Sometimes a problem has many solutions. While I enjoy “lateral thinking” exercises, I am always frustrated because I can come up with a solution to a problem which “works” in my own mind, but is not the solution the exercises was looking for in the first place.
For example, there are many solutions to the problem of “how to turn on a light switch.” Some are better than others, but in theory they all “work.” I could walk over and flip the switch; I could tell my kid to go flip the switch; I could toss things at the switch until I hit it just right; I could write an App for my iPhone which used the internet to access the power grid to make my light come on; I could shoot at the switch with a pistol, etc. Think about a Rube Goldberg device. These were imaginary devices which tried to solve a problem (light a match, turn on a light) with as many (bizarre) steps as possible. There are actually a lot of options for turning on a light!
Some people have the mistaken impression that religion is the same sort of thing. There are hundreds of religions out there, and they all have advantages and disadvantages, things which attract followers or drive them away. The noble seeker tries out all sorts of religions to see if he can get closer to God, perhaps drawing from a variety of religions to find some sort of spiritual peace. This sort of multi-culturalism is popular in the modern world, few people like to hear that there is only one correct religion. That sort of claim is prejudiced, dangerous, or rude.
Yet that is exactly the claim Jesus makes in John 14. Jesus claims to be the only way to God, he says in these verses that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one can come to the Father unless they come through him (John 14:6). This is not a random line in the middle of the gospel, this is the theme of the whole of John! Jesus is God, made flesh, the one who reveals the only truth that there is in the world, and the one who provides life (resurrection from the dead and eternal life). If someone wants access to the Real God, he has to come through Jesus. This was the core of the gospel as it was first preached, Acts 4:12 states that clearly that there is no other name under Heaven by which a person can be saved.
As politically incorrect as that is, that is claim Jesus makes and that is the teaching of the whole Bible.
While I enjoy “lateral thinking” exercises, I am always frustrated because I can come up with a solution to a problem which “works” in my own mind, but is not the solution the exercises was looking for in the first place.
John 14:6 is more interesting than your artical says. The way of truth would have us come unto the Father by Jesus, so that we could have the promised life. This is to be where He is in glory, so that we can say that God is for us (Jn. 17:24; Eph. 2:6).
Relativism, Kostenberger claims, is a huge conversation in our society today. So many individuals think that they have their own version of truth, and that if anyone opposes their beliefs, they are automatically wrong. I think this philosophy is promulgated and talked about so much in our society because people want to be protected. In other words, they want to indulge in their version of truth–which is sin–freely and without any condemnation. They spur accountability and spitefully treat anyone who tries to impose truth on them. But the reality is, there is only one truth, and that truth is found in the person of Jesus Christ. “Truth” is not actually as abstract as we think. However, even as a Christian who knows that Jesus is the only proper representation of truth, I have to admit that I do not know it all. I merely have a personal relationship with the one who is truth, and I can lay claim to that confidently. Moreover, it is important to understand that even Christians can wander from this core principle of their beliefs. I have met Christians who, even though they intuitively understand that Jesus is the Way, they do not practice their faith like it is true. But this core tenant of the Gospel of John is not just reserved for new converts. Even seasoned Christians need to remind themselves of this truth everyday, and act accordingly.
This is part of what makes the Gospel so scandalous and christianity so offensive. I love that Our God, Jesus takes the stand and is not afraid to speak the truth! He is the truth! There can only be one right Way and that right way is Jesus. Jesus isn’t concerned that he might offend people, God is not concerned that he might push people away ebcause they cannot accept the truth. The Gospel is offensive and people will be offended that Jesus is the only way. We as Bible beleiving Christians have to stay strong in this truth. Because of this Christians will be hated, they will be counted as unloving, unaccepting racsits who don’t accept other religions as right. That is okay, the truth is offensive and the truth will turn people against eachother. We have to depend on the Holy Spirit to open up the eyes of the unbeilievers to the Gospel.
