Are you hungry? Not physically hungry, but do you have an appetite for something more in life? Is there something inside of you that never seems to be satisfied? If so, Jesus is the way. In John 6:35, He calls Himself ‘the bread of life,’ saying that those who come to Jesus will never go hungry and those who believe in Him will never be thirsty. Are you confused and can never seem to find a purpose or path in your life? Does it seem like someone has cut off the lights, and you can’t find the switch? If you answered yes, Jesus is the way to salvation. In John 8:12, Jesus said whoever follows Him will never walk in shadows but will have the light of life.
If you feel locked out of life and have tried so many doors only to find that what’s behind them is meaningless and empty, Jesus is the way to salvation. What is the truth, the way and the life? In John 14:6, Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to God except through Him. This statement is one of Jesus’ “I Am” statements. On the final night before His betrayal and death, Jesus was readying His disciples for the upcoming days. For the last three years, these men were following Jesus, learning His examples and teachings. They put their hopes in Jesus as the Messiah and the promised deliverer, but they still didn’t understand how He was going to accomplish this feat.
After the Last Supper, He started discussing His departure, leading to questions from His disciples. In John 13:33, Jesus told them that He’d be there only a little longer. They’ll look for Him, but they can’t come where He’s going, which prompted Peter to ask where Jesus was going. The disciples didn’t understand that He was talking about His death and ascension to heaven. Jesus told them where He was going, that they couldn’t come, and that they would follow Him later. Peter still didn’t understand and said he would follow Jesus anywhere and sacrifice himself if necessary. As Jesus continued His lesson, He started talking about heaven, describing the place He would prepare for them.
Did Jesus claim to be the only way to heaven?
One of the best ways to understand someone is to find out what they think about themselves. Jesus said several things about who He was: He is the Son of God, that He and the Father are one, and the Father is the One who sent Him. Jesus also announced that He didn’t come to be served but to serve and that He came to sacrifice Himself as a ransom for many. Jesus came as a substitute payment on behalf of humanity. Jesus agreed with His accusers when they called Him King of the Jews. His “I Am” statements from John show that He claimed to be the Good Shepherd who adores the sheep and the bread of life, which prevents hunger.
In John 10:9, Jesus also called Himself “the door to heaven,” and in John 14:6, He went into further detail on that thought, which caused several people to back away. However, Jesus is exactly who He says He is. He’s the Good Shepherd and the bread of life, the way, the truth and the life. In order for us to have eternal life, we must receive Jesus as our Savior. If you believe all the other things Jesus said but choose to believe He can’t be the only way to heaven, then you’re saying lies or partial truths. You can’t have it both ways. Either He is who He says He is, or He isn’t. So you can’t say, “Jesus is a wonderful teacher, a good man, a great healer and philosopher, but…”
Whenever your belief in Jesus’ validity has stipulations, you make Him a liar. Regarding all the things He’s said about Himself, either He’s a fraud and counterfeit, or He’s exactly who He says He is: the eternal Son of God, the One who will judge each of us one day, and the Savior of the world.
Is there another way to heaven?
Jesus is the only path to heaven. This kind of statement might surprise, confuse, or even offend some, but it’s true nonetheless. The Bible says that there’s no other way to salvation than through Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus calls Himself the “way, the truth and the life” and says that no one comes to God except through Him. He’s not a way, as in there are several ways. He is the way, as in the only way. Regardless of their achievement, reputation, or personal holiness, no one can come to God except through Christ. Jesus is the only way to heaven for numerous reasons. God chose Him to be the Savior, as detailed in 1 Peter 2:4. He’s the only One to come down from heaven and return. He’s the only person who lived a perfect human life, and He’s the only sacrifice for sin.
By Himself, He fulfilled the Prophets and the Law, and He’s the only man to have defeated death forever. He’s the mediator between man and God. John 14:6 isn’t the only place where Jesus described Himself as the only way to heaven. In Matthew 7:21-27, He presented Himself as an object of faith and said His words are life in John 6:63. He promised that people who believe in Him will live eternally, and He’s the gate of the sheep. No one else can claim those titles. The apostles’ preaching concentrated on the resurrection and death of Jesus. Speaking to the Sanhedrin, Peter proclaimed Jesus as the only way to heaven in Acts 4:12.
At the synagogue in Antioch, Paul singled out Jesus as the Savior, specifically in Acts 13:38-39. In writing to the church in 1 John 2:12, he specifies Jesus as the basis of our forgiveness. No one but Jesus can forgive sin. Eternal life in heaven is possible only through Jesus Christ. To receive God’s gift of salvation, we must look to Jesus and Him alone and trust in His death on the cross as our payment for sin and in His resurrection.
