The sixth “I AM” statement of Jesus is made in John 14:6. There, He says, “I AM (what you need me to be) THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. No one COMES TO THE FATHER except THROUGH ME.”
This is similar to the third when He says “I AM the door.” So again, man’s need is entrance. Jesus serves as the solution—the Way.
In John 14:6, He elaborates by saying, “THE way, THE truth and THE life.” Now, the TSS rule of Bible interpretation reveals that He is not referring to three different things.
Jesus’ statement may be better read this way:
I AM the TRUE WAY that leads to LIFE.
He says TRUE because His audience (the Jews) had tried to get to God through their works/efforts. Jesus is saying to them, “Your good works cannot give you life. I am the ONLY WAY (or the ONLY means) to get Life.”
He is “true” because all the rituals of the law were types pointing to Him. They are shadows, He is the reality (see Heb 10:1-4). Thus, God cannot be accessed by keeping the Law. The true way is found Christ!
Jesus, in many instances, tried to correct the self-righteousness of the Jews. One of such instances is Matthew 7:13-14.
Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)
13 “Enter by the NARROW GATE; for WIDE is the gate and BROAD is the way that leads to destruction, and there are MANY who go in by it. 14 Because NARROW is the gate and DIFFICULT is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
This text doesn’t intimate that the way to Heaven is by difficulty (as many have taught and thought). The original Greek text would provide insight here.
The word “narrow” (in vs. 13) translates the Greek word “stenos” which means “defined.” It describes what has already been chosen—single and paved out already. Thus, “the narrow gate” means the one true gate.
Vs. 13 may be better read this way:
13 “Enter by the chosen/single gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are MANY who go in by it.
Jesus says that “many go in by the broad of destruction” because SEVERAL Jews in His day were trying to approach God by their good works! The wide and broad way that leads to destruction is self-righteousness (trusting in our own works, instead of God’s grace for justification).
In Luke 18, Jesus illustrates this by way of parable.
Luke 18:9-14 (NKJV)
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES that THEY were righteous, and DESPISED OTHERS: (This is self-righteousness) 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one A PHARISEE and the other A TAX COLLECTOR.
The Pharisees were taken to be the model/standard of high moral uprightness in first century Israel. The tax collectors, on the other hand, were regarded as the exact opposite.
This is made apparent in how the Pharisee prayed, “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am NOT LIKE OTHER MEN —extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as THIS tax collector. I FAST TWICE A WEEK; I GIVE TITHES of all that I possess.’ (vv. 11-12)
The Pharisee boasts in his own Righteousness! That is the wide gate that leads to DESTRUCTION Jesus is talking about.
But observe how the tax collector made his supplications, “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, BE MERCIFUL to me a sinner!’ (vs. 13)
Unlike the Pharisee, he humbled himself and pleads for Yahweh’s mercy. The phrase “be merciful” in the Greek literally means “Please, provide an offering for me!”
Normally, the Jews would bring a sin offering to God (see Leviticus 1-5). But this tax collector depends on the Sacrifice that GOD HIMSELF provides! That sacrifice is Jesus! In John 1:29, John the Baptizer calls Him “the LAMB OF GOD who TAKES AWAY the sin of the world!”
So Jesus’ parable reveals two kinds of men; those who depends on their works for justification, and those who depend on God’s Grace. Only those who depend on God are justified, “I tell you, THIS MAN (the tax collector) went down to his house JUSTIFIED (righteous) rather than the other (the Pharisee); for everyone who EXALTS HIMSELF will be HUMBLED, and he who HUMBLES HIMSELF will be EXALTED.” (Vs. 14)
Humility in God’s eyes is therefore relying on Him for justification, instead of trying to work for it! To exalt one’s self is to trust in one’s self-righteousness. This path of self-righteousness leads to destruction! And there were MANY JEWS going through that way in Jesus’ day, even till Paul’s day.
Observe how Paul describes them in Romans 10, “For they BEING IGNORANT of God’s righteousness, and SEEKING to ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, have NOT SUBMITTED to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS to everyone who BELIEVES” (Vv. 3-4). Paul’s point is CLEAR—you cannot be righteous by obeying the Law of MOSES! The 10 Commandments CANNOT save a man, only faith in Christ. Christ is the END OF THE LAW for the purpose of Righteousness! Righteousness comes by faith in Christ ALONE!
Thus He says in Matthew 7:14, “Because narrow (chosen) is the gate and DIFFICULT is the way which LEADS TO LIFE, and there ARE FEW who find it.”
We submit that the word “difficult” is a bad translation as it does not fully capture the Greek idea. It translates the Greek word “thlibó” which literally means “To compress together,” leaving no space for anything extra.
So the gate is SINGULAR and the way is COMPRESSED, it leaves no room for you to bring anything EXTRA! Obviously, Jesus is speaking against the idea that our works can earn salvation here. You can only come by faith, you cannot bring anything extra i.e. your works. There is JUST ONE WAY to life—Christ Jesus Himself! Any other way leads to destruction.
Moses’ Tabernacle—How it reveals Christ.
In Moses’ tabernacle, there was A WAY to the Holiest of All which housed the presence of God. That way was the veil.
Exodus 26:33 (NKJV)
33 And you shall hang THE VEIL from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, BEHIND THE VEIL. The veil shall be A DIVIDER for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.
This way provided LIMITED access as only the High Priest was allowed to pass through it ONCE every year (see Heb 9:7). No one else dared pass through the veil (except the High Priest) as that provoked judgment, resulting in instant demise. Thus, access to God under the Mosaic Law was temporary. Jesus, however, came to give FULL access to God!
The writer of Hebrews says it this way, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to ENTER THE HOLIEST by the BLOOD OF JESUS, (who is the true way and the narrow gate) by a NEW AND LIVING WAY which He consecrated for us, THROUGH THE VEIL, that is, HIS FLESH, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us DRAW NEAR with a true heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith, having our hearts SPRINKLED FROM an EVIL CONSCIENCE and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
So the veil in Moses’ Tabernacle was a type pointing ahead to Jesus’ flesh torn to grant us access into God’s presence.
We now have access to God:
Ephesians 2:18 (NKJV)
18 For through Him (Jesus) we both (Jews and Gentiles) have ACCESS by one Spirit to the Father.
By the Spirit of Christ in our hearts, Genesis 3 has been reversed! The Spirit removes EVERY barrier that once existed in our path to God and gives us 24-hours access to the Father! Jesus is thus the True Way that leads us back to Life found in God, not our own works.
We are now back to Eden (the pleasure/promise of God), IN CHRIST! Eden has been restored—not a place, but by the presence of His Spirit in us today! Eden was a type pointing to this reality anyway.
© Josh Banks Ministries. 2022.
