Speaker 1: 0:06

Hello friends, and welcome to the Rooted and Grounded podcast, joined by the two troublemakers, Wayne and Matt.

Speaker 2: 0:12

What's up man? Easy man. What's up my brother? All right.

Speaker 1: 0:16

So guys, I thought we would play a little game of first thing that comes to mind so don't think about it oh, man Just a couple words and we got biblical and non-biblical, so so we'll start with the non first, first thing to come to mind when I say winter weather hey spoken like a true cow farmer. Cow farmer, that's right he is. He hasn't earned cowboy yet. That's exactly right.

Speaker 2: 0:49

He's a cow farmer yeah, because he only has that one.

Speaker 3: 0:51

Spur you know we talked about that, but cold. Yeah, yeah, alright, bigfoot Sasquatch oh, yeah, exactly hot dogs oh, baseball, baseball, yeah, and Sasquatch, oh yeah, exactly, hot dogs, baseball.

Speaker 2: 1:08

And July 4th.

Speaker 1: 1:12

Scented candles.

Speaker 3: 1:15

Yankee candle.

Speaker 2: 1:17

Yankee, it's a saccharine, okay.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Let's go to the biblical side now. Jonah, okay, all right. Um well, let's go to the biblical side now um jonah, oh uh, every well big fish yeah, run yeah, uh, noah's ark safety 600 years old the talking donkey wow wow exactly unbelievable and maybe I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I'll tell you everyone, like my generation, down like shrek is where oh yeah, totally yeah for my generation, mister, yeah you know, we just talked about mr ed.

Speaker 1: 2:02

That's crazy, yeah, yeah, yes, I'm here with mr ed too yeah and then uh, last one, the last supper savior yeah, sacrifice, okay, yeah, so so when we think about the last supper, I think the typical imagery and the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people is kind of Jesus washing feet, sharing, establishing the last supper, really an emotional evening before the culmination of Jesus's ministry. But I think John paints a little bit of a different picture if you really read what's going on and so you think about some of this. When Jesus is saying that one of you will betray me, he says that the disciples were filled with uncertainty. Or you think about foretelling of Peter's denial and all the apostles, how they would deny him and the feelings that that would have generated within the apostles. You think about the confusion that was there.

Speaker 1: 3:03

When Jesus says apostles, you think about the confusion that was there when Jesus says I'm leaving, but you know the way, and they're thinking, no, we don't, we don't know the way. And so in these times of stress, and I think it's hard to imagine just exactly, what the apostles would have been feeling, but you think about how the body responds to stress and it's increased heart rate it's rapid, shallow breathing.

Speaker 1: 3:26

It's muscle tension, it's fight or flight difficulty, concentrating, adrenaline rushes thoughts of impending doom and I want us to kind of have those feelings in that mindset as we approach Jesus's I am statement in John 14 today because, he is going to give the apostles a message of comfort, and I think it's one that they don't grasp fully in the moment, but it's one that Jesus is speaking to their feelings of panic and stress and worry.

Speaker 1: 3:56

And so, with that being said, today we're going to talk about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life.

Speaker 1: 4:02

And so let's read John 14, beginning in verse one, he says let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am, you may be also, and you know the way to where I'm going.

Speaker 1: 4:27

Thomas said to him Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. And so, as this is our focus for the episode today, wayne, take us through the first part of Jesus' I Am statement, and so we'll split this up and look at each part individually. But, wayne, talk to us about what Jesus means when he says that he is the way, what Jesus means when he says that he is the way.

Speaker 2: 5:04

You know, when I think about even there with his apostles and they admitted confusion how can we know when are you going? I mean, what's up with all of this? And I think about there's a lot of application of that to the world today, guys. I mean, there's a lot of people in our world that they can't find the way. You know, the stress is alive. There's so much fear, there's so much doubt. You know, life can sometimes be like a small boat in a strong storm out on the sea, and to think about Jesus being the way, it's easy for us to lose our way today. So we need a beacon of hope. We need a beacon of hope, we need a, we need a direction.

