Is Jesus the Only Way to God?
Is Jesus the Only Way to God?
Regardless of where you were born we are immersed today in a
religious culture offering many gods, and many paths to God. As a college
student, I personally struggled with the confusion of which religion, if any,
is really true.
In the cases of crimination many wonder about an afterlife,
and whether there is any existence beyond our ashes. When a priest of a
cremation site was asked “where that
person, whose body was nothing more than a pile of ashes, was now.” The priest
answered, “That is a question you will be asking all your life, and you will
never find a certain answer”.
The priest’s uncertainty is troubling. If the priest was without answers himself, how
could we ever know truth, and the meaning of life? Without ultimate truth, and
hope for the future, life can seemed utterly meaningless.
One claim contradicts
everything that is popular thinking in today’s world ; Jesus’ claim that he is
the only way to God.
If we are somewhat familiar with eastern religions we understand
that they offer no absolute truth, or authoritative word of God. Furthermore,
no leader of these religions ever made a claim to deity the Father-Son and Holy
Ghost. But Christianity is radically different.
Logically speaking, If Jesus Christ is who He claims to be, and
then we have the authoritative word of God Himself on the subject. If He is
God, and there is no other Saviour, then obviously He is the only way to God.
Christians could not change this fact by a vote, or by anything else.
At age thirty, Jesus began walking the rocky slopes around
the Sea of Galilee, teaching, performing miracles, and declaring himself as Saviour
and Lord. Eyewitnesses confirm that Jesus lived a righteous life. He healed the
deaf, the blind, and the lame. He calmed storms, and restored the dead to life.
He spoke about God with unflinching authority. Yet Jesus never had a political
agenda, or desired personal power. On the contrary, he reached out to the poor,
the undesirable and unloved; despised hypocrisy and revered humility…
In spite of Jesus’ loving words and compassionate deeds, the
claims he made about himself infuriated the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus
claimed he came from God, and that the only path to God was through him. His
radical claims so incensed the religious leaders that they ultimately led to
his execution.
The debate about Jesus Christ’s claims didn’t end in the
first century after his death on a Roman cross. It continues today. At the centre
of the debate is the question: Is Jesus Christ really the only way to God?
That debate about whether Jesus is the only way to God
became front and centre on an Oprah Winfrey
When a Christian lady stood up shouting: “Jesus is the only
way,” Oprah immediately shot back: “There couldn’t possibly be just one
way….Jesus can’t possibly be the only way to God.” Opera would be a typical
Pharisee…… Bending the word of God to suit a personal preference under the
guise of black-hearted ,intellectualism…
Some Christians accept the Christian message as true because
it satisfies their emotional needs. However, we know that the Christian message
needs to be believed because it is true, not just because it works, or is good.
Christianity is a statement, which if false, is of no
importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is
moderately important.
So, is the Christian claim that Jesus is the only way to God
true? In order to find out, we need to answer the following questions:
Did Jesus claim to be the only way?
Did the Apostles say he is the only way?
Do all Religions point to God?
How do we know Jesus’ words are true?
Did Jesus Claim to be the Only Way?
In the final days of Jesus’ ministry, he took his twelve
disciples into an upper room, where he shared with them that after suffering
for sin, he would be leaving to return to his Father in heaven. Jesus assured
them he would prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, and that they
already knew the way there.
But Thomas, more inquisitive and analytical than the other
disciples, tried to pin Jesus down. He wanted details: Exactly where was Jesus
going, and what path did they need to take to follow him?
Jesus answered Thomas with a statement that must have
totally shocked him. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Jesus didn’t tell Thomas that he needed to follow a
particular code of behaviour, or list of rules. Jesus was pointing out to
Thomas that there is only one way to God, and it is through him [Jesus].
Can you imagine Thomas’ reaction? He must have wondered what
Jesus meant. How could Jesus himself be the way to God, the truth of God, as
well as life itself? All of the disciples must have been baffled at Jesus’
strange answer.
