Jesus is the Way

5 Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father, too. But now you do know him, and you have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.”
9 Jesus answered, “I have been with you a long time now. Do you still not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you don’t come from me, but the Father lives in me and does his own work.


One of the things I love about my job is the opportunity to reclaim and explain scripture.  

o   Too often it’s defined in black and white terms…but it’s not always so simple

·         I think we’ve heard this instead: You should be very troubled, because if you believe in God, but not me, you will be shut out of my Father’s house in heaven, where there are a few small rooms for the few who get it right.... Then Thomas said to him, “Lord, what about people who have never even heard of you? Will they go to heaven after they die?” Jesus said to him, “I am the only way to heaven, and the truth about me is the only truth that will get you to life after death. Not one person will go to heaven unless they personally understand and believe a clearly-defined message about me and personally and consciously ask me to come into their heart.”

·         That’s not the scripture.  That’s not what the Bible says. But that’s how people have interpreted it. So for a lot of us, when we hear this passage, we push back and say, I’m not going to read that scripture, or that isn’t the Bible that I read….

·         But much like most of the scriptures we’ve learned to skip over…this one deserves another look…

If you’ve been reading along with our 40 day study, you know that our author and many others struggle with this passage.  For a lot of years, by a lot of people, it’s been taken as a claim of truth and exclusivity in Christ that trumps all others. Meaning that if you don’t profess Christ with your lips…if you don’t claim him as your Lord and Savior, there is no heaven in your future.
A good number of us have heard, or had this passage interpreted in this way:
 
Now, that’s not what Bruce or ______ read, and it’s not what the Bible says, but it is what a lot of us have heard.  We’ve heard that Jesus is ruling people out, excluding them from the embrace of heaven unless they do x, y and z.  The challenge is, that that really isn’t what this passage is about.  This passage is answering a question, but the question isn’t “What about people of other religions?”  The question is “How do we follow you if we don’t know where you are going?”  Those are two very different questions.  To really understand, and trust, what Jesus says here, it’s important that we learn the crux of the passage.

Just like last week, Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples.  They are sharing a meal and Jesus is emphasizing the most important lessons of their time together before his betrayal and crucifixion.  This conversation is another part of that dialogue.  In the first part of this chapter Jesus tells the disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them and that they know the way.

But Thomas, always thinking in real concrete terms says, “No  we don’t! We don’t even know where you are doing…how on earth could we know how to get there!?”

And, in essence, Jesus answers…you don’t need a map. You don’t need the name of a city. For “there” is not a place….it is a relationship….it is co-existence with God and the way to “there” is not by a process, or 12 steps, or 10 rules, but through the one who already has the relationship.  If they want to get “there”, then they need to look to Jesus and follow him.

To which Thomas would ask, “Follow him where?!  Where are we going?”  And Jesus would say, “Not follow me where but follow me how.”  It’s no longer about going from Galilee to Tiberias or from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.  It’s about following Jesus as an example and as a model. What matters is not where they walk, but how they live.  To follow Jesus as the way is to live and love like he did.
In their conversation Jesus tells the disciples they have had the opportunity to know the
Father and Phillip asks if they can just see God.  (Now, if you know anything about the scriptures, you know that’s not really something you want to ask for….anyone who ever sees God face to face dies.  Don’t ask to see God. God is too big, too magnificent, too much beyond our comprehension that it’s too much for us to handle.  We can’t bear to be face to face with God directly.  Don’t ask.)  Except, that Jesus says, you have seen God…you have seen God translated into human form. You have walked with him. You have shared meals with him. You have seen him heal the sick, and forgive the sinners. You have seen God, for you have seen me.  Jesus is God in the flesh….in a form we can see, and touch, and comprehend.  If we want to see the Father, if we want to understand God in who God is and how God acts, we need only look to Christ.  He is the embodiment of God.
That means if we want to see God, if we want to know God, if we want something tangible to hold onto about God…then we look to Jesus.  Seeing God face to face would still be too much for any of us.  BUT, Jesus is the revelation of God that makes it so that if we see him and understand him, then we can see and understand God.  And if we want to get close to God, then we need to get close to Jesus. And the way we do that is to live like Christ.

