Leader Packet
THE I AM STATEMENTS OF JESUS: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
John 14:6
Getting Started
1. What does “the good life” mean in our culture? How do people pursue it? What are some clues that a person is trying to figure this out? How do you define this type of abundant living? There has been a great deal written and said about how to live the good life. Yet with more than eight billion people on this planet, there are probably just as many opinions about what the good life entails.
2. Jesus told His followers how to live a good life. What “good life” statements/scriptures have you found to be helpful? Here are a few passages that you and your group could explore: Matthew 5:43-44, 6:34, 7:1; Luke 6:31; John 15:13.
Digging Deeper
1. Read Matthew 16:13-20. Even non-Christians can appreciate many of the words of Jesus. But what type of person is Jesus to them? Outside of Christianity, who do people say Jesus is? When it comes to the teachings of Jesus, society embraces some of His teachings while rejecting the rest. We know, however, that all of His words are inspired, unbreakable, authoritative, and life-changing. When Jesus told us to love one another and treat others as we’d want to be treated, that’s widely accepted as good advice. And even non-believers can have a secular appreciation for His words about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, and meditate on soothing statements like, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1).
2. Next, read John 14:6. How does this claim come across as provocative in our culture? Where does the intolerance of Jesus’ statement show up in the news, television, and social media? How does the world reject Jesus’ words? Properly understood, this is one of the most important and powerful of Jesus' teachings to His disciples. When it is misunderstood, however, it can seem divisive and judgmental. Why does Jesus cause division? One reason is that He is the truth and truth necessarily divides. Postmodernism wants us to think that there is no such thing as absolute truth in the philosophical or religious realm, or that if there is truth, we can’t know it. Jesus drew a distinct line in the sand with the above proclamation.
3. Now, read Matthew 7:21-23. Apart from Jesus, how do people think they will get to heaven? What are some techniques, practices, or philosophies that people use to claim hope in their life after death? Throughout the ages, people have been asking Thomas’ question: what is the way to heaven? And they have come up with many different solutions: things like lists of good works, philanthropy, special acts of devotion, and spiritual pilgrimages. But Jesus gave a simple, even strange, answer. He didn’t give Thomas a series of steps to take or principles to follow. He pointed to Himself. In His own words, “I am the way.”
4. Read 1 Timothy 2:5. In your own words, what does Jesus lead us away from? What does He guide us toward? Without Jesus, how could we do this? Could we? A way is the path between a starting point and an ending point. According to the Bible, our starting point is separation from God and the prospect of death. Jesus does not say, “Let Me give you directions to where you ought to go. If you follow those directions, you will make it to your destination.” No. Jesus says, “I am the way. I will restore your relationship with God and one day take you to heaven.”
5. Finally, read John 5:39-40. What is the difference between knowing the way to life and walking it? How do people get the information of Jesus (as the way, truth, and life), but miss the important element of living this in their daily lives? How can a person know the truth and still miss it? When have you witnessed this firsthand? If Jesus really is the only way to God, then how do we explain the tendency toward Christian complacency? It is so easy to go on not disturbing anyone because they have their way and we have our way. But God says there is only one way and that is His way.
Applying the Message
1. Today, you may need to do some business with God. What have you learned that quickens your pulse at the idea of Jesus being the way, truth, and life? What are you feeling compelled to do about it? Pastor Jeremiah said the following: I want you to know that the Lord Jesus has the scars on His body that He suffered while making a way for us through the barrier of sin. Before Him, there was no way. Without Jesus, we have no hope. Without Him, we are lost and can never know God on our own. But Jesus… let Himself be beaten, jeered, and nailed to a piece of wood. With the cross… He forged the way. He is our way, our truth, and our life.
2. If you are already a Christian, where might complacency have crept into your life? What kind of internal shift needs to take place in order for you to get back into a “fully committed Christian” posture toward Jesus and also toward this lost world?