QUICK FACTS: JOHN 14:6
WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE”?
Few statements of Jesus are more powerful or more important than His words in John 14:6.
John 14:6 — Berean Literal Bible
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, if not by Me.”
But what exactly was Jesus claiming?
Was Jesus saying that He Himself was the Father or Almighty God?
Or was He explaining that He is the only way TO the Father?
The answer is actually contained within Jesus' own words.
JESUS IS THE WAY — BUT WHERE DOES THE WAY LEAD?
Jesus said:
“NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, IF NOT BY ME.”
This is extremely important.
Jesus does not say:
“No one comes to Me except through Me.”
He says:
“NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER…IF NOT BY ME.”
There is therefore:
THE DESTINATION — THE FATHER
and:
THE WAY — JESUS CHRIST.
Think of a road leading to a destination.
The road is not the destination.
It is the way that takes you there.
In the same way, Jesus is God's appointed way through whom we can approach the Father and receive eternal life.
WHY IS JESUS “THE WAY”?
Sin separates mankind from God.
Jesus gave His life so that sinful humanity could be reconciled to God.
Jesus said:
John 10:9 — Berean Literal Bible
“I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved…”
Again, Jesus presents Himself as the means of access.
Paul expresses the same truth:
Ephesians 2:18 — Berean Literal Bible
“For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
Notice:
THROUGH JESUS
we have:
ACCESS TO THE FATHER.
That perfectly agrees with John 14:6.
JESUS IS THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND
Paul explains this relationship beautifully:
1 Timothy 2:5 — Berean Literal Bible
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
A mediator stands between two parties.
Here those parties are:
GOD
and:
MANKIND.
And between them stands:
THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.
Jesus therefore does not need to be the God to whom He mediates in order to be our Savior.
He is the unique mediator between God and us.
JESUS IS “THE TRUTH”
Jesus also said:
“I AM…THE TRUTH.”
Why?
Because Jesus perfectly revealed the truth of God.
Jesus said:
John 8:40 — Berean Literal Bible
“But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has spoken to you the truth that I heard from God.”
Where did Jesus say the truth came from?
GOD.
Jesus heard the truth from His Father and faithfully proclaimed it.
He said elsewhere:
John 12:49
“For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father having sent Me, He Himself has given Me commandment, what I should say and what I should speak.”
Jesus perfectly represented His Father because He spoke exactly what His Father gave Him.
JESUS IS “THE LIFE”
Jesus then says:
“I AM…THE LIFE.”
God has given eternal life to humanity through His Son.
1 John 5:11
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
Notice again:
GOD GIVES THE LIFE.
And:
THE LIFE IS IN HIS SON.
Jesus therefore truly is:
THE LIFE
because God has made Him the means through whom eternal life is given to mankind.
JESUS WAS SENT BY THE FATHER
John 14:6 cannot be separated from the rest of John's Gospel.
Jesus repeatedly says that the Father sent Him.
John 17:3 — Berean Literal Bible
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
This gives us an extraordinary parallel.
JOHN 14:6
Jesus → the way → to the Father
JOHN 17:3
The Father → the only true God
Jesus → the Christ whom He sent
The two passages fit together perfectly.
THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO THE FATHER
This is where Jesus' statement becomes extremely serious.
Jesus did not say:
“I am one of many ways.”
He said:
“I AM THE WAY.”
Peter likewise proclaimed concerning Jesus:
Acts 4:12 — Berean Literal Bible
“And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven having been given among men by which it behooves us to be saved.”
Christianity therefore makes an exclusive claim:
SALVATION IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
Not because Jesus is the Father.
But because:
THE FATHER SENT HIM.
THE FATHER GAVE HIM AUTHORITY.
THE FATHER MADE HIM OUR MEDIATOR.
THE FATHER GIVES ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH HIM.
JESUS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
Being “the way” also involves following the life and teaching of Jesus.
Jesus said:
Matthew 16:24
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Peter likewise wrote:
1 Peter 2:21 — Berean Literal Bible
“Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.”
Jesus showed us the way of:
faith, obedience, humility, righteousness, love and complete devotion to God.
Following Jesus therefore means far more than merely saying we believe in Him.
We must walk in His way.
WHAT JOHN 14:6 DOES NOT SAY
Jesus does not say:
“I AM THE FATHER.”
He does not say:
“I AM THE ONE TRUE GOD.”
And He does not say:
“I AM GOD ALMIGHTY.”
Instead He says something quite different:
“NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, IF NOT BY ME.”
Jesus identifies Himself as the way TO Someone else:
HIS FATHER AND HIS GOD.
THE BEAUTIFUL SIMPLICITY OF JOHN 14:6
Imagine travelling along the only road leading to your destination.
If you leave that road, you will not reach where you need to go.
Jesus is telling us:
FOLLOW ME.
BELIEVE ME.
OBEY MY TEACHINGS.
FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE.
Because Jesus is:
THE WAY
that leads us to God,
THE TRUTH
that reveals God,
and:
THE LIFE
through whom God gives us eternal life.
QUICK FACT CONCLUSION
Jesus said:
“I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.”
But He immediately explained where that way leads:
“NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, IF NOT BY ME.”
That one sentence gives us the relationship beautifully:
ONE GOD — THE FATHER
↓
ONE MEDIATOR — JESUS CHRIST
↓
MANKIND
Jesus is not merely a way.
HE IS THE WAY.
He is God's chosen Messiah, His Son, our Savior and the mediator through whom we can approach the Father.
As Paul said:
“THROUGH HIM WE…HAVE ACCESS TO THE FATHER.”
Ephesians 2:18
That is exactly what Jesus meant when He said:
“I AM THE WAY.”
Research by Simon Brown
wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com
Old article here What did Jesus mean? I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, In John 14:6.
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