“Just trust me. Everything you need is in me. I will bring you to my Father’s house [whether that means heaven after death or the kingdom of God on earth]. ‘The way’ or ‘the truth’ or ‘the life’ aren’t things separate from me. I am these things, so you’ll find them in me! Whether or not you know what I’ve been talking about, if you know me, you know the Father, you know the way, you know the truth, you know the life.”

“The way is the truth, and the truth is the life, and the life is the truth, and the life is the way ... and all of these are found in me.”

“Guys,” he’s saying, “it’s not about knowing information, techniques, direc- tions, or instructions: it’s about knowing me, trusting me! Stay in relationship with me, abide in me, and I’ll get you to the place where you belong – the kingdom of God, knowing God, living in dynamic interactive relationship with God – the place that I’ve been telling you about from the begin- ning!” In this way, “I am the way ... there’s no other way apart from

me” is a restatement of reassurance: “Trust in God, trust also in me. Don’t let your hearts be troubled – trust me!”

Jesus is...the true vine

How many of you have sent your kids off to college?  Do you remember that day where you unloaded all their things, maybe went to lunch, and spent a little time together before you got back on the road?  I don’t know that it’s universal, but for a lot of parents, there’s this pressure to make sure you reiterate all the most important lessons you’ve ever taught your child over the years.  You’ve spent years trying to teach them and raise them in the proper way.  You want them to be a good human being with kindness and compassion for others.  You want them to be intelligent, studious and successful and do well in school, especially if you’re footing the bill.  You want them to have fun and enjoy life, though hopefully not too much as they’re on their own for the first time.  And you’re scared to death that everything you’ve ever taught them will fly out of their brain the moment you walk out the door.  You won’t be there to caution them.  You won’t be there to help them out in a jam. You won’t be there to teach them and mold them.  Of course there’s cell phones and internet but we all know it’s not the same. It’s no where near the same as when they’re living in your house, supposedly following your rules.  So as you spend your last meal together before you go, you run through all the wisdom you have in your head.  You give tips and pointers for every possible scenario, at least all those you can cram into an hour of time.  You talk about eating well, getting good rest, going to class, being a good student, making friends, being a friend to those who are loners, being kind, being honest, helping someone who is having trouble, working hard. When in doubt, don’t do it.  Just remember where you came from and who you are. Be who you are.  Remember that and you’ll be fine.  As many topics as you might cover, it always feels like you’re missing something.  But you do you best to remind them of all the most important things they’ll need to know to be successful out on their own. 

          Now, if we look at our scripture for today, in essence, Jesus is giving his last minute pep talk to the disciples.  I don’t mean to trivialize it, but Jesus is talking to his disciples just hours before the crucifixion and he wants them to remember all that they have learned together.  They have already shared in the foot washing at the Passover meal and he has been reminding them of various lessons and emphasizing the things he wants them to know.  His death is imminent and his need to share what really matters is growing stronger.  Jesus and the 12 disciples have been together for 3 years. They have worked together, laughed together. I’m sure they've vented and even cried together.  They have built a strong repor of trust and Jesus knows he won’t be there with them forever.  He anticipates the resurrection, but even still his days are numbered and he wants them to have all they need…to be ready for the next thing. 

          So he tells them he is the vine, he is the source of who they have become and if they want to be strong, if they want to stay steadfast in God’s ways and the things Jesus has taught them, then they need to stay close to his teaching. They need to remain close to all that he has taught them.  If they do that, then they will be fruitful.  If they do that God will be glorified.  They just need to stay true to what Jesus has taught them.  Simple enough—remain in me and I will remain in you. 

          Now this teaching isn’t universal, it’s not a message to the masses, it’s a message to his disciples, to those who have chosen to follow him and be in ministry with him.  So when we look at what it means to us today we can’t apply it universally, it’s not a message for the anonymous bystanders, it’s a message for those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus and be in ministry with him.  But for us, for disciples…those who choose to follow Christ, the same truth remains—for us to stay close to Jesus and be fruitful, for us to glorify God, we have to stay connected to his teachings.  We have to do what he has taught us.  We have to live the lessons of faith that we gather on Sunday mornings and in our small groups. 

