Advent Devotional Guide: Jesus Is!

Jesus Is!

Advent Devotional Guide
Thursday, December 7, 2023

Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” John 14:6-7

Jesus was having a discussion with his disciples about the future. He briefly described heaven as being a mansion with many rooms that he was preparing for them. But they were puzzled, asking, “How do we get there?”

Remember that the disciples were good Jewish dudes. They had been taught from very early in their lives that the road to righteousness (or heaven) was to follow the Law. Period. And now Jesus was rocking their world. Had they heard him correctly? Was he saying they didn’t have to earn their way to heaven by following all the rules?

“I am The Way,” Jesus replied. Notice he didn’t say, “I am A way.” Many people want to rationalize that they should be able to get to heaven through some other means — through a prophet, for instance. Or maybe through humanitarian efforts. But Jesus says, no. The disciples didn’t understand it yet but Jesus knew he was going to be the ultimate sacrifice for the removal of sin. No other rituals would be needed after his death. Just the acknowledgment that He is the perfect, spotless sacrificial Lamb. The Way.   

“I am The Truth,” he said. Interestingly he did not say, “I am telling you the truth.” He said, “I AM The Truth.” Do you remember this passage: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John‬ ‭8‬:‭32‬ ‭That’s right. Jesus is talking about himself. He cannot produce untruth because he IS truth. He cannot say “I am the only way to heaven,” unless that is right.  

“I am The Life.” Jesus would have many conversations with the church leaders about whether or not there would be resurrection after death. His statement here indicates that not only would he live again after his crucifixion but we, too, could live again through him.  

“No one comes to the Father except through me.” The reality is that we can’t earn our way to God. We can’t conjure up some other method to get us there. We can only get to the Father through the sacrifice of the Son.

This whole concept was radical for the disciples and was hard to grasp. They didn’t yet know the rest of the story — that Jesus would give himself up as the ultimate sacrifice. All they needed to do was to yield to him and follow his Way.

Lord,  Thank you for providing Jesus as our way to be with you in heaven. We don’t deserve his sacrifice but we thank you for giving it to us.