I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life – John 14:6
Jesus tells his disciples that he is the way and the truth and the life. He says this at a time when they are anxious and trembling because of the events that were about to take place. They had heard him speak of death, his coming to betray them, Judas leaving them, and a prophecy that Peter would deny him three times.
He also reminded them that he was soon going to be arrested, tried, and executed. All of this, and more, was to happen within hours.
John 14:6 is a part of what scholars call a farewell discourse, which Jesus gave to his disciples as he prepared to depart from them. He knew this was about to happen and, knowing it, he wanted to give them comfort so they could remain confident and strong in their faith.
In this passage, Jesus gives his disciples a lot of information that is very helpful to them. First, he assures them that they will receive the Holy Spirit (verse 26). This is important because, prior to his resurrection, nobody in history had ever received the Spirit of Christ.
Then he says that this new experience will lead to them doing much more. They will be able to point people to him and to his Father (verse 17).
These words of Jesus are packed with Christian doctrine and have several different meanings. One of them is that the love of God leads to a willing and often sacrificial obedience to his commands. That’s a powerful statement because it shows that loving God means putting aside everything else in your life and focusing solely on him. It’s a great contrast to the idea that loving God is simply an emotional response.
