JESUS
WAS "WAY"
NOT "DESTINATION"
"JOHN 14:6" A
POPULAR
BUMPER STICKER...
One of the significantly popular text
from the New Testament, with the evangelical missionaries, is verse
14:6 from John's Gospel. I have many a times noticed the selected
portions from this verse on the bumper stickers of all kinds of
vehicles in North America.
Jesus said to him,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me."
John 14:6 Based upon the next that follows, one can say the end
part of the above verse means; "No one comes to (know, recognize)
the Father except through me." However, we will continue the study
of this verse as it is written in the Bible. Those who may be
interested in knowing more the subject of John 14:9, which is also
an equally significant text, please click HERE and read
the Study Number Two.
Before
Jesus spoke these words, he said (four verses
earlier);
"In my Father's house are many
mansions (dwelling places); if it were not so, I would have told
you; for I go to prepare a mansion (a dwelling place) for
you." John
14:2 The above statement
demonstrates that there are "many
mansions" in the kingdom of heaven. And,
Jesus was going to prepare "a mansion" for his
followers. To argue or presume that the Almighty God had built
"many"
mansions but only "one" was to be occupied by the followers of Jesus and the
rest of the "many mansions" were to be left vacant or unoccupied
sounds too far fetched a notion.
Imagine visiting a town
with "many" buildings and only "one" was occupied and the rest had
signs "not to be occupied". Would not the people living in that
"one" building feel they were living in a "Ghost Town"? On the other
hand, would it not be perfectly logical thing to understand that the
prophets that came before and after Jesus would have also
prepared mansions from the remaining mansions, for their respective
followers to occupy? Is it not an appealing thought that the prophet
that came after Jesus could have possibly lead his followers through
the "current way"? Do not the readers of the "New Testament"
along with the
"Old Testament" think they have a better understanding of the God's
MESSAGE than those who have not read the "New Testament? Why do the
Muslims, who have read the Old and the New Testament say; the Qur'an
is the "Final" Testament?
John 14:6 clearly
states; Jesus was the "WAY". It is a folly to believe that Jesus (or
any prophet) was the "DESTINATION":
Jesus said; "I am the
door" to find the pasture. (Jn. 10:9). A sheep that walks through
the "door" will find the pasture. A sheep that keep circling around
the "door" will never find the pasture. One who uses the "Way"
(Path) shown by Jesus will reach the Mansion prepared by him. Anyone
that stops on the "Way" believing the "Path" to be the end of
his/her journey will be out in the open without any
shelter.
Finally, here is
the WAY shown
by Jesus, who spoke the TRUTH
and declared how to have an eternal
LIFE;
"Not every one that says to me;
'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does
the will of my Father, who is in heaven." Matthew
7:21
"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who
hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal LIFE..."
John
5:24 Criticism by a Christian scholar:
Below are the two
paragraphs from Andrew Vargo's Critique on the above text that
appear under the title; "answering-islam", sub-title; responses to
Akbarally Meherally's site - section A, part 9. URL
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Meherally/
When Jesus told His disciples that "In my
Father's house are many mansions", He was assuring them that there
was room for all who believe, and a place for each who follow Him.
Incidentally, how did Jesus
know that there were many mansions in His Father's house? He knew
because He had been there - Jesus and the Father were One and always
existed, and will always exist, throughout
eternity.
What did Jesus mean when He said that "I
go to prepare a place for you". Was Jesus going to this mansion to
fluff the pillows? NO, He went to the Father, through His death and
resurrection, in order to obtain the right for His followers, both
then and now, to be in heaven. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross
gives us sinners the ability, through God's grace alone and not of
our own words or deeds, to possess our "place" in the Father's
mansion if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and follow
Him.
Rebuttal:
In the first paragraph, Mr. Vargo writes:
Jesus and the Father were One and always
existed, and will always exist, throughout
eternity.
In the second paragraph, Mr. Vargo writes: He went to the Father, through His death and
resurrection, in order to obtain the right for His followers,
...
How would Mr. Vargo justify the necessity
for; "obtaining of the right" by Jesus "from the Father", if the Two
entities were "ONE"?
Why is the Mansion called, "the Father's
Mansion" and not "the Father/Son Mansion" or "the Trinity Mansion",
if they are "ONE"?
The critic insists that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and follow Him.
And, he also declares the Two are ONE.
What if one accepts GOD as his Lord and Saviour and follows
HIM?
I have also noticed that the critic is
trying to impress that Jesus is "the Way" and not "a Way". Yes, "the
Way" to "a Mansion" and not "the Way" to "all the
Mansions".
Author:
Akbarally Meherally
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