I Am, The Way, the Truth, & the Life: Part 6
In I Am Part 6: The Way, the Truth, and the Life, Tim Crowley continues Joy Church’s I Am: Life in His Name series through one of Jesus’ clearest and boldest declarations. On the night before the cross, Jesus knew His disciples were confused and afraid. Yet in John 14:1-6, He tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” points them toward their eternal home with the Father, and answers Thomas’ question about the way forward: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus did not promise we would never experience trouble. He showed us where to anchor our hearts when trouble comes. John 20:31 explains the purpose of John’s Gospel: that we would believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing have life in His name. But why does Jesus alone have the right to make that claim? John 1:1 says that in the beginning the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:14 says that Word became flesh and lived among us.
Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was the moment eternity stepped into time. Christianity is not ultimately humanity climbing its way toward God. It is God coming down to rescue people who could never save themselves. Grace is not God helping people who almost made it. Grace is God rescuing people who would never make it.
Jesus came seeking the lost. He carried the sin we could not remove, took the judgment we deserved, conquered the death we could not escape, and walked out of the tomb. That is why He can say, “I am the Way.” The question is not simply, “Why is there only one way?” The better question is: Who else is qualified to be the Way? No one but Jesus.
But following Jesus does not mean life suddenly becomes painless. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The story behind Horatio Spafford’s It Is Well with My Soul is a reminder that peace is not pretending everything is okay. His circumstances were filled with unimaginable loss, yet his confidence remained anchored in a Savior who had not changed. Jesus never promised a life without storms. He promised that He would walk with us through the storms.
Sometimes suffering strips away what we thought we needed until we discover something deeper: Jesus is enough. God often does His greatest work through humble hearts willing to admit, “I don’t know. I don’t have the answers. I need You.” And when Jesus changes a heart, He changes a life. Jesus has never been about making bad people a little better. He is about making dead people alive.
The message closes with a powerful story of an unexpected confrontation that became an opportunity to share the Gospel, extend forgiveness, and demonstrate the power of Jesus’ name. What began with anger changed the moment the name of Jesus entered the conversation. Mark 16 points to authority exercised in His name, and Philippians 2:10-11 declares that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Never underestimate the power in the name of Jesus. Never underestimate the prayers of someone who refuses to give up. Never underestimate what God can do in one unexpected moment. Matthew 5:16 calls us to let our light shine so others see what God has done and glorify our Father in heaven.
Key Takeaway: Jesus is the Way to the Father, the Truth that does not change, and the Life our souls were created for. The world may shift, storms may come, and answers may be unclear, but Jesus remains.
Call to Action: If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, do not let another day go by. Today can be the day of salvation.
