John 14:6 (The Living Bible) “Jesus told him, ‘I am the Way—yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.’ “

With His words “I am the way, the truth and the life,” Jesus shares the reality of the way to salvation.  By following Him, as we would follow a road map, we can find our way in life.

Maps and the study of geography have fascinated me since I was a child. I often decorated our driveway and front sidewalk with my chalk drawings of imaginary towns with streets and houses for the citizens to travel on and to live in. Studying maps of other countries and cities held an allure that I still enjoy. I have often wondered what a job as a cartographer would entail.

Before the advent of GPS, stacks of folded paper maps sat at the checkout counter in convenience stores and gas stations as giveaway items. Interpreting those wavy intersecting lines of frontage roads, highways and freeways was usually the task of the person occupying the front passenger seat of the car. Those maps and the later iteration of Thomas Brothers guides were essential items for roadtrip warriors in case of a wrong turn along the way.

I recently read an intriguing book titled The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. The plot centered on a particular gas station folded paper map which changed the lives of those who held it in their possession. Despite being a fictional book, I could see parallels to the statements by Jesus found in the passage in John.

 

Jesus said “I am the Way..”

Those paper maps and guides come to mind as I consider Jesus’s claim to be the Way.  Sadly, we, as humans, often want to find our own way and take what could be dangerous detours. Granted, detours  can be planned or unplanned, which I shared in my post of 2/11/2022, but the path Jesus sets before us will never lead us into the wilds.

Life coach and counselor John Michael Helms says: “If we were all honest, we would say that we have all been lost. If we were all honest, we would all confess that when we are confused about life, about the direction we are to go, too many of us have turned down several wrong roads because we were too prideful to ask for help.”

Sound familiar? I encourage you to spend some time reading the “road map” of His words found in the pages of the Bible.

 

The second claim that Jesus makes in John 14:6 is that He is the Truth. What is behind the word “truth” in this passage?

If something is true, it is real, dependable, right, sincere, and full of integrity. We can apply this meaning to a situation or to someone’s character. When Jesus labels Himself as the “truth,” He is affirming these aspects of His character.

He is who He says He is as truth is at the core of His being.

In John 8:32 (ESV), Jesus said …”and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Free from what?  Freedom from sin… the lies that Satan whispers to us…condemnation… death. Knowing Jesus sets us free.

Jesus offers life… real life… meaningful life.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (ESV) tells us: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you LIFE and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose LIFE, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days…”  Jesus’s words in the passage from John reflect back to these verses from the Old Testament. By choosing to follow Him, we choose life eternal.

Proverbs 11:14 (The Message) tells us: “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”

Jesus offers that direction, so keep in mind that when you are lost and feel you have strayed from the Way, the Truth and the Life, finding your way back is as simple as making a U-turn.