"God-in-a-Bod" who is the pathway to God...

This week we are looking at a section of a famous sermon that Jesus preached, which we know today as the Sermon on the Mount. Yesterday, in Matthew 7:13-14, we saw Jesus reveal for us the timeless truth that a right relationship with God requires a right entrance into that relationship.  The timeless reality is that to experience a right relationship with God requires that we choose a way of life that places us on the right pathway to eternal life with God as part of the kingdom of Heaven.

Now a natural question that arises here is “Well Dave that sounds great, but what exactly is that way of life? What do I need to do to make sure that I end up on the pathway that leads to eternal life with God as part of the kingdom of Heaven”? In an event from history that is recorded for us in a section of another account of Jesus life in the Bible, called the gospel of John, we see one of Jesus followers ask that very question.

However, to fully understand this encounter, we first need to understand the context in which this encounter took place. At this point in the gospel of John, Jesus is engaged in the final conversation that He would have with His disciples before He would be arrested, tried, and crucified. Jesus began that conversation with His disciples, who thought that this was going to be the time where Jesus was going to kick out the ruling Roman Empire and establish the Kingdom of Heavens, by basically saying “I love you guys, you are my spiritual children, but I am only here for a little while and then I am out of here. And while you are going to look for Me, just like I said to the self-righteous religious people who oppose Me, I say to you guys as well, you can’t follow Me where I am going. I am leaving, and you cannot follow”. Because it is in this context that we are jumping into this encounter together, beginning in John 14:1-4:

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ² "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ "And you know the way where I am going."

Here we see Jesus explain to the disciples that instead of being disturbed at His words, that they should believe in His words. Now when Jesus uses the word believe here, this word is the same word that is also translated trust in our English Bibles. This word literally means to entrust oneself with complete confidence in someone or something. Jesus is saying “You need to trust Me. Just as you are to place your confident trust in God, you need to place your confident trust in Me”. Jesus then provides the reason why they were to place their confident trust in Him: ^“In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Now the disciples had heard this kind of language before. You see, in Jesus day, the tradition of marriage was that the bridegroom would make a wedding proposal to the bride and her family. The bride and her family would then agree to the wedding proposal. At this point, however, things become much different than today, because the bridegroom would then go back to where his family lived and would prepare a place for them to live, with his family. The bridegroom would basically build an addition on his parent’s house for them to live in.

After the addition was completed, bridegroom would then come back with his entire family banging pots and pans in a loud parade-like celebration. The parade would then stop at the bride’s house, where a wedding ceremony and reception would take place, which could last several days. At the end of the celebration, the bridegroom would pick the bride up, and take her to be with his family. When Jesus uses the phrase “receive you to myself”, this phrase literally means to take someone into a close association with oneself. Jesus is saying “I am going to take you to myself”.

Now imagine yourself as a disciple. Jesus is using language of getting married, but Jesus does not have a girlfriend. And besides, He is not talking about marrying a girl. Instead, He is talking about you. Jesus has just told you that His Father’s house has many dwelling places and that He is going to prepare a place for you to be able to live in a close intimate association with Him. And if that was not enough, Jesus says that you know the way to His Father’s house. From your perspective, what would you be thinking? And it is here that we see Thomas ask the very question that Jesus words in Matthew provoke in verse 5:

 ⁵ Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"

In this question, we see Thomas reveal the confusion that the disciples were feeling. Imagine yourself as Thomas. Earlier Jesus stated that where He was going that they could not come; now Jesus is saying that they know the way where He is going? So which is it? “Jesus, I’m confused. So, can I or can’t I come with you? Jesus, how am I supposed to know the way, when you have never told us the way you are going? And where are you going? Jesus what is the way?”

You see, Thomas, as the rest of the disciples were thinking of a literal road to a literal house where they never have been, so how are they supposed to know the way there. Jesus, however, is talking about something altogether different. And it is in Jesus response that we discover the right entrance into a right relationship with God. So, let’s look at Jesus response in verse 6-7:

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. ⁷ "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

You see, Jesus was not talking about an earthly way to an earthly house. Instead Jesus was talking about the way that one could experience the relationship with God that they were created for, but had been separated from as a result of selfishness and rebellion. Jesus is saying “I am the way of life; I am the source and embodiment of truth; I am the source by which you can experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that you were created for forever. And there is only way to experience that forgiveness and relationship. No one comes to experience that forgiveness and relationship with God apart from placing their trust in Me. You need to trust Me. Just as you are to place your confident trust in God, you need to place your confident trust in Me. If you really understood who I was as both life and the source of life, you would really understand who God was”.

