Hear the word of God:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
(John 14:1-7, NIV)
Much of who a person's character is revealed in what they say before they leave. A harsh word at the end of an argument, a loving word to a spouse on the way out the door, a cheerful farewell at the conclusion of a friendly greeting - all these instances reveal who we are. On the eve of Jesus' final departure, he tells his followers simply, "Do not let your hearts be troubled ... I am going away, but you know the way to where I am going."
Thomas flatly disagrees with Jesus, protesting that the disciples do not know the way to where Jesus is going. Jesus engages him more deeply, though:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Often in the Gospel of John when Jesus speaks of his impending death he says that he is "going to the Father," a thread which he picks up again here. Jesus clarifies that his destination is the Father, and so the disciples do know the way - through Jesus. If the disciples understand that Jesus is about to leave, then they are sorely in need of a path at this point. They have left home, family, jobs, and all hope of security in order to follow Jesus. Now their teacher is leaving and they don't know which way to go. Jesus reassures them with the words, "I am the way."
You see, the disciples' abandonment of their former lives was not simply a rash, impulsive decision, nor was it merely a journey of self-realization. In fact, it was quite the opposite: the point of their journey had been to come to the Father, a purpose which Jesus affirmed they could continue even in his absence. Jesus showed humanity the nature of God, and so he told his disciples to continue following his way even in his absence because that path still leads to the Father.
The purpose of Jesus' mission was to give life to all. In fact, yesterday we heard Jesus say, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." The way leading to the Father is life, like food and drink. It is a life that reaches beyond the grasp of death. He who declares himself to be the bread of life, the resurrection and the life, and the giver of life makes an unequivocal statement: "Continue to follow my way, and you will have the life that I give and embody, the life which is through and is me."
Sometimes truth means something more than veracity or even reliability. Sometimes truth needs to be more than simply correct. Sometimes, when it really matters, truth needs to be sturdy enough to build your life on. This is one of those times. Jesus' testimony is absolutely true, including his testimony about his own identity. If what he says about himself is true, he knows that it will change everything. Thus, before he leaves Jesus tells his disciples that he is the truth. They can and must hold to all his teachings and all his commands, because he is the truth. Later on, Pilate will ask Jesus, "What is truth?" If he had heard these words, perhaps Pilate would have understood. Jesus and his life-giving way are truth.
Here, then, is the word of Christ: "I am the way to the Father, I am the truest testimony of all, and I am the real abundant life that everyone wants."
Blessings,
Greg
