John 14 Verse 6 People of Life October 6, 2024 Sacred Life Series Lesson 1
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John 14 Verse 6 People of Life October 6, 2024 Sacred Life Series Lesson 1
Class Presentation Notes AAAAAA
Background Scriptures:
John 3:16 (NASB)
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Matthew 22:36-40 (NASB)
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.
39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
John 11:38-44 (NASB)
38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39 Jesus *said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."
40 Jesus *said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"
41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."
43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."
44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
Main Idea:
Christianity is founded in a celebration and affirmation of life.
Study Aim:
To understand that the concept of life is foundational to the Christian life.
Create Interest:
· In my walk with Christ, I have had the privilege of sharing the gospel with people of all ages and varied backgrounds. Sharing our focus verse today that the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ has been met with push back often about how narrow a statement that is…and Timothy clears up the answer to settle the issue😊….
o 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NASB)
15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
o 1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB)
5 For there is one God, andone mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
o Let’s rejoice in both the only and all-inclusive Savior whom we worship who came that “all” may have eternal life by believing in Him.
Lesson in Historical Context:
· In 14:1 Jesus widens the application of his words to all the disciples as the pronouns change from singular to plural. The recurrence of the words where I am (14:3) and where I am going (14:4), however, indicate that the statement in 13:33, which occasioned the whole series of questions, is still in mind. The scandal of Jesus’ absence is alleviated by an emphasis on hope. Jesus’ assurance to the disciples is that their separation from him will be only for a limited time.
· The purpose of his departure is to make room for them all in the Father’s house. He will return for them, and they will join him there forever (vv. 2–3; cf. 12:26). The reference is to Jesus’ future coming (cf. 1 John 2:28) and to the resurrection of those who believe in Jesus (cf. 6:39–40, 44, 54). In principle both Peter’s question and his plaintive cry, both the “where” and the “why,” have now been answered. Yet the dialogue goes on.
· Again and again Jesus had told his disciples where he was going, but somehow they had never understood. “Yet a little while I am with you,” he said, “and then I go to him that sent me” (John 7:33). He had told them that he was going to the Father who had sent him, and with whom he was one, but they still did not understand what was going on. Even less did they understand the way by which Jesus was going, for that way was the Cross. At this moment the disciples were bewildered men. There was one among them who could never say that he understood what he did not understand, and that was Thomas. He was far too honest and far too much in earnest to be satisfied with any vague pious expressions. Thomas had to be sure. So, he expressed his doubts and his failure to understand, and the wonderful thing is that it was the question of a doubting man which provoked one of the greatest things Jesus ever said. No one need be ashamed of his doubts; for it is amazingly and blessedly true that he who seeks will in the end find.[1]
· Jesus’ answer centers on himself; it is neither necessary to know where he is going, in the sense of Jewish apocalyptic speculations about the structure of the heavens, nor the way, in the sense of a formula for escaping this world and attaining salvation (as in Gnosticism and the Hellenistic mystery religions). What is necessary is: simply to know Jesus in personal faith and to trust him as the only one who can lead the searching disciple to the Father.
· Thomas’ question changes the focus of discussion from the destination to the way to reach it, while at the same time underscoring that Jesus has not yet answered Peter’s question in so many words (Lord, we don’t know where you are going, v. 5). Even though it is occasioned by Jesus’ mention of the way, it is still basically a rephrasing of Peter’s Where are you going? in 13:36 (now with particular reference to the implied corollary, “Where are we going when we follow you later?”).
· Jesus has implied that he is going to the Father’s house (v. 2), but he has not said what this really means. He speaks more explicitly in v. 6:
o No one comes to the Father except through me.
o The simultaneous stress is on Jesus as the Way and on the Father as the Destination. The center of interest is no longer time (you will follow later) but persons(Jesus and the Father).[2]
Bible Study:
John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus *said to him, I am”
· One of the many blessings when writing a Bible study that finds its way across the planet weekly is to remind me that many of the recipients don’t have a Biblical background and things that we say/write and believe in our hearts with no doubt, are new and strange to them. As such, I am reminded that I had skipped right over the most important credential of Jesus, “I am”.
