One day, Jesus Christ was with His disciples and He was talking to them about a mystery; about something He was going to do; that he was going to prepare a place for them in heaven, and when He is done preparing it, He would come to take them away to that place and be with them. Then, He told His disciples that they knew the way to the place He was going to go.
This made one of His disciples called Thomas to ask, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way (John 14:5)?” This question led to this very popular verse in the Scriptures –
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6)
Meaning of John 14:6
First of all, John 14:6 means that Jesus is the only way through which humanity can serve God. Apart from Christianity, there are a few other religions that believe that there is a Supreme God who rules the universe. In most African traditional religions, they believe in the existence of the Supreme God and they believe they can serve the Supreme God through lesser gods – gods living in streams, trees, rivers, etc. Jews serve God through the Law given to Moses; they observe the commandments, the statutes, the feast, etc. written in the Law with the intention of serving God. Mohammed, his teachings, and the examples he set have become the path through which all Muslims serve the living God. Etc. As far as religion is concerned we have many ways to the living God. Is any of these ways superior to the rest? Is any of these ways better than the rest? That is a big question. John 14:6 is the answer to that question. Jesus is the only true way to serve God; the other ways are counterfeit. The living God shall reckon a person as a true worshipper only if he is a staunch follower of Jesus.
Secondly, John 14:6 means that Jesus is the only way we humans can connect or relate well to God to become His friends, sons and daughters, heirs, etc. How is your relationship with the living God? How do you want the living God to regard you, as a friend or as a foe, as a son or as sinful creation? Anyway, automatically, every human has a relation with God; He is the creator and we are His creation, and because of our sins we have become enemies to Him (Romans 5:10). So there is enmity between the natural man and God. Is there any solution to this? Surely there is. If you want to remove the enmity between you and God and be reckoned as a son or daughter before God then Jesus is the answer. No father-son relationship would come between sinful mankind and a holy God without Jesus for it is only Jesus who grants mankind the power to become children of God. It is written, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. (John 1:12)”
Thirdly, John 14:6 means that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Salvation is a state – it is a state where, continuously, your sins are forgiven, you are reconciled with God, you are justified, sanctified, etc, before the living God. To receive all these blessings of forgiveness, justification, etc, from God, you have no option other than to plead in the name of His begotten Son Jesus. For it is also written that except through Jesus’ name, there is no other name under heaven through which man shall be saved (Acts 4:12)
Lastly, John 14:6 means that Jesus is the only way to heaven. All religious people such Christians, Muslims, Hinduists, etc. believe in the afterlife and believe in a realm of peace, joy, a blissful life, etc. which is popularly called heaven where the faithful worshippers of the living God would be forever. Before Jesus said He was the way, the truth, and the life in John 14:6, He had been talking about heaven from John 14:1-3. He said He was going to prepare a place for us outside this world and when it is done, He would come for His disciples and take them to the place. Mohammed never promised to prepare a place for his followers, neither did the Buddha, or any religious leader. No one, irrespective of his religious pursuit, can go to heaven without being a follower of Jesus. Therefore, John 14:6 affirms that without Christ, no man will have entry to heaven.
Lessons from John 14:6
The sermons of Jesus have a lot to teach mankind, unbelievers and believers alike, and the entire John 14 is a very good example. Some lessons to learn from John 14:6 are:
1. Our righteousness cannot lead us to salvation
Normally, people who are kind and possess moral virtues are counted as good. In light of this, we have people from other religions who are generous and show some moral virtues similar to that of Christians. It is hard for many Christians to believe that these persons who do not believe in Jesus but appear to be good are not saved and will perish.
If we think we are good, how good are we? This is what God has to say about our righteousness or goodness:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6
Isaiah 64:6 says it all. We are not good enough to attain salvation on our own, and our good works are of very little value in the sight of God. It is therefore very wrong to perceive that someone who does not believe in Jesus is saved because he appears to be good.
2. All unbelievers are are not saved
Dear Christians, your Buddhist, Muslim, and atheist friends are not saved; and your unbelieving mother, father, siblings, uncles, aunt, etc. are also not saved though they are nice to you and give you gifts and assist you in many ways.
I have met quite a lot of Christians who find it hard to believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation because if they should accept it, then they would also have to accept the painful reality that their beloved mothers, fathers, children, etc. who are unbelievers will someday be cast into hell fire to burn forever. Many Christians cannot imagine that certain people they love such as their fathers, mothers, children, etc. who do not have faith in Jesus will face damnation, but that is exactly what the Bible says and that is exactly what John 14:6 wants them to understand.
3. The need to fulfill the Great commission
We have learned that your beloved children, friends, mothers, fathers, etc. who are not followers of Jesus are unsaved and are perishing. But they can be helped and be led to Christ for their salvation. Thankfully, you are a Christian and you have seen the light and know the truth. This is where you come in.
Since salvation can only be obtained through Jesus, the only option by which you can help them is to lead them to Christ Jesus to accept and follow Him as their Lord and Savior. By so doing you are fulfilling the Great Commission, which says,
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Christians who care less, and feel too big to obey God’s word in Mt 28:19-20, and are unwilling to win souls for Christ easily conceive and accept the idea that there are many ways to salvation and Jesus is just one of them. They know that if they are to accept that Jesus is the only way to salvation then they would have to travail to win some of the many unbelievers who are going to hell.