Speaker 2: 5:46

Um, as I said, when he says I am the way, I think several things come to my mind. First of all, he's our guide, okay, and he's our compass to get the direction of where we we need to be. So did jesus say, and it's important, I think, guys, to look at the fact that he doesn't say I'm one of many ways. He doesn't say I'm a way. There's a very definite article there before the word way I am the way. And we might even say today, I am the only way. Because he goes on to say in the last part no one. So that includes everybody. There is no one who's going to come from father except through him. So when he says I am the way, he's the one that's showing us there.

Speaker 2: 6:29

But the thing that stands out, guys, about him being the way, he not only talked about that, I think in last episode we talked about matt you brought up, you know, it's one thing to talk, to talk, but he walked the walk. He does that right here when he I am the way. That is a comfort and assurance you mentioned earlier, but I also see it as a call of action. Yeah, because that's exactly what they were. Where can we go? How are we going to know the way if we don't know where you're going?

Speaker 2: 6:59

So Jesus is a comfort and assurance, but it's also, guys, it's a call to action. It's like I'm the way. You know what you need to do. You need to follow me, because if you want to go to the Father, guess what you got to do? You got to follow me. And the amazing thing about Jesus, guys, that Jesus just didn't talk about the way. He didn't just, he lived it, he showed it. He showed what it means the way. He shows us what it means to be obedient to the Father. He shows us what it means to love. He shows us what it means to live in humility, even to the point of death on the cross. When he could have called 10,000 angels, he didn't do it.

Speaker 3: 7:44

He didn't do it. He didn't do it Well, and you think about the way that phrase that carries so much weight, with the disciples going forward, Because you think about the original name of the disciples or the followers of Jesus was the ones who was a part of the way. I mean Paul said that sect or that group.

Speaker 3: 8:07

You know we tried to destroy the way. Well, me and Wayne were kind of collabing on this idea and thinking about it. It was like, why did they call themselves the way? They could have called themselves followers of Jesus or they could have phrased it any way. Well, why did they call it the way? Because it was that important. Exactly, they got this one Nobody comes to the Father except through me. They knew. They elevated I appreciate them, guys, so much for that because they elevate that phrase. That's the word that they could have said we follow the truth or we follow the life, but we follow the resurrection. But they picked we follow the way.

Speaker 2: 8:50

and Paul said in Acts 22, verse 3 and 4 what did he do? He said I was persecuting again, not the followers or the life, I was persecuting the way, the way.

Speaker 3: 9:03

They got it. There was something about that phrase that was catchy to people that they would say what are you talking about the way? And they'll say let me show you, it's a different path.

Speaker 2: 9:16

Exactly this is the way that compass to show them the way.

Speaker 1: 9:21

Well, and Wayne, as you were talking, and talking about Jesus wanting the people to follow him, that made me think about all the different ways that he does that throughout his ministry. Like calling the apostles, he says follow me, or you think about Matthew 11, come to me and I will give you rest and just throughout his ministry, jesus says follow me. He's not forcing it, but he's saying, at times compassionately, at times directly, at times, um, almost sternly, to those that are objecting yeah, he says follow me in that invitation.

Speaker 2: 9:54

There is a reason for that.

Speaker 3: 9:56

Well, you, because he was that way that john 9, uh, where he says, uh, verse 40, I've gone back and back to this. Then some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him are we blind? Also, jesus said to them if you were blind you would have no sin. But you say we see. Therefore, your sin remains. You can't see the way you can't see. I'm trying to take you on a path that is very different than anything you've ever been a part of and oh, by the way, this will take you to the Father, right.

Speaker 2: 10:32

And I think that's one of the blessings, because it's so easy for folks to lose their way. Yes, even the disciples would stay in there. Yeah, but in the world today it's so easy to just follow. After so many avenues, yeah, but there's only one that we need to make sure we're on.

Speaker 3: 10:50

Only one path. That is incredible to me, man. Just that phrase, I appreciate it All right.

Speaker 1: 10:58

So now that we've got the way established, matt, let's talk about truth, because truth is a big deal. Today we have the. Is truth relative? Is it absolute? My truth versus your truth? But what does Jesus want us to understand when he establishes himself as the truth?

