Following the Trail of God's Promises: The 40-Day ChallengeSample

38. The Way, the Truth and the Life

The way, the truth and the life, are the familiar words of the biblical text in front of us, about which I have not thought deeply until now. What does Jesus tell the disciples, and what can we learn from it today? After Jesus has told them that He is only with them for a short time, that He is leaving and that they know the way He is going, Thomas answers with the question, “We don't know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Today we can say that the answer is simple and we can wonder how they didn't know it, but let's try to put ourselves in their situation - what were their expectations, and what sort of questions did they have?

Jesus answers that He is the way, the truth and the life, and that there is no other way to the Father except through Him. The way is a picture of a life of righteousness and wisdom. Jesus is not only an example of such a life, but it is Jesus who, through His death and resurrection, made access to the Father possible and paved the way; no one else could have done that. Jesus is not only the One who teaches the way, He is the way to the Father because He fully reveals to us the truth about the Father - the Father's character.

Are we perhaps like Philip, who just wants someone to show him the Father?!? As to the disciples then, so to us today, Jesus is the One who has shown the Father completely. We can be firmly grounded in the truth that the Holy Scriptures tell us, and we can know our Heavenly Father.

PRACTICAL CHALLENGE

Day 38. How can you know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life? Maybe someone told you. If this is your reality, the challenge for you is to respond to someone else’s “Show us the Father”. Tell someone why you choose Jesus as your Way every day, how He is your Truth and when you received Life as a gift!