 Real Life in Messiah: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Towards the end of His earthly ministry, Messiah was sharing a Passover meal with His closest disciples. He shared many key truths about the kingdom of God, and demonstrated the kind of way his disciples would share His love and serve one another by washing their feet. If that didn’t startle them, Messiah said something that startled them even more.
“I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6 JNT)
Messiah revealed that He not only is the true way or path to eternal life, but IS eternal life—and the true atonement fir sin, opening the way of eternal life. What did He really mean? The apostle, Paul, shed light on the meaning of this.
4 Through immersion into his death we were buried with him; so that just as, through the glory of the Father, the Messiah was raised from the dead, likewise we too might live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was put to death on the execution-stake with him, so that the entire body of our sinful propensities might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For someone who has died has been cleared from sin. 8 Now since we died with the Messiah, we trust that we will also live with him. 9 We know that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, never to die again; death has no authority over him. 10 For his death was a unique event that need not be repeated; but his life, he keeps on living for God. 11 In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God, by your union with the Messiah Yeshua. 12 Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal bodies, so that it makes you obey its desires; 13 and do not offer any part of yourselves to sin as an instrument for wickedness. On the contrary, offer yourselves to God as people alive from the dead, and your various parts to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will not have authority over you; because you are not under legalism but under grace. (Romans 6:4-414 JNT)
As we allow our carnal sinful tendencies (lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life) to die, put our faith in Messiah, and trust in the Holy Spirit to enable us to rule over those tendencies, we become united with Messiah in His resurrection, and live IN HIM—the power of His resurrection—HIS WAY, HIS TRUTH and HIS LIFE.
Truly, no single day of atonement or collection of mitzvot—works of righteousness or commandments—nor confession can satisfy God’s wrath and fulfill God’s requirement of a blood sacrifice for the remission of sins. There is no way to reconcile our sins with a righteous, perfect God and make amends for transgressing His law; except coming before Almighty God with brokenness of heart and humility, receiving the sacrificial blood atonement of Messiah.
In Messiah, we truly know El Gibbor—The Mighty God, who has gone before us in triumph over death, and gives us strength through His Spirit; not only for today, but for eternity. Truly, He is El Olam—God Everlasting.
|