          Now that’s easy to say, but tough to do.  Jesus says, remain in me—stay close and steadfast—he doesn’t say, come back occasionally, but STAY with me.  To become like Christ, to be fruitful and to really glorify God, it’s not a once in a while, as needed, kind of thing.  It’s a round-the-clock all the time commitment. 

          We have to choose to do the things Christ has taught us:

•     to love our neighbor as ourself

•     to pray for those who persecute us

•     to include the marginalized and the outcast

•     to give selflessly

•     to be generous

•     to be compassionate

•     to extend grace

•     to be humble

•     to be faithful to God’s teaching

•     to follow the 10 commandments

          And we have to do them over and over again.  That means biting our tongue when we are angry, it means caring for the homeless man we pass on the street. It means offering help to strangers, even when it may inconvenience us. It means being forgiving even when we’ve been hurt by a friend or family member.  It means all kinds of things in our daily life where we choose to embody the love of Christ in who we are and what we do. 

          And, to really live this lesson, there’s one more thing…we have to allow that which doesn’t bear the fruit of the Spirit…the fruits of love, joy peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control….to be pruned.  If it isn’t making us more like Christ, if it isn’t glorifying God, then it needs to be pruned.  Following Christ and living his teachings isn’t just about what we add in…it’s also very much about what we cut out.  We have to submit to pruning that which is

•     greedy

•     selfish

•     prideful

•     lustful

•     vengeful

•     mean spirited

•     hard hearted

•     exclusive

•     destructive

•     tempermental

•      judgmental

•      unforgiving

•      

          If we really want to be like Christ, those things have got to go.  Now, it’d be nice if we could just make a cut and be done. But more often than not, our bad habits run deep and we have to cut them often, and repeatedly.  We have to continuously give ourselves over to Jesus as we learn to be more like him.  We have to practice his actions until they become natural and engrained in us.  And when we notice the ugly stuff…the fruitless habits that don’t give God glory starting to take root in us, we start pruning all over again. 

Jesus is....the Good Shepherd

 When I was in high school, I had an English teacher who was pretty fierce.  Her nickname, which she bore gladly, was “Evil Woman.”  She wasn’t really evil, we happen to still be close today. But she was a strict teacher and she didn’t cut any corners for her students.  In writing, she would regularly tell us, “Show don’t tell.”  She wanted us to use descriptions to convey our point, not just statements of fact.  People believe stories. They are compelled by illustrations.  Words are just words until they come alive. 

So when someone asks the question, “What is Jesus like?” We could tell them…he is kind, he is loving, he is inclusive, he is generous, he is humble, he is devoted.  Or we could show them…he is the bread of life.  He is the light of the world. He is the good shepherd.  The titles help us remember, but the stories show us who Jesus was. 

This story of the good shepherd shows us quite a lot about the nature of Jesus.  This story tells us Jesus is the shepherd and the gate. He is the one who tends the flock, and the one who lets them into a safe place for rest and protection.  Jesus is the protector, the caregiver, and the provider.  He comes to us to protect us from harm, to shield us from danger, and to care for us in all of our needs.  And where others would cut and run, he’d risk anything fighting for us because our lives matter even more than his.  That’s the nature of Jesus. 

So the bigger question becomes—why does he do it?  Verse 10 tells us, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus watches over us and cares for us not so he can profit and gain but so we can—so that we might have life and have it abundantly. The purpose of his existence, the value of his sacrifice is not for his sake, but for ours. 

He doesn’t want us to simply live, he wants us to flourish. He doesn’t want us just getting by—he wants us to be successful and fruitful.  We’re on board with that, right? So how do we get from here to there? How do we get from the mess that life offers to the abundance Jesus died for? 

