“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6 NIV)
Do you know what Christianity used to be called? Way back in the early days of Peter and Paul, people didn’t say, “Christianity.” Do you know what Christianity was called? “The Way.” Have you heard that before? Christians were followers of “the Way.” Why that name? Because on the night before Jesus died, he said some of the most powerful words in the Bible: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the Way! That’s why Peter said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This is what Christianity is all about: Jesus Christ is “the way and the truth and the life.” We are followers of “the Way”!
Except, Jesus isn’t called the “Way” anymore. At least, it depends. At its convention a few years ago, the largest Lutheran denomination—the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or ELCA—officially approved a new “inter-faith” resolution. As the leaders of the ELCA stood on a stage with Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists, they presented a new resolution that said, “We must be careful about claiming to know God’s judgments regarding another religion or the individual human beings who practice it.” In other words, we can’t be sure about the way to God.
What do you think? As that resolution was about to be approved, one brave delegate came to the mic. He asked that the paragraph about not knowing the way to God be removed, because we do know the Way. He boldly said, “I am here to speak truth to power, even if it is an inconvenient truth. In the Gospel of John 14:6, Jesus says, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ The best way to love our neighbors is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.” We do know the way. Jesus is the Way! Amen, right?
But do you know what happened? Immediately, another pastor stood up and rebuked him. She said, “Frankly, I am embarrassed that we are having this conversation right now in front of all of our inter-faith guests. Our God is big enough for our family to include all of these interfaith siblings. Our God is big enough to admit that we do not know everything there is to know.” Everyone cheered! Without further discussion, the delegates rejected that man’s request and voted overwhelmingly to approve the new resolution—890 to 23. “We don’t know the way!”
Can you hear the devil laughing? The devil hates the message that Jesus is the Way, because the devil hates you and wants you to suffer in hell with him. So the devil’s greatest goal isn’t to get you to sin. His greatest goal is to convince you that Jesus isn’t the Way to heaven. He knows that whoever does not believe in Jesus will be condemned. The devil is having success in America.
It’s hard to say it, but churches don’t all teach the same thing. Many people—maybe even you—are being misled by false “Christian” teachers. Watch out! At the root of every false teaching is the idea that Jesus isn’t really the way to heaven. You are. Or some secret rules are. Or “there are lots of different paths to God.” I once saw a church sign that said, “Good actions are the hinges on the door to heaven.” What’s that saying? “Your good actions are the way to heaven. You are the way, not Jesus!” Can you hear the devil laughing? He wants us to lose the Way.
But why are people giving up on Jesus? Maybe because this is the most repulsive teaching in the Bible. You might guess that the most unpopular teaching in the Bible has to do with sexuality. No. It’s this one: Jesus’ claim to be the Way. The worst thing you can do today is to claim that you have the truth. That’s intolerant. We want to be inclusive. So say, “God bless America,” but leave Jesus out of it, because lots of people don’t believe in Jesus. You can talk about a god, but don’t you dare say you have the God. “There are lots of different paths to God.” Does that sound familiar? Jesus doesn’t go along with the crowd. He says something unpopular: “I am the way.”
Because Jesus isn’t just the Way, he’s the Truth. Jesus tells us the truth, even when it’s not popular. Even when it’s not what we want to hear. Jesus once said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). Here’s the truth from Jesus: We’re sinners. Unless God gives us new life, there’s no way we can enter the kingdom of God. Sound good? No! But it’s the truth. Jesus explained why: “Flesh gives birth to flesh” (John 3:6). When two sinful people have a baby, how is that baby? Flesh. Sinful. Sound popular? No! But it’s the truth! Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Even if we were better than the best people, we still wouldn’t be good enough to deserve heaven. Sound good? No. But it’s the truth! You and I are not the way! Actually, our way is wrong. We’re sinful! Jesus is the Truth.
But you know what happens when you say truth today? You’re labeled as judgmental. Unloving. Can’t we all just get along? Can’t we all just love? Deeds, not creeds, right? Good actions are the hinges on the door to heaven, right? No. No! Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the only Way to God.
