas, the disciples, and us a three-fold explanation that allows
no exceptions, no compromises, no weasel words.
I AM the Way –
A film class at Regent University yielded
this nugget of fool’s gold – “All roads lead to God, and all truths are God’s
truth.” The professor’s response was “Amen, brother!” Nothing today seems quite
as brilliant as equating all religions, all paths of salvation. First of all,
the song of Universalism is refuted in four simple words which also hearken to
the immortal Word of God – there is only one Way. All the favorite idols of
this age shrink in comparison to the great I AM and disappear, because faith in
the Son of God excludes truth in pagan religious leaders.
I AM the Truth
Wise men and women seek the truth and
often spend decades pursuing those ideals. The banal absurdity of modern religious
claims send them to the Scriptures and to faithful teachers to lead them to the
pinnacle of Truth in the Book of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Bible remains the Book
that judges all books and is not judged by any other publication. True, the
modern Bible hucksters want to pollute the Majority Text of the King James Version.
However, they only fool a few, in spite of massive expenses in promoting the
surfer dude revisions.
I AM the Life –
