...from the desk of Rande Wayne Smith D.Min., Th.M., M.Div.

I AM - 5

I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

John 14:1-6

 “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. You know the way that leads to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?”
Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”

May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion to His glory and our edification.  Amen.

Back in the mid 1970’s, I was living in Indiana, PA, (this was after being in the Army but before going to Seminary). I was very active in my church. I also was part owner of a restaurant, and worked for the local newspaper.

I had become friends with a couple of businessmen, one was an insurance man and the other owned a home remodeling company. We decided to get together every Wednesday at lunchtime for prayer and Bible study. We met in a back office of Bill’s home remodeling business.

Since we each had a number of contacts in the community we thought it might good to invite some other men to come and join us.

It ended up being an interesting group. I invited Sid Shonberg, a Jewish business owner, who was a good friend. (I have a beautiful painting in my office that Sid gave me.) Our group included those who were at all levels of Christian faith, and 2 or 3 like Sid, who were not believers … but who were curious.

There was one fellow named Larry, who owned a shoe store. Larry and I had become good friends, so I asked him to join us. Larry brought life to our discussions; he brought questions, and sparked lots of interaction among the guys.

We’d spend about 20 minutes eating a sack lunch, then I led a 20 minute Bible Study, and then we closed with a prayer. I was taking the men through the Gospel of John. (I loved John even then!) And one Wednesday, I’ll never forget it; we came to this passage that we’re on today.

I read it aloud, and then asked the guys, “What is Jesus saying here?”

“He’s telling us that there is nothing we should be anxious or uptight about.”

Since we were in a home remodeling office one man commented on Jesus “building” a place for us to live in Heaven.

Then we came to Jesus’ last statement … “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”

That caused quite a stir among the guys … especially Larry. He protested. He objected. And our 20 minutes was up.

So I gave them an assignment. I told them to read over this passage several times, and then next week we would discuss their objections.

This morning I want to invite you into that small group. I want you to think about this passage, especially John 14:6. And I want you to tell me what your biggest problem is with Jesus’ statement. What is your objection? And maybe you have heard other people voice their objections to this “one way” claim. And I’m going to come right down here with a microphone in just a moment and ask you.

Now since that time back in 1975, I’ve come to the conclusion that this verse is really the most unpopular verse in the Bible. It causes more distress with people than any other Scriptural statement.

In fact, the day after our Wednesday Bible Study/lunch, Larry called me. He said, “Rande, I grew up going to church, and I’ve never heard anything about Jesus being the only way. So I called my minister, and I scheduled a meeting with him … and I want you to come with me!”

So I went with him. Larry opened his Bible and read, “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.’” Larry looked at his minister pointblank and asked, “How do you explain this verse?”

Here’s what that minister said, “If you wanted to study physics there are 2 ways to go about it. You could enroll in a class here at I.U.P. and be taught by a professor who has great knowledge concerning physics. Or you could walk over to the library and get all the books on physics that you can carry and start teaching yourself. Both ways will give you an understanding of physics, but there’s really only one “best” way, and that’s to study under a professor who has greater knowledge than you, and have him ‘tutor’ you.”

He said, “In the same way, that’s what Jesus was saying. ‘I’m the best way to God. I’m the easiest way.’” The minister said, “Now all ways will lead to God eventually, but if you want to get on the right road, the quickest road, go to Jesus.” He said this verse needs to be interpreted like that, “No one goes to the Father, ‘the best way’, except by me.”

As we left the office, Larry was smiling. He said, “I want to go 1st next week; I want to be the 1st to raise my concern.”

Now, what about you? I’d like to get the discussion going. Who would like to raise your hand and tell all of us what’s the biggest problem you have, or someone you know has, with Jesus being “the only way” to God?

• How can God be so narrow minded to only allow one way to Him?

• What about the other religions that believe in God?

• What if you’ve never even heard of Jesus?

• What about those who live real moral lives, but aren’t Christian?

• What about newborn children who may die?

What I want to do for the next few moments is respond to as many of these objections as I can.

So, hang in here with me, some of this might get a little heady, but put your thinking caps on, and I want us to have an intellectual discussion about Jesus’ claim to be the only way to God.

Here’s what I did with my 9 or 10 guys the following Wednesday. I had them finish this sentence, “Jesus isn’t really the only way to God because ….”