· The I am (ego eimi) is here used as metaphor, at once identifying Jesus with divinity and as the satisfaction to the basic needs of man. Can lost man find a way? Christ is the Way, and the only Way, to God (cf. Heb. 10:19–22). “The road to God is knowledge of the truth, and regeneration, enlightenment and the possession of Life. Truth and Life are no ideal abstractions. They are present concretely in the incarnate Son of God, who is both the Truth and the Life.” There is a kind of glorious exclusiveness about Christ, the Way.
· No man comes unto the Father, but by me. Its glory is not that any are excluded. Rather, because of who He is and what He did, the way is a universal way. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17; cf. John 3:16). Thomas à Kempis wrote in worshipful meditation:
o “Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no knowing; without the Life, there is no living.
o I am the Way, which thou ought to follow; the Truth, which thou ought to believe; the Life, which thou ought to hope for.
o I am the Way inviolable, the Truth infallible, the Life unending.
o I am the Way that is straightest, the Truth that is highest, the Life that is true, the Life blessed, the Life uncreated.”
o “If thou remain in My way, thou shalt know the Truth, and the Truth shall make thee free, and thou shalt lay hold on eternal life.”[3]
· So, let’s share what we have learned and know😊
o In Exodus 3:13-15 (NASB) we learn of God’s name for Himself.
13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”
o In John 1:1-4 (NASB) we have learned that Jesus is “the Word”.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
o In John 1:10-14 (NASB) we learn why He, God incarnate, came to earth.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
o Luke 4:1 (NASB)
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
o John 15:26 (NASB) Two of the Trinity sent the third, the Holy Spirit
26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
· So, my dear friends, Jesus is the “I am”, God incarnate in human flesh, the giver of the Holy Spirit…the “Trinity”, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are the “I Am”.
· And for a grand finale’ to wrap up this defense in a bow, read Colossians 1:15-28 and allow the Apostle Paul to clear up any doubts you might have.
The Way
· The Lord Jesus Christ says, “I am the Way.” This statement answers the question, “How can I go to Heaven?” The word “way” is the Greek word hodos. It forms, for example, the word “exodus” which means “the way out.” The word hodosmeans “a path, road, or journey from one place to another, a course at sea.” Jesus was telling us that HE is THE ONLY WAY to Heaven. There is no other way. If you want to go to God’s Heaven, you will have to go God’s way, not your own way. Because Jesus Christ is The Wayto Heaven, we find that He provides several blessings to those who trust in Him.
· Jesus’ words, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, are the sixth of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements in the Gospel of John(6:48; 8:12; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1). Jesus is the “Way” because He is the “Truth” and the “Life.” As the Father is Truth and Life, Jesus is the embodiment of God so people can come to the Father (cf. 1:4, 14, 18; 11:25). By His words, No one comes to the Father except through Me, Jesus stressed that salvation, contrary to what many people think, is not obtainable through many ways. Only one Way exists (cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus is the only access to the Father because He is the only One from the Father (cf. John 1:1–2, 51; 3:13).[4]
Let’s look at what we find in the statement “I am the Way”
· We find SECURITY: If you are lost and someone says, “This is the way to go,” I find that it gives one confidence and some security. This statement gives security because it is perfec,t and it is exclusive. It is the way.
o Psalm 18:30 (NASB)
30 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
o John 6:37 (NASB)
37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
· We find SERENITY: Christians can have a calmin their lives when the Lord is leading them. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies (Psalm 27:11). Have you ever been lost? How did you feel? I felt panic, frustration, and fear. Christ gives the Christian a calm, peace, and rest because He is the way to Heaven, and we understand that now.
o 1 John 5:13 (NASB)
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
o Matthew 11:28 (NASB)
28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest
§ Rest comes from the Lord Jesus Christ because He is taking the responsibility for our salvation.The pressure is on Him to take us to Heaven because that is what He promised to those who put their faith and trust in Him for eternal life. When you trust Jesus Christ to take you to Heaven, the pressure to get there is no longer on you and me. There is no more “Am I good enough? Did I do enough?” The responsibility is on the Lord, not you. Your responsibility is to repent of your sins and to trust Christ by faith to give you eternal life. The reason folks who do not know the Lord or believe in the Lord, have turmoil, insecurity, and a lack of peace in their soul is because God said they would not have any peace, without accepting His son.
· We find STABILITY: Knowing that Jesus Christ is the way to Heaven relieves us of wasting time in trying different ways and religions to find the right path to God. We are not checking all these different roads. Confusion has been replaced with stability.
