Have you ever been asked to describe yourself in three words, or even in just one? A question like this is often used in job interviews, in icebreakers for small groups, or at orientations for academic or church programs. We want to learn about each other in a quick way, and so we ask everyone to boil down their most important qualities and characteristics into a few words.
If we were to describe ourself as “joyful,” “honest,” and “hard-working,” we would not be saying that we never faltered in any of these characteristics. There are days we feel lazy, mornings that bring frustration and stress instead of joy, and sticky situations where we find ourself telling a lie.
But when we read Christ’s own ‘about me’ statements in John 14:6, where he states that he is the Truth, the Life, and the Way, we see a self-description that is more definitive. He is not just a way, a truth, a life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we affirm faith in Christ as He is revealed in the Word, we aren’t saying that he is pretty truthful or even perfectly truthful.
So, when Jesus referred to himself as “the way, the truth, and the life”, this was a startling multi-faceted claim that was without precedent. By calling himself “the way”, Jesus was saying not only that he was the destination of life, but also its very means.
By calling himself “the truth”, Jesus wasn’t referring to propositional truth, as in true statements versus false statements. Instead, Jesus was saying that he himself was the only genuine means to reality.
By calling himself “the life”, Jesus was claiming not just to have life, but also to be the very essence and source of life itself.
These statements deserve our deep reflection.
Dear Lord, Thank You for being my Way, my Truth, and my Life. Guide me in Your path, let Your truth govern my choices, and fill me with Your life-giving Spirit. In times of doubt, confusion, or fatigue, remind me that You are my compass, my clarity, and my vitality.
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