WHERE ARE WE GOING? – (2)

“I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6

Read the story here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2014:1-9&version=NIV

Listen to story here:  http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/John.14  

How does a person get to God?  What is the way to take?

Another word for a “way” is a path, a trail, a road.  Jesus was saying he IS the path that

connects us with God the Father. 

A common self-reference among the early Christians was "disciples," meaning "followers of a teaching."  But in Acts these followers were also referred to as "the Way" (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22).*

It’s kind of a strange image, thinking of Jesus (person) as if he were a pathway (object).  But isn’t that the same thing we’re doing to God by thinking of him as some kind of destination or place we need to get to?

Jesus : path :: God : heaven.

We need to rethink the analogy.  God is a person.  A VERY important person.  So how do we get access to an important person?  Through another person!  Have you ever tried to get a job and you knew someone who knew the boss.  Bingo!  The job is yours through personal connection.  Your friend was the WAY to the boss.

you : your friend :: your friend : boss

Jesus is the WAY to the Father.

*Wikipedia

WHERE ARE WE GOING? – (1)

I am the way …. John 14:6

“You know the way to the place where I am going” John 14:4

Read the story here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2014:1-9&version=NIV

Listen to story here:  http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/John.14  

Jesus said: “I am the way.”

But where are we going?

Watch  Going As Fast As Possible!  for an interesting view of our modern how-and-where movements.  And that is just in Singapore!  I could post time-lapse movement videos from New York, Tokyo, Jakarta … you name it.  We are all pretty much moving as fast as we can … but where?

The first step in planning the way is knowing the where; we plan the route after we set the destination.   In daily life we think we know.  Going to London, take a plane.  Going downtown, take a car or bus.  Then you can get on MapQuest, plot coordinates into your GPS, or just ask Siri.  With modern technology, it’s easy to find the way.

Jesus told his friends at dinner one night, “You know the way to the place where I am going.”  Thomas, confused, said “We don’t even know where you’re going!”

What was Thomas’s problem?  He wasn’t listening.  Jesus had just said, “My Father’s house has many rooms; …  I am going there to prepare a place for you.” 

Not that I blame Thomas – at the time Jesus was saying a lot of strange things about leaving, and he was giving speeches like it was his last meal or something.  Rather disturbing.  Who would understand that Jesus could know he was about to go into heaven and be with God the Father? 

But that’s exactly what Jesus meant.

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”

Translation: I am the way to God.  The only way to God.  You have access to him and know him because you know me.

So, now do you know where Jesus was going that night?  He was going to heaven to be with the Father.  If you want to go too, you know the WAY.

NO LONGER BLIND! – (4)

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth." John 9:1

“The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” John 9:11

Read the story here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%209&version=NIV

Listen to story here:  http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/John.9  

Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” 

But he didn’t just say it.  He acted it out.  He created an object lesson to show the people the truth of who he was.  In the same way he had said “I am the bread of life,” and then he gave them bread.

Jesus did an unimaginable thing in this passage: He created sight.  This man had been born blind.  There was never an illness or injury which robbed him of sight so that sight could be restored.  These eyes did not have the capacity for sight – and Jesus gave them sight.  This is a creative miracle.  Everyone recognized the difference.

Everyone, that is, except an elite group of religious leaders.  You see, Jesus broke a law while doing the creative miracle.  Through Moses, God had given the people  a law: “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy,”   but over the years many more rules had been added.  NO WORK, even if it was helping someone, could be done without breaking the law.  Jesus broke the law, therefore he was bad:  “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But despite persecution, the healed man himself declared:

“Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

This is one of the clearest statements—proving Jesus was sent from God because of the miracles he did—in the entire New Testament.  Bravo! to this man who saw things so clearly!

So the story ends ironically.  Jesus said:

“For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Jesus IS the LIGHT of the world:

With him, we will see;

Without him, we will become blind.

Got light?