Journeying with Jesus: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”
The Map to the Way
When I look at ancient maps, I’m often amazed at how wrong some of them were. The mapmakers didn’t have the right information. As a result, one land mass is way too big and an ocean way too small.
Just as ancient maps can be wrong, so our mental maps may not always be right. Our mental maps are often based on the wrong information.
That’s a big deal, especially with the most important map in life – the one involving God. If there really is a God (and I do believe there is), and he is the ultimate destination for our lives (and I believe he is), then we need to have the right map to help us find God.
Where can we find this map?
At the end of his life, Jesus made it clear to his disciples that he was leaving them and going back to God. This troubled the disciples. They felt alone and confused. Thomas, one of the disciples, asked Jesus, “Lord, we don’t’ know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Thomas was asking for a map.
There are many different maps that claim to lead to God. Every major religion offers a different map. Many individuals try and draw their own map.
Is there a map that truly leads to the true God? Jesus claimed there was. More than that, he claimed to be that map. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Here’s what Jesus was saying.
“I am the way” - Jesus claims to be the way to God. Put differently, Jesus is the one through whom we experience God. This does not mean Jesus has established a new religion we need to meticulously observe in order to find God. Rather, this statement is Jesus’ invitation to come into relationship with him, traveling with him daily, even minute to minute. Think of it like this: Because Jesus himself is the way, he not only leads us to our final destination, he allows us to experience all that he offers—love, joy, purpose, meaning, power—as we travel there with him.
“The truth” - Jesus is the truth because he embodies the supreme revelation of God. Jesus has come from God. As a result, Jesus says and does exclusively what the Father gives him to say and do (John 5:19ff). Because Jesus alone has come from God, Jesus is the only one who can give us the right map to God. Other maps are misleading because they not drawn by one who is the truth.
“The life” - Because Jesus has come from God, Jesus is the very life of God. As a result, when we walk in the “way” - shown us by the one who is the “truth” - we experience life. This is far more than biological life or what we might call the good life (which looks great but doesn’t last). This is God’s life. It’s a life in which we begin to experience the fullness of all that God had in mind for us when he created us.
In a world filled with multiple maps, there is one that really does lead to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”
Are you looking for a way to find life? Or, have you known Jesus as the way to God but have lost sight of who he is? This present darkness in our cities, country and world can blind us to the truth of Jesus’ presence and his desire to be “the way, the truth and the life” in your life right now.
The Renewing Life Center exists to provide a safe place for discussion, searching and finding a way to deal with life’s problems, losses and challenges. We welcome you to make an appointment at your convenience.