4. Hold on to your faith in Christ Jesus
Once upon a time, some Jewish Christians from Judea went to Antioch and, there, they drove the church into confusion with their false teachings. They taught the Christians in Antioch that they were not saved yet until they were circumcised. At that time, since the New Testament was not written as yet, the Antioch Christians could not expose their falsehood by referring them to scriptures such as John 14:6. Eventually, Paul and Barnabas, who were there at that time, were sent to inquire of the apostles in Jerusalem; and the apostles attested that Jesus is the only way to salvation, not circumcision. Acts 15:1-33
Truly, since Christ is the only way to salvation, the only thing left for salvation seekers to do is to hold on to Christ and to continuously trust Him for their salvation. At any point in time, if a Christian defects from Christ and embraces any other alternative salvation or alternative gospel, he forfeits his salvation.
5. There is only one way to salvation – Jesus Christ
I have met a lot of Christians whose opinion about salvation suggests that they do not believe in John 14:6 and I have also met quite a lot of other Christians who find it hard to believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They rather think there are many means to salvation and Jesus is just one of them. To most Christians, if a person appears outwardly good and gives generously, they perceive that that is another way to salvation. Most Christians regard Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and even atheists as saved, so long as they appear calm and generous and live in harmony with others.
This false belief of ‘many means to salvation’ and ‘many ways to heaven’ could be attributed to ignorance of God’s word or could be attributed to sheer unbelief. Lots of Christians have read through the Gospel of John; they know John 14:6, John 3:36, John 3:16, etc. very well but for whatever reason, lots of them doubt these Scriptures that emphasize that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Anyway, certain historic events recorded in the Bible give us much evidence to confirm that believing in Jesus Christ is the only means to get saved.
Biblical proof that John 14:6 is true
Certain historic events recorded in the Bible give us much evidence to confirm that believing in Jesus Christ is the only means to get saved.
1. The salvation of Cornelius
During the early years of Christianity, at Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius who was a centurion. He was a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. One day, about 3:00 in the afternoon, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius. … Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea (Acts 10:4-6).” When Cornelius recovered from the vision, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier and told them his vision and then sent them to Joppa to call Peter.
The men returned to Cornelius, bringing Peter along with them. Cornelius gathered all his friends and family members to listen to what Peter had to say to them.
Then, while Cornelius and his household listened with open heart, Peter preached the gospel, saying, “… you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name (Acts 10:37-43).”
While Peter was still preaching, the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the word and they spoke in tongues, extolling God. Then Peter had Cornelius and his company baptized. Reference: Acts 10:1-48
Cornelius was a Roman. Romans did not know the one true God, neither did they serve Him. Yet they were religious people and devotees of deities such as Apollo, Jupiter, etc. Cornelius was an exception. He lived among the Jews in Caesarea and he got to know the one true God, the God of Israel, and he switched allegiance to serve God, neglecting his native gods.
The Bible described Cornelius as devout, god-fearing, prayerful, and a generous alms giver. In the eyes of men, Cornelius was a good man. If Cornelius had been here today, many Christians would have thought Cornelius was saved and that he would go to heaven. Wrong! There is no salvation without Christ. All these deeds of godliness that Cornelius did did not bring him salvation, neither was it enough to save him irrespective of the extent to which he did them.
However, Cornelius’ good deeds and prayer were remembered in heaven; that is to say, God was touched to do something in Cornelius’ life because of his good works. So He had Cornelius send for Peter who preached the gospel of salvation to him. While Peter was preaching the gospel, Cornelius and his household believed for their salvation. And God proved that they have been saved by immediately baptizing them in the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues. This was the story of Cornelius’ salvation. Cornelius, despite all his good deeds and piety, had to believe in Jesus to be saved. The salvation story of Cornelius is a piece of evidence to prove John 14:6 that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.
I want to remind Christians that their Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and atheist friends, are not saved even if, outwardly, they appear to be peaceful, kind, generous, and devoted to their religion.
2. The salvation of the Ethiopian eunuch.
One day, an angel of the Lord told Philip the evangelist to go to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. And he did. And there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the Scriptures of Isaiah. And the Holy Spirit told Philip to go over and join his chariot. So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”And he replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth (Acts 8:32-33).”
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip stood on the Scripture he was reading and told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. Reference: Acts 8:24-38
The Ethiopian eunuch was on his way to Ethiopia after coming to worship in Jerusalem. This man was a Jew, of course, he knew the living God and served Him. And you could tell that he was devout for he traveled several miles from Ethiopia in Africa to Israel to worship in Jerusalem. But being a Jew did not save him, neither is salvation found in coming to perform religious rites in Jerusalem, nor found in the Jewish laws and customs, but salvation is in Christ Jesus alone. God, according to His own sovereign will, wanted the Ethiopian eunuch to be saved.
Similar to that of Cornelius, God, through His angel and the Holy Spirit, sent Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch to lead him to Christ. Evangelist Philip did exactly that, he preached the gospel of salvation to the eunuch and the eunuch believed for his salvation. The Ethiopian eunuch, though he was a Jew was not saved yet, he had to accept Jesus Christ for his salvation. The story of the Ethiopian eunuch’s salvation testifies that Christ Jesus is the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Conclusion
Think about it, Christians. Why did God deem it so important to the extent of sending his angel to ensure that certain people would be saved? The Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius were not evil people at all. They were religious men, devout and god-fearing, and knew and served the one true God. However, that was not enough to save them, for Jesus is the only true way to God and to salvation in this dispensation. So God sent his angel and paved the way for these people to be saved. What God did in the salvation story of Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch is enough confirmation that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through him.
Lastly, if good deeds only are enough to save a person, there would not have been the need for God to lead Cornelius to accept Christ. If belonging to other religions such as Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. was a means to salvation, God would not have led the Ethiopian eunuch, who was a staunch Jew, to accept Jesus Christ.