Larry, of course, had his hand up. He said, “Jesus isn’t really the only way to God because … the Bible doesn’t actually teach that. That’s what my minister says. The Bible says that there is the best way, and then there are other ways.”

So I asked the group to read several passages of Scripture. “Let’s decide once and for all if the Bible was really claiming that Jesus was the only way to God.”

The Acts 4:12 … “Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us.”

John 3:18,36 … “Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. … Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment.”

John 8:24 … Jesus said, “That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am.’”

1 John 5:11-13 … “The testimony is that God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

“I am writing this to you so that you may know that you have eternal life – you that believe in the Son of God.”

After reading these verses the guys said, “Well, yea, the Bible does teach that Jesus is the only way. There is really no disputing that. The facts are there.”

Then someone else completed the sentence, “Jesus isn’t really the only way to God because … most people would end up in the wrong place.”

Here’s the thinking, here’s the idea behind this one. Let’s say that about 75% of the world’s population is not Scripturally Christian. How could so many people all be wrong? Way too many people don’t believe in Scriptural Christianity, so it cannot be the only way.

But our group discussed this, and we discovered there is a false assumption behind this objection … popular opinion defines truth. This is not always the case. For centuries popular opinion said that the earth was flat. Today we know that the earth is spherical. But for hundreds and hundreds of years popular opinion dictated that which was not true.

The majority does not direct what is true, spiritually speaking. Jesus even addressed this idea of the majority and minority. He said that not only is it possible … it is probable. “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.”

Jesus is warning that the majority does not dictate what is true. He is saying that most people are on the broad road to destruction … to hell.

Then somebody else raised an objection. Here’s how I finish that sentence, “Jesus isn’t really the only way to God because … it’s unfair to those who sincerely follow other religions.”

Really nice people with good intentions do not believe in Jesus Christ. This argument says that sincere people ought to be acceptable by God on the basis of their strong convictions, therefore Christianity is not the only way.

But do you see the false assumption in this reasoning? The assumption is that intensity of belief assures truth.

It suggests that sincerity assures truth. But, of course, this is not always the case.

Some years ago Jim Marshall of the Minnesota Vikings picked up a fumble and fought off tacklers repeatedly until he crossed the goal line. Marshall however crossed the wrong goal line. And he scored for the other team. Marshall was sincere in his efforts, but he was sincerely wrong. And it is possible to be intensely sincere in a religious belief … and to be wrong.

That’s why Jesus warned that the heart is deceptive, and we need to really find out what is true and what is right … and not go simply by what “feels” right. He warned that, for some people, there’s going to be a rude awakening one day.

A person can be very sincere in thinking that he/she doesn’t need Jesus Christ, but Jesus will say that that person is sadly mistaken. Sincerity does not dictate truth.

And then there was another objection. “Jesus isn’t really the only way to God because … anything that narrow and exclusive is not right or acceptable.”

Boy, that’s the thinking today isn’t it? If it’s too rigid, too exclusive, you’re a bigot … and it can’t be right. In other words, Christianity’s claims are too limited or narrow-minded, therefore they can’t be right.

Listen to a recent letter to the editor in Time magazine. It’s in response to one of their cover stories about Jesus.

“I find it disheartening that a religion such as Christianity believes it has a divine right to convert all peoples to its ways. A society’s religion helps it adapt to the stresses of its environment. Once culture is changed by outsiders, it begins to deteriorate.” (Paul S. Sledzik … Narragansett, RI)

Listen, the fact that 1 + 1 always = 2 is very, very rigid. But it is also always right.

The truth is often very narrow-minded. If I want to call Ryan Pawlak on the telephone, I have to dial his “exclusive” number. I have to be “rigid” in that. “Almost” isn’t close enough. If the number I dial is off by just one digit, I’ll reach the wrong number. Does that mean the phone company is narrow-minded?

Landing an airplane on a narrow runway requires some restricted specifications. When I fly on a plane, I prefer to have a precise pilot, with a very narrow-minded point of view. I wouldn’t want a broadminded pilot. In fact, I wouldn’t care if he was a fanatic on the subject.

Jesus is like a narrow-minded pilot, trying to tell all of us that it’s not safe to land haphazardly. He’s not limiting our options; He’s protecting us from a crash.

