4/9/11 John 14:4-7 The Narrow Way

⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”


(Thomas by Carravgio 1602-1603)

Thoughts: Thomas is often remembered as the Apostle who doubted, and was told by God to put his fingers in Jesus' wounds.  Yet this one who doubted really wanted to be with Jesus.  He wanted to go the way Jesus was going. In another instance, Thomas had said, "Let us go that we might die with Him."  But it is in Jesus' death that the way was made for Thomas and for all of us.  Jesus made a narrow claim that would be uncalled for if it were not true.  He is not just A way or A truth but THE way and THE truth with NO one coming to the Father but by Him.  In our day of trying to devalue the Christian faith to make it only one way among many, this statement stands out as unique.  These are not the narrator's words, but Jesus' own words and claims about Himself.  It was because of this unique claim that the Romans (and many in our day) have a problem with Christian faith, and the leaders of the Jews at the time considered His tremendous claim to speak against their idea of truth. 

Prayer: Help me Lord, to follow in your way and to find you at the end of the road.

John Calvin Abridged: In order to fortify their faith Jesus points out his death is not the end but a passageway to the Father; and they know the way to go to participate in the same glory.  Thomas shows his confusion.  But before we enter a road we must know where we intend to go.  He is the life- and the way to obtain that life is to become a new creature.  Seeking God elsewhere than in Christ tears Him away from His true and solid dignity.  The way refers to the beginning of faith; the truth refers to the perfection of faith. The meaning of this is: “If any man turn aside from Christ, he will do nothing but go astray; if any man do not rest on Him, he will feed elsewhere on nothing but wind and vanity; if any man, not satisfied with Him alone, wishes to go farther."