The Way, Truth, and Life
TRANSLATION
(1) “Do not Let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God…believe also in me. (2) In my Father’s house are many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (3) And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. (4) And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
(5) Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you know him and have seen him.” (8) Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. (11) Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe me because of the works themselves.”
OBSERVATIONS
In these verses Jesus gave his disciples some of his most memorable statements regarding his personal identity. Several important repetitions help us understand the significance of Jesus’ words. “Father,” Jesus’ designation for the first person of the Trinity, is found eleven times in these verses (vss. 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11). The phrase, “I go to prepare a place for you” was repeated along with three more uses of “go/going” (vss. 1-4). “Know” and “the way” are found together twice (vss. 4 & 5) along with four more uses of “know(n)” (vss. 5, 7, & 8) and one more of “way” (vs. 6). “Seen” is found three times (vss. 7 & 9) along with three instances of “believe” (vss. 10 & 11).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus explained to his disciples why he had to leave them. (1-4)
II. Jesus told his disciples that by knowing him they knew the way to where he was going. (5-7)
III. Jesus assured his disciples that by knowing him they knew the Father also. (8-11)
IDEA STATEMENT
Jesus, in sharing with his disciples why he had to leave them, assured them that they knew everything they needed to know, where he was going as well as the Father to whom he was going.
APPLICATION
The final two of the seven great “I AM” statements Jesus gave his disciples are found in the Upper Room Discourse. The first, “I am the way…truth…life,” occurs in this segment while we will encounter the second, “I am the vine,” in the next chapter. Many consider this chapter’s declaration to be the culmination of all that Jesus represented for those whom he came to save. He is the way to God for those who were once enemies, estranged from their creator. He is the truth of God for those who were once ignorant and groping in spiritual darkness. Additionally, he is the life of God for those who had once been spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins.
Two other great truths from this rich passage give those who follow Jesus great assurance. He is the way to heaven, the “Father’s house” where he has gone to prepare a place for us. This promise of eternal life in God’s presence after the end of our earthly lives was intended to sustain us through whatever troubles and difficulties may come our way. Jesus is also the one who reveals the Father to us. His statement to Philip, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (vs. 9), assures us who have never seen Jesus personally that we who have put our faith in the testimony of those who have seen him become the very sons and daughters of God by faith.
During thirty years of pastoral ministry, I often read the first six verses of John 14 to those who had just experienced the death of a loved one. Jesus’ words of comfort to his disciples in view of his imminent departure give all who know and love him sustaining hope and encouragement when we face death. Few passages can equal the ability of these verses to comfort hearts and ease the pain that death inevitably brings our way.