May it please God to bless us
together this morning as we consider his word. Let us turn to the
Gospel of John, chapter 14, and we'll read verse six. The Gospel
of John, chapter 14, and reading verse six. Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life. no man cometh unto
the Father but by me." Perhaps we can imagine the situation
in which these words were spoken. It was the Passover night, that
annual occasion when Israel remembered their wonderful deliverance from
Egypt and the tremendous significance that was shown through that deliverance
when there was that lamb slain, the blood shed, and safety only
under the blood. And so we, on this particular
Passover night, which was really the last time there was any need
for the Passover to be carried out. And therefore, the Lord
Jesus Christ, he instituted on that night what we now term the
Lord's Supper. And what a very simple situation
that is. What a very wonderful commemoration
we have today to be able to remember the Lord's death. Now, when the
Lord instituted this supper, of course, the disciples were
not aware, really, of what it would mean. They had been told,
but their eyes were blinded. But nonetheless, it was that
which the Lord instituted for us to remember. And he tells
us to do this in remembrance of me. And what a favour it is,
and what a commandment it is For all of us to be found doing
this, do this in remembrance of me. Indeed, if we are a true
believer, that should surely be our desire and our blessed
occupation and obligation to remember the death of the Lord
Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper. Well, that institution had been
completed and then Judas Iscariot that one who was to betray him
had gone out. And the Lord was left then in
the upper room with those 11 disciples. And then it was that
he preached this glorious sermon which we can read in this Gospel
of John chapters 14, 15 and 16. And as it begins in these verses,
let not your heart be troubled for the many things that they
had been The disciples had heard, which no doubt were perplexing
and troubling to them. And so the Lord speaks in this
loving way. And it's amazing, isn't it, to
think of the gracious words of our God. And my friends, they're
still so appropriate to us today, as they come in this all-powerful
way, as he speaks like this, let not your hearts be troubled. Because naturally we are troubled
about many things, but he tells us Why? We should not be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also
in me. You see, if we can come with
that faith to believe in God, to put all our trust in him,
knowing that all things are working together for good to those who
love God and to those who are called according to his purpose. And what a blessing it is when
the Spirit of God enables us to come, casting all our care
upon him, believing that he does indeed care for us. And so he
goes on to speak and encourage them in my father's house on
many mansions. That means in the house above,
that means in heaven itself. If it were not so, I would have
told you I go to prepare a place for you. Isn't that a humbling
thought today to the almighty God is preparing a place for
you and me, a place reserved in heaven that by His grace we
will one day inherit. What a blessing it is to find
ourselves amongst that number who will be found in glory around
the throne of God in heaven, praising the Lord for all his
goodness and mercy and singing that new song, Worthy is the
Lamb. And so he says, and if I go to
repair a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto
myself. What a day that will be, won't
it? When the Lord receives us unto himself. When we're called
to leave this earth, whether before the end of time or when
the end of time comes, to realise the Lord will come and receive
us unto himself and receive you unto myself and the great purpose
that where I am there, ye may be also. What is it? It will
be to be forever with the Lord. That's a lovely hymn, isn't it? That we do sing forever. with
the Lord. What a blessed prospect it is
then for the Church of God. He comes on and says, and whither
I go ye know, and the way ye know. Well then we find that
Thomas questions the Lord. Thomas questions the Lord. And
what does he say? He says, Lord, we know not whither
thou goest, and how can we know the way? where the Lord then
responds. What a mercy, isn't it, when
the Lord responds to our requests, to our prayers. When he gives
us an answer, he speaks to us, and here he was, speaking then
to Thomas, and to the disciples, and to us today, and this was
the answer he gave. I am the way. the truth and the
life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me." Now it is very significant the words that Jesus uses. He says, I am the way. Now we need to cast our minds
back to the days of Moses. When Moses was on the earth and
he was concerned about the direction and the blessing of the Almighty
God. And therefore the Lord came and
he spoke. He spoke to Moses. Moses came and he said unto God,
who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring
forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And this was the
answer that God gave him. Certainly, I will be with thee.