Also, Jesus didn’t tell Thomas that he [Jesus] is one of
many ways, and that there is no ultimate truth. On the contrary, Jesus claimed
that he alone is the truth.
Not only did Jesus tell Thomas that he [Jesus] is the life.
(Jesus was clearly referring to eternal life.) Jesus was not speaking of
eternal life as a mystical place, but a life forever with him. Every other
religion referring to heaven or Nirvana is referring to a place, or state of
mind. Jesus, on the other hand, was telling his disciples that heaven is an
eternal relationship with him and the Father.
Lastly, Jesus told Thomas that the only way to God is
through him [Jesus]. If Jesus wanted to make it clear that he is merely one way
to God, he would have qualified his statement. But he didn’t; Jesus claimed to
be the only way.
Did the Apostles Say Jesus is the Only Way?
Jesus spent three years teaching his followers about God,
about himself, and about us. These followers later wrote down what Jesus did
and said in the New Testament. All Christian beliefs are based upon these
writings of the apostles. So did the apostles teach Jesus as the only way to
God? We will hear from three of the apostles who wrote extensively about Jesus:
Peter, John, and Paul.
Peter: After Jesus had risen from the dead, Peter’s words
about Jesus are clear.
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be
saved.”
Peter is saying here,
There is no other path to God than Jesus
No other person has the authority to save us !
John: John also wrote about Jesus as the only way to have
eternal life.
“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not
have life.”
John says here,
God is the one who grants eternal life
God has chosen Jesus as the way to have eternal life
Those without Jesus don’t have eternal life
Paul: Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, writes to
the Roman believers,
“The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free
gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Paul tells us here,
Sin is a barrier between us and God that leads to spiritual
death
Eternal life is a free gift from God through Jesus Christ
These apostles clearly say that Jesus is the only way to
God.
Do All Religions Lead To God?
Many believe that one way to God is too limiting, and those
who believe that way are intolerant. Like Oprah, they think it is more
understanding and loving to believe in many ways. This idea that all religions
lead to God is at the core of New-Age belief. The nineteenth-century teacher,
Shri Ramakrishna said,
“God has made different religions….Indeed, one can reach God
if one follows any of the paths with whole hearted devotion….A truly religious
man should think that other religions are also so many paths leading to the
Truth.” Sounds like Opera has been reading this man….
But if Jesus is the only way to God, then there can’t
logically be other ways as well. Ramakrishna’s statement can only be right if
Jesus is not the only way to God. The same holds true for other religions,
which claim they offer the path to God. If they are true, Jesus’ words can’t
equally be true. But if Jesus is speaking truth, other ways to God are not.
We may begin by comparing what Jesus said with what other
religions taught. As you read about Jesus, you will discover that, “All
religions are not the same. All religions do not point to God. At the heart of
every religion is an uncompromising commitment to a particular way of defining
who God is or is not….Every religion at its core is exclusive.”
One can easily observe that Jesus’ teaching about God and life is
radically different from that of other religions. None of them can guarantee
our eternal destiny…
During your soul search you may come to realize that although
many things taught by other religious leaders are good and noble ideas, none of
them really satisfy the hunger for
meaning, or provide hope for life after death. Furthermore, none of them can answer
the inner need for forgiveness, love,
and comfort during trials.
Jesus, on the other hand, taught that God loves us more than
we can imagine. And although as sinners
we deserve judgment, Jesus paid the penalty for us himself. His death and
resurrection made it possible for us to be forgiven, and to live forever with
him in new bodies. Our only part is to
put our faith personally in what he did for us. Jesus also tells us to “come
unto me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.”
Jesus’ promise gives us hope.
How Do We Know Jesus’ Words Are True?
Is there any real evidence backing up Jesus’ claims. As we
examine the New Testament, we come to realize that two objective tests confirm
Jesus’ claims:
Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies written as much as
1500 years before his birth.
Jesus defeated death, something no other person or religious
leader had been able to do.
Let’s briefly examine these evidences.
Throughout the Old Testament, references to a coming Messiah
tell us about a man who would someday bring peace to Israel—and the world.