· We find SIMPLICITY: The directions are pretty clear and simple. There is one way to God. Man is the one that complicates God’s salvation.
§ Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)
13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
§ Romans 10:11-13 (NASB)
11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."
· We Find a STANDARD: When Jesus said, “I am the way” He was directing the focus upon Himself. The Lord was saying, “I am the way, follow me!” The Lord Jesus Christ is our example for living. Christianity is more than church. It is a way of life which involves following the Lord, serving Him and living like Him. He is our standard, our blueprint for living.
o 1 Peter 2:21 (NASB)
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
§ The Lord Jesus Christ is the guide of the Christian and shows us how to walk each day and where to go and not go.
Thought to Soak on
· Note the contradiction and skepticism of the world even today. The world proclaims: “We do not know where God is, not really. Even if He exists, we can only seek Him the best we can, trying to find out just where He is. Every man must find and discover his own way and hope he has found it.”[5]
o John 8:19 (NASB)
19 So they were saying to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also."
· Jesus does not simply teach the way or point the way; He is the way. In fact, “the Way” was one of the early names for the Christian faith (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). Our Lord’s statement, “No man comes unto the Father but by Me,” wipes away any other proposed way to heaven—good works, religious ceremonies, costly gifts, etc.
o There is only one way, and that way is Jesus Christ.
· How would this assurance of going to heaven help to calm the disciples’ troubled hearts?
o Dr. James M. Gray put it beautifully in a song he wrote years ago: “Who could mind the journey, when the road leads home?” The assurance of a heavenly home at the end of life’s road enables us to bear joyfully with the obstacles and battles along the way. It was this assurance that even encouraged our Lord, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). Paul had this truth in mind when he wrote, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).[6]
The Truth
· To the question, “How can I be sure I’m going to Heaven?” Jesus replies, “I am the truth.” In the Hebrew language the word for truth is emet which means “faithfulness, reliability.” In the Greek language, the language of the New Testament, the word for truth is aletheia. It means “truth distinguished from falsehood; that which is real and genuine opposed to that which is counterfeit and unreal.” The Lord Jesus Christ was the “truth” incarnate.
o He was/is the real thing when He stated He was God. Because Jesus Christ is the “truth” we find several blessings in Him. (pgs. 10-11)
· The New Testament further presents “truth” as the divine will of God and as the proper response of humanity in fellowship with God. Thus, truth and ethics become inseparable. God and the truth belong together, just as the sinful man is characterized by living a lie (Romans 3:3–7).
· Those who are lost refuse to love the truth and are judged because they have not believed the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10–12). On the other hand, salvation is tantamount to coming to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). The mature Christians are established in the truth (2 Peter 1:12) and the Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).[7]
Let’s look at what more we can learn in 6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the truth”
· We find CONTINUATION: Truth endures forever. That which is true does not change, it endures. In Christ we have everlastinglife.
o John 3:36 (NASB)
36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
· We find COUNSEL:
o John 16:13 (NASB)
13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
· We Find CONQUEST:
o John 8:32 (NASB)
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
· We Find CONFIDENCE:
o Matthew 22:16 (NASB)
16 And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. * Luke 21:33—Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. God’s truth is dogmatic, dependable, and durable.
o Luke 21:33 (NASB)
33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
· We Find COMPLETION: The truth of the Gospel is complete. There is nothing more that needs to be added to the fact that Christ is the only way to Heaven.
o Colossians 2:3 (NASB)
3 in whom are hiddenall the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
· We find CLEANSING: Truth purifies. We find cleansing from our sins in accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
o 1 Peter 1:22 (NASB)
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
o 1 John 1:7 (NASB)
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
· We Find CREDIBILITY: Character makes a difference to lead by moral example.
o John 1:14 (NASB)
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Life
· Jesus was claiming equality with God. For the Jewish authorities this was tantamount to blasphemy. But secondly, Christ’s claim ran counter to what the religious teachers taught the people. They said that the way to God was through religious observance; Jesus said the way was through him. Indeed, Jesus had already indicated in this Gospel (and it will become even clearer later) that the way to God is through the death he would die on the cross.
o Faith alone in that gracious work is the way whereby sinners can be made right with God, not religious performance.
