The Way

{Below you will find a message that I wrote and shared with the girls at Camp Rock this year. I was given the verses and trusted to share a message or a lesson on the verses John 14:5,6. The children ranged in age from 3rd grade thru 6th grade. However, It is a lesson or a message that any age can learn from..I hope.}

John 14:5,6~ 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.”
Let’s back up a minute. The scene is The Last Supper. You know, The famous supper with Jesus and his 12 disciples. The night before Jesus was crucified. Judas has already left the supper and Jesus has just told Peter that he knew that he would deny that he knew Jesus 3 times before the rooster crows. And then Jesus starts preparing and encouraging the disciples. Telling them that the next day was going to be the day that he was to be crucified. Instead of asking for encouragement from them he gives encouragement. Jesus begins telling them to not be upset or worried. Then he begins to tell them a little about heaven (His Fathers house).

And he tell them that he’s going to prepare a place for them (the believers) and that he would return one day and that if they were Gods children that they would get to go there too one day!

Jesus states that they know the way to the place he is going.

Cue old doubting Thomas… Or curious Thomas or I need to see it to believe it Thomas..
Verse 5
Even His own disciples and closest friends, the ones who witnessed the miracles that he performed and the presence of God, they still had a hard time getting it.

A couple of verses after…

Even Phillip questions Jesus…wanting Jesus to show him the Father and Jesus is like ‘Don’t you know me Phillip??? As long as I’ve been with you?? Don’t you know that if you have seen me that you have seen the father???’ (paraphrasing here)
Faith. It’s a tricky thing. But knowing that even His disciples struggled with it should make you feel a bit better.
So going back to the verses. Thomas acts like he hasn’t a clue where Jesus is going. He’s like “hey Jesus.. Can you draw me a map? Like a really good map?”

And Jesus says I AM THE WAY. In fact The Way was one of the early names for the Christian Faith. See Acts 9:2
Basically there is NO OTHER WAY. No second route.. No bypass.. No detour.. Jesus is The Way.

Like the only way. Not an optional way. Or one of three ways. The way. Basically Jesus is saying.. You don’t need a map to heaven or to The Father..you don’t need a gps. You just need me.

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” ~Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭NLT
To know Jesus is your golden ticket. The ticket to God, to heaven, to eternal life, is to know Jesus.

Not just know about him. But to know him. The word know is used 141 times in Johns gospel. There are 4 different levels of knowing according to John. The lowest level is simply knowing a fact. The next level is to understand the truth behind that fact. The 3rd level is relationship.. When to know means to believe in a person and become related to him or her.. Be relational.. Hang out with..

The 4th level or use of the word know in John means to have a deeper relationship with that person..

Then he says that I am the truth and I am the life.

He is truth. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

‭‭John‬ ‭8:32‬ ‭
He is life. The life eternal. The opposite of life is what? Death.

Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No one comes to the Father except through me.

There is one way and one way only to life eternal. One way and one way only to God.. Heaven.. Salvation.. And that’s Jesus.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” ~‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:9-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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The Way– the one way we can access God The Father.. The one way ticket to heaven.. And the way to follow Jesus while still here on earth.. He is the way.
The Truth- The opposite of lies. The Father of lies is Satan. So Jesus is saying that HE is truth and complete opposite of the enemy.
The life- Not a life. Not a type of life. But THE LIFE. Life eternal. Because the opposite of life is death. The opposite of Heaven is hell. Choose Jesus.. Choose life and heaven.

Don’t choose Jesus.. Then you are choosing death.. And hell.

Do you know him?

Do you know THE WAY?

If you do.. Are you living like it?

What level of know are you at? 

What are ways that you can get to know him deeper?

If you are at level 1 guess what? You can move on past that level and on to the next. If you desire to really know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you want to KNOW that heaven is your home, now is the time. Because the truth is, we aren’t promised tomorrow or even today for that matter. Jesus is the only WAY.

Until Next Time,