John 14:6 - The 6th I AM Statement of Jesus; The Way-maker!
John 14:6 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am
the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me.
INTRODUCTION
Twenty-three times in all we find our
Lord's meaningful "I AM" in the Greek text of this
Gospel 4:26; 6:20, 35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12, 18, 24,
28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6;
15:1, 5; 18:5, 6, 8). In several of these, He
joins His "I AM" with seven tremendous metaphors
which are expressive of His saving relationship
toward the world.
"I AM the Bread of life" (6:35, 41, 48,
51).
"I AM the Light of the world" (8:12).
"I AM the Door of the sheep" (10:7, 9).
"I AM the Good Shepherd" (10:11, 14).
"I AM the Resurrection and the Life"
(11:25).
"I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
(14:6).
"I AM the true Vine" (15:1, 5).
[MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Man's Quest
Greece said ... Be wise, know yourself.
Rome said ... Be strong, discipline
yourself.
Judaism says ... Be holy, conform
yourself.
Epicureanism says ... Be sensuous, enjoy
yourself.
Education says ... Be resourceful, expend
yourself.
Psychology says ... Be confident, fulfill
yourself.
Materialism says ... Be acquisitive,
please yourself.
Pride says ... Be superior, promote
yourself.
Asceticism says ... Be inferior, suppress
yourself.
Diplomacy says ... Be reasonable, control
yourself.
Communism says ... Be collective, secure
yourself.
Humanism says ... Be capable, trust
yourself.
Philanthropy says ... Be unselfish, give
yourself.
And on and on and on goes the quest of
man. No wonder people are confused! Pick any
thought-dish from this smorgasbord of human philosophy,
then digest it completely ... and you will find
yourself suffering from the worst case of indigestion
imaginable. It may smell good and even satisfy your
rhetorical palate during the time you are consuming it
... but it will leave you hungry, uneasy, and
searching for something else to satisfy.
Rollo May's words often interrupt my
thinking as I ponder the plight of searching men and
women today:
It is an old and ironic habit of human
beings to run faster when we have lost our way.
And so it is! Look across your office
desk tomorrow and chances are you'll be observing
a living example of someone still searching,
still running to find inner satisfaction. Step out
in front of your apartment or home tomorrow
morning and look both ways ... listen to the roar of
automobiles ... study the dwellings surrounding you.
Those sights and sounds represent people who have,
like Little Bo-Peep's sheep, "lost their way,"
and, tragedy upon tragedy - they don't know where
to find it. Many of them have tried hard to "be
religious" or "live by the golden rule" or "tie a knot
and hang on" or "be sincere," but they're still
running blind and bored and baffled.
They are attempting to fill the inner
vacuum with everything but the only thing. You name
it, it's being tried. As Henry Thoreau
declared:
The mass of men lead lives of quiet
desperation.
Robert Ingersoll, the bold and brilliant
agnostic, spent many years of his life opposing and
attacking Scriptures and Christ's claims. On his
deathbed ... at the end of his race, he uttered:
Life is a narrow veil between the cold
and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in
vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud,
and the only answer is the echo of our wailing
cry.
Ingersolls pursuit is best described
in the bumper sticker I saw on my way to work:
DON'T FOLLOW ME ... I'M LOST
Pontius Pilate, Judea's notorious
governor, stood eyeball to eyeball with Jesus of
Nazareth. In the judicial process of interrogation, he
heard Christ refer to "everyone who is of the
truth," to which Pilate replied, "What is truth?"
That question hangs heavily on the thin wire of
reason in many a mind this very hour. Pilate never
waited for an answer. He whirled away in confused
disgust. He should have stopped running and waited
for the answer. Jesus could have told him that
He alone had satisfying words of life ... for
He alone is "the way, the truth, and the life"
(John 14:6).
Christianity is not a system of human
philosophy nor a religious ritual nor a code of moral
ethics - it is the impartation of divine life
through Christ. Apart from the Way there is no going
... apart from the Truth there is no knowing ...
apart from the Life there is no living.
God says ... Be in Christ, rest yourself.
[Chuck Swindoll www.insight.org.]
COMMENTARY
In our day, as of old, the vital truths
of God's word are set aside for human theories
and speculations. Many professed ministers of
the gospel do not accept the whole Bible as the
inspired word. One wise man rejects one portion;
another questions another part. They set up their
judgment as superior to the word; and the Scripture
which they do teach rests upon their own
authority. Its divine authenticity is destroyed. Thus
the seeds of infidelity are sown broadcast; for
the people become confused and know not what to
believe. There are many beliefs that the mind has no
right to entertain. In the days of Christ the
rabbis put a forced, mystical construction upon
many portions of Scripture. Because the plain
teaching of God's word condemned their practices,
they tried to destroy its force. The same thing
is done today. The word of God is made to
appear mysterious and obscure in order to excuse
transgression of His law. Christ rebuked these practices
in His day. He taught that the word of God was
to be understood by all. He pointed to the
Scriptures as of unquestionable authority, and we
should do the same. The Bible is to be presented as
the word of the infinite God, as the end of all
controversy and the foundation of all faith.
In the sermons from many pulpits of today
there is not that divine manifestation which
awakens the conscience and brings life to the soul.
The hearers can not say, "Did not our heart burn
within us, while He talked with us by the way, and
while He opened to us the Scriptures?" Luke
24:32 Philosophical theories or literary essays,
however brilliant, cannot satisfy the heart. The
assertions and inventions of men are of no value. Let
the word of God speak to the people.
Christ's favorite theme was the paternal
tenderness and abundant grace of God; He dwelt much
upon the holiness of His character and His law;
He presented Himself to the people as the Way,
the Truth, and the Life. Let these be the themes
of Christ's ministers. Present the truth as it
is in Jesus. COL39-40
The word of God is to be our study. We
are to educate our children in the truths found
therein. It is an inexhaustible treasure; but men
fail to find this treasure because they do not
search until it is within their possession Man's
inventions are not only unreliable, they are dangerous;
for they place man where God should be. They
place the sayings of men where a "Thus saith the
Lord" should be.
Christ is the truth. His words are truth,
and they have a deeper significance than appears
on the surface. All the sayings of Christ have
a value beyond their unpretending appearance.
Minds that are quickened by the Holy Spirit will
discern the value of these sayings. They will
discern the precious gems of truth, though these may
be buried treasures.
Human theories and speculations will
never lead to an understanding to God's word.
COL109-110
There is but One who is infallible - He who
is the way, the truth, and the life. TM105
GREAT CHRISTIAN MUSICAL ON THE WAYMAKER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzkmtpMZimQ
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
John 14:6 - The 6th I AM Statement of Jesus
The Way-maker!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200607-0843.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
