I AM
“The Way the Truth, and the Life: Jesus As The Way”
3.25.12
Driving Thought: If Jesus is the full embodiment of God in the flesh, then to know Jesus is to know
the way to God.
Starter (12 minutes)
 Describe a time when you were lost, how it felt, and how you became “un-lost”.
**Whenever we get lost, the first thing we do is find something or someone that will give us direction. When
we have that direction, we feel reassured on the path we are going on. In today’s “I Am” Statement, Jesus
gives his disciples direction and guidance to the ultimate reality oflife.
Read John 14:1-9 (10 minutes)
 What does Jesus tell the disciples he is going to do in verses 2-3?
 What is the “I AM” statement of this passage?
 Jesus tells the disciples that they already know the way to where He is going. According
to verses 6-7, where is Jesus going and how can the disciples join him there?
 According to the passage, how did Jesus respond to Philip’s request to show then the
Father?
Going Deeper (21 minutes)
 What does this passage tell us about the relationship between Jesus and God?
**NOTE: It’s important that we understand that Jesus is the full-embodiment of God in the flesh. The
relationship between God and Jesus is one. When you see Jesus you see God.
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If John’s gospel tells us that when you see Jesus, you see God, then why do you think
people have issues with Jesus’ claim to be “the way” to God?
Why do you think Jesus would use the definitive article “the” when describing his
relationship to God (“the way”), rather than a term like “a” way or “pointer to” the way?
If you have ever struggled with this idea of Jesus as “the way”, how have you reconciled
that struggle in your life?
People who do not believe Jesus to be the full revelation of God (i.e. “the way”), how do
you think they live connected to God?
Read the “Except” from the next page.
 What do you think of the author’s perspective on this verse?
 Explain whether or not you think we need Christ to be The Way to the Father, and if you
don’t then what do we do with this verse?
Application (2 minutes)
**Through history people have searched for “the way” to God or eternity. In our city, in this year alone, men
and women will spend countless hours and dollars trying to discover a path to God in a journey fraught
with anxiety, confusion, frustration, and fear. The good news is that Jesus has shown us the way, the way to
be in life with Him and the way to eternal life, for we have known Him and seen Him. All He asks is that we
believe.
Prayer/Memory Verse: John 14:6-7
TOTAL= 45 minutes
Excerpt:
Jesus at one point claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life”. Jesus was not making claims
about one religion being better than all other religions. That completely misses the point, the
depth, and the truth. Rather, he was telling those who were following him that his way is the way
to the depth of reality. This kind of life Jesus was living, perfectly and completely in connection
and cooperation with God, is the best possible way to live. It is how things are.
When Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me”, he was saying that his way,
his words, his life is our connection to how things truly are at the deepest levels of existence. For
Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with the ultimate reality, God. Paul talks
about religious acts and rituals are “shadows” of the reality. The reality is found in Christ.