I AM

I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

In John Chapter 14 there is a picture of Jesus Christ in the upper room discourse. Jesus is teaching his disciples and comforting them during the “Last Supper”. This is approximately 18 hours before Jesus goes to the Cross to die for our sins. Jesus is reinforcing the teachings about believing in God and telling them to also believe in me in verse 1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” Jesus is explaining that he must go and prepare a place for them.

In verse 2; “For in my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (Vs. 3) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there may ye be also” (Vs. 4) “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” (Scofield, 1909). Jesus is giving them the assurance that they know the way in verse 3 & 4.  

Thomas is still a bit unsure in verse 5 and he doesn’t see the beauty of what Jesus is going to accomplish, the same goes for Phillip and the rest of the disciples in John 14:8 by the use of the word “us”. In Dr. Towns’ book “Believe and Live” on page 140, Dr. Towns notes that; “the disciples had a sense of disillusionment” as a result of Jesus’ coming departure and the traumatic events that are about to occur and have been referenced by Jesus. (Towns, 2002) 

In John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Scofield, 1909). In the Morris text on Pg. 192, Morris notes that; this is “twice he tells us that Jesus said he is life” (Morris, 1989). The other time is in John 11:25 when Jesus is speaking to Martha as Morris points out (Morris, 1989).

 John 14:6 is so powerful in its own content and text, spoken by Jesus and backed up by the Father in not only John 3:16 “For God so Loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Scofield, 1909). In the paragraph below this one are some of the other verses that testify of the deity of Jesus Christ. We must remember that even though John wrote these verses within the Book of John, that these writing are inerrant and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Within the writings of D.K. Clark He says “The Bible often uses truth in the personal sense. When Christ claims, “I am the…truth” (John 14:6) he describes himself as the reliable path to God” (Elwell, 2009).

These following verses give testament to Jesus’ deity; John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (Scofield, 1909). John 3:34 “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him” (Scofield, 1909). “Jesus carried the Spirit of God within himself; Jesus had the full measure of Spirit” (Webb, 2011 Pg. 30).

To present a few more verses, I will bring your attention to a series of verses within John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Scofield, 1909). John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (Scofield, 1909). In John 1:9 “That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Scofield, 1909).  Jesus goes on to tell us in verse 11 “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” (Scofield, 1909). In order to make light of this truth and to present some more evidence for Jesus’ deity through God the Father, one must examine Isaiah chapter 42:1-25 as God speaks through Isaiah. (1) “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. (2) He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. (3) A bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. (4) He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (5) Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: (6) I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. (7) To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and to them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (8) I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (9) Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (10) Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles and the inhabitants thereof. (11) Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. (12) Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands. (13) The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, he shall roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. (14) I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. (15) I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. (16) And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. (17) They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. (18) Hear ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. (19) Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? (20) Seeing many things, but thou observes not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. (21) The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. (22) But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil and none saith, Restore. (23) Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come? (24) Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. (25) Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart” (Scofield, 1909).

This chapter of Isaiah I dared not to take any verse out of context, nor was I to break it up into individual verses due to its profound impact for the point of revealing the deity of Jesus Christ through the Father. In verse three of this chapter, one needs to understand the symbology of the “bruised reed” which is that of us humans being fragile and weak (Thorndike, Barnhart, 1978). The other portion in reference to the “smoking flax” is to refer to us humans as feeble, disheartened, and ready to go out as that of a flickering candle. (Thorndike, Barnhart, 1978) This I feel would be within a dual reference to not only the followers of the Mosaic covenant, but also to the Mosaic covenant itself in which the process of replacement that would be covered in the book of Hebrews by Jesus carrying out the Father’s Will. In Isaiah 42:9 we have reference to this act; “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them” (Scofield, 1909). Hebrews 8:6-8 tells us this; “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (7) “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (8) For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Scofield, 1909). Within Hebrews 7:28 a unique point is made that ties together not only Isaiah 42:3 by the use of “infirmity” in Hebrews 7:28, and Isaiah 42:3 “bring forth judgment unto truth” for this connection with Hebrews 7:28 “For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore” (Scofield, 1909). But the last part of Hebrews 7:28 “maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore” this passage and the use of the word “consecrated”- set apart as sacred; made holy (Thorndike, Barnhart, 1978) ties in with John 14:6 when Jesus tells us that he is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” For the believers or followers of the Mosaic covenant, one must reference verse 16 of Isaiah 42 “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them” (Scofield, 1909). The really beautiful part about Isaiah 42 and especially verse 1-4 according to Matthew Henry is that “this prophecy is fulfilled and stated within Matthew 12:17” (Henry, 2011).

God tells us who Jesus is and states his deity in many passages that go even beyond what has been revealed in the Book and chapter 42 of Isaiah and in the Book of John as well. One could easily reference the book of Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Scofield, 1909). The use of “us” and “our” gives the implication of more than one indicating another form of deity, yet one in the same. Genesis 2:7 Phrases such as; “And the Lord God,” “the breath of Life,” (Scofield, 1909) in order to give another example of deity. The atonement of the blood sacrifice for Adam and Eve for their sins in the Garden of Eden all point to Jesus Christ by God himself, to be the atonement for the sins of mankind and of the world. It is only due to man’s ignorance and pride and haughtiness that generations before ours and even our own generations fail to see this for the truth that has been revealed by God himself. God Bless! (I can’t wait to preach this.)  

Bibliography

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary. unknown, May 3, 2011.

Morris, Leon. Jesus is the Christ. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989.

Scofield, C.I. The Holy Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1909.

Thorndike-Barnhart. "The World Book Dictionary." World Book- Childcraft International, Inc., 1978.

Towns, Elmer. John Believe and Live. Canada: AMG Publishers, 2002.

Webb, David. Straight is the gate, Narrow is the Way. Charleston: Create Space Publishing, 2011.