It’s interesting how so many people think the Lord is less particular about saving our soul than He is about temperature and gravity and other laws of nature. Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and water boils precisely at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

And the law of gravity decrees that objects heavier than the air are attracted to the center of the earth at a speed of 32 feet per second.

If God is not haphazard with nature, He certainly is not lackadaisical in the matter of our soul and the way to get to Heaven. He has planned for you and me to spend eternity with Him.

And, in so doing, He’s also specifically planned the way for us to get to Heaven.

Jesus said, “I am the gate,” and anyone who “climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.” Yet many people think that’s too demanding or restricting. Even if you think it is … it’s the way God planned it. And I need to tell you, it’s the only way.

Now there was a final issue that was raised that afternoon, and it’s probably the most difficult one of all. “Jesus isn’t really the only way to God because … that’s totally unreasonable to those who have never heard of Jesus.”

This is one of the most troublesome issues to address. In fact, no one ultimately knows what will happen to those who have never heard about Jesus. But, we do know a few things. There are a few principles that Scripture gives us.

We know that God is righteous and just in all He does. There is never going to be anyone in hell shaking his fist at God and saying, “it’s unfair that I’m here. God, you treated me unjustly.” No, God is going to be righteous in all His judgments. He is always going to do the right thing.

There’s never going to be any question about God’s justice.

People are not condemned for rejecting a message they never heard. That’s not the issue. Lack of knowledge is not the issue, and it’s not the reason why people end up in hell. The issue is sin. What are we going to do with the sin problem?

And Scripture tells us that people are responsible for the “light” (the understanding) they have received … at a minimum, everyone has some knowledge of God gained through nature and conscious. Scripture is clear about that.

We are given a conscious, in which we are held responsible. (Our behavior … doing what we know in our heart is right.)

And we also know that no one will ever be in Heaven because they have been sincere or lived a completely good life … for no one has. The only reason people will be in Heaven is because of grace personally received. And the only basis for forgiveness, clearly outlined in Scripture, is Jesus Christ, paying the price for each person’s sin, by His death upon the cross.

So, we wrestled with these questions that afternoon, actually it took several weeks. We tried to come to some conclusions. And not everybody agreed. But it did get us to thinking, especially my friend Larry. He bought a study Bible, and he read it. He was intensively on a search. And he came back to the group week after week after week. And we addressed this issue about Jesus being “the only way.”

And eventually we concluded that the bottom line of this whole issue of Jesus being “the only way” is this … Jesus taught that all of us have a sin problem. And this sin problem is keeping all of us apart from God.

Jesus claimed to be the only one who could forgive us and solve this sin problem. That’s why He died on the cross. Now, He is either lying about that … or He is a fool and didn’t know any better, He was just mixed up … or He was telling the truth. Those are the only 3 options we have.

So, which is it? There really aren’t any other possibilities. He’s either speaking the truth or He’s spreading something false. He’s either true for all, or He’s true for none. So, Larry, which is it? So Community Church, which is it?

Or look at it this way, if there are really other ways to God, Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was in vain. It was totally unnecessary … because there are other ways to God. He didn’t need to die. It was a waste.

But Scripture says that the reason Jesus died on the cross is because there was no other way. He died because there was no other way for us to make payment for the sins that separate us from our God.

Scripture claims that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again for you and for me because there was no other way. It was, and is, the only hope of the world. Sin must be dealt with, and Christ was the way God bridged the sin gap … and He did it because He loved us.

“God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him. This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.”

Jesus stands before you and me this morning, and He says, “I am the way, not just a way, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”

About 6 months later my friend Larry said to me, “I’ve been reading my Bible, and studying the claims of Christ. I’ve been wrestling with all these issues, and I’m totally convinced. I can’t do anything but accept Jesus into my life … will you pray with me?”

We got down on our knees in the back of his shoe store, and we prayed. “Jesus, I’m a sinner, and in need of a Savior. I ask for your forgiveness. I know that there is no one else who can pay for my sins except you. Please come into my life. I want you to be my Lord and Savior.”

You can do that too. In fact, you need to do that. Scripture teaches that God loved you so much that He gave His only Son, so that if you believe in Him, you will have eternal life.

“Jesus, I’m a sinner, and in need of a Savior. I ask for your forgiveness. I know there is no one else who can pay for my sins except you. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior.”

MARANA THA