A Lifestyle
The way is a symbol for lifestyle… a way of life.
Jesus’ claim is an exclusive claim. He doesn’t say: I am one way… I am the (only) way…! Moreover, He doesn’t say: I know the way… He says: I am the way… None of the founders of religions has ever come with such a claim. Their most daring claim was: I know the way… I’ve found the way… Jesus’ claim is different. I am the way… excludes all other ways.
For the postmodern mind this claim of exclusivity is disturbing. There’s a popular idea today it doesn’t matter what way you take… any way will do. If you don't know where you're going any road will do…
When Jesus says: I’m the way… they say: What are you talking about? Everybody else is wrong? If you want to be politically correct, you’ll say: No, everybody’s fine… But that’s not what Jesus says. If you take Jesus seriously, you cannot say: it doesn’t matter what you believe; it doesn’t matter how you live… What He says is this: there are all kind of ways… (they all take you somewhere)… and there is this way…!!!
So only Christians will get to heaven? Not even! Only those that are on the way calledJesus Christ! Unfortunately, not everybody that calls himself/herself a Christian is on Christ’s way. On the other hand, there are people that don’t call themselves Christians… (they belong to other world religions, or no religion) but they are on Christ’s way because they obey the voice of the Holy Spirit…