It is amazing to me how the world today defines truth as nonexistent. There are so many things that we accept as absolute truth, because we have to (i.e. gravity). And now, if you say that something is true, people say that it isn’t for them. It reminds me of when I was in middle school, and my youth pastor gave us a book called Gravity: True for You but not for Me, which discussed today’s pluralism in beliefs and morals. The whole concept just doesn’t make sense. You cannot claim that there are no absolute truths because that is claiming an absolute truth. People just don’t like to be wrong and have their feelings hurt, so they claim that truth just doesn’t exist, so that they don’t have to reconcile their life to what is truly true.
Yet this idea of moral pluralism is what creates tension between the Church and non-believers today. Kostenberger says “Christianity’s exclusive claims are considered inappropriately narrow, even intolerant” (Kostenberger, 142) in a society that values the protection of one’s feelings over what is foundationally true of all lives. We need to get back to a place where there is such thing as truth, otherwise all we are doing is creating tension between everyone.
I had never thought about the way people think of religion is kind of like a Rube Goldberg device. However, it makes sense. We try to manipulate God and the Bible to fit into our lives. We manipulate what the Bible says so that it can be used for our side of an opinion. If you think about it, the Pharisees essentially made their own Rube Goldberg device when it came to the Sabbath and following God. They placed additional rules that made a certain people group the only ones who could actually follow their rules, so that they could get to God. The Pharisees likely thought of it this way: if you do this, then you get to do this, to which you did this to get to this and then you could enter and be in the presence of God. Have we been doing this all along? Do Christians have to attend church to be a Christian? Are all the denominations of Christianity just individual Rube Goldberg devices specific to each denomination? If we set all this aside and get back to what the Bible says for determining our religion, our religion should be built upon the fact that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes through the Father except through me” (John 14:6, HCSB). At the base of everything, without Jesus we would not be Christians, we could still be Jews if Jesus had not come.
I once had my own doubts about Christianity. My concern was what if each other religion claims the same things that Christianity claimed. What if other religions had their own sayings about how we are to get to Heaven, and how do I know Christianity is the right religion? That was honestly something I needed answered throughout my life. Throughout the Bible we find verses that emphasize Jesus being the only way to get to Heaven, yet that wasn’t enough to convince me. The Holy Spirit had to make it known to me that Jesus was the only way, and it was simply through proving that the other religions were false. John 14 simply shows us, the only way to get to the father, is through Jesus, and that shuts down every other religion that does not include going through Jesus to get to God. That was difficult to understand though, but when I realized it, it was life changing.
This is the problem with our nation today we all think that we are good and are going to heaven. We think that we can outweigh our bad with our good and that will save us. However, that is not the case, we are not good based on God’s standards and we will never be good based on his standards. To those who do not believe in God I say that ignorance of the law does not give you a pass to break the law. In a day where people say there are many ways to get to heaven and that no one is the one and only way. Jesus is clear that he is the one and only way to heaven. When people think that they can get to heaven without Christ they are just fooling themselves. Jesus loves us so much that he died for us and gave us the way to spend eternity with him forever. Many people take offense to Christians because we claim that Jesus is the only way and that offends them because they do not want Jesus they want their own way and their own religion but Jesus is the only way!
Overtime I think that people have developed their own opinion on what God should do, and what He should look like. For example I have heard “Well if your God is loving then how come He punishes you? I feel like a God should love not matter what.” In my opinion people will jump from religion to religion until they find what they like and what benefits them the most; also people are very offended by what Christians have done in the past that causes them to stray away from God. We are not to blame ourselves, but pray for those who go away from the path of Christ and continue to show them love. Our mission in life is to spread the Gospel, and tell about Him, it’s up to the people to believe it or not. I do feel as though that acceptance of Christ as ones savior is the only way to Heaven, but I do believe that this can be taken away. There is eternal life in Christ but we can mess that up and it can be taken away; Jesus has mercy and forgiveness but to use Him whenever you want is unfair, and wrong I don’t think you’ll be going to hell for this but He isn’t there for us to use as a scape goat either. My biggest thing against eternal salvation is if one person accepts Christ but then later on becomes a witch and casts spells there is no way she is going to Heaven because that’s not what Jesus is about at all. Thus comes back with the argument, “Well how do you know she accepted Christ in the first place then?” and my rebuttal to that would be “How do you know she didn’t?”. At the end of the day we can all have our opinions, arguments, and tiffs but it all comes down to the purity of your heart and your intentions for Christ. The only person that can tell if one is truly wanting to accept Jesus as savior is Him, not me, a professor, their mother or father but Jesus is the final say.
