The Way - Your Daily Forward Devotional

The Way

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Read John 14:6-7 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Reflect

Have you heard people suggest that there are many ways to God? Based on today’s verses, how would you respond to that claim?

If you asked how to get to my house, I would send you directions for the most direct route. Depending on what direction you are coming from, there are a few different paths you could take to get to my street. But here’s the thing, I live on a cul-de-sac. Sure, you could enter into my neighborhood via multiple routes but there is only street that leads to my house and you can only enter that street from one direction. When I’ve given people directions to my house, I’ve never had anyone complain that ultimately they only have one street that they must travel on if they want to get to my house. It just is what it is. If you want to visit the Crawford home, you have to travel on the road that leads you to it.

In today’s verses, we read Jesus’ sixth “I am” statement—He is the way, the truth, and the life. As Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples, He told them not be troubled but to believe in Him (John 14:1-7). He was going to the Father to prepare a place for them. He promised that He would come back again so that they could also be where He is. Thomas asked Him how they will know how to get to where He is? Jesus responded, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He made it very clear that just like my cul-de-sac, there is only one way to get to God. He also made it clear that truth is not relative and everlasting life is found in no one but Himself.

But we want to make our own choices. We want to choose the route that we prefer. We want to go our own way, define our own truth, and live our lives on our own terms. We want to choose our own adventure.

And here’s the thing. You have the freedom to go your own way. But that doesn’t mean it will lead you where you ultimately want to go. You can redefine truth all you want to suit yourself but that doesn’t mean it’s actually true (or that anyone else has to accept it as truth). You are free to live however you choose to live, but you aren’t free from the consequences of your choices and your life won’t last forever.

Thankfully, God didn’t leave us without the information we need to find Him, know the truth, and live forever. He didn’t leave us to wonder and to wander. And He didn’t leave us to die in our sins. He sent Jesus to make the way for us to be reconciled to Him. He sent Jesus to tell us the truth about our sin, His sacrifice, His grace, His redemption, and His promise of everlasting life in Him.

God sent Jesus to tell us the truth: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). He gave us directions to the Father and instructions on how to be reconciled to God. Now, the choice set before us is whether or not we will follow those directions and obey those instructions. We do not have the option of modifying what Jesus said and claiming it as truth. God is God. Why would we think we can disregard His truth and disobey His teaching but still benefit from His gracious offer of eternal life? To say that it is audacious and presumptuous is an understatement!

We are not God and we don’t get to decide for ourselves how to get to Him. Frankly, the fact that He even made a way for us to come to Him at all while we were still sinners shows the depths of His love and mercy for us (Romans 5:8). If we knew what was good for us, we’d set aside our desire to go our own way, define our own truth, and live our own lives. And we’d fully embrace Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life—the only way to the Father.

Respond

Lord Jesus, I believe and accept that You are the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus, You are the only way to Father and He is where I want to go. Help me to follow Your directions and obey Your instructions so that I won’t wander and go astray. Amen.

Reveal: Do you know someone going their own way, living their “own truth”, and expecting to have eternal life with God even though they don’t follow Him? How can you lovingly and respectfully share the truth with them?

~ Pastor Nat Crawford