The Door and the Way

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.  John 14:6

Jesus told us that he was the way to the Father. I believe there is often a subtle misunderstanding of what was meant in this passage. Typically, we have understood the Lord's statement in John 14:6 to refer to the substitutionary death of Christ, by which we obtain redemption and new life.

Previously in John's gospel, Jesus had told us that he was the door.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

Consider the two metaphors of a door and a way. The door is how we enter a new place. The way (or path, or road) is the path we walk after we have begun our new life in Christ. A person cannot walk in the way unless he has first been through Christ, the door. I contend that Jesus as the way is not quite the same thing as Jesus being the door.

What then did Jesus mean when he said that he was the way to the Father? Realize that he did not invent this metaphor in John 14:6. The concept of there being a divinely ordained pathway for the children of God is as old as the nation of Israel itself, who were made to follow a way through the wilderness (see Deut. 8:2).

In fact, the ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, is characterized in the scriptures as being the one who prepares the way of the Lord.

For this is he that was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying, 'In the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' Mat. 3:3

And how did John prepare the way of the Lord? By preaching repentance.

Jesus followed John's ministry by preaching about a straight and narrow way, that leads to life (Mat. 7:13-14). Jesus said that relatively few would find the straight and narrow way, in contrast to the broad way that leads to destruction. It is clear from the context that the straight and narrow way that Christ calls us to is implicit in the Sermon on the Mount. Those who walk in the straight and narrow are characterized by the Beatitudes, given in Matthew 5:3-12.

Jesus could say that he was the way, inasmuch as his sinless life was the full personification of the straight and narrow way. As we emulate the life and character of Jesus Christ, by the help of the Holy Spirit, we are walking on the straight and narrow way, and coming near to God.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  Hebrews 10:19-20

The book of Hebrews uses the imagery of the temple to give us some insight into the way to the Father. Remember that in the Old Testament, access to the presence of God was restricted. Only the High Priest could enter the holiest of holies in the tabernacle, and that was only once a year. The author of Hebrews tells us that believers are given the invitation to boldly come into the presence of God by the blood of Jesus, and by a new and living way.

Jesus consecrated the new and living way for us in two respects. First, he consecrated the way by walking it--we do not have to live a life for which there is no precedent. Every character trait that God has called us to can be seen in the perfect, sinless life of Christ. The WWJD movement seen a few years ago is a great practical way of expressing this. We are to grow in Christ, ever becoming more like him in our own lives.

Second, Jesus consecrated the new and living way by dying for us. No fallen son of Adam could walk the straight and narrow way without the redemption that comes through the applied blood of Christ on our hearts. We must repent and be born again in order to walk in newness of life.

May I state in conclusion that to experience Jesus as the way is an active expression of our faith. By that, I mean that we must daily choose to take up our personal crosses and follow him through our daily life choices. We do not walk in the way passively, as if we could merely agree that Christ is the way and find the benefit by our agreement. Walking in the way requires us to expend energy in picking up one foot after the other (spiritually speaking, of course), and directing our path to follow our Lord.