Every Day With Jesus

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It is one of the classic verses of Scripture. John 14:6 is often quoted in pre-evangelism, as a proof text that Christ is the only means of salvation—and so it should be. But there is much more to it than even that.

On the night he was betrayed, as Jesus and His disciples finished their last meal together, the disciples were uneasy, Jesus kept talking about leaving. That was not what they wanted to hear. He promised that He was going ahead of them to prepare “a place” for them. Thomas was afraid of missing the turnoff so he asked: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (14:5). Then came the classic reply: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (14:6)

This “place” the Lord was preparing was heaven. He had already told them that they knew the way to get there (14:4). That was the heart of the message Jesus had been preaching over the three and a half years He had been with the disciples.

It was hard to grasp. Could it really be a matter of simply believing in Jesus? Yes, it was that simple, and that profound. Anyone can "believe"—even the devils. Even they knew who Jesus was. But they never trusted Him. The old example of the chair continues to serve the purpose here. I can believe the chair will hold my weight, but unless I trust my weight to that chair I can’t say I have really believed.

But beyond that first step of trusting the Lord to forgive my sin and to give me eternal life, there is a second meaning to the words of Jesus. Before I get to this “place” He is preparing, I have a life to live.The Lord would expand this thought as He continued His final message to His followers. There is work to be done (14:12). There is a lifestyle to embrace (14:15). There are things to learn (14:26). There is peace to be appropriated and demonstrated (14:27).

For all things, for the life that still must be lived before the next life begins, we still need to live out Jesus as our way, as our truth, as our life. He is our direction to follow. He is Who we believe. He is at the top of our priority list and fills the core of our being and doing.

We make our commitment to trust Him for salvation as our way, our truth and our life once in a lifetime. We make our commitment to trust Him for the here-and-now as our way, our truth and our life every single day that we live.