I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life

A few weeks ago I made a comment something like this during my sermon,

'When Jesus says “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life” he is not simply referring to evangelism, the way to be saved, but also to sanctification -- how we receive every spiritual blessing from the Father.'

I want to take a bit of time to explain what I meant since we won’t get to that passage until November 15 (Lord willing).

Let me quote John 14:1-6 so we understand the context in which Jesus' statement arises. He is speaking in the shadow of the cross and he is preparing his disciples for his upcoming betrayal, their abandonment of him, and his death. He says to them:

“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 go 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.”

As you can see there is a lot to unpack here which will have to wait. For now we need to understand that when Jesus replies to Thomas it is in reply to a question about the future coming of Christ and the eternity which will be ushered in on account of his return. In short, Thomas seems to not know the “where” Jesus is referring to -- eternity with God -- or the “way to get there. Jesus' answer refers to the totality of Christ’s work to provide everything Thomas and all believers need to get (the how) where Jesus is going. In other words, Jesus says to Thomas, all of salvation, from justification to sanctification (preservation) and ultimately glorification is wrapped up in the work that Christ is doing.

This means that if the disciples, and all believers, want to get to the Father, initially or in eternity, they need to follow Christ. He is the way to God, the truth revealed from God, and the life of God. To put this into theological terms, Jesus is saying that union with Christ is the center from which all of the blessings of salvation flow -- not just our initial salvation but our continued sanctification and our glorification.

It is true that in order to be saved, an individual needs to repent of sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation from sin. But, this is also the way of the Christian life. In fact, there is no other way of the Christian life. Jesus is very clear. He is the way to the Father. Faith in Jesus is the ongoing way by which we receive all of the spiritual blessings of God -- justification, adoption, reconciliation, sanctification, preservation, glorification, et. al.. (cf Ephesians 1:3)

As Calvin succinctly reminds us,

Christ is not outside us but dwells within us. Not only does he cleave to us by an indivisible bond of fellowship, but with a wonderful communion, day by day, he grows more and more into one body with us, until he becomes completely one with us (Institutes 3.2.24).

And again,

We ought not to separate Christ from ourselves or ourselves from him. Rather we ought to hold fast bravely with both hands to that fellowship by which he has bound himself to us (Institutes 3.2.24)

Here is the conclusion. Christian growth, our sanctification, is not found in techniques, rules, or self-effort (works) but in deeper communion with Jesus Christ by faith. As we know him, follow him, and depend on him, we are progressively conformed to his image and we are preserved by the Father for an eternity with him.

Soli Deo Gloria