A three-fold relationship with God from John 14
The night before Jesus was crucified, he revealed a powerful picture of the nature of our relationship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He told us that he is the way, the truth and the life.What does it mean for God to be the way I should walk, the truth I should believe,and the life I should consume?Let’s look at these three concepts:Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6).1. What does Jesus mean when he tells us he is the Way?This word in Greek (hodos or ha-dos’ ) means a road for traveling, a course of conduct, a way of thinking and feeling.Jesus told his disciples we do know the way to the place where he was going. (John 14:4). At first glance, that statement seems a bit vague. I have no road map to get to where Jesus is going. What was he talking about?Throughout Scriptures, God has promised us a Way. He charted it in the wilderness by using the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire to lead his people to freedom. In King David’s psalm, God promised he “has made known the path of life.” (Ps. 16: 11). And finally, just before his victory on the Cross, the Son of Man introduces Himself as the Way.I believe Jesus is telling us He is THE course of action, THE plan of obedience that he wants us to follow. Our relationship to God should be eyes-on Jesus, following him as our road map or GPS. When we do that, we would be thinking like Jesus, feeling like Jesus, and doing like Jesus. When he becomes our Way, we are actively loving him. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” (John 14: 23).2. What does Jesus mean when he tells us he is the Truth? The word in Greek is aletheia (a-lay’-thay-ah), means several things:— objective facts that reflect reality; —thoughts that are free from pretense or deceit;— the true things pertaining to God. Jesus, Himself, is this reality, this truth. We experience him as The Truth in us by the Holy Spirit. “The Father will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:17). Jesus, as the Truth, is the honest, undistorted view of reality. In Him there is no pretense, deceit or darkness. Jesus alone is how I should think about things and view my reality.3. What does Jesus mean when he tells us he is the Life? Jesus states that he is zoé (zoe-sway). This Greek word is a Large Concept. It means more than that state of vitality and vigor which we can see on this planet. Zoé is the fulness of the resurrection life, the generative power God has over death. When Jesus said, “I am the Life,” he was suggesting he, himself, is the nutritional energy we should consume in order to thrive spiritually. He reflects on this idea in John 6, when he says, “ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life (zoé) to the world. (v.33)” and “I am the bread of life (zoé.)” (v. 48).What a powerful and comprehensive picture of our relationship with Jesus!As the way, he gives us a course of action to follow,bringing us into obedience and love with the Father.As the truth, he gives us a wholesome reality,the ability to see the world and its people the way Abba Father does.As the life, he gives us regenerate spiritual power through his “ bread”,which is his body sacrificed and broken for us.Thank you, Jesus, for being my way, my truth and my life. Amen.In Christ,