We seek after him. He is the good shepherd—that means we have to follow him.  We have to heed his voice and follow his instructions. We have to go with him.  You see the shepherd can’t protect us if we refused to be near him.  We have to choose to follow the shepherd and let him lead in our lives. 

The benefit is when we are near, he cares for us, he comforts us.  A lot of people wonder how they are going to get through a particular trial or struggle. And the cliché answer is to draw close to Jesus.  But, the truth is, if we understand the nature of Jesus as good shepherd, we’d know that it’s not just a cliché, but that drawing near to him would give us peace and assurance. His voice is reassuring. He takes away our fears.  He holds us close to protect us.  I don’t mean to sound overly simplistic or like I’m throwing platitudes at you.  But I’ve experienced the peace and comfort of Christ and it’s worth having.  I’ve had a lot of moments where I was scared to death and the thing that has always helped me is prayer.  Now, I can’t explain why or how prayer works, I only know that it does.  And I know that in the scariest moment of my life, when I was rushed into an OR because Ruth was at risk when I was pregnant and they performed an emergency c-section, I needed prayer. I was petrified.  It was one of the worst experiences of my life. And I was so scared.  Rick was out of the room and the doctors were there doing 100 things to me to get me ready for surgery and I didn’t understand it all and I couldn’t control any of it, and I was scared.  I was given the meds and put on oxygen so I couldn’t talk even when Rick was allowed in.  Fear just took over.  When she came she was purple and the NICU team was already there to work on her.  There was just more fear.  It was awful and I couldn’t name it in the midst of the chaos, but afterward I knew, if that ever happens again, just pray with me.  Just say the Lord’s prayer and pray with me.  Sing the old hymns and pray with me.  There is comfort there. There is something familiar that draws me into the presence and power of God in a way that nothing else can. 

Now, there are other ways to draw close to Jesus.  Different ways will work better for different people.   We can go to him—in worship, in study to get familiar with his voice, in spending time with others who are near to him, in being in nature,  in giving to others, through music—through any of the means of grace.  And in him we can find solace and refuge from the stress and struggle of life. 

Now there are others who aren’t so invested in our welfare. Actually, they’d much rather profit from our struggles than help us through them.  They’re out to steal our joy, our strength, and our peace.  Those are the bandits. Now, they may not have a name, but they’re out there.  Bandits may be people, or they may be situations. They may be stressors, or temptations, or distractions.  They take our attention and draw us away from the shepherd. 

Remember, the bandits, whoever they may be in each of our lives, only seek to steal, kill, and destroy.  Their goal is not to build us up.  They want what’s ours. And the easiest way to get us to let it go is to convince us we don’t deserve it in the first place.  The bandits in life will denigrate us so we wouldn’t even dare believe, let alone trust, that someone like Jesus really cares about us and would do anything for us.  The bandits tell us we’re useless and worthless. They tell us we’re lazy, stupid, hopeless, and ignorant. They call us failures before we even try. They tell us we are unworthy, undeserving, and unimportant.  And most of us buy it.  Not all the words at once. We don’t have to believe it all. We just have to believe one or two for the bandits to gain power.  And unfortunately, we believe them.  We aren’t good enough, smart enough, thin enough, successful enough—we just plain don’t measure up—or so says the bandit. 

But the shepherd says something very different. He says we’re precious, important, and valuable.  We like those words, but after we’ve bought into all the other stuff, they just wash right over us. But the good shepherd tells us to stop and listen—he has a truth for us and the truth is we are so important, so incredibly valuable that there isn’t anything he wouldn’t try and do to help us and protect us.  He tells us over and over and over again:

You are worthy.

You are important.

You are beloved.

You are enough.

And as we seek after him, we have to let the other words go. We have to let Jesus’ truth speak into our lives.  We have to stop confusing his voice with other voices and their lies with his truth. We have to claim his truth for ourselves:

I am worthy.

I am important. 

I am beloved.

I am smart enough.

I am successful.

I am enough.

Remember the shepherd came and does what he does SO THAT you might have life and have it abundantly.  The question is will you choose to follow him and claim his truth for yourself?