Key Text: "Jesus saith unto him, I Am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
The grandest event in the past history of the universe was when the Son of God died on the cross, was buried in Joseph’s tomb, and arose on the third day. There never has been anything that eclipsed that tremendous historical event. Angels stood in awe with fear and wonder.
The most glorious event in the future will be when that same Jesus, the Son of God, returns to this earth to take all believers from all time to heaven. There is nothing to equal that bright and awesome event. The heavens will roll back and the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords will come with all His holy angles and with all the glory of heaven. What a great day that will be! We can praise His name for the certainty of His return, and we can thank Him for keeping His promise. (See John 14:3 and Acts 1:9-11)
Now, in between His first coming and His second coming the most important thing, the very best thing that happens to individuals, is the day they find their way to everlasting life. If I had only three sermons left to preach in the remaining days of my life, I would choose the following:
1. Jesus - the divine Son of God
2. The Sabbath - who made it, what it is, and what it does
3. The Bible - the eternal Word of God
In our world today there is an increasing effort being made to cast Jesus as just another human religious leader. There is an effort to make him out to be just another man, like Buddha and Mohammed. One time when I was in the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport a young man approached me selling books, and he asked if he could give me a canvass. During the course of our conversation I discovered that he belonged to a cult that did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Word, the Eternal Son of God. More and more people in our world today are joining cults that indoctrinate their people into the deception that Jesus Christ was not the divine Son of God.
In our world today we hear people saying that "all roads lead to heaven." They say that it does not matter if you are Buddhist, Catholic, Muslim, or a member of a cult -- there are numerous paths leading to heaven. The Word of God paints quite a different picture. The Bible says that there is only one name given under heaven by which we may be saved - Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The Bible says that there is only one way to find God, and that is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
This timely sermon sets forth the truth that Jesus Christ is the eternal, divine Son of God, through whom alone we can find salvation and eternal life. Let’s continue our series of four sermons on John 14:6 this month by searching the Holy Scripture to see three wonderful points. Jesus is the GREAT WAY! Let us think on these three things: The formal announcement, the freedom acquired, and the fortune attained!
I. The Formal Announcement
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way..." John 14:6. The Lord Jesus Christ announces that He, Himself is theWay. With the Spirit and with words of assurance and certainty, the Lord says, "...I am the way..." What is the Lord saying? In explaining the way, Jesus said, "...no man cometh unto the Father but by me."
Before sin entered the world, Adam had regular communion and fellowship with the Creator. Once sin entered, Adam and Eve lost that joy and privilege. When sin entered, Adam and Eve were losers because they lost communion with God. They lost their possession of spiritual life. From the fall of the first Adam and continuing down through all the ages of time, man has had a threefold need. Lost in sin, man needs RECONCILIATION, man needs ILLUMINATION (the Holy Spirit to teach and guide him to the cross) and man needs REGENERATION. All those needs are met in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the GREAT WAY!
A marshall in Napoleon’s army was completely devoted to the emperor. One day the marshal was mortally wounded in battle. As he lay dying in his tent, he called for Napoleon, who soon came. The general thought the emperor could save him, but Napoleon shook his head and turned away. As the dying general felt the cold, merciless hand of death, he was still heard to call out, "Save me, Napoleon! Save me!" In the hour of his death, that soldier discovered that not even Napoleon could rescue him. Friend, only the Lord Jesus Christ can save. He is the great and only Way!
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12. The general in Napoleon’s army had trusted the wrong way. He thought of a way that seemed to be right, but it ended up being the way of death. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among man, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12
What is in a name? Charles Dickens, a great English novelist, was a master at naming his characters. Vividly, he labeled his characters, Seth Pecksniff, Tiny Tim, Sir Mulberry, Hank and Thomas Gradgrind. These are just a few of the names reflecting who these characters were.
What is in the name of Jesus? All the grace of God, all the wonder of total redemption, all that we believe and all that we hope for - all this and much, much more we have in Jesus, our Lord. He is Savior, Lord and coming King. He is the Way!
Someone has a stated: "The name of Jesus is profanity to the sinner, but heaven’s password to the saint." Jesus is more than a guide. You see friend, Christ is not merely a guide who came to show men the path in which they ought to travel and someday end up somewhere. Jesus, Himself is the Way to the Father.
Jesus is more than a good man. There have been a multitude of multitudes of good men since time began. Abraham, Moses, Job, and Daniel, etc. were good men. John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, John, Mark, and many others were all good men, but the world needs more than good men and women. The world needs the Way! Jesus came as the Way!
Jesus is more than a crutch. The Lord is more than a physician who came to invigorate the old nature, to refine its grossness or repair all its defeats. "I am come," said He, "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
II. Freedom Acquired
"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." John 14:7. What is the Lord saying in verse 7? He is telling the disciples that He is the way and that if you know Him, you will know the Father. He is the way and the Father is the end. In Christ, we must travel His way and believe that He is not only the guide, but THE WAY. In Him, we must start out, go on, and finish.
We have the freedom to go in BOLDNESS to the Father. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh. And having an high priest over the house of God." Hebrews 10:19:21
We have the freedom to BESEECH the Father in His Name. We may ask according to God’s will: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father my be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." John 14:13-14
We have the freedom to bond in His RIGHTEOUSNESS. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." John 14:21
The believer loves God’s word and the believer loves God’s Son. And he that loveth the Son is loved by the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit, and His righteousness will manifest Himself to the believer. "...and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." John 14:21
The theme of Christ teachings in John 14 is, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1. The freedom we have is when the Son manifests His free gift of righteousness, both in justification and sanctification.
III. The Forthright Assurance
I stopped using the word "luck" when I began reading the Bible as a young Christian. In the context of our salvation and in the whole of the great themes in God’s Word, luck is never a foundation for study. This is certainly true concerning our salvation. Luck is never a ground for our faith. The word "fortunate" is a better word. Now, let us look at our finding the way. Christ finding us in the most fortunate thing that has ever happened to us as believers. So, between His first coming and His second coming, finding the Way and bonding with Christ’s righteousness is the best thing that has ever come our way.
Our good fortune is seen in John 14:
1. He gave them the assurance that He was going to the Father’s house. John 14:2
2. HE was going to make preparation for believers to come also. John 14:3
3. He would come and take the believers to His Father’s house. John 14:3
4. He had opened the way. He made the way. John 14:6
5. He explained that they would be comforted by the Holy Spirit. John 14:16
6. He said that whatsoever they needed to follow the way and do His will, He would give them. John 14:13.
7. The Divine Person of the Holy Spirit would be with them. John 14:16
8. He promised they would not be "left orphans," but that He would return for them. John 14:3
9. He encouraged us to wait until His literal return to receive the believers, and then we all would understand the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and how all believers would be included in that unity. John 14:21
Yes, Jesus is the Way of our salvation; it is not just luck or the draw of straws. It is our spiritual choice to follow Jesus to obtain our salvation. We make choices every day. Genetic and environmental factors can make it difficult to make right choices. But God still holds us responsible for the freedom we possess. Those who deny such freedom exists don’t think anyone has the light of absolute truth. Look at our Bible verse again, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6.
Jesus is calling, "Today you must choose!"
If you delay, you surely will lose;
Listening now, you can hear the Lord’s voice,
Take His salvation - a beautiful choice!
–Hess