Tuesday, January 6: John 14- A rich deep life.

Here we have it, one of the most famous sayings of Jesus, John 14:6. Today I decided to spend my meditative time on it.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

First I recognize that it is one of the “I am” statements in John. They all grow from the revelation of God to Moses. God who when asked for His name responded, “I am.” A Jew of the day would not have missed Jesus saying this… and John seems clearly to intend for us to hear the echoes in these phrases

I am the way – the way, the path, the road, the method, the technique, the means; that which when followed leads to the determined destination. Jesus is the way to the Father, who is God

I am … the truth –the word truth is pretty self-evident. In the world there is truth and non-truth. Jesus, with these words, claims to be ‘THE’, don’t miss the word ‘the,’ truth. If following Jesus leads to the determined destination then that destination is the truth. May claim to be the truth and this is precisely what Jesus claims. If you follow Him then you believe He is the truth. I believe given the ‘the’, He is also saying that He is the ‘one’ truth. His way is the only way to the truth. That’s what I am hearing

I am … the life –life, ‘Zoe’, is the highest and best life that God gives, as opposed to ‘bios’ which is physical life. Zoe is life that leads to eternal life, it is God-filled life and is much more that simply being alive. Jesus is the giver of this Zoe-life, this higher, better, even best life that leads to true eternal life.

Jesus is making some powerful statements about Himself in these words. And He closes this statement with a powerful conclusion.

No one comes to the Father except through me. If being ‘the truth’ seemed exclusive, then this sentence confirms that it is. No one… Jesus is the only way to the Father. Jesus is the only truth of the Father. Jesus is the only giver of the Father’s Zoe kind of rich, deep life that leads to eternal life.

Now the question burns…. do you believe Jesus?

I do, and it drives my life, or at least I hope and desire that it drive my life. And I surrender to Jesus any area that doesn’t drive to Jesus.

All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give. I love You, Jesus. I pledge my life to You anew today… Amen.