Does Jesus’ claim embarrass you? The Bible says something very striking before Jesus’ words in our lesson: “Many even among the leaders believed in Jesus. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith…; for they loved human praise more than praise from God” (John 12:42-44). Know why I say that’s striking? Because that’s often me. To know the truth, but to love praise from people more than praise from God. That’s so dangerous! The greatest danger in our world isn’t violence. It’s rejecting the one and only Way to heaven. Do you know the Way?
It’s Jesus. There is no one like Jesus! He’s so much better than anything else the world offers. There is no one like Jesus! There is no one who lived a perfect life like Jesus did. Perfect! For you. There is no one who died to forgive the sins of the world like Jesus did. For everyone. For you! There is no one who raised himself back from the dead like Jesus did. For you. There is no one who loves you like Jesus loves you. Contrary to that church sign: Jesus is the hinge on the which the door to heaven opens. And here’s the amazing thing: It’s open. To you! When Jesus says, “I am the way,” it’s an invitation. “The one who believes in me will live” (John 11:25).
If it seems like Christianity is different than every other religion in the world, it’s because it is. Every other religion in the world gives you a set of rules and says, “Do this! Wear this. Don’t eat that. If you do these things, maybe the gods will bless you for your obedience.” That makes sense. It seems like that’s how the world works everywhere. If I want something, what do I have to do? Work for it! Earn it! Except with Jesus. Instead of giving you a set of rules, Jesus gives you himself and says, “It’s done. I did it. I died for you. I paid for you sins. I opened heaven to you. You’re forgiven. It’s done. Believe me, it’s done! I am the way and the truth and the life.”
If you’re disillusioned with this meaningless world, come to Jesus. If you’re tired of struggling and failing to make yourself something, come to Jesus. If you’re guilty for what you’ve done, come to Jesus. If you’re trying to find the truth, come to Jesus. If everything else you trusted in has been stripped away, come to Jesus. If you long to be loved, come to Jesus. He’s the Way!
Can you see how those early Christians got that name “the Way”? It’s a perfect name! In a world full of ways, in a life filled with billboards, saying, “Come this way. Buy this thing. Love that thing…” Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry” (John 6:35). “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12). “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). “Lord, how can we know the way?” “I am the way and the truth and the life!” The Way!
I know a dear Christian lady who believes that. Her name is Maria Helda. Maria Helda is from Colombia. She loves Jesus and loves hearing God’s Word. One Sunday, she came to our church in Minnesota, because we were the only church in town that offered Spanish services. She kept coming every Sunday. Maria Helda believed that Jesus is the Way, but she still struggled with one thing: Death. She was scared to death of death. She would say, “Pastor, I love hearing God’s Word. Talk about whatever you want, but don’t talk about dying…” Sound like you?
Until Maria Helda got to hear these words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Jesus isn’t just the Way and the Truth. He’s the Life. He gives you life. It can be hard to picture what life in heaven is like. But Jesus tells you heaven is like home. It’s your home. Your Father’s house. Jesus has prepared your room. Heaven is home!
I can still remember how a big smile came onto Maria Helda’s face as she heard those words. She said, “My little room! Jesus has prepared a little room for me in heaven. I’m not scared anymore. I have my own little room in heaven!” After that, every time death came up, the smile was back on her face: “My little room!” Jesus is the Life. Not just for Maria Helda. For you too! “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
So “do not let your hearts be troubled.” You know the Way! Do you get criticized for your faith in Jesus? It’s worth it! In fact, Jesus did too. They put him to death, so you and I could have life. So “do not let your hearts be troubled.” You know the Way. Do you feel guilty for your sins? Do they look really bad? They are. It’s true! But so is Jesus’ death to forgive you. So “do not let your hearts be troubled.” You know the Way. Are you facing death? It’s coming. There are a thousand things that can kill us. But your little room in heaven is ready for you. So “do not let your hearts be troubled. I am the way and the truth and the life.” You know the Way. It’s Jesus.
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