· Christ claimed an exclusivism to which even Judaism would not stretch. He said, without apology and with total clarity, ‘No one comes to the Father except through me.’ There’s no other way. There’s no other path. There’s no route to God other than through Christ himself.
o He is not a way (one of many options); he is the way.
o He does not speak some truths or present some good ideas; he is the truth.
o He is not just a powerful influence or great teacher;;the only one who can deal with sin and bring his people to that eternal home in glory.[8]
· He is the life. This answers the question, “How can I be satisfied?” Jesus Christ is the life and gives meaning and purpose to your life.
o Acts 4:12 (NASB)
12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
· The Lord Jesus Christ is the way, truth, and life.
o Without the way, there is no going.
o Without the truth there is no knowing, and
o Without the life there is no living.
§ He is the way, the truth, the life.[9]
The Way Is a Person………….In Conclusion………………………..
As we conclude this session let’s wrap this package in a neat bow and apply it😊
John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
· This is one of the most famous statements Jesus ever made about himself.
o How would you put it into your own words?
o How does it answer Thomas’s question?
· Though he hasn’t realized it, the “way” Thomas has been asking about is not actually a route, but a person. When it comes to coming to the God in heaven, Jesus does not give advice or directions, but himself. His message…
o is what we need.
§ Notice too that it is an exclusive claim: only Jesus is these things. What is possible through him is possible nowhere else.
· Thomas has been asking about the “way.” Why does Jesus add “the truth” and “the life,” do you think?
· Jesus is not one option among many—a way to find meaning and direction alongside other equally valid options. What Jesus gives us in himself is definitive—the truth, the life.
· But not only that: Jesus is also telling us that he is not just the means to some other end. He is the way, and he is the goal.
o The life he offers is not life that he has discovered and now has access to; the “life” is Jesus himself.
John 14:7 (NASB)
7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."
· What does this verse tell us about the relationship between Jesus and the Father?
· The claim Jesus has made in verse 6 is already enormous, and exclusive. This verse merely brings it to its natural conclusion. The One who is the way, the truth and the life is these things for us because he perfectly expresses who God is.
o To know Jesus, therefore, is to know the Father himself.
o There is an implied rebuke here. These disciples have been with Jesus for three years now, and yet they seem to have missed this vital and irrefutable reality, that by knowing Jesus they are not ignorant of who God is and what he’s like.
Pray
· These are enormous, life-changing claims, or at least they should be and would sink deep into your heart and mind.
· Think of people you know who need to hear these claims of Jesus. Pray for wisdom to know how to share them, and courage to do so. [10]
And for a bonus special…go to page 14
Who is God to you?
Who is God to you?
Finding our hope in Jesus gets easier when our focus is fixed on honoring Christ as Lord:
· When he is truly the Lord of our lives, then everything and everyone else who would vie for that position will fall back to their rightful place.
· When he is truly the Lord of our lives, then our hope will always come from him.
· And when he is truly the Lord of our lives, the gentleness and respect with which we are called to defend our faith will be a natural byproduct of our relationship with God.
However, for all of that to be true, he cannot be Lord in name only.
· If God’s status as our Lord is a truth to which we’ve resigned ourselves rather than a reality in which we find purpose and joy, then we have not truly made him our Lord.
· On the one hand, he is and always will be the king of all creation, and nothing we say or do will change that fact. Yet, he has chosen to give us the freedom to decide whether or not we will accept him as such. And it is the latter choice rather than the former reality that will define the degree to which you are truly prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in you.
So, which is he for you today? Begrudging king or chosen Lord?
How you answer that question will define just how much hope you truly have to share with a world in desperate need of it.
Choose wisely.
Dr. Jim Denison, The Daily Article 9-27-2024
[1]William Barclay, ed., The Gospel of John, vol. 2, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975), 156–157.
[2]J. Ramsey Michaels, John, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 258–259.
[3]Joseph H. Mayfield, “The Gospel according to John,” in John, Acts, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 1965), Jn 14:6.
[4]Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 322.
[5]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Gospel according to John, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2004), 290.
[6]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 350.
[7]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Ἀλήθεια,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991).
[8]Andrew Paterson, Opening Up John’s Gospel, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2010), 121.
[9]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from John, vol. 2, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2006), 125–131.
[10]Sam Allberry, “John,” in 90 Days in John 14–17, Romans, James, Explore by the Book (The Good Book Company, 2017), 19–20.