And this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee. When
thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve
God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, behold,
when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto
them, the God of your fathers has sent me unto you, and they
shall say to me, what is his name? What should I say unto
them? And this is what God said. And
God said unto Moses, I am, that I am. And he said, thus shalt
thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto
you. It's really the word Jehovah,
I am. It's so complete and it's so
comprehensive. And this was the answer. And
this was the encouragement for Moses and we know that in answer
to this word, this confirming word from Almighty God, it gave
Moses that strength to go forward because the God who was the I
Am was with him. And so now the Lord Jesus comes
and he tells us today, I am the way, I am great God. He is the way. Now what a blessing for us today
if we can understand and if we know and if we're blessed with
living faith to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the
way. He's the way, the only way. There is no other way that you
and I can come to the knowledge of the truth you and I can be
blessed with divine direction, it's only if we follow the Lord
Jesus Christ. He says, I am the way. Now, bless God, he's left behind
a glorious record of the way that is before us. And my friends,
that way the Lord Jesus Christ has left is a narrow way. How needful it is that we realise
it is a narrow way. It's not a broad way. The world
goes in the broad way. And my friends, the devil wants
you and me to go in the broad way. But the broad way leads
to destruction. And so the Lord came and he spoke
to the people when he preached what we call the Servant on the
Mount. And he tells them this, enter ye in at the straight gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many there be that go in
there at, but because Straight is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Narrow is the way. You see, the
way, my friends, is a narrow way. But it is a good way, and
it is a right way. I am the way. Well, We see the
Lord Jesus Christ, he's set before us the way, the way that he walked. The way that the Lord walked
was a way in obedience to his father. His great desire, his
great concern was to do the will of his father. That was the way
the Lord God directed the Savior in, to walk in that way, that
way which was well-pleasing to his Father, that way which was
right, that way which was God-honouring, and how very, very relevant it
is for us today to realise there is a right way and there is a
wrong way. And the right way is the Lord
Jesus Christ. who shows us the way. You know, we today are wonderfully
blessed. Ask, perhaps, why? Because we
have the Bible to read. And my friends, the Bible gives
us all the direction that you and I need in the way. There's nothing omitted you and
I will need. There's nothing extra that you
and I will need. There's no alternative way that
we may be looking for. There is only one right way and
that's the narrow way and that's the way to follow our blessed
example of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am. I am. Almighty God is the way. And so may we be all very concerned. We don't deal, my friends, with
a little God. It would seem sometimes that
people think they just have a little God that they can do what they
want with. And they can please that God if they want to, and
they can displease him if they want to. And they can choose
their own way, and they can please themselves. That's not the right
way. That's not the right way. My friends, how solemn it is
when there are those who choose the wrong way. Oh, my friends, that you and
I might choose the right way. Now, God can give you and me
strength to choose the right way. My friends, that may be
sometimes very tough. It may be very hard. It may be
in opposition to our natural inclination, but I can tell you
this, it's a most blessed path to walk in the right way, which
is in the way that Lord Jesus has shown to us. There's no greater blessing of
peace to have the answer with good conscience to come before
our God with that understanding that we have received the glorious
grace, his favor, to honor him and to be found walking in the
way. I am the way. Well, bless God this morning
if he gives us a willing spirit You know, the Word of God gives
us that encouragement, and it's encouragement in these words,
to be made willing in a day of His power. And what is that? It's when the Lord applies His
Word to our hearts. It's when that Word comes to
us in a direct way. And we're not able to escape
it. Because it is the word of the
Lord. And my friends, when God speaks,
there is power in God's word. Bless God when he applies his
word to our hearts. Yes, it makes us willing. Willing. You know, it's a great pleasure.
It's a great pleasure to do God's will. It's a wonderful blessing to
be found walking in that right way, obeying his voice. And he's
set before us, hasn't he, in his word, the right way. And he's given us a glorious
example. And we should not forget, sometimes we may like to forget,
We want to put it from us perhaps, but we should not forget that
when John the Baptist came and was baptising in Jordan, the
Lord Jesus came and requested that he would be baptised of
John. It was the divine purpose of
Almighty God that the Lord Jesus Christ should be baptised in
Jordan's river and should set before us a wonderful and glorious
example. And we have that testimony that
God the Father was pleased. He appeared and said, this is
my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. My friends, what a blessing it
is if we pass that way. And the Spirit of God is well
pleased with you and me because we are following the example
of the Saviour. Oh, it's the right way, my friends.
It's the blessed way. It's a good way. And I can tell
you this, it's a way that God's people never regret. You and
I regret perhaps many things in our life. One thing we never
forget, never regret, is following the Lord in that right way and
being baptised because what does it do? It brings honour and glory
to our God as a testimony that the Saviour has died for us.
