Jesus: The Way, the Truth, the Life

“Let not your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God’ believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I got to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.  Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going.  How can we know the way?  Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.  From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.’”-John 14:1-4 (ESV).

I have just recently read a book entitled Jesus in the Present Tense:  The ‘I Am’ Statements of Christ by Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe (Colorado Springs:  David Cook, 2011).  I highly recommend the book as a good and insightful commentary on the “I Am” declarations of our Savior, namely “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Good Shepherd,” I am the Light of the World,”  “I am the Door,” “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” I am the True Vine,” and the one we will consider today, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.”  The premise of the “I Am…” statements of Jesus go back to when Moses asked at the burning bush when God called him to go to Egypt and be the deliverer of the Israelites in bondage, “Whom shall I say sent me?”  and God answered Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).  When Jesus came to reveal the Father and to do the work He came to do on earth, the Lord likewise said “I am…”  He followed the statement by giving several comparisons, all of which in some way have to do with the life of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was revealing the Father in His life, His ministry and His teaching.  “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” is a statement made the night Jesus was betrayed and just before His death on the cross.  He was eating the Passover Supper with His disciples in the Upper Room and He also instituted the symbolic Lord’s Supper which Christians observe as a memorial to Him and as a time of solemn self-examination and commitment.

Jesus told the disciples He was ‘going away.’  He meant His death, and although He had already spoken of how He would die, the disciples did not clearly understand ahead of time either the severity of that death or its meaning and implications.  He wanted them to know that He would be away preparing a place for them and that later He would return to receive them unto Himself.  How comforting has been this passage.  It probably is the most-read passage at funeral and memorial services because of the promise of Jesus to return to us and take us to a place of perfect rest which will be our eternal home.  What is the way to that place Jesus is preparing?  He said that He is theWay—not a way, not one way, but THE WAY.  He is the way to the Father.  And that way leads through the cross—which Jesus bore for us in His substitutionary death.  We accept the Way by believing that Jesus did what He said He would do, that He came to the world to fulfill God’s purpose for Him as the ultimate sacrifice for sin from the foundation of the world.  The statement “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” is a three-in-one statement for each facet of it is tied together.  Jesus is the Way to the Father.  He is the Truth of the Father’s love and provision; He is the life for he conquered death to rise to a glorified life forever.  The concept bears all the wisdom of the ages and the weight of God’s love for humankind, but at the same time it can be understood well enough even by a child so that he can believe and accept the great truth.  Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life and summarized the truth in “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts. 4:12, ESV).  Please bow your head and in all sincerity thank the Father for Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life who has showed us the way to Him.

Sharing All Things in Common and Some Remarkable Happenings

“And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.  And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.  For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need…However, the people held them in high esteem.  And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.” –Acts 4:32-35; 5:13b-14 (NASB.  Read Acts 4:32-5:16).

Today we look at a long passage, especially if we read all twenty-two verses suggested.  Remember we are studying a summary of the early church, and as Luke wrote Acts he gave very pertinent and memorable information to give us an insight into how the Holy Spirit worked to lead the apostles and add to the church “multitudes of men and women who were constantly added to their number” (5:16).

This passage is hard to explain and raises the question of whether Christian groups should share all things in common as the early church did.  Dr. William Barclay, Bible scholar, reasons that the early church was progressing well, with the proclaimers and teachers filled with the Holy Spirit and persons being converted and added to the church daily.  But then practical matters entered in and had to be dealt with.  Where would money for food and shelter come from?  No one seemed to have the power, like Jesus, to turn a few fish and loves into enough food to feed thousands.  The apostles and other believers did have an intense sense of responsibility that all fare well.  This sharing all things in common was not socialism or communism—not a legal act of law-passing.  Sharing was spontaneous and voluntary as the needs arose.  Dr. Barclay notes:  “When the heart moves us to share…society becomes really Christian…not when law compels it.  The charity of legislation can never be a substitute for the charity of the heart.”  (William Barclay.  The Daily Study Bible.  Acts of the Apostles.  Philadelphia, Westminster, 1953, p. 41).

Notice how many things happened.  We can learn spiritual lessons from each of them:

(1)  They voluntarily brought what they had and shared with each other, laying it at the apostles’ feet.

(2)  Joseph, a Levite, also named Barnabas (an important later missionary with Paul and on his own) sold his land and brought the proceeds to the common treasury.  This is the first mention of Barnabas in Acts.  His name means “son of consolation.”  He would become an asset to the spread of the gospel.

