Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.When I was in RCIA, I was asked what My favorite line in the bible was. I was super green and not well read at all, and as such I had no idea what to pick. So I randomly opened the bible and jumped to the book of John. I did not want to pick John 3:16 because everyone picks that. But In a short time of reading, I landed on this passage. And all of these years later, it is still one of my very favorite lines from the bible. At that time, it seemed to me the essence of christianity, and it is indeed that. But I have also learned that it is so much more. In fact this statement is the hinge on which all of Jesus’ ministry turns.
C.S. Lewis coined a phrase that is poignant here…, he said: “Jesus christ was either a Lunatic, a liar, or he is the Lord”. There are no other options. Some have tried to suggest other options, but all answers ultimately boil down to one of these three. If Jesus was actually a liar or a lunatic, then His “way, truth, and life…” statement would just be another utterance by a charlatan or a crazy person trying to get people riled up and as such would have been forgotten millennia ago. But if Jesus IS actually Lord, and He can prove it, as He did in the resurrection, then this line is one of the most important things ever said in the history of this world.
Today among believers it is well established that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, and the facts of His life are extremely well documented and beyond reproach. And as such we must pay close attention to this statement, and in fact, all of His teachings. To know that Jesus was a real person, and that He was indeed the Son of God, is a knowledge that changes you. It forces you to look at your life, and confront the reality of your sin, in light of Jesus and His teachings. When you do this you have to change, you cant go away from that moment the same as you were before. You either accept or reject this truth but you will never be the same as you were before.
If you ultimately accept this truth, that Jesus is truly lord, then this statement is indeed the roadmap for how to find happiness. If you want to know the “way” to walk in this crazy sinful world, the answer is Jesus! If you want to know what is really “true” in this world, the answer is Jesus! And if you want to have the fullness of “life,” that He promises to all that love Him, the answer is Jesus! Do not allow yourself to be unchanged by the truth of Jesus, and to be distracted by the lures and temptations of this world… Put down your phones, and turn off your TV’s and look up to the Lord, and to the incredible promise that He has given us, and the incredible happiness that awaits us if we only trust in Him, a happiness that truly does surpass all understanding.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh lord, Help me to help bring the light of your truth into the world. Help me to show others that your way, your truth and your life are the only answer.