THE ONLY WAY

No one would have complained if Jesus had simply taught about God. Who would have been upset if He had simply presented His take on the Scriptures, after all, He was called “Teacher” and everyone knows that all teachers have a curriculum. No, He went much further when he said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Fact is, He presented Himself. He did not propose simply a way to God. He proposes Himself as the unique entrance into knowing who God is. This is what has been called the scandalous claim of the Gospel and that’s what got Jesus crucified (from the human perspective) by a broad coalition of Jewish leaders, Roman authorities, and a mob mentality.

Jesus’ claim is also a huge stumbling block for present day nonbelievers because it contradicts the spirit of our age. People want an advisor, not a Lord. They want a mentor, not a Master. The prevailing mood of our culture is to accept some of the truth of Jesus’ message without accepting the unique claims of divinity. People appreciate Jesus the philosopher, but, at all cost, avoid Jesus the King of all creation. It is simply too demanding to follow one Lord to the exclusion of all others.

Most of us know, theologically, to reject such a compromising view of the Savior. However, we daily consume information from a variety of sources, many of which tell us of another way, another truth, and another life. We try to ignore them, but do some find accommodation in our mental processes? Do rivals pop up to rival Jesus to whom our hearts bow –a career field, a political perspective, a relationship, a lifestyle, a philosophy? We may let many sources direct us when in reality there is only one revelation – Jesus Himself. His claim is undeniably exclusive, and at some point or issue we may hesitate to narrow ourselves to Him alone, but that’s what He insists on. Our choice is to be obedient or disobedient, but either way we choose, He is still the only way.