The way, the truth, the life

Read John 14:5-11

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The occasion of the final two “I am” sayings in John is the long section of teaching which Jesus gave to his disciples in the upper room on the eve of his death. Once again, Jesus declares that he is the life, this time not in conjunction with the resurrection (11:25) but with the way and the truth (14:6).

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Jesus has come from the Father to reveal the Father to us. It is through him and him alone that we can come to the Father, as this “I am” saying states explicitly. This exclusive claim is rooted in his unique relationship with the Father. They are truly one with each other (14:9-11) and because of that oneness Jesus is able to make the Father known (1:18).

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So Jesus doesn’t just teach the way to live; he is the way to God (cf. “I am the gate” 10:9; Matt.7:14). That’s because he is also the truth and the life i.e. all the truth of God and all the life of God are found in Jesus. The very reason Jesus took on human form was so that we might know this truth and this life: “For this I came into the world, to testify to the truth”; “I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full” (18:37; 10:10). No one else can make such claims which is why Jesus alone is the way to the Father (Acts 4:12).