Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
"I am the way and the truth and the life" is one of the seven "I Am" statements of Jesus. On the last night before His betrayal and death, Jesus was preparing His disciples for the days ahead. For over three years, these men had been following Jesus and learning from His teaching and example. They had placed their hopes in Him as the Messiah, the promised deliverer, yet they still didn't understand how He was going to accomplish that deliverance. After the Last Supper, Jesus began speaking about His departure, which led to questions from His disciples.
In John 13:33, Jesus said, "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come." This prompted Peter to ask where He was going (verse 36). Peter and the others did not understand that Jesus was speaking of His death and ascension to heaven. Jesus' response was, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." Peter was still misunderstanding and declared that he would follow Jesus anywhere and even lay down His life if necessary. As Jesus patiently continued to teach His disciples, He began speaking more plainly about heaven, describing the place He was going to prepare for them (John 14:2-3). Then Jesus said, "You know the way to the place where I am going" (verse 4). Speaking for the others, Thomas said they did not know where He was going, so how could they know how to follow Him there? It was in answer to this question that Jesus uttered one of the seven famous "I am" statements.
I am - In the Greek language, "I am" is a very intense way of referring to oneself. It would be comparable to saying, "I myself, and only I, am." Several other times in the Gospels we find Jesus using these words. In Matthew 22:32 Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6, where God uses the same intensive form to say, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." In John 8:58, Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am." The Jews clearly understood Jesus to be calling Himself God because they took up stones to stone Him for committing blasphemy in equating Himself with God. In Matthew 28:20, as Jesus gave the Great Commission, He gave it emphasis by saying, "I am with you always, to the end of the age." When the soldiers came seeking Jesus in the garden the night before His crucifixion, He told them, "I am he," and His words were so powerful that the soldiers fell to the ground (John 18:4-6). These words reflect the very name of God in Hebrew, Yahweh, which means "to be" or "the self-existing one." It is the name of power and authority, and Jesus claimed it as His own.
The way - Jesus used the definite article to distinguish Himself as "the only way." A way is a path or route, and the disciples had expressed their confusion about where He was going and how they could follow. As He had told them from the beginning, Jesus was again telling them (and us) "follow me." There is no other path to heaven, no other way to the Father. Peter reiterated this same truth years later to the rulers in Jerusalem, saying about Jesus, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The exclusive nature of the only path to salvation is expressed in the words "I am the way."
The truth - Again Jesus used the definite article to emphasize Himself as "the only truth." Psalm 119:142 says, "Your law is the truth." In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded His listeners of several points of the Law, then said, "But I say unto you . . ." (Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44), thereby equating Himself with the Law of God as the authoritative standard of righteousness. In fact, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1) is the source of all truth.
The life - Jesus had just been telling His disciples about His impending death, and now He was claiming to be the source of all life. In John 10:17-18, Jesus declared that He was going to lay down His life for His sheep, and then take it back again. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. In John 14:19, He gave the promise that "because I live, you also will live." The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death to a life of freedom in eternity.
In these words, Jesus was declaring Himself the great "I Am," the only path to heaven, the only true measure of righteousness, and the source of both physical and spiritual life. He was staking His claim as the very God of Creation, the Lord who blessed Abraham, and the Holy One who inhabits eternity. He did this so the disciples would be able to face the dark days ahead and carry on the mission of declaring the gospel to the world. Of course, we know from Scripture that they still didn't understand, and it took several visits from their risen Lord to shake them out of their disbelief. Once they understood the truth of His words, they became changed people, and the world has never been the same.
So how do we follow Him today? The same way the disciples did long ago. They heard the words of Jesus and believed them. They took His words and obeyed them. They confessed their sins to Jesus as their Lord and God. They believed that He died to take the punishment of their sins and rose from the dead to give them new life. They followed His example and command to tell others the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment. When we follow Him in "the way," we can be assured of following Him all the way to heaven.
See http://www.gotquestions.org/way-truth-life.html
JD Abshire
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." If by reading this verse your eyes were opened and you realized that Christ is the way, the truth and the life, praise God! It is blasphemous to assume these attributes can refer to oneself personally.