The Saviour has risen again on our behalf. The Saviour has washed
away all our sins in his most precious blood. It is a most
wonderful ordinance the Lord has left on record for us today
to be a true follower of himself. And it is very clearly that ordinance
which is required before we are blessed with the privilege of
being able to come the Lord's table, and to sit down and to
hear his command fulfilled, do this in remembrance of me, and
partake of those simple emblems, the bread showing forth his broken
body for you and me, and the wine that shed blood for you
and me. You see, it's the evidence of
what Christ has done for us. It's a very significant ceremony
which the Lord has set before us as the right way. I am the way. Dare we turn away? Dare we ignore
the Lord's gracious words? Remember, here he was in his
upper room, on this amazing day of the Passover. And here he
is speaking to his disciples. And here he's asked that question.
Here he gives the answer and tells them, I am the way. Oh, bless God. If you and I receive
grace to walk in his way and to follow him. Yes, it's a blessed
way, my friends. It's a blessed path. to be a
follower of the Saviour, to not come to our deathbed and have
regrets. Yes, people have great regrets
on their deathbed. They haven't followed the right
way. So the Saviour says here, in
answer to this question, and we can believe, the Spirit of
God moved Thomas. We might think, well, Thomas,
you're being petulant in asking a question like that. It was
under the divine guidance of Almighty God. So it might
be this great and glorious answer given. I am the way now. He tells us he is the way. And
of course he is the way to God. Without the Lord Jesus Christ,
my friends, there is no access under God the Father. because
we are sinners of the earth and you see God cannot look upon
sin and therefore there is only that one way, that way to come
to our Father and it's through the merits of our Saviour the
Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure We are to a certain
extent in the event familiar with the epistle to the Hebrews
which sets before us so much glory in regards to the way to
come to God and how there was all those sacrifices in Old Testament
dispensation that were done away and now we have this good, this
right, this new, this living way. And so in the ninth chapter
We read, now when these things were thus ordained, the priest
went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of
God. This was the Old Testament. But into the second went the
high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which
he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. Holy
Ghost, this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was
not yet made manifest, while as yet the first tabernacle was
yet standing, which was a figure, a picture, a scene for the time
then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that
could not make him that did a service perfect as pertaining to the
conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and divers
washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time
of reparation, but Christ being come and high priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made of hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered
once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for
it. Now you see, there was access
into the holy place. And as I've told you before,
the holy place signified heaven. And my friends, as our prayers
enter into the holy place today, it was not for the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ, if it was not for his great high priestly
office, our prayers would not come in acceptably unto Almighty
God. He is the way, the only way of
acceptance to Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed
and most glorious Saviour. And then when we move on to the
10th chapter, when the Apostle tells us, now where remission
of these is at sin, there is no more offering for sin. Having
therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Christ. You think my friends, the old
Testament, only the high priest allowed into the holy place once
a year. But now there is a beautiful
change, a wonderful privilege for the church of God. that Lord
Jesus Christ, I am the way. Here it is, having therefore
boldness. You and I, black sinners of the
earth, can come in humble boldness unto almighty God, having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way. Oh, it wasn't dead, was it? Here
it was, set before us, a new and living way, which He, the
Lord Jesus Christ, hath consecrated for us through the veil. There was the veil, a cross separating
the holy of holies. And now, my friends, that veil
is done away. Remember, when Christ was crucified upon the
cross, what happened? The veil was rent, torn from
the top to the bottom. From heaven it tore that veil,
there was no more need for any veil, because there was now that
access by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for
us. Oh my friends, you and me, how
humbling to think that we today, perishing sinners, can come to
our God through the merits of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
That is to say His flesh. And having a high priest over
the house of God, what does He say? Let us, you and me, draw
near. Draw near to God with a true
heart in full assurance of faith. That means believing that our
prayers will enter and our prayers will be heard. not a false faith,
a true faith, depending on what Christ has done, with a true
heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water, let us
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. My friends, bless God, if he's
given you and me a living faith, to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ and the living faith that desires to follow this right
way, to approach unto our God, our most holy God, for the merits
of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so here we have this
statement, I am the way. Well, do we bless God today for
the Lord Jesus Christ? My friends, you will. You will
bless God for the Saviour You will be thankful for what he's
done. It enables us to call upon the
name of our God, to that God who hears and answers prayer,
and to believe that he presents our prayers. Isn't it humbling?
