I am the Way, the Truth and the Life

It’s the fifth Sunday of Easter and today’s gospel reading comes from John 14:1-12. This gospel reading actually comes from the Last Supper discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ, but its actual title is really when our Lord says, “I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.”

“14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

“8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

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There is no question that the Lord’s way back to his Father is to seek the will of the Father and it is his Father’s will that he must sacrifice himself on the cross to save mankind and die and on the third day before rising up in all his glory with his glorified body. Remember this happened during the last Supper and the disciples of our Lord were troubled that their master was telling them something as if it was going to be their last time with him.

As what the Lord told them in today’s gospel, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” Mind you, this is the gospel that brings me a lot of hope that indeed, heaven exists and that our Lord Jesus himself would take up to where he is living with God the Father.

As we read in our gospel reading today, both Thomas and Philip wanted more than the words of assurance from their master, but as we learned from Jesus himself who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” These are the words of our Lord that encouraged many martyrs to give up their earthly life for a better one in the afterlife!

In all the books that I have read about our Lord Jesus Christ, not one person ever said that he was a liar, this means what he is telling us is true! The words of our Lord gives everyone who believes in Jesus Christ a great hope in the afterlife, that “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”