In today’s society, to keep peace and unity among one another, the idea of acceptance is largely focused on. The concept of acceptance Is not inherently negative or bad, but the connotations it may present, can be. One area where acceptance is sought after is within religion or about others’ religious beliefs. To many, religion is just another checkbox concerning someone’s identity. It might be compared to political parties, gender orientation, or job status. As Christians, we understand that our religion (or our faith) is not a part of who we are, but rather the core of who we are and the entire basis of our existence. The faith we place in Jesus being the Way, Truth, & Life is essential to have eternal life spent with God (John 14:6). This piece of scripture also “fulfills the OT symbols and teachings that show the exclusiveness of God’s claims” (ESVSB, P.2052-2053). People from other religions or spiritual beliefs may claim “we all will go to the same place even if we believe something different.” This acceptance of any belief is dangerous as it is simply non-biblical. Köstenberger (2013) states, “we live in an age of religious pluralism, when Christianity’s exclusive claims are considered inappropriate, narrow, even intolerant” (p. 142). Though Christians may not be viewed by the world as “accepting” or “politically correct” when it comes to other religions, John 14:6 is clear and according to Long (2012), “that is the claim Jesus makes and that is the teaching of the whole Bible” (para. 5).
This is hands down my favorite blog post that I have ever read. One of the fundamental truths of the Bible is found right there in John 14:6, and P. Long made a fantastic post about it. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! This reminds me of a time I went on a mission trip to Guyana. I was sharing the gospel to a man who professed the Hindu faith. Because of this man’s faith, he was very accepting of the foundations of Christianity. He liked the fact the Jesus Christ died for his sins, but everything went out the window when I read this man John 14:6. He grew up a with a Muslim father and a Hindu mother, and his whole life he was taught that there were thousands, even millions of gods. When I read this man John 14:6 he was outraged. He slammed the door in my face and yelled out the window something along the lines of I did not know what I was talking about. You can only imagine the words he actually used. As Köstenberger (2013) says, “we live in an age of religious pluralism, when Christianity’s exclusive claims are considered inappropriate, narrow, even intolerant” (p. 142). This just reminded me of the fact that Christianity is a religion of opposition. It is crazy to some to believe that there is only one way, but as found in John 14:6, Jesus is the only Way.
Isn’t it nice that we don’t have to deal with this kind of multiculturalism today? Yes, that was sarcasm. Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that any form of religious belief will lead to the same afterlife, or even entrance into heaven. Today, and even in New Testament Bible times, people can get extremely offended if Jesus is presented as the only way to eternal life in heaven with him. Long states, “This sort of multi-culturalism is popular in the modern world, few people like to hear that there is only one correct religion. That sort of claim is prejudiced, dangerous, or rude.” It seems as if, especially as time moves on, people are more and more upset about there being a established belief of a single way to eternal life. In John 14:6 when Jesus states, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me,” he is making another statement that reveals his identity; he is God incarnated. Jesus is making the bold statement that he has the power of God to bring those who are believers to him to live in heaven after their earthly bodies had passed away. No one had the power that God did, not anyone human, and for Jesus to make this claim would also be for him to claim that he is the Son of God and has the ultimate power of giving eternal life. For the Jewish people to hear this would be a shock; this in not something they would even expect to hear or think would be possible (Long, class lecture). To me, it is comforting to know that Jesus is the only way, and that he alone saves. I don’t have to be confused about which way is right and if there is more than one way to eternal life with Jesus. I know that Jesus is the only way, and I don’t have to live in doubt or confusion.
I can reflect on different situations and events in my life. Many which are negative, but though those events and situations one thing always happens. That thing that happens is Jesus, he is consistent. Through those things, I am reminded of what is important and good, which is Jesus. Speaking of truth, I think we hear and accept the truth in which we believe. Saying this, sometimes we have to reminded of what is true twenty times for us to grasp it.
