260 in 2012 - DAY 82 - John 14: Jesus – The Way, The Truth & The Life

Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Healer of Blindness, The Resurrection and The Life, and here in chapter 14, The Way, The Truth and The Life (Again 20:31!).

The news of the previous chapter had made the disciples anxious. And since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He gives them comfort, both in the future, because he’s gonna come back for them (1-14), and in the present, by giving them His Holy Spirit (15-31).

God’s house apparently has many rooms and Jesus is going there to prepare the ones for His kids. (I remember preparing rooms for each of our kids before they came into this world - it was fun!) The disciples don’t get it (again) or how they would get there, so Jesus tells them “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In doing so, Jesus is claiming the authority to determine who comes and how one gets to heaven. Yep – He said He is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life. In other words, heaven is MY home, I determine who comes there and if you know God, you know Me ‘cause we’re one and the same!

Then Jesus says He is going to give believers an advocate, a representative for us – “The Spirit of Truth.” This Holy Spirit will live in us and be with those who are His! And how does Jesus describe those who are His? ”If you love me, keep my commands…… Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me….. Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” And again, Jesus sets the example, “I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”

SO WHAT?!
*I remember my dad telling me about Chicago when I was a kid and then one day taking me there and it was even greater that he told me it was! The Bible gives us glimpses of what heaven will be like and some day Jesus is gonna’ come back and take His kids there and it’s gonna’ be amazing Are you excited? We should be!

*The way to heaven is exclusive: One Way = Through Jesus! There can’t be many ways. Allah, Buddha, Joseph Smith or even your friends may say that their ways lead to God, but that would go directly against the words of Jesus in verse 6. Why only one way? Read 20:31 again and you’ll see.

*The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter. Jesus wanted us to have peace about our future because of what He did for us, so He put Comfort inside each believer – how cool is that!?~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”