The concern of Jesus - the burden of his life - was that people come to know God. That is why he came. It is what his life and ministry was all about. He summed it up in today's reading in these words, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me" (v.6).
In the second session of the Antioch School we were thinking about why Jesus came. We noted three main reasons. He came to reveal God, to redeem us from sin and to establish the Kingdom of God - Revelation, Redemption and Rule.
Jesus said, "I am the Way... no one goes to the Father except by me".
Some people have thought that that is too exclusive a claim. Surely we live in enlightened days and should recognise some intrinsic worth in every religion. But Redemption, established by God himself, is essential to our relation to him.
The angel reassured Joseph, "She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus - because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1.21). "Jesus" is a Greek form of the Hebrew name "Joshua", meaning "The Lord is salvation." Jesus himself said, "I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts" (Matthew 9.13b). "The Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people" (Mark 10.45). "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19.10).
This seeking and saving love makes him the chief character in the three parables of Luke 15 as well as the true "good Samaritan" who, at risk of his own life, goes to the aid of the wounded traveller (10.25-37).
At the point in his ministry when Peter, on behalf of the whole group, has confessed him as "the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16.16), "Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, 'I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life'" (v.21). He spoke about his dying and rising again on a number of occasions after this (e.g. 17.9,22-23; 20.17-19). But when he rode into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday (21.1ff), they were so caught up in the euphoria that they put all thought of his death (and rising!) behind them. And on the night when he was betrayed, he celebrated the Passover with his disciples and added to it what we call the Lord's supper. This focused on his coming death and "my blood which seals God's covenant, my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (26.26-29).
It is striking that about a third of the Gospel records (29 out of 89 chapters in all) are devoted to Jesus' last week, his death and resurrection.
The religions of the world reveal many ways in which people have tried to get right with God. But there is only one Redeemer - Jesus! He is the only Way!
It has been said that there are many nuggets of truth to be found in other religions. I think it was Confucius who said, "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do for you." It has sometimes been called the Golden Rule in reverse. And it expresses the practical truth, even though in a negative sense. But Jesus is the Truth about God! He is, in his own person, the Revelation of God.
When John described Jesus as "the Word" (1.1ff), he was introducing a major theme of his Gospel - Jesus revealed God, not just by what he said, but by what he was. "No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known" (1.18). "If you knew me, you would know my Father also" (8.19b). "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me... Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (14.6,9b). "I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world" (17.6a).
Of course, the one who was the Message of God was also the Messenger of God! True wisdom is to hear and obey the things he taught (Matthew 7.24-27; compare also 13.1-9,18-23). In his teaching we note: (a) his constant theme of God's Fatherhood and Love (Matthew 6.25-34); (b) his emphasis on the spirituality of God (John 4.23-24) and the need for inward purity in his service; (c) the place he gave to love as our chief duty towards God (Matthew 22.34-40); and (d) the declaration that God longs to rescue his lost and rebellious children (Luke 15).
From the teaching of Jesus we gather that he saw his ministry as being very closely related to the Rule (or Kingdom) of God. It was the central theme of his teaching. The need to repent and be ready was the call of John the Baptist (Matthew 3.1-2) and marked the beginning of the teaching of Jesus (4.17).
But the Kingdom was not just about to come, it was "at hand" in the sense of being already present in the person and ministry of Jesus. It was visible in his casting out of demons (Luke 11.20) and in his many wonderful works (Matthew 11.2-14). The opportunity to respond to the Kingdom was available to those who were willing to receive Jesus (Luke 10.1-12). Indeed, believing in him leads to a whole inner transformation by which a person both sees and enters the Kingdom (John 3.1-17).
Yet there is a sense in which the Kingdom is hidden in this era.
It is as a seed being sown (Matthew 13.1ff) yeast in the dough
(v.33), a treasure that is discovered (v.44)... The second coming
of Jesus at the end of time will mark the coming of the Kingdom
in visible power and judgment (Matthew 25.31-46).
© Peter J. Blackburn, Buderim Uniting Church, 10 March 1991
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Except where otherwise noted,
Scripture quotations are from the Good News Bible, ©
American Bible Society, 1992.