My heart hurts thinking about hurt and lies that are in our world. As humans we all long for that sense of love, belonging, and connection. The term “Religious Pluralism” is used to describe the many religious beliefs. If only more individuals would accept this truth from Jesus, then maybe this world would be a little less depressing. We have to remember that Jesus is the way.
Within the realm of Christianity the idea of Universalism has become increasingly popular. Due to the shift within culture in which everyone has pushed for the need of inclusion across all aspects of society; including that of religion, it has caused many to believe that Christianity is an all-inclusive religion because of the misunderstanding between God’s general love for creation and God’s special love for only the elect and those who commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Kostenberger takes this concern a bit further with also stating that “we live in an age of religious pluralism, when Christianity’s exclusive claims are considered inappropriately narrow, even intolerant” (Kostenberger, 142) therefore in order to avoid causing offense to many, Christians have tried to make Christianity more inclusive to all other beliefs and religions. In contrast to the biblical teachings of the Gospel of John, the idea of inclusion of other beliefs or religions within Christianity are completely opposed. In the Gospel of John, Jesus explicitly states that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Sadly, so many individuals have disregarded Jesus’ statement and have tried to create their own paths towards their relationship with Jesus Christ and have also developed false concepts of biblical teachings. Therefore, with all this having been said, as Christians we need to be willing to stand guard against the influences of the secular world upon biblical beliefs, even if it leads to the point of persecution or judgment from the secular world.
In the world that we live in there are many different religions that people tend to believe in but we know as Christians there is only one true God. In other religions you have to do some things to be in a relationship with the god of that religion or you don’t have a god at all. But in Christianty you can always be with God as long as you believe in Jesus Christ. You believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He died on the cross for your sins then you will have a personal relationship with God. In Christianty you have your own personal relationship with God where you learn and grow in your faith with God by your side; it’s not like you do the same thing everyone else does and maybe get to talk with God instead of going through prophets.
I have always liked the verse, John 14:6. It is a verse that I memorized early on as a kid and I think that it is a good verse to use when teaching someone the Gospel and teaching them who Jesus is. It is very important for Christians to realize that Jesus is the only Way to God the Father. We see this through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ because through this, our sins are forgiven and we can have eternal life with God. Jesus is the one who provided us with this. I can understand why some people would have a problem with this verse. I know a few people who say they practice multiple religions such as Christianity and Buddhism because they like certain aspects and teachings from both religions. However, Jesus clearly states that He is the only Way. This is a major part of Christianity. Jesus also says that He is the Truth, so if someone believes that, then they should also believe that Jesus is the only Way. Also, Jesus says that He is the Life as well and we receive life from Jesus who is the only Way for us to have eternal life.
I like how you mentioned that in John 14 Jesus claims that He is the only way to God and that he stated that “he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one can come to the Father unless they come through him” (John 14:6) This wasn’t just randomly placed in John as you mentioned in your blog this message is what Jesus has been trying to get across to people throughout the whole gospel of John! Throughout the gospel of John Jesus is teaching and trying to show the people that He is in fact the Son of God, Jesus performs miracles after miracles and the people still decide not to believe Him. What is so frustrating about this is that Jesus told the people “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 14:6) It’s interesting to me that people do think of religion as a light switch but the truth is, is that there are not multiple ways to eternal life like there are multiple ways to turn on a light switch, there is one way and it’s stated over and over again in the Bible and that is through Jesus Christ. For the people in the world who are trying to find peace and happiness from worldly things or from people on the earth, that feeling of happiness is only going to be temporary but with Jesus, it could be forever.
When I heard this verse for the first time, it profoundly changed me. My youth pastor explained to me the significance behind Jesus’ statement- Jesus is making an exclusive claim- no one comes to the Father except through Him! I truly don’t believe this is controversial, or Jesus not being “politically correct,” it’s Jesus fulfilling the messianic prophecy. For years there was this anticipation of the Messiah, the one who save God’s people. Jesus is saying it, right here. He is saying I am the way. He is the messiah. He is the truth and the life. He is all those things. Not only is this Jesus’ grand answer to the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy, but He is also undoubtedly presenting the solution- the solution that He is the only one who can provide external life- an eternal hope. Out of all the religions and groups and pathways, there are to follow in this world, Jesus is wisely saying that He is not only greater than all of them but that He is the only and ultimate solution for salvation. He is providing the ultimate solution for those looking for hope. He is making a bold claim, and sure enough, some people may be offended, but ultimately, hopefully in the end more people saved more than anything.