(3)  Ananias and Sapphira, man and wife, sold a piece of property.  They, as Barnabas, brought proceeds of land sale to the apostles, but they used subterfuge in their transaction, pretending to bring the whole amount but keeping back for themselves.  The sin was not keeping back some for themselves; it was in pretending they had brought the whole—first Ananias, and then Sapphira.  Peter insists that Ananias’ sin is against God.  Ananias dies on the spot and is taken out and buried.  Sapphira, coming three hours later, and still holding to giving the whole to the Lord’s treasury, dies, as had her husband.  Is death not severe punishment for telling a lie, for pretending?  Why did Luke include this story in the account of the early church?  To brand religious hypocrisy for all time seems to be the object of this miracle.  “Their sin was vanity and ambition.  They wished to have a greater reputation for liberality than they were entitled to.”  (J. R. Dummelow.  A Commentary on the Holy Bible.  Philadelphia:  Westminster, 1958, p. 824).  No doubt, this couple wanted praise for their giving.  Their claim was not the truth; we might say they embezzled from God.  Such radical judgment as death is not the usual way to deal with the sin of pretense.  Theirs was a prime example of “seeming” and “being.”  Jesus warned severely against hypocrisy. They should have known the Old Testament warning as well on hypocrisy:  “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).  Dr. George MacDonald wrote:  “Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look instead of trying to be what one is not.  (Quoted by Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe.  An Exposition of the New Testament.  Acts.  Colorado Springs:  Cook, 1989, p. 421).

(4)  “Great fear” came upon believers.  This followed immediately after the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, certainly an event of great magnitude and a somber example for all believers.  But fear here indicates “a healthy respect for the power of God.”  They had seen God’s power manifested in marvelous ways and they stood in fear, awe and reverence of Him and of what He was doing in their midst.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a).

(5)  “Ecclesia” (church) is used first in Acts 5:11 to indicate the body of believers.  And within the church, signs and wonders were taking place.  The church continued to meet at the Temple on Solomon’s Porch.

(6)  The “rest” (meaning the orthodox Jews who were not accepting Christianity) did not associate with Christians.

(7)  Favor of the church and of the preached word grew among the people.

(8)  Many brought their sick so that Peter could heal them.  Many thought that even if his shadow fell upon the sick, they would be healed.  This is similar to those in Corinth later who thought to touch the garments of Paul would bring healing.  But there is no indication given by Luke here that any such superstitious beliefs came true.

There was not magic to what Peter, John and the others were doing.  Through the Holy Spirit they had the power to preach and heal.

(9)  Word spread out and people came to hear from towns surrounding Jerusalem.

(10)  “Multitudes” of men and women were added to their number. The church grew!

How exciting and marvelous that the early church grew so.  And that impetus has continued with varying degrees of growth through the centuries to our own day.  A study of Acts behooves us to ask:  “How is our church growing?”  Dare we pray for the Holy Spirit to move us, as it moved the early ecclesia (church) so that we may reach out in power to share the gospel and see a harvest of souls for the Lord?   

Believers Pray for Boldness

“And now Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” –Acts 4:29-31 (ESV.  Read Acts 4:23-31).

We learn much about how to pray from the early church.  We could say the believers were close to God in thought and prayer.  They had been charged by the Jewish authorities not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.  Peter’s bold declaration must have gone out as a clarion call of the apostles’ intentions and mission:  “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Peter and John returned to the gathered Christian community and reported that the Sanhedrin had ordered them not to preach further in Jesus’ name.  A major prayer meeting was in order. They had to break through the barriers of opposition.  They knew already that their mission was to  proclaim the word.  They sought through prayer to gain the boldness and strength to do what they had been assigned by the Lord. We can learn much about prayer from this prayer given in Acts.  They approached God by calling His name in reverence, recognizing His sovereignty.  They quoted a portion of God’s Word that applied to their situation:  “”Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against His Anointed” (in Acts 4:25-26, quoting from Psalm 2:1-2).  They saw this as a Messianic prophecy and claimed God’s word spoken through their father David as forth seeing their present situation. A valuable lesson learned here about prayer is that praying the Scripture to God is commendable.  When we use Scripture to pray, as someone has said, we are speaking to God in God’s language.

Their prayer recounted the situation they were in and then made their petition:  “And now, Lord,  look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed, through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29).  Here they were following the instructions Jesus had given them about prayer.  “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).  They were certainly praying according to the will of God and the teachings of the Lord.  With prayer and petitions offered in this manner, it is sure to be pleasing to God.  They did not plead for circumstances to change or for God to destroy their enemies.  Instead, they asked God to accomplish that which He had already planned.  The Rev. Phillips Brooks advised:  “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men and women.  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.  Pray for power equal to your tasks.” And what was the result of this prayer for boldness?  The Holy Spirit came in mighty power and the apostles continued to speak the Word of God with boldness!  Their prayer for boldness was answered.  Dr. R. A. Torrey, a great Christian leader, gave us this sound advice about prayer:  “Pray for great things, expect great things, work for great things, but above all—pray!”  All that we do should begin in prayer, be motivated by prayer, be bathed in prayer, be accomplished through prayer.  This is God’s way.

