Is Jesus the Only Way? A Deep Dive into John 14 and the Road to Resurrection
In the blockbuster film Avengers: Infinity War, there is a pivotal moment where Doctor Strange uses the "time stone" to peer into over 14 million possible futures. The heroes are stuck, facing a war they don’t know how to win. Strange discovers that out of those millions of outcomes, there is only one way to victory, and that specific path requires the death of the story's main character.
This cinematic moment serves as a powerful illustration for a much older and more significant truth: there is only one way to the Father, and it required the death of our leader, Jesus Christ.
This claim of exclusivity is often controversial in our modern world, yet it remains the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Drawing from John 14:1-14, let's explore why Jesus is the only way and how this truth provides the ultimate solution for a troubled heart.
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The Problem: A Troubled Heart in a Changing World
The context of John 14 is the Upper Room during the Last Supper. The atmosphere is heavy; the disciples are deeply troubled because Jesus has just told them He is going away. Worse yet, He has informed them that they cannot follow Him yet.
Imagine the scene: you have left everything to follow this leader, and now He says He is leaving for a place you cannot go. Compare this to a chase scene in a movie. As long as you can see the person you are following, you know when to turn and where to go. But once you make that last turn and they are gone, you are suddenly lost, wondering how you will ever get to the destination.
The Radical Solution
Jesus doesn't leave His disciples in their anxiety. He gives them the solution "bottom line up front" in verse one: "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me".
This is a radical command. To a Jewish disciple, there is only one God. By telling them to believe in Him with the same conviction and "active knowing" they have for God the Father, Jesus is elevating Himself to the position of God. This marks a new phase in the revelation of God’s nature: the object of belief is now both Father and Son.
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1. The Only Way is Through Belief in Jesus
The first pillar of this teaching is that the only way to the Father is through personal belief in Jesus Christ. This is not a generic faith in a "higher power."
Challenging Inclusivism
In our pluralistic society, many hold to a view called inclusivism. This is the idea that as long as a person is "sincerely seeking" God, they don't actually need to know or believe in Jesus personally to be saved. Even some influential evangelical leaders have shied away from exclusivity, calling Jesus the "best way" rather than the "only way".
However, the text of John 14 is clear. Jesus says, "No one comes to the Father except through me". He ties belief in the Father directly to belief in Him. We cannot see the Father unless we see the Son through the eyes of faith. Salvation is not found through religion or sincerity; it is found through active belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
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2. The Way is Traveled With Jesus
Jesus describes the Father’s house not as a distant hotel where God might occasionally visit, but as a familial home. He uses the metaphor of "many rooms" to show there is a designated dwelling place for His people.
No Vacancies in Heaven
One of the most comforting aspects of John 14:3 is Jesus' promise: "I will come again and will take you to myself".
The journey to the Father is not something we have to figure out on our own. God does not do "His part" and then wait around, wringing His hands, hoping we find the way. Instead:
• Jesus prepares the place through His death, resurrection, and ascension.
• Jesus comes to take us there.
Because Jesus is the one taking us, we are guaranteed to arrive. The journey rests on His power, not ours. Heaven has no vacancies—every room Jesus prepares, He will fill. We never travel this road alone.
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3. The Rules of the Road: Mutual Indwelling
When Philip asks Jesus to "show us the Father," Jesus responds with a deep theological truth: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father".
This introduces the concept of mutual indwelling (or perichoresis). This means the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father. This relationship "regulates" or governs the way to God.
Why the Trinity Matters for Your Faith
Just as different countries have different "rules of the road," the "way" to God is governed by the nature of the Trinity. You cannot circumvent the Son to get to the Father because they are inseparable in essence and action.
• The Father acts through the Son by the Spirit.
• Whatever the Son speaks, the Father speaks.
• The authority for Jesus’ words originates in the Father.
To look for God apart from Jesus is to look for a god who does not exist.
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4. Incorporation Into the Divine Life (Greater Works)
In one of the most staggering statements in the New Testament, Jesus says that those who believe in Him will do the "greater works" because He is going to the Father.
What are "Greater Works"?
This does not mean believers will perform miracles that are superior in quality or righteousness to Jesus’ works. Rather, "greater" refers to quantity and reach.
• When Jesus was on earth, He was in one place at a time.
• Because He went to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit (the Helper) to dwell in all believers.
Now, there are millions of people all over the world, indwelt by God, doing His works simultaneously. Through the mutual indwelling, we are incorporated into the divine life. We are "in Christ," and Christ is in us. Our works testify to the world about God, just as Jesus’ works did.
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5. An Infinite Supply of Assistance
The final part of the passage focuses on Jesus’ promise in verses 13-14: "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do".
Prayer is Not a Vending Machine
This promise is often misused as a "name it and claim it" formula. However, the phrase "in my name" is not a set of magic words to get what we want from a "divine genie". Instead, it is about alignment.
As the Spirit works in us, He conforms us to the image of Christ. This changes:
• What we pray for: We begin to desire what God desires.
• How we pray: We pray as those clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Prayer is our lifeline. It is the means by which we receive the assistance necessary for the journey. When we align our hearts with the character of God, He promises to supply everything needed to reach the destination.
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Conclusion: The Road to Resurrection
We are all on a "road to resurrection," but, for there to be a resurrection, there must first be a death. On this road, we will face storms, struggles, and eventually our own mortality.
However, we do not need to be troubled. We have been pointed in the right direction, we have a companion who will never leave us, and we have an infinite supply of assistance through prayer.
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Jesus".
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Are you ready to walk the only way? If you are looking for more biblical teaching, join us at Dwell City Church as we continue our series, Unstoppable: The Road to Resurrection.