Pastor Michael Cofer
John 14:6
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Well, we’re here, which means that the world didn’t end yesterday after all. I have to say, I am a little disappointed, but I’m not terribly surprised. You might remember that Jesus said, “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” And if Jesus doesn’t know, there’s no way a radio preacher from California knows.
Still, it’s interesting stuff. It’s the stuff of headlines: the idea that there’s secret codes in the Bible, some sort of secret conspiracy tucked away by God, just waiting to be discovered. Christianity would be so much more marketable if it were just a little bit more complicated.
But it’s not. Christianity is incredibly simple. In fact, it is so simple, it’s difficult to explain it accurately. But we try, anyways. It starts in Sunday school, where the correct answer to every question is, “Jesus!” Of course, as we get older and go to confirmation there’s all kinds of memory work, and roughly 5 billion questions that we have to answer… and all of them boil down to “Jesus.” I went to seminary, and for 4 years I study theology. Guess what I learned? The answer to every question is “Jesus…” I just had to be able to explain why.
I know, it sounds a little hokey, but it’s true. That doesn’t mean our faith is shallow, or trite. In fact, it’s kind of scandalous when you get right down to it. As much as people like to think they like Jesus, if you take his words seriously, he’d tick off a lot of people.
Consider one of Jesus’ most famous sayings: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” It is a beautiful phrase, but how often do we ponder what those words really mean? If you ask Buddhists what “the way” is, they’d probably point you toward the Eightfold path. If you were to ask a Muslim what “the way” is, they’d probably point you toward the Five Pillars of Islam. If you asked a Jewish person what “the way” is, they might point you toward the teachings of the Torah.
What is interesting, however, is that Christians don’t have a set of teachings that they point to as “the way. For a Christian, “The Way,” is not a philosophical or moral system, it is a person: Jesus. This is the thing that makes Christianity stand out. In fact, if Christianity is presented with honesty, most of the world will be shocked and offended by it.
Every other religion out there will always boil down to one basic premise: it is a man’s responsibility to save himself. Maybe that’s through obedience to a strict code of conduct. Maybe that’s through embracing a specific philosophy. Maybe that’s in just doing what feels right. Whatever the particulars, every other religion centers on mankind doing what needs to be done.
But in Christianity, the whole equation is different. One of the most foundational truths of Christianity is this: nobody can save themselves. A lot of people find that idea repugnant. I mean, if religion isn’t about bettering ourselves, what good is it? And that’s where our faith shows how different it is from the rest of the world. It isn’t a step-by-step how-to guide for becoming the best we can be. It isn’t really about us at all; it’s about Jesus.
We live in a pretty open-minded world, where tolerance and genuineness are more important than truth. I have to say that as an American, I fully believe in the rights of an individual to choose what religion they want to pursue. As a Christian, I also fully believe that every other religion is wrong. I know that doesn’t sound terribly tolerant, but neither is Jesus’ claim to be “The Way, The Truth, and The Life.” Those are exclusive claims. Jesus isn’t just “one of many paths to God,” he is the only path.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I hear someone say something like, “it doesn’t matter what you believe. The important thing is that you believe.” Sound very nice and enlightened doesn’t it? But the problem is that people can honestly believe in things that are wrong. Once upon a time, people honestly believed the sun went around the earth. Did that make it true? Some people honestly believed the world would end yesterday. Did that make it true? If I honestly believed I could fly, would I survive a leap off of the Sears Tower? Of course not, because it matters what you believe.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. However intolerant it may be, I believe Him when He says that. Of course, that doesn’t make everybody who isn’t a Christian stupid, they’re just wrong. And I can’t really look down on them or mock them for their beliefs, because at the core of my faith is the realization that I’m as messed up as anyone else. If Jesus’ hadn’t found me, I’d be just as lost as anyone else. If Jesus hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead.
A lot of churches these days won’t say what I’m saying today. They don’t want to sound arrogant or narrow-minded. Neither do I, but that doesn’t change the facts. Left to my own devices, I would be forever lost, and forever dead; and if you can’t get that point then Good Friday and Easter are absolutely meaningless. But once you face the Truth, you are ready to accept the good news that in Christ is Life. He is that Life. Every other road leads to death, but Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
It’s all about Him. It’s not about making our own path, finding our own way, or discovering our own truth. It’s about knowing Jesus, the almighty God whose words cause things to be. He doesn’t merely show us the Way, He carries us to our destination because He is the Way. He doesn’t merely reveal Truth, He defines it because He is it. He doesn’t merely teach us about Life, He makes us live because He is the Life.
