Clay in the Hands

Jesus is the Way.  We see references throughout the New Testament to the way.  In John 14, Jesus makes an emphatic statement that he is the way, the truth and the life.  His believers are often called followers in the way.

As I think back on my journey, I think I have mostly interpreted this concept of the way as a doorway or opening.  In John 10, Jesus referred to himself as the gate.  The idea is that no one gets to God except through him and his sacrifice.  This concept is reinforced in John 14:6 when Jesus makes his statement about being the way, the truth and the life by his following statement, “no one comes to the Father except through me.”  So understanding Jesus as the portal or entry point to the Father is certainly part of what he is telling us.

But I have come to see more.  Not only is Jesus the portal through which we must pass to get to God, he is also the path we must follow.  It is one thing to stand in a parking lot and tell a person how to get to a particular location across town – go down that way three blocks and turn right at the light; then go through two more lights and turn right at the water tower and go straight for 1/2 a mile and you will be there.

God didn’t just give us directions, he sent his son to escort us and show us the way.  Jesus’ teachings are the path we are to follow – the true way to the Father.

God, help me to grow in my passion and desire to be a follower in the Way today!

May that be your prayer too!