THE WAY
Richard Harris
Today's Scripture: “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 ESV
Theme: We must decide that either Jesus spoke the truth, or He lied. If He was holy and sinless, the truth is that there is only one way to God.
THE TRUTH
Jesus was sent to us to reveal God Himself as the Creator, Lawgiver, Judge, and Redeemer for all people. Prior to the arrival of Jesus, the Old Covenant of Moses had grown into over 600 laws of sanctimony, sacrifices, and secrets … all intended to please God. When Jesus entered the temple; overturning the tables of the money changers, He informed the priests that “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13, NIV). Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His crucifixion is the basis of God’s promise. Jesus spoke the truth.
THE PROMISE
The New Covenant promise was predicted while the Old Covenant was still the Law; the Law which commanded God’s people how to live. The prophets: Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—all spoke of the New Covenant. Deuteronomy 29:4 tells us that Moses prophesied that Israel would fail in keeping the Old Covenant, but he also saw a time of restoration. The promised New Covenant involved a total change of heart. The Old Covenant was written in stone. The truth of the New Covenant was written in blood. Jesus Christ brought us that truth.
ETERNAL LIFE
Before the arrival of Jesus, Isaiah 53:9 tells us that the chosen Savior would be despised and rejected, smitten and afflicted; that He would carry our sorrows and He would be wounded for our transgressions. He would have done no violence, and there would be no deceit in His mouth. “He committed no sin; neither was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22, NIV). Prophecy fulfilled. The truth remains that there is only one way to God … eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
PEACE
My soul-searching journey, through this human learning curve, has given me the truth of Jesus as the one and only way to God. My personal redemption, through His forgiveness, has been His promise to me. I am cleansed through His blood. I take it one day at a time, living in His light. By that, I mean I look at myself honestly…critically sometimes. I have let go of many of the worldly things which controlled the old me (self-indulgence, unnecessary material wealth, anger, self-pity, laziness, doubt, and foolish fads). I am at peace. To the One who reconciled all things to God in the New Covenant (using His Aramaic and Hebrew greeting), I say Shalom … may peace be with you all.
Make It Personal: If you doubt the validity of Jesus’ claims, you are not a bad person. You just have not yet met the Man, the Son of God, that I have come to know. Pray. Ask Him to reveal Himself. Ask for help. God is waiting to welcome you into His way, truth, and life.
Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Son; for the prophecy fulfilled through Him that has washed us clean from sin. He is our Way, our Truth, and Life. Through Him, You have given us the peace of eternal life. For this fulfilled promise, Lord, we offer this grateful prayer in the Name of Your Son, our true Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
Read: Matthew 21:12-17; Romans 6:23; Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Isaiah 53:9
Weekly Memory Verse: ‘Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6, ESV