Now, so often John 14:6 is used like a sledge hammer by Christians to argue for the exclusive nature of salvation through Jesus alone in order to experience a right relationship with God. And so often, when Christians quote Jesus words here, they like to place special emphasis on certain words in this verse. So often the conversation sounds something like this: Well you know that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to Heaven. Jesus Himself said in John 14:6 I am the WAY, I am the TRUTH, I am the LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME”.

But when you look at the context, do you really think that Jesus communicated these words to His disciples with that emphasis?  Do you really think Jesus used these words like a sledgehammer? No Jesus here is talking to His closest followers who were confused and who felt that their world had been turned upside down. Jesus here is basically saying to His followers “Guys I AM the way, I AM the truth, I AM the life; no one comes to the Father but THROUGH ME. So guys, COME THROUGH ME. TRUST ME. FOLLOW ME.

You see, unlike how this verse is often used by Christians, Jesus here is inviting His followers to trust Him. Jesus is inviting His followers into relationship with Him. When you look at this verse in its context, we discover that John 14:6 is inclusive and John 14:6 is exclusive. Jesus invitation is inclusive; everyone is invited to experience a right relationship with God. And Jesus invitation is exclusive in that there is only one way to experience a right relationship with God. And that way is through Jesus, who is the way.

Up to this point, the twelve disciples had not fully grasped the full significance of who Jesus was. The disciples had not fully wrapped their minds around who Jesus was and how He was connected and related to God. However, Jesus explained to the disciples that would change. And as this conversation continued, Jesus would continue to blow up their categories when it came to who He was and how He was connected to God. We see Jesus begin to demolish their categories as another of the disciples asks a question in verse 8:

 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

In other words, Phillip asks “Jesus all you have to do is take us to God and we will be good. So, Jesus, just take us to God already, then things will be clear”. We see Jesus response in verse 9-11:

Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father '? ¹⁰ "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. ¹¹ "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.

In other words, Jesus says “Phillip, where have you been these past three years? How is it that you have not come to the know that I am God. Phillip, I am God in a bod. You see Phillip, I do not need to take you to God, because I am God who has come to you to reveal and explain myself to you.” When Jesus uses the phrase “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me” Jesus is revealing the reality that He is God in a bod.

Jesus Christ is the second member of the Triune God. Jesus has the same nature and essence as God the Father. Jesus then backed His statement by explaining that His message and teachings are not of His own initiative. In other words, Jesus is not coming up with what He is saying. Instead, it is God the Father abiding in Me that initiates both His message and His miracles. Now when Jesus uses the word abide here, this word means to not leave a certain sphere of existence, to remain connected.

Jesus here is revealing the reality that He and God the Father are distinct but inseparably related and connected with one another. That is why earlier in the gospel of John, in John 1:18, John stated that the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. Jesus came to earth to reveal and explain God to humanity and to rescue humanity from their selfishness and rebellion.

And because Jesus is God-in-a-bod, Jesus provides us the pathway to God. Jesus provides the pathway to God because Jesus entered into humanity in order to live the life that we were created to live but refused to live, and then willingly allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives, so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life. And because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection, Jesus invites everyone to behave and engage in life in a way that places them on the pathway that leads to entering into eternal life with God as part of the Kingdom of Heaven.

And that way, that pathway is Jesus. And while everyone is invited to take that way and pathway, that pathway is narrow, that pathway is exclusive. And unfortunately, few choose that pathway. Many choose to behave and engage in life in a way that places them on that pathway that results in entering a gate that leads to eternal punishment after being found guilty of evil and wrongdoing that flows from a selfishness and rebellion against God.

So, with that in mind, here is a question to consider: What way, what pathway are you on? Are you engaging in life in a way that has placed you on that pathway that results in entering a gate that leads to eternal punishment after being found guilty of evil and wrongdoing that flows from a selfishness and rebellion against God? Or are you engaging in life in a way that places them on the pathway that leads to entering a gate that leads to eternal life with God as part of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Now you might be wondering “how do I engage in a life that places me on the pathway that leads to entering into eternal life with God as part of the Kingdom of Heaven? Friday we will answer that question…