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The Way, The Truth, and The Life

             Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

          If “I am the gate of the sheep…I am the good shepherd” from chapter 10 is a double whammy, this verse is a triple whammy. And its first victim is the notion that any other so-called god was acceptable or the same as Jesus. He, and He alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only way to get to the Father. There is no other Savior, or Redeemer, according to Jesus.

Now, to be fair, other religions will claim that their religion or god(s) are the only way. That is the nature of gods and of religions. If this and that are equally good and agree on what’s necessary, then this and that are the same thing, so there’s no need to from the other to one. If that’s the case, then why speak against the other or promote the one? There’s a song I’ve been listening to in my Christmas playlist that speaks to this issue:

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we've projected
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl
Just a child, is this who we've waited for?

'Cause how many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for His honor and frankincense for His pleasure
And myrrh for the cross He'll suffer
Do you believe? Is this who we've waited for?
(Is this who we've waited for?)

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Downhere - How many kings (w/ lyrics)

          There are those who like to point out that there are other “gods” who died and rose again: Osirus, Dionysus, Persephone, Tammuz, Adonis, and Addis. Most of them are associated with agriculture and the seasons. Their resurrections benefitted everyone, incidentally even though the story of their death and resurrection has no clear connection to human history. Generally speaking, their resurrection benefited plants, and only people by extension. Spring arrived, followed by summer, or the harvest came. These are what might be called general or common blessings. We, Humans, did not gain any personal connection with the god through it. But, with the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we not only get possibility and wisdom, but life through Him.

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