Speaker 3: 11:14

I don't think it was just a coincidence or he was trying to say just a catchy phrase. When he says it in that order, just like we've talked about with the Beatitudes last year, when we were talking about Jesus didn't just in our sermons, not here on the podcast, but those phrases weren't just said in any type of way. They were layered on purpose and this is, I think, the same.

Speaker 3: 11:44

He says I'm the way. So if you say, okay, I want to follow your way, what is that? Well, same, he says I'm the way. So if you say, okay, I want to follow your way, what is that? Well, he says I'm the truth. Like, what I'm about to tell you is not a lie. What I'm actually about to tell you is the truth, and I had I wanted that they. They speak volumes of. You know what jesus is trying to say. John 8, 32. You'll know the truth and the truth will set you free. Um, john 17, 17. Sanctify them in the truth. And what's the truth? Your word is the truth, right, and you know the?

Speaker 3: 12:26

This whole idea of in john 4, where he says god is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. The true way to worship is the way that I'm going to tell you how to do it. Like again, he's elevating himself in front of all of these people to say I'm the guy and I'm not ashamed to say it. Like I'm not ashamed at all. To say that I am what I'm saying is the only thing that you need to listen to.

Speaker 3: 12:54

Who says I mean? People will say, well, you got to believe what I'm saying. It's like, dude, I'm not believing what you're saying, because I know what's in your heart and I know really, maybe, the motives that you're saying. What's in your heart and I know really, maybe, the motives that you're saying you remember Jesus would always say for what thing have I done wrong? You've seen all the things and you've heard all the things that I've done. Which one thing, which is the one that you're going to accuse me of being deceiving or lying or trying to elevate myself? And he did all that on purpose, because he's pointing to this truth.

Speaker 2: 13:26

We're just like he was the way. He is not one of truths, he's the. I mean, he's it. That's right, that's right. And then, not only did he again the way, but he's a truth, not only did he teach a truth, he is a truth, but he lived the truth that's right he lived in obedience, truth to the father yeah, what was it?

Speaker 3: 13:47

uh, jesus said we, we were talking about this too. A lot of times we'll say jesus said it, I believe it, that settles it. Well, that's not true. Jesus said it, that settles it. I mean, like, how did you get involved exactly? Like when did you get up on the the list of having to be the one to okay it?

Speaker 2: 14:05

Yeah right.

Speaker 3: 14:06

Like what he says is truth. I mean Whether I believe it or not.

Speaker 2: 14:11

Yeah, it's still truth. When Jesus says it, it settles. You know you mentioned a while ago about is it absolute? Is it relative?

Speaker 3: 14:18

Right, it's absolute. Yeah, I mean Well, when he told Lazarus come forth that boy came forth.

Speaker 2: 14:24

That was absolute.

Speaker 3: 14:25

That was absolute wasn't it when he said I mean all of the things that he did. Go put mud on your face and come back on your eyeballs and come back over here and what happened? He did it and it happened.

Speaker 2: 14:38

Because he's the truth.

Speaker 3: 14:39

Because he's the truth.

Speaker 2: 14:40

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 14:41

Well.

Speaker 1: 14:42

I think just how important truth is for any type of relationship because he's the rock that we build on, and his word is truth, and that's what we establish our faith and grow from, and truth is just a very important part of that.

Speaker 2: 15:21

If we're going to be set apart, like John 17 says says, sanctify them. It means you're set apart. How, one way, the absolute truth that Jesus is.

Speaker 1: 15:31

Well, and you think about kind of the distinction between those living for God and Christ and those who do not.

Speaker 2: 15:37

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:38

And you have those that are living under a set standard and set principles and a way of life to follow for a very specific reason. But then you look at those that are living outside of Christ and they all have their own. There's no set truth. There's a here's what I want, here's what I believe, here's how I'm going to live, and each one leads to chaos.

Speaker 3: 16:00

Each one leads to problems.

Speaker 1: 16:02

It's just a very empty, unfulfilling way to live. But Jesus says when you live in the truth, then you are living in the way where you can receive the blessings, where you can follow the light, where you can have everything that I've promised to you. But you have to do it the right way.

