“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’” John 14:3-5.
Verse three above has been added in for context, it was already covered earlier. While the language is obscure, Jesus has been telling the disciples all along what was about to happen.
He revealed His betrayer:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” John 13:21b.
He told them He was leaving:
“Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” John 13:36.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2.
He told them how and why:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15.
“Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful.” Matthew 17:22-23.
“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28.
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17-18.
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. This He said, signifying by what death He would die.” John 12:32-33.
But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20; any one of us would be asking the same questions if we were in that room. Let us never lose sight of the fact that the common belief was that the Messiah was to come and reign forever.
“The people answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, “The Son of Man must be lifted up”? Who is this Son of Man?’” John 12:34.
With this mindset there can be no wonder that the disciples never completely understood the things that He said to them. At this point Thomas speaks up.
The name Thomas is Aramaic and means, a twin. The name Didymus, is not his last name, rather it is the Greek equivalent to Thomas meaning, two fold, or twain. Some believe that he may have been a twin. The name or identity of his twin is also unknown.
When the Lord decided to return to Judea, where they were plotting to kill Him; Thomas’ response was as follows.
“Then Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with Him.’” John 11:16.
This indicates that Thomas was quite courageous, even though they all fled when Jesus was arrested. He is also the Doubting Thomas we read about in John 20:24-29.
Thomas had a dogged personality that dealt in facts, but when he had his facts and his leader Jesus before him, he put his head down and plowed straight forward, veering neither to the left nor to the right.
Tradition has him preaching east beyond Persia; it is thought that he was martyred with a lance. His question again is posted below.
“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’” John 14:5.
The last phrase might more clearly be written this way. “…and how can we know the way we should go?”
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6.
Anyone who has discussed salvation in Christ alone will have heard this, “There are many religions in the world, how can you be so arrogant as to say there is only one way to heaven?”
The truth is you are not the arrogant one, God the Father and God the Son are the ones who make these claims.
Jesus, God the Son, without any equivocation whatsoever, makes this statement:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
God has the same attitude.
“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” 1 Chronicles 16:25-26.
“For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” Psalm 96:5.
“I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 45:5a.
“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.’” Isaiah 45:18.
“Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.” 1 Corinthians 8:4.
The word for idols in 1 Chronicles 16:26, first quote above, is “worthless things” which is a truly low assessment of these gods. All of the world’s religions are contrary to either Judaism or Christianity, in that they require you to do something to earn your way to heaven.
Even Islam which teaches that Allah is the one true God has a doctrine of works.
It is important for everyone to understand that Allah is not the same as the God of the Christians and Jews.
Muslims know this, but it amuses them to allow everyone to think that they are one and the same.
Islam mocks the fact that God has a Son; it lowers women’s status to one of chattel whereas Christianity raises them to the same level of men.
In fact Christianity properly understood, elevates a woman to a status that is far above what even the Feminists claim to want.
Islam is supposedly a religion of peace, yet it teaches that true peace will not come until Israel is annihilated and the entire world comes under Muslim subjugation, even if it takes violence to do so.
Since Scripture teaches love and peace with all men it would mean that if God the Father were one and the same as Allah, He would be schizophrenic or suffering from some other form of psychosis.
An unstable God like that would have a different name, Satan, and this world would indeed be hell on earth, as we soon shall see when the Devil is given free reign on earth during the tribulation period as prophesied in the book of Revelation.
I harp on Islam because the world seems to think that there is something wonderful about it, when in actuality they are deathly afraid of it. Offend the wrong people, and they will cut off your head or blow up your office building.
You can expect better treatment from organized crime. This world is not sick; it is a gutless rotting corpse that only Christ can fix.
Finally, since the doctrines of all of the world’s religions are erroneous and demand that you do something to merit heaven, and God Himself tells us that all the gods of the people are idols; where did they come from?
Since God is good and not a God of confusion.
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Who, if not God, started all these other religions?
False religions came from the rebellious heart of man and they give a sense of false pride to those who practice them. Satan’s doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) started these various religions empowering demons to entice, and confuse folks who are searching.
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
The above verse leads us into the next segment of the Lord’s statement, “I am…the truth…No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
According to William Kelley the definition of truth, given earlier in the study of this gospel, is as follows.
“Truth is the revelation of all things as they really are, from God Himself.”
With this definition of truth, the lies of Satan glare forth showing that he has blinded those who are perishing and the philosophies and religions which are accepted as true in this world are not.
If one were to examine the beliefs of these various systems, such as different schools of philosophy, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, Islam, Hinduism, Spiritism, Paganism, New Age, Humanism, liberal theology, evolution and its ugly stepchildren, communism, and socialism, you will find a common thread in all of them.
That thread will either be, one does not need God at all or they do not need Christ to get to heaven, nirvana, or whatever version of paradise they are putting forth.
Beyond a few common thoughts, like these, there are vast and confusing differences between these and other religions.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 16:25.
The Lord’s testimony then is that in the midst of all of these conflicting “truths”, He offers what might be called, true truth, things as they really are as told by the Creator of all things.
These truths are untainted by Satan’s lie, and are fit enough to base your life and your eternal destination on.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
We are taught truth by the words of Christ.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
We are taught truth by the Holy Spirit.
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13.
We are sanctified (set apart) by studying God’s word, Scripture.
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:17.
God’s truth sets us free from fear and superstition.
“…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:31b-32.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.
We have entered an age when even the word truth has no meaning, much less what it actually is. Truth now is interpreted as being what one wants it to be, or what fits the moment; there are no absolutes.
A person is free to drift along in such a confused state or they can turn to Christ as a solid rock of truth or an anchor of the soul, freeing them to come to the full potential that God has designed them for.
There is a rock of real truth which one can flee to and stand upon in full knowledge that it is a place of true reality.
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” Psalm 40:1-2.
Hebrews chapter 6 speaks of two immutable (unchangeable) things, one being God’s oath to Abraham and the other is as follows.
“…by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” Hebrews 6:18-19a.
The intent here is to show that God is unchanging and He cannot lie, so His truth is truth and He will not change His mind about His promises concerning you. This is a comfort in a changing and dying world.
“I am… the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The life may be taken in a number of different ways; the most important being that He is the eternal life.
When God put Adam in the Garden of Eden He commanded the man not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
“…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17.
What God meant by this is that by disobeying this commandment, Adam would die spiritually. Spiritual death is eternal separation from God.
Physical death also came in as a result of this sin; but the spiritual death is the most catastrophic part of Adam’s sin, because death has been passed on to all of his children.
The cross of Christ changed all of that in a very fundamental way.
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18-19.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7.
The life can also be seen as a better life lived in Christ, rather than one of frustration, toil, and darkness. The abundant life quoted earlier from John 10:10. We may claim the promise made to Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 15.
“After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.’” Genesis 15:1, King James Version.
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5b-6.
Jesus is the life in that He is the sustainer of life itself.
“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4.
“If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.” Job 34:14-15.
“Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” Acts 17:25.
“…for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” Acts 17:28.
“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17.
I am the Way, John 14:4-6 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 3-19-13, updated on 1-24-18.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.