I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

• As the inventor of our brains, Jesus understands that every human is on a mission.

  • We’re on a mission to discover meaning, discern direction, and develop a life worth living.

    • Jesus knows that we are all looking for something, which is why our next “I AM” statement is so practical.

ILLUSTRATION

Share a story about you looking for something you lost. Here is how mine went:

• “What are you looking for?” my wife investigated while I tore the house to pieces.

• “I lost my favorite jean jacket,” I declared while dumping a basket of clothes onto the bed. For some reason, I found myself in a frenzy. I had it in my head that this was the only jacket I wanted to wear that night. Do I have a dozen other jean jackets? Yes. Do they all look the same? Sure. Did I need this specific one? You bet.

• I threw shirts, flipped drawers, and took everything out of my closet. Our bedroom looked like it had been raided by the cops. Oddly enough, my jacket was nowhere to be found. It got personal at this point. I moved furniture and picked up our bed frame.

• “It must have been stolen,” I snapped.

• “Who would steal a Levi jacket with coffee stains?” my wife responded.

• Sadly, I gave up. Donning a nearly identical jacket, I started the walk of shame down the stairs. We settled into the car, and I peered into the back seat. Safe and sound, my jacket was draped over the headrest. Embarrassed, I slowly reached back to retrieve my long-lost coat. I wouldn’t have to file a police report after all.

• Walking back into my house that night, the evidence of my desperate search was all over the place. From upside-down drawers to dress shirts thrown about the room like streamers after a New Year’s party, you could tell that my search was serious.

TENSION

• This is what searching does, right?

  • We start to deconstruct and tear up everything around us until we reach our solution.

    • It makes a mess of our lives, surroundings, and minds.

      • We are all searching for something in this quest called life.

      • Sadly, most of us don’t even know what we’re looking for.

        • We seek meaning.

        • We strive for belonging.

        • We hunt for fulfillment. Why?

          • Because every single human has a God-shaped void in their heart.

• In 1607, theologian Blaise Pascal explained this exact conundrum. He wrote, “[We] try in vain to fill with everything around [us], seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”

• Everyone is a seeker and sojourner. It starts in infancy.

  • From your very first breath, you have been on a quest for meaning.

    • Tragically, humanity’s search is often misguided or misinformed.

      • Everyone is looking for answers, but I fear we are asking the wrong questions.

        • We are asking, “What am I made for?”

        • There’s a better question, though. Consider asking, “Whom am I made for?”

          • The answer isn’t elusive either. Take a look at the words of Christ in John 14.

• Jesus addressed the solution to our seeking with one of his final “I AM” statements.

  • There is a reason Christ uses the language of “I AM.” It’s because—well—He is.

    • He is the beginning and the end.

    • He is the resurrection and the life.

    • He is the Good Shepherd and the only pathway out of suffering.

      • Life’s questions find their solutions in Him.

      • Jesus breaks it down into three categories: our route, our reality, and our reason for living.

I AM the Way: Our Route

• Since life is a quest, we need directions.

  • Your route is rooted in Jesus.

  • He is the only way. He is the way to eternal life, authentic freedom, and truth.

    • Christ came to this world so that we could know and experience the fierce love of God.

      • The world is confusing, but Jesus is clarity.

      • The world is scary, but Jesus is comforting.

      • The world is broken, but Jesus puts our pieces back together.

• Jesus often gets placed on the shelf with other religious teachers.

  • Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, and Joseph Smith were all gifted teachers.

    • However, they were just that— teachers.

    • That’s all they claimed to be.

      • Jesus didn’t just claim to teach about God. Jesus claimed to be God.

      • That’s a significant distinguishing factor, which brings us to our second point.

I AM the Truth: Our Reality

• Jesus didn’t just tell the truth; He is the truth.

  • All the truth in all the world culminates in the person of Jesus.

    • Many people push back on this claim for obvious reasons. “Isn’t Jesus of Nazareth all-loving? How can He be so exclusive?”

      • For this reason, many people say that Christ was a “great man” or a “good teacher” but nothing more.

      • Unfortunately, this is a paradox.

        • C.S. Lewis explained, “I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.”

• Jesus is the ultimate reality, simply put. He claimed to be God and the only way to God. If it’s true, then He’s worthy of complete devotion.

  • If it’s not, then He’s lying. Do you see the paradox?

    • Therefore, we are left with only two logical conclusions.

    • Either Jesus is the only way to God, or He was mad.

      • For me, the sheer expansion of the Church, paired with billions of transformed lives, proves the first choice to be the most logical option.

• So, what should we do with this truth? He is our route. He is our reality. Lastly, He is our reason for living.

  • Let’s unpack the final part of this verse where Jesus says, “I am the life.”

I AM the Life: Our Reason for Living

• Every single person on the face of the earth is living for something.

  • They’re striving and struggling to make their mark in their little corner of the universe.

    • What do they live for? People often live for prosperity, popularity, influence, or family.

      • All of these things are good, but they are not God. Jesus is our only reason for living.

        • So what should we do? Simple: live for Jesus. Why?

        • Because He is the reason behind all reality.

        • In Him, you will find meaning.

        • In Him, you will find satisfaction.

        • In Him, you will find wholeness.

        • Everyone has a God-shaped hole in their soul. This void is strangely shaped and insanely large.

          • You can try to force other things into the void, but they won’t fit.

          • You will struggle, lose your stamina, and ultimately give up.

          • Nothing can fill this void except the one who put it there.

Landing: When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He was saying that He is our route, our reality, and our reason for living.

• Thanks to Jesus, you have direction for every twist and turn life gives you.

  • Thanks to Jesus, you know the ultimate reality that Jesus changes lives.

  • Thanks to Jesus, you have a reason for living.

    • He attaches eternal purpose to every single moment of existence.

    • That’s who Jesus is.

TALK IT OUT

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Ice Breaker: Go around your circle and share this week’s highs and lows. What was the best part of your week and what was the lowest part of your week?

Q1: What stuck out to you from today’s message?

Q2: Does it ever seem like you’re searching for something more in life? How does that make you feel?

Q3: How do people try to fill the “hole” in their souls?

Q4: What does this message teach you about Jesus?

Application: As you search for deeper meaning this week, intentionally seek out little moments that trigger meaning (i.e., experiences that help you feel closer to God). Really focus on how those experiences make you feel, change your thinking, and reveal God’s Truth to you.

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

Matthew 9:9–13 7

Luke 6:17–46

Psalm 22:1-8

John 2:1–11

John 4:1–26

Luke 4:14–30

Luke 5:1–11

Do the following with each passage:

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.