Salem Markus Purba
Since the man has a knowledge of good and evil, the man has to experience pain, suffering and death (Genesis 3: 16-19), and was banished from the Garden of Eden for he was not allowed to take the fruit of the tree of life, and eat and live forever (Genesis 3: 22-24) There was a good news :"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16-21) Since there was a good news, there was an evil news: Somebody has to die for redeeming the condemnation of man; the Son of God who became the son of Man. So, Jesus meant that no one can save us but Jesus alone, and no one can come to Jesus unless God our Father has enabled us (John 6: 65).
Alfred Vella
I am the way the truth means In Christ Alone, no other name but Jesus. No saint or Madonna is the way by exalting them and trust in them. One mediator between The Father and man, that is Christ Jesus. Jesus opened the true way to salvation by his blood. He forgives our sins IF we repent, that's the condition. Jesus said I am THE way not a way because narrow is the way for salvation and wide is the way for eternal death (to hell).
Thomas K M
Jesus points to himself that he is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus has alluded to the fact that he is the truth (Jn. 8:32, 14:7) and the life (Jn.5:26,6:35,11:25,1:4). This is the only time he refers to himself as the way. A way is a path or route. The disciples had expressed confusion about where he was going and how they could follow. There is no other path to heaven or no other way to the Father. Peter reiterates years later the same truth to the rulers in Jerusalem. (Acts4:12) Jesus is himself with the law of God. He came to fulfill the law (Matt.5:17). Jesus is the source of truth. He is the Incarnate of the word of God (Jn. 1:1). Jesus says he is the life (Jn. 10:17). He spoke of his authority over life and death. He came to this world for giving life to all (Jn.3:16)
Jack Gutknecht
First, see the big picture: What Christ Is—The True God 1 John 5:20 1 He is ‘the Truth’ John 14:6—Let us believe Him 2 He is ‘the true God’ 1 John 5:20—Let us adore Him 3 He is ‘the true Bread’ John 6:32—Let us feast upon Him 4 He is ‘the true Vine’ John 15:1—Let us abide in Him 5 He is ‘the Holy and the True’ Rev. 3:7—Let us be holy and true to Him 6 He is the ‘true Light’ John 1:9—Let us be illuminated by Him 7 He is ‘the true Witness’ Rev. 3:14—Let us listen to Him As the Truth He delivers us from error As the True God He is the Object of our worship As the True Bread He makes us independent of earth’s joy As the True Vine He enables us to be fruitful to the Father As the Holy and the True He is the Pattern of what the Church should be As the True Light He is the pillar to guide us in the world’s darkness As the True Witness He would restore our souls when lukewarm M.I.R. The Lord made it clear that He was going to the Father, and that He was the only way to the Father. Heaven is a real place, a loving place, and an exclusive place. Not everybody is going to heaven, but rather only those who have trusted Jesus Christ (see Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:4-6). Jesus does not simply teach the way or point the way; He is the way. In fact, “the Way” was one of the early names for the Christian faith (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). Our Lord’s statement, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me,” wipes away any other proposed way to heaven—good works, religious ceremonies, costly gifts, etc. There is only one way, and that way is Jesus Christ. [Joh 14:6] Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life: Such a way as gives us breath; Such a truth as ends all strife, Such a life as killeth death. [Joh 14:6] O Christ, The Way, The Truth, The Life O Christ, the Way, the Truth, the Life, Show me the living way, That in the tumult and the strife, I may not go astray. Teach me Thy truth, O Christ, my Light, The truth that makes me free That in the darkness and the night, My trust shall be in Thee. The life that Thou alone canst give, Impart in love to me, That I may in Thy presence live, And ever be like Thee.
Edward Kofi Boateng
Jesus is the true way. We Christians have to follow so that we can be with our heaven father (GOD), because no name can save us on this earth, only Jesus. As Christmas is here again people are going to worship other gods, which can not give life, but people are going to worship and sacrifice to it. But those gods are not the true God.
Derrol PORTER
Taking all the comments and putting them together, I see Jesus is the only WAY OR PATH to eternal life, and that is THE TRUTH. The cross is God's compass; Jesus hung between heaven and earth. At the foot of the cross is where the Way begins. [1 Corinthians 1:18] [Galatians 2:20] [Hebrews 12:2]
Add your Answer
All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.
A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.
- Adhere to the eBible Statement of Faith.
- Your answer should be complete and stand-alone.
- Include supporting arguments, and scripture references if possible. Seek to answer the "why".
- Adhere to a proper tone and spirit of love and understanding.
- For more info see The Complete Guide to eBible