Our title comes from words famously spoken by Jesus Christ, found in John’s Gospel: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John chapter 14 verse 6).

Yesterday we noted that Christ directed these words to people who already believed in the existence of God, a vital first step if we are to search for and find God. Today we ask the question, what subject was Christ addressing when He said them? Look again at the opening words of the chapter: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me” (John chapter 14 verse 1).

Christ was addressing heart trouble in His disciples. They were afraid because He had just warned them that He was about to die and that He would be leaving them. Still today, troubled hearts are not hard to find. Some are anxious over how the outcome of the referendum will affect them. Some have ongoing anxieties about making ends meet, about broken relationships, about ill health, about debt, about job security, to name just a few. Surpassing all these issues however is a matter we all ought to be concerned about, because the stakes are eternal: peace with God. The good news of the gospel is that God has a way for hearts wearied by guilt and failed efforts to find true peace, and it is through believing in Jesus Christ. Consider one of the Lord’s most beautiful invitations, where again He presents Himself as the source of this rest: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. (Matthew chapter 11 verse 28).

Our title comes from words famously spoken by Jesus Christ which are found in John’s Gospel, chapter 14 verse 6:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”

Who was Christ speaking to? What was he speaking about? Where is He the way to? How is He the truth? What does He mean by saying He is the life? We’ll try and pick off a question each day starting today with the first – who was Christ speaking to?

The words were originally spoken as part of an address designed to comfort a close group of His followers, commonly referred to as his disciples: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). I am not sure if you are more startled by the thought of believing in God, or by Christ’s incredible insistence that He is worthy of your trust as equally as God is. Certainly the disciples had no problem with belief in God; after all, they were Jews whose scriptures taught them that they existed because of God’s special creation as described in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. As the godly Jew observed the universe all around, he did so worshipfully; recognising that all the beauty, all the intricacy, all the immensity – was the direct handiwork of God. One Jewish king expressed it with these emphatic words: “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

So, who was Christ speaking to when He announced that He was the way, the truth and the life? He was speaking to people who believed, at least in the existence of God. That’s important; because we’ll never search for God, far less find God if we don’t believe that He exists; and indeed, if we don’t believe that our life is somehow better in His hands than ours. The Bible puts it this way: “without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6)