Jesus doesn’t say, “I am a way,” but rather, “I am the way.” He is the only way.
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Chuck Swindoll, when illustrating doing things our own way, tells the story of his youngest son, when he was about 4 or 5 years old. He would constantly get a knot in his shoe laces and then try to get it out. Every time, he thought that by pulling it tighter and tighter, he would get rid of the knot but instead it made it far worse. His father, Dr. Swindoll, would tell him over and over again that it would be much easier for his dad to undo the knot if he just left it as it was, instead of making it almost impossible and extremely time consuming but his son continued, time after time, to try to solve the problem his way with no success.
When it comes to the more serious scenarios, insisting on doing things our way, can be disastrous. Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, its end is the way of death”
A survey showed that the song “My Way” by Frank Sinatra was one of the most requested song at funerals in the UK. Some of the words go like this:
‘I planned each charted course; each careful step along the byway. But more, much more than this, I did it my way. (Chorus) Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall; And did it my way.’
Sadly, we live in an age where we are constantly told we have the right to do things our own way. However, this is in stark contrast to the biblical truth. The bible tells us that if we go our own way it will end in disaster. We can quote numerous examples of people in the Bible doing things their own way and making a complete mess of it. Cain made the wrong offering and God rejected him and his offering. The people built the tower of Babel and God had to scatter them and confuse their languages. Abraham listened to Sarah and did things her way instead of God’s way and had a child with her servant Hagar, which caused unending problems. Judas did it his way and betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and ended up killing himself. There are, of course many more examples.
We know from our history how things turned out with narcissistic, dictatorial rulers, like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Napoleon, who spent their lives doing things their own way and caused disaster for themselves and more importantly for the people they were meant to serve.
Jesus said in John 14:6: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
Being the only way is not politically correct these days but it is biblically correct.
Jesus doesn’t say, “I am a way,” but rather, “I am the way.” He is the only way. A.W. Tozer said: “Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way.”
Jesus is very inclusive. Everyone is invited to a relationship with Him. He says in John 6:37 “whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” But the way to that relationship is exclusive. He is the only way. In Acts 4:12 Peter says: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus made it clear that the way is narrow. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
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Jesus being the only way was so central to the understanding of the early church that believers were known as being part of “the way.” It’s one of the earliest names given to the Christian community and is mentioned six different times in Acts. The Greek word for "way" is "hodos," which means a road, a journey, or a path. When Jesus declares Himself as the "way," He is saying that He is the pathway to God, the journey to eternal life. There are so many different pathways and journeys in this world but Jesus stands as the one true way. He is the only way. Jesus is the way to God because He is God.
He doesn’t promise us a life without difficulties or material wealth or worldly success but a life that is marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We have to let go of our own plans and desires and embrace God's will for our lives. We have to trust in Jesus, for every aspect of our lives. As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We all have two options. We can choose to do things our way which will lead to death or the way which leads to life.
I don’t want to have the song: “I did it my way” at my funeral. I want to be known as someone that chose to live their life following Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.
Father in heaven, who sent your only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sin, show us how to honour you and bring glory to Your Name, by walking in the way of Jesus. Have mercy on us and bring us back if we wander from your pathway, give us guidance when we are not sure which way to go and give us wisdom to trust you in all things. Amen
Author: Thelma CameronMay God bless and enrich your life
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