Jesus Is The Way
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 5/17/2009 AM |
Text: | John 14:6 |
Psalters: | 368, 84, 60, 292 |
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper |
- The meaning.
- "Whither I go ye know (My Father's house), and the way ye know" (4), but they did not understand (5).
- The end of the way is "My Father's house", where He would have us dwell with Him forever.
- When Jesus speaks of heaven as His Father's house, He describes its intimacy and beauty.
- This is the greatest blessing for any creature.
- How do we get to the Father's house of many mansions? Jesus is the Way.
- A "way" is a traveled path or road, which leads to heaven (narrow) or hell (broad).
- The only way to heaven is through Jesus (the Door according to 10:7).
- Jesus is speaking of the way He must go in order to open the way for them and us.
- "Whither I go ye know (My Father's house), and the way ye know" (4), but they did not understand (5).
- The reason Jesus is the way.
- First, He is the truth (i.e., harmony between the manifestation of a thing and the thing itself).
- Jesus, the Truth, is needed because we are lost in the lies of sin, tempted by the chief Liar.
- Jesus is the Truth because He the perfect harmony between the highest reality (God) and its revelation: God in flesh.
- Second, He is life.
- Life is not activity, but knowing God through Jesus Whom He sent.
- Jesus came down into our death, took on Himself our life of death, died our death but still lived, passing into life.
- Thus He the power and source of life to sinners who lie in death.
- Jesus is THE Way to the Father and heaven (not half or 99%).
- So important to remember because we always want our way: works, baptism, church membership, etc.
- That Jesus is the only way makes it very urgent (Acts 4:12).
- First, He is the truth (i.e., harmony between the manifestation of a thing and the thing itself).
- The experience of Jesus being the way to the Father and to the Father's house.
- First, the experience is only that of those who are drawn out of death by Him Who is Life, out of the lie by Him Who is the Truth.
- Second, the experience is ours in the way of the exercise of our faith.
- Faith knows Him to be what He says He is, and then trusts Him to take us there (though it is still not sight).
- The disciples believed, but their faith was weak.
- Walk the way of Jesus by hearing Him say that He is the way.