Journey to the Truth
Devotional

By Dr. Joseph Matos

John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)

Many things are needed to go on a journey: clothes, funds, transportation, and fuel (among other things). However, you won’t go anywhere without two essentials: knowledge of your destination and the directions needed to get there. Still, there is the need for proof that you have arrived at the destination. There is a sense of relief when you do arrive.

Likewise, the journey to truth requires a definition of truth (directions) and a proper test to evaluate when truth has been attained (destination). Sadly, with the prevailing view in society that truth is subjective, relative, with no standard for objective truth, proof of arrival is impossible.^[1] If truth is relative, there are no directions, and consequently, there is no way to know you have arrived at the destination. You will only wander. This is what makes Jesus’ claim about himself as the truth stand out.

Background/Context

Jesus spent the last night before his death with his disciples. After they ate, Jesus delivered his farewell discourse in which he gave them commands to live out and words of comfort for the time of his absence. Jesus’ first words of comfort assured the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them and come back to take them to be with him where he is. He assured them they knew the place where he was going (John 14:1-4). But Thomas interjected with a question: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5).

Main Claim

Jesus’ response could not be bolder, for in it he identified himself both as the destination and the direction of truth. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He declared himself the definition (the way) and the destination of truth. His statement is neither subjective, nor relative. In fact, the statement negates these very ideas of truth. To find him is to find the truth. Bolder still, he made the most exclusive claim of all. He said he is the only way to the Father, and to know him was to know the Father (John 14:7-11).

In a world of relativism, such an exclusive claim is offensive. But it should bring comfort. There is no comfort in relativism, only uncertainty. In a world of uncertainty and a world that asserts certainty is out of reach, Jesus offers certainty, and it is to be found in him.

Application

The journey to truth requires both a destination and directions. A genuine journey will culminate with verification not by its location on a map but by its identification with a person, the person of Jesus. Once you come into a relationship with Jesus, you have life, and all other truth will be seen in light of him as the ultimate truth.

If you haven’t done so, you can enter a relationship with Jesus today. Just pray to God and say, “Lord, I have sinned and need you. Jesus, I believe that you died on the Cross for my sins and have defeated death. I ask you to come into my life, and I submit it to you!”

Devotional Continued…

Jesus’ words offer his followers assurance. Such assurance should not be confused with intolerance or arrogance, as many assert.^[2] Why? Because the assurance does not rest on the one who claims that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life,^[3] but it rests on Jesus himself, who made that declaration. Let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ statement.

Grammatical Considerations

To fully grasp the weight of Jesus’ statement in John 14:6, we must look closely at the original Greek text. There are basically three components of grammar to consider: the emphatic use of the pronoun “I”; the use of the definite article “the” with way, truth, and life; and the exclusive implication Jesus draws from his declaration in the first part of the verse.

In John’s record of Jesus’ statement, he uses the expression Ἐγώ εἰμι (ego eimi). The word ego is the pronoun “I.” Because Greek verb forms have pronoun endings indicating their subject, pronouns are typically only used for clarity, contrast, or emphasis. In this instance, the “I” is for emphasis. As such, envision this phrase as a verbal expression of Jesus’ pointing at himself when making the statement that follows.^[4]

Further, there is the definite article “the” preceding each of the words, way, truth, and life. In English, the article “the” points to something specific or unique. In Greek, the definite article functions similarly, but can have greater nuance, often highlighting particularity, uniqueness, and limitation. In this context, Jesus excludes the notion of his merely being “a way,” “a truth,” or “a life.” He is not even saying, and can’t be saying, that he is “one way,” “one truth,” or “one life.”

Lastly, Jesus makes plain what logically follows from this statement in the closing words of the verse. He says, “no one” comes to the Father, except through me. The phrase behind the English word “except” is a conditional “if not.” Thus, if not through Jesus, no one comes to the Father.

When all of that is taken into consideration, the impact of Jesus’ words in this verse can be expressed as follows: “I am the way (I and no one else), I am the truth (I and no one else), and I am the life (I and no one else). If you want to get to the Father, the only way is to come through me.”

This grammatical precision reinforces the bold and exclusive nature of Jesus’ claim, leaving no room for ambiguity or relativism. Yes, it is exclusive, but that exclusivity brings assurance. There is no question, no doubt, no uncertainty. The path is clear, the destination is certain, and the source of true life is unequivocally identified.

Implication: Exclusivity as Universal Hope

While Jesus’ claim is exclusive in its method, it is profoundly universal in its hope. Since he is the only way at all; he is the only way for all. This is not universalism; everyone is not automatically saved. Rather, it asserts that the only way to the Father is through his Son, Jesus, so that all who come to Jesus have the Father also.

Jesus himself hints at this expansive reach. In John 14:2, he speaks of the Father’s house having “many rooms,” suggesting a welcoming place for many. And in John 10:16, he declares, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.” These “other sheep” refer to believers coming from all people groups. His exclusivity is precisely what provides a universal hope, making him the only way for everybody, regardless of background.

This truth is reiterated throughout the New Testament. John 14:7 states, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” This is further expanded in 1 John 2:1-2: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” More warning with assurance is in 1 John 2:23, which says, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

Countering Relativism’s Claims

Relativism asserts that all claims to truth stand equally next to one another. That simply cannot stand in the face of John 14:6. Consider this: if relativism is true, then by its own definition, it must affirm Jesus’ claim in John 14:6 as true. Yet, if Jesus’ claim is true, relativism is false, for his claim renders other truth claims false. Affirming Jesus’ words inherently refutes relativism.

Conclusion

In a world that often feels lost, uncertain, and adrift, Jesus offers a compass (the way), a map (the truth), and the very ground beneath our feet (the life). He is not just a guide, but the path itself. He is not just a teacher, but the embodiment of truth. He is not just a giver of life, but life itself. His exclusive claim is not a barrier to be resented, but a promise to be embraced. It is the assurance that when we put our trust in him, we are on the only certain path to the Father, to ultimate truth, and to eternal, abundant life. Therein, we find comfort.

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^[1] Ironically, saying truth is subjective, or that it is relative, is an objective truth claim. So, the claim defeats itself. But that is another discussion.

^[2] That is not to say there aren’t intolerant and arrogant Christians.

^[3] And this is where many objectors fail to grasp the concept. Christians aren’t making these claims; they are resting their trust in Jesus, who said those words.

^[4] The use of Ἐγώ εἰμι is prominent in the Gospel of John. It appears in the seven “I am” sayings: 6:35; 8:12; 10:7; 10:11 (14); 11:25; 14:6; 15:10. In its absolute forms it often means “it is I.” Most famously, it appears in Jesus’ statement, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58) and his identification of himself with God when he revealed his name to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14.