The Boldness of Peter and John

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.  And they recognized that they had been with Jesus...So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John told them ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”  -Acts 4:13, 18-20 (ESV.  Read Acts 4:1-22).

Peter stands out as the leader in the days of the early church immediately following Pentecost.  John is an able assistant and likewise in the forefront of the exciting action.  Following healing of the lame man, the two disciples were arrested and spent a night in custody.  When they were released the next day they were taken before the high priests and elders and questioned.  Bold Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to preach to them.  He addressed the Jewish leaders.  Imagine with what power, conviction and understanding Peter spoke: “Jesus Christ of Nazareth…whom you crucified…God raised from the dead…This Jesus, the stone rejected by you, the builders…has become the cornerstone” (10-11). 

Peter’s preaching sent the Jewish rulers into a huddle.  What to do with these disciples?  These unlearned men (who had taken no formal training with them in the rabbinical school) “had been with Jesus.”  What better education could they get than traveling about with Jesus for three years, hearing Him teach, hearing Him pray, watching as He performed miracles?  And other matters the Temple rulers had to contend with was the living sign of the power of Jesus of Nazareth, the 40-years-lame man, walking and demonstrating that he was healed.  Add to that the growing popularity of the gospel Peter and John and the other believers were joyously sharing with everyone.  Ears were tuned in; hearts were being changed by hearing the Word.

The Jewish leaders could not stand this growing popularity of the followers of Jesus.  They feared losing their own power and influence.  Jealousy makes people do hurtful and unusual things.  Silence them, the leaders thought.  Forbid them to preach any more in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  That should bring this strange uprising to an end and get Jerusalem and the Temple back to business as usual.

But when commanded not to preach any more about Jesus and Him crucified, risen and ascended, proclaiming Him as the Messiah the Jews had expected for centuries, Peter and the others could not keep quiet.  “We cannot but speak what we have seen and heard!” (Acts 4:20).  Very recently I received an e-mail telling that a group in America now is working at break-neck speed to stop ministers, many of them known for their faithfulness to the Lord and to the Word, from preaching on radio, television and other media.   Bills have been introduced to ban Christian religious programs on the airways.  If we remain complacent and allow this to come about, our churches would not even be allowed to purchase air time to broadcast their worship services.  Persecution was very near to Peter and John.  They had already spent a night in custody and now they were being forbidden to preach.  We are closer than many of us realize to persecution and silencing of witnesses to Christ’s power.  Let us be serious about our positive stand for the right to preach, teach and witness to the power of the risen Lord.  Will you be one, like Peter, who will declare boldly:  ‘We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard”?   Let us earnestly pray that His Word may continue to be preached and shared.

Jesus, the Way to the Father

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” -John 14:6. (KJV)

We live in a day when many seek to proclaim that there are more ways than Jesus Christ to restore relationship with God the Father. We must be constantly aware of insidious claims to untruths that would negate personal faith in and acceptance of Christ as the way back to the Father.

The context of this powerful verse declaring Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and the only way to the Father gives us powerful insight into the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. He faced imminent and close death. He had held his last supper with His disciples, and Judas, the disciple who betrayed Him, had already departed from the upper room. Christ was in the midst of His great discourse in which He stated, “Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3, KJV).

This talk of going away, of a mansion awaiting, and of Christ coming to take the disciples to that prepared place was too much for Thomas to comprehend. He interrupted the Lord’s discourse to declare that he didn’t know where Jesus was going, and therefore how could he possibly know the way. And in His answer to Thomas, the Lord gave not only Thomas but believers through all generations since, that marvelous affirmation and way to the Father: “I am the Way! I am the Truth! I am the Life!” (John 14:6). And in that same context, Jesus promised the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—Who would dwell in believers, comfort them, teach them bring to remembrance what they need to remember. Thomas, at the time he asked this question, was limited in his concept of Christ, because he saw the Messiah as one who would establish an earthly kingdom and make the Jewish nation strong again. But to Thomas’s credit, later when he saw the wounds in Christ’s side and hands, he declared, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) The questions and doubts Thomas had help us to see ourselves, for we too often question and wonder about the great truths Jesus wanted us to understand. Then and now and into the future, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever: He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the only Way to the Father.

A companion verse to John 14:6 is Acts 4:12. It is part of Peter’s masterful testimony before Caiaphas and Ananias, high priests, as he boldly proclaimed: "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”

Jesus gave to His followers at the time of His ascension into heaven a very important commission. The same is part of each Christian’s assignment, even today and until His return: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, KJV). No people, no places, no times are excluded from the message of the only way to the Father.