I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

Chris Khoury - Sermon - 29 Oct 2017

Jesus comforts his disciple; John 14:1-4; 

 

Jesus the way to the Father; John 14:5-6 

I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

This was another of the great “I AM” statements of Jesus in John.

• I AM the bread of life
• I AM the light of the world
• I AM the gate for the sheep
• I AM the good shepherd
• I AM the resurrection and the life
• I AM the way, the truth and the life
• I AM the true vine

I AM THE WAY

Jesus came to make a way for us to come to salvation through his death, life, resurrection and ascension and ultimate through his return.

He also said this!

John 10:10 

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

He is the way to salvation and the way to an abundant life. That is a life of hope, joy and contentment. However all too often this is not the reality that we experience in our lives. Why? Why are our lives so filled with discontent? Why are we unhappy? These are complex issues and there are no easy answers. I can however offer one solution that might help.

WHY ARE WE SO DISCONTENT?

We are unhappy with our lot in life when we compare ourselves with others. Because we will always come up short. There will always be others who seem to have more than we do. They have bigger homes, drive better cars and man you should see their cell phone. It’s the dual sim j7v6mark2 double camera with built in coffee maker. Now why can’t I have one of those?

When we do this it will always look like we were short changed! Compare yourself with others and you will be unhappy.

 

JADE CONDITION

I have a niece who lives in Jhb. She is in her early 20’s. She suffers from a very rare disease. She is permanently in a wheel chair. Some days Jade suffers with terrible pain in her body as the muscles shut down. She has numerous pins, screws and steel rods in her back to keep her upright. She has had innumerable operations. Despite all this, Jade works as a model. Yes, she cries and suffers but never out of self pity. Next year she plans to enter the Miss Wheelchair World Competition.

 

At times we all have aches and pains, we can get sick sometimes severely sick but not many have suffered as much as Jade has in her short life. My point is, their will always be others who are better off or worse off than you, or me. So what is the lesson here? Rather than comparing ourselves with others, we need to be grateful for what we do have.

 

Remember the song, “Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done, count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done.”

 

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

When we have an attitude of gratitude, we learn to be content. When we look at life from this perspective-it changes our attitude and outlook. We change from one of unhappiness, discontent, jealousy, envy and malice, even hatred to an attitude that leads to peace and joy and contentment. Free of anxiety, fear and the unknown. Follow me says Jesus. Walk in my footsteps.

 

I AM THE WAY. To salvation and to eternal life and to the abundant life!

 

THE TRUTH

John 18:33-38

When Jesus was on trial before Pilot he asked him,

Are you the king of the Jews?

My kingdom is not of this world. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came into the world. To bear witness to the truth! Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.

What is truth?

 

Good question! Pilot was an educated man, he probably had lots of debate on this question.

Jesus was born to be a King. For this reason he came into this world. My kingdom is not of this world. (age)

Behold your king!

We have no king but Caesar!

 

The truth about Jesus is revealed in the Bible. Before Abraham was born, I existed!

 

 

I AM THE LIFE

After Lazarus had died - Martha says to Jesus -

If you had been here he would not have died.

Your brother will rise again.

I know he will rise in the resurrection.

This story shows that Jesus has power over death.

Lazarus was dead for 4 days - he had already been buried.

 

John 11:25 (RSV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ... Do you believe this?

 

What an encouraging statement!

Even though we will experience physical death, we will still have life.

 

John 14:6 (RSV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.

 

Acts 4:12 (NIV)

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

 

Jesus is the only way to eternal life.

This is the truth - the reality of God’s word.

Jesus is God - and only God can give life.

Because Jesus was and is God. his death was enough to pay for your sins.

 

Jesus asked Peter, “ Who do you say that I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.”

 

Martha also stated, “You are the Christ, the son of God.”

 

Jesus wanted to know if they believed. He pressed them for a commitment.

He wants nothing less from us. Do you believe?

 

 

 

Colossians 1:16 Amplified Bible (AMP)

16 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him and for Him.

 

This beautiful earth. Made by him! Made for him.

 

Our Milky Way galaxy. Made by him, for him.

 

Super nova. Exploding star. From this explosion

thousands of new stars will be born.

Made by him, for him.

Earth, Milky Way galaxy, Spiral galaxy, super nova,

millions of new stars being born, millions of galaxies.

 

 

Billions of stars and multiple billions of galaxies. Made by him and made for him.

 

Do you believe?

 

JESUS APPEARS TO JOHN

Jesus appeared to John - 60 years after the resurrection.

John recorded these words.

 

Revelation 1:18 The Voice (VOICE)

18 I am the living One. I entered the realm of the dead; but see, I am alive now and for all the ages—even ages to come. Amen.  I possess the keys to open the prison of death and hades.

 

He was dead! 3 days and 3 nights. He is now alive! He will stay alive forever and ever.

 

At the resurrection Jesus became a glorified human being and he holds the keys of death.

In other words he holds the keys that open the way for others to also escape the grave and to live forever.

 

 

John 3:16 (VOICE)

16 For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life.

 

1 John 3:2 (VOICE)

2 My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now. The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is.

 

Philippians 3:21 (NIV)

[He] will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

 

We are human. We falter, and at times we doubt. Especially when we think things are not going our way or as we expect. We can doubt God, our conversion, our faith. His ability to deliver us.

We might even doubt if Jesus is real.

 

At times like these, “Do you believe?”.

 

Jesus said,

‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

 

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