Speaker 3: 16:18

I find confidence and I think that when we can get to this point and I'm still trying to get there, this is a work in progress, but what truth has Jesus ever told us to do that would ever lead us to where? It's chaotic For me to come to a brother and say I'm going to go the extra mile and I'm going to admit my fault to you, something that the world would say bro, don't just say nothing until they say something to you Like just get away from them, don't be a peacemaker, just keep the peace man.

Speaker 3: 16:55

Like every single thing that Jesus tries to teach us is a benefit to our life. You know, like in 1 John, 3, 18, 3, 18, little children, let us not love in word or talk, but indeed in truth. Well, what truth? Not your truth, it's what he says is true, and so I think it goes back to what I was talking about earlier. Jesus said what thing have I done that was wrong, like, what thing did I do? That was wrong. And it's. He can press even the same, the same point on his truth. What truth or what commandment am I giving you that's going to lead to chaos, and you can't never find it. If you do have chaos, it's because your self-pride and your desire is controlling the narrative of your life.

Speaker 2: 17:43

Right, and you know, as you were talking about that, just remind me of a verse back in Proverbs 21, 21,. When, if we pursue the truth, we walk in the way, live in the way, et cetera. Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness, here's the result. Nothing chaotic. You will find life, righteousness and honor and honor.

Speaker 3: 18:07

Every time. I mean he said even in the lesson that we talked about last time with Lazarus I'm doing this to glorify you, I'm doing this to honor you. Well, when we become like Jesus, what did he become? The name above every name. He was exalted, and the Bible says if you humble yourself under his mighty hand, he'll lift you up in due time. You will get the honor according to God's will. That's incredible.

Speaker 1: 18:37

And that's truth, that's right and that makes me think really a lot of issues. But, you think about denominations right, every single one, while, while they all may have a a structure and a belief in christ in the bible, to varying degrees, they all have the man-made element right and additional pieces or additional truths, or truths that maybe change over time depending on what the leadership is, and I think that's what is so right and what.

Speaker 1: 19:13

I love so much about the church of Christ is we've got the Bible. That's it. And within the Bible there are examples of how a church should be led, but we don't have a central organization, I mean we don't have a, a, a Pope or, or a city or a structure that says here's what we believe. Now we believe what's been true for thousands of years because we got it from the truth.

Speaker 3: 19:38

Yeah, I think that that's true. I mean Psalm 25, five lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation, for you I wait all the day long, like I don't need man to tell me anything, like I have the things that I need right here. Wow, they were the way. They followed what jesus said. They didn't follow what peter said and it was recognized and it was recognized. They were okay with that, they embraced that and they loved it. And and peter would say you remember, you guys can beat us, you can lock us up, but we will not stop talking about what we've seen and what we heard, because he is the way and the truth and the life.

Speaker 1: 20:24

So let's build out the rest of this equation and look at the life. And so what does Jesus mean when he says he's the life? And I think life and Jesus are synonymous, but maybe even more so, because you cannot have one without the other If you want life, the only way to do it is through.

Speaker 1: 20:42

Jesus and if you have Jesus then by default you are having the life. And I searched and you look at the gospel of John alone and how many times the teaching is for life or eternal life. But even just to narrow it down and think about the I am statements that we've looked at so far, john said you've got the bread of life. Or you think about when we looked at the light of the world. Jesus says whoever follows me will have the light of life.

Speaker 1: 21:12

Or when we looked a few weeks ago in John 10, the good shepherd and the door. I have come that they may have life and have life abundantly. Or you look at the last episode with the resurrection of Lazarus I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth and the life. And then next week, when we look at the vine, he's saying I am the source of life. If you want to live, you have to live in Jesus. That is the only way. And so he says I am the way that you will know to get to the father. I am the way that you will know how to live your life. I am the truth that you build it on and the culmination of this, I'm the life. And I will give this life to you in the life now and in the life to come life to you in the life now and in the life to come.

Speaker 3: 22:03

The just the, the way that this phrase works out. And I love the way that we've set this up, because if I look, and, and Jesus is saying this is the way, right here, come on, and I say, okay, I'm going to go, you know, and I'm just kind of drawing this picture out Now, if I follow this way and I start walking with him, he starts giving me these truths. And now, as I keep walking, what I understand is, as I'm looking up, there's this light at the end of this path and it's like, oh yeah, this is going to be where it's at. But here's the deal. I'm not to that light yet, but I'm walking on this path and I can see it all the time and I'm just walking towards it. It doesn't even necessarily get bigger and bigger, but I can just see it as I'm walking and there's joy and there's this peace and there's this comfort as I'm walking with him.

