Jesus is the Way to Heaven

by Whitney V. Myers

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Majestic Sunset - Carpathian Mountains - 123RF - with John 14:6

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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6).

This article is the fifth and final article in the series on the topic, “About the Way.”

     Consider.  The eternal Jesus Christ is the road, the path, the journey to the Father, and to the Father's dwelling place, heaven.  

Immediately before Jesus said "I am the way" (John 14:6), Jesus told his disciples, "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).

     Jesus is eternal.  Jesus Christ is the same "I AM" that appeared to Moses in the burning bush (John 8:58; Exodus 3:6; Exodus 3:14). 

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

     Jesus is the way.  Jesus invites us to follow him to the destination.  Jesus is the road, and the journey to the destination. 

The Greek word for "follow" is akoloutheó.  Akoloutheó means to be in the same way with, that is, to accompany as a disciple (Ref. 1).

The rich young ruler asked Jesus what he could do to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17).  Mark 10:21 describes Jesus' invitation to the young man to follow Jesus.  "Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, 'One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' "  The young man refused Jesus' invitation to accompany Jesus as a disciple.  Mark tells us the young man "was saddened, and he went away grieving" (Mark 10:22).

     Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, to the Father's dwelling place, heaven.  Jesus is the only way to the Father because only Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin. 

"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, ... let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-20, 22).

"But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

"Unless you believe that I AM, you’ll die in your sins” (John 8:24).

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Our Response to Jesus

What is your response to Jesus?  Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6).  Are you ready to believe in him?  Are you willing to follow Jesus to our heavenly destination?

If you do not already trust in Jesus, then I encourage you to pray through these steps in your own words.

     Believe in Jesus.  

• Confess your sins to Jesus.  Thank Jesus for forgiving your sins (1 John 1:9). 
• Put your trust in Jesus.  Believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 3:16).  Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). 
  
  

     Follow Jesus.

• Ask Jesus to teach you, to lead you, and to help you follow him faithfully each day.
  
  

     "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).

     "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

     "Teach me your ways, O Lord; make them known to me.  Teach me to live according to your truth, for you are my God, who saves me.  I always trust in you" (Psalm 25:4-5).

Now that you have put your trust in Jesus, I encourage you to:

• Read your Bible daily to learn more about God.  You may want to start by reading one of the gospel accounts such as Mark or John.  The Holy Spirit will teach you as you read the Scriptures (John 16:13).
  
  
• Seek out a local body of believers where you can worship, fellowship, and learn by receiving good teaching about God's inspired word, the Bible.  Some churches may offer a special teaching class for new believers.
  
  

Reference
1.  http://biblehub.com/greek/190.htm

To learn more about the following topics, please visit the About the Way page or the previous posts with dates noted:

• The Remedy for a Troubled Heart (April 22, 2018)
• Who is Jesus?  (May 6, 2018)
• The Way of the Lord (Old Testament)  (May 20, 2018)
• What Does “The Way" Mean in the New Testament?  (June 3, 2018)
• Why is Jesus the Only Way to Heaven?
• Are You Ready to Believe in Jesus?