Isn't it wonderful to think that such a God we have? God who does
not deal with us as our sins deserve. God who doesn't cast
us away and say, no, you're no good, you can't come, you're
too bad. The Lord came to seek and to
save that which was lost. He saw me ruined in the fall,
yet loved me notwithstanding all. Oh, that love of Christ
draws us to Him as we view His great love for us in dying to
atone for our sins and to grant us the blessing and the privilege
of this new and living way. I am I am the way. Well, friends,
do we understand it? Do we believe it? Do we walk
it out? Do we walk it out? You see, the
Lord says on this same epistle, sorry, this same gospel, my sheep
hear my voice. And I know them. And they follow
me. The great and glorious and blessed
God-honouring sequence. The Lord lays it down very clearly.
Lays it down to us today. Let not your heart be troubled,
no. Why? Because the Lord says, I know
my sheep. And they hear my voice. If you
and I, my friends, have heard the blessed voice of the Lord.
That's an incalculable blessing because it brings with it the
gift of eternal life. And if you and I have heard the
voice of the Saviour, my sheep hear my voice. Every sheep of
God do hear his voice. We do hear his voice. No sheep
is left without that knowledge of hearing the voice of the Saviour. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. What a wonderful blessing it
is. And so the Lord comes and says, I am the way. And then he also says, I am the
truth. You see, here we have the God
who is truth. The Lord Jesus on that high priestly
prayer, he says, thy word is truth. The words of the saviour
and how important it is that we may know it and be comforted
by it and rejoice in it. But in the first chapter of John,
we read something of this. Remember about John the Baptist?
And this is what we read. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. Well, perhaps that's what we've
been like. Well, bless God if you and I
have received the Lord now. But he says, as many as received
him. To them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. which
were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the
will of man, but of God." It's God's will that you and I should
be born again of His Spirit. Again, how wonderful to think
that Almighty God's will was that you and I should be born
again of His Spirit. And the Word, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the Word. The first verse tells us, in
the beginning was the Word. The Lord Jesus Christ was in
the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth. That's the Word of God. We read
that John bear witness of these truths and cry and saying, this
was he of whom I speak. He that come in after me is preferred
before me for he was before me. And of his fullness we all have
all we received and grace for grace for the law was given by
Moses. We know it, don't we? We're aware
of that. But grace, the unmerited favor of God and truth came by
Jesus Christ. Oh, what a favour if you and
I have received His grace, my friends, His unmerited favour.
What an inestimable blessing to praise God for. What a debt
you and I owe, don't we? A debt to Almighty God, a debt
that naturally we shall never be able to repay. But my friends,
what a privilege in some small way to take up our cross, daily
and to follow Him. Remember, grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ. I am the way, the truth and the
life. Well, our life is in Jesus. We have no true life in and of
ourselves. We are dead, dead in trespasses
and in sins. My friends, our life is in the
Lord Jesus Christ and what a wonderful blessing it is for us to understand
the truth of this and to rejoice in it. And again in this same blessed
gospel in the fifth chapter in verse 21, we read about this
life and it's spoken of here as quickening, that means life. And we read, for as the Father
raised up the dead and quickeneth, that means made alive them, even
so the Son quickeneth, makes alive whom he will. Remember what Paul wrote when
he addressed the Ephesians, and he says, and you hath he quickened. you who were made alive, who
were dead in trespasses and in sins. Well, my friends, this
morning, can we look back in our lives and can we note, can
we realise, through the blessing and the grace of God, that it's
true of us, that it's true of you and true of me, and you hath
thee quickened, made alive. And it's like this, even so,
the Son quickeneth whom he will. Yes, it's the work of the blessed
Lord in making alive our souls. And so the Apostle said, and
you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins,
wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Well,
we've all been there, but there's a great but now. And what a blessing
if you and I know what this but means. Here it is. But God, who
is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he hath loved
us, even when we were dead, sins hath quicken us. That means made
us alive together with Christ. By grace ye are saved and it
raises up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ. Well my friends today you and
I a participant of this great grace that has caused us to hear
his voice, has caused us to know what it is to possess his life
in our souls, so that we have reason today to bless and to
praise our God for his wonderful love, for his wonderful grace,
for his wonderful mercy, and to enter in, in some small way
perhaps, to what the The Lord spoke on that wonderful occasion
in that upper room when he was addressing his disciples and
now as he addresses you and me today. May we know the power
of it. Jesus saith, the power of God,
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the Father by me, but in that one new and living way. May we
know it, may we rejoice in it, may we bless God for it, and
may we be found a true follower of a despised and crucified man
for his honor and for his glory. Amen.