Speaker 3: 22:51

I think about 1 John, 5, 20. And we know that the Son of God has come and has. Give us understanding so that we may know him, who is true.

Speaker 3: 23:01

And we are in him, who is true in his Son, jesus Christ. What I mean? You almost become oblivious if you keep your eyes on Jesus. Not that you don't see the things happening around you in the world, but you see it very differently. Now. You're like you know what we need to have compassion on these people. You know what we need to help these people, or you know what we need to stay clear of that. We just need to not be in that. And people are gossiping and I'm not going to be involved in it. You know I'm looking and I'm walking with Jesus. You know that song Hand in Hand with Jesus. Some people may struggle with that idea, but I do think that there is some power to that picture, because when I'm holding his hand and I'm walking with him, he's saying yeah, I know there's trouble, I know there's drama, but don't worry, I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life.

Speaker 2: 23:58

And when you read 1 John, 5, 20 there, but notice the last phrase of it not just life here, that's an abundant life we've talked about, but it's an eternal life. That's right. Never ending, never.

Speaker 1: 24:11

Yeah, well, and think about the second half of our sits. I'm the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Speaker 3: 24:22

And Jesus is saying I am the gate to what you get to god.

Speaker 1: 24:24

Yeah that's right, that's right. And then he goes on and uh, especially what we'll look at in the next episode of about abiding in the vine so that we can know the father. So so what else, anything else that we want to pull out on jesus being the way and life, before we move to close the episode.

Speaker 3: 24:51

I just those verse. That verse six to me is just. I think that as he keeps drawing closer to the cross, I think he's starting to put more pieces of the puzzle together and, like you said, in the moment they don't necessarily see this, but when you look at the end of Luke 24, when Jesus gets them all together and he starts talking about the Psalms, and he starts talking about the things that were, you know, he opens their eyes to this. Their mind is blown, because now they're seeing all of this, what we see, because now they're seeing all of this what we see, and, I think, the beauty of us being able to have the word of God with us. While I may not be able to, you know, heal somebody or raise somebody from the dead, I have these words that will save their life.

Speaker 2: 25:33

I mean literally Save their life here and the eternal soul.

Speaker 3: 25:37

And their eternals. I have that power available to me to give to them and it takes them right to the king because he's the one that sanctifies man, he says, that's right all right so wayne, make it real for us oh, make it real.

Speaker 2: 25:51

Uh, when you think about just the, the blessing of being able to follow the way and to know the truth and to have the truth, you know that is absolute, that what it brings us and what it results in is a life here. That is the best life there is. Because you know, we all know, that we haven't always, I haven't always walked that walk, I haven't always lived in the path, and I can just tell you from experience and from observation, you know, even if we didn't have the Word of God, just from life experience and watching others' observations, this is the best life there is here and it ends in the best life for eternity, because Jesus is the way and the truth and he gives us life.

Speaker 3: 26:37

Yeah, I say amen to that. I just think that, hey, we've got some power on here. So I'm talking about.

Speaker 2: 26:47

Well, you've been talking about power. He is the light and he brings life.

Speaker 3: 26:52

So no, I just I appreciate the idea of just Jesus wanting us to know that we can just confidently follow him and he won't lead us astray.

Speaker 1: 27:07

I just appreciate when somebody tells me the truth you know, and I would say, mine is whatever you need Jesus has it you need to know the way. Well to him. If you need to know the truth, what to him? If you need life, look to him. But then I think about all the other things too. If you need peace, if you need hope, if you need love, if you need compassion, if you need rest, if you need instruction, if you need wisdom, whatever you need, Jesus has it.

Speaker 3: 27:34

He is the way he is the truth.

Speaker 1: 27:36

he is the life. Well, we hope that you all will be blessed by the time that we spent together today and have a great rest of the day, and we'll do it all again in two weeks.

Speaker 2: 27:44

Take care, appreciate y'all. Thank you, appreciate you you.