Jesus’ claim to be THE way, truth, and life comes off as offensive to many, especially in individualistic cultures such as ours. I have heard many different arguments from many different people about why they do not believe in God or believe that the teachings of Jesus Christ are anything more than informational. For many, they do not like the idea of Jesus’ teaching being superior to their own thoughts and motives. If Jesus taught something that they personally disagree with or would have to sacrifice a part of their own personal agenda for, they would much rather write his way off and follow their own. This is certainly embedded in human nature, as we see individuals turn against God on account of their own desires almost immediately after human beings were created. So, Jesus was not blissfully unaware of the unpopularity of his message to a self-serving humanity. Jesus acknowledges this in Matthew 7, where he compares his way to a narrow road, stating that few will find it. Though this road is narrow, it is the only way- and many will try to find their own personal shortcut to walk on a road that is not quite so narrow. I have noticed much of this in the progressive age that we live in, with many churches compromising age-old doctrine in hopes of creating a body of believers that is more inclusive, despite direct teachings from God in scripture. Much of Jesus’ words are deemed as offensive today, and many Christians have attempted to create a slightly wider path to avoid persecution. And yet, Jesus is clear that He is the only way. And, no one can get to the Father other than the narrow road that He paved himself. So, will we be a part of the few? Or will we join with those who attempt to create another way to the Father?
Today, in our world, for a lot of people, it is hard to believe Jesus is the only way to go to heaven, even when he provides it by giving us his life because they are kings. Through humankind, they can go to heaven. Each religion has a different way of explaining how to go or how we can go to heaven. In the world that we live in, there are many other religions. As A Christian Jesus mentioned in John 6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. He is our only way to the Father and Heaven. He had died for our sins.
Even though it is essential to engage in respectful discussions, our beliefs should not be swayed in an attempt to please others. One good example is John 14, as there are different perspectives, views and religions on the chapter. The main message in this chapter is Jesus comforting His disciples and preparing them for the time after His departure (Kostenberger, 262). He promises them that He is the way, the truth, and life as one of the biggest problems Jesus has with His disciples is their unbelief (Kostenberger, 268). Jesus goes on and tells the disciples that through the belief in Him, they can have eternal life hence showcasing the importance of faith and understanding that Jesus is the only way to salvation. If there were other paths or options to take for us to be saved, Jesus would have told us. Instead, he emphasizes that no one goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). In John 14, it is also highlighted that even though the disciples could not follow Jesus where He was going, He was going to prepare a place for us in heaven so that when he comes back the second time, we would all have a dwelling place (John 14:2).
John 14:6 is a significant verse in the bible because it talks about how Jesus us the only way. This verse is really emphasizing the exclusive nature of the Christian faith, highlighting Jesus as the sole path to salvation and eternal life. This is where Jesus was really working on his disciples and getting them prepared for what is to come after his departure. As Christian we interpret this verse as a fundamental affirmation of their belief and this is highlighting Jesus role and their spiritual journey. This is a cornerstone for their faith and this emphasizes the unique relationship between Jesus and his followers and that we can only reach eternal life through Jesus and only him. In todays world some would believe that we can do good works and that will get us to eternal life but this verse really narrows down the true and only way we can achieve that. I believe that this verse is a source of inspiration and a guiding faith and convictions of millions around the world. We can find peace with this verse knowing the true way and that Jesus prepared his disciples for when he was gone.
It is interesting the emphasis on the power of Jesus Christ. Immediately this scripture can come off as offensive and bold with their being so many other religions that are practiced throughout the world. Jesus preaches him being the only way to the father and to obtain salvation. Scripture highlights that no matter what you believe or do there is no other way to obtain a spot in heaven but through Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus understood the boldness of this statement and knew that it would push some away and even offend but the truth always will seem offensive when it steps on the belief of others or shines a light on something close to home. We can all take from Jesus’s boldness, even though Jesus was bold ultimately, he wanted to reach his people and give them a chance to have salvation.