However, this Messiah would first need to die for our sins. Over 700 years
before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah the prophet reveals that the Messiah will be:
Despised and rejected
Pierced for our rebellion
Crushed for our sins
Beaten and whipped
Led like a lamb to the slaughter
Buried in a rich man’s grave
An offering for sin
Each of these prophecies about the Messiah was fulfilled by
Jesus Christ over 700 years later. Isaiah further told us that the Messiah had
special credentials.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…..and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 : Isa. 25:1: 40:9-11: Matt. 28:18: Luke 2:11
Isaiah tells us here that the Messiah is God himself—yet in
some mysterious way, he will be born as a child. His credentials would be that
of God himself.
Altogether, nearly 300 different prophecies, with sixty-one
different details about the Messiah, were precisely fulfilled by Jesus hundreds
of years after they were written by Isaiah and other prophets. And the Dead Sea
Scrolls confirm that these prophecies were written well before the birth of
Christ. (See “Was Jesus the Messiah?”)
The odds against one person fulfilling all of these
prophecies are staggering. And there could have been no collusion, since they
were written over a period of 500 years by men who didn’t know each other.
The spread itself defies natural explanation. Long before
all converged in the person of Jesus Christ, His coming was envisioned,
foreshadowed, and described in detail.
Absoultely convincing
is that as the promised Messiah, Jesus was the “Mighty God” who came to die for
us just as Isaiah had foretold hundreds of years earlier. We may conclude
reasoned if we can believe God for hundreds of prophecies, then it makes sense
to believe Jesus’ claims about himself.
Although Jesus’ fulfilment of prophecy was compelling
evidence for the truth of his claims, we may want to know if evidence existed
for Jesus’ resurrection.
We read that Jesus was reported by many eyewitnesses to be
alive. Over 500 saw him at one setting. And his tomb remains empty today as it
was 2000 years ago. His followers were so convinced in his resurrection that
they gave their lives proclaiming it as true. We must realize that if Jesus
truly did rise from the dead, he would have answers about the path to God that
no one else has been able to demonstrate.
Several sceptics have tried to prove that Jesus’
resurrection was a legend, or a hoax plotted by his followers. Two brilliant sceptics
even began writing books attempting to prove the story was fabricated. One was
a brilliant journalist; the other, one of the founders of Harvard Law School.
Neither of them thought the resurrection was an historical fact. However, both
of these sceptics became persuaded by the evidence that Jesus actually did rise
from the dead. (See “Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?”)
Most scholars who examine the evidence are convinced that
something happened shortly after Jesus’ death that changed his followers, and
ultimately history. It was their conviction in the risen Christ that launched
Christianity. Dr. E. M. Blaiklock, former Professor of Classics at Auckland
University, concluded:
“I claim to be an historian. My approach to Classics is
historical. And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the
resurrection of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of
ancient history….”
One may become convinced by the historical evidence that God
had spoken through Jesus, and that he alone is the way to God.
It was Jesus’ victory over the grave that provided the grand
stimulus for the early church to tell the world that God had spoken, and
indeed, had done so in a dramatic and incontrovertible manner. All this transpired
in history, and is open to the historian’s scrutiny.”
We have already discovered that Jesus is a living Saviour
who loves us, died for us, and defeated death. And because Jesus defeated
death, we can believe his words about God, the way to God, and how to have
eternal life.
In contrast to the uncertainty of the priest, we realize
that the ashes we leave behind are not the real us. Our real identity is
eternal, and because of Jesus, we have hope beyond the grave. That assurance is
the hope and meaning that we all seek. We can therefore and with focused mind
put our faith in Jesus as our personal, living Saviour.
“I came to Him because I did not know which way to turn. I
have remained with Him because there is no other way I wish to turn. I came to
Him unsure about the future. I remain with Him certain about my destiny. I came
amid the thunderous cries of a culture that has three hundred and thirty
million deities. I remain with Him knowing that truth cannot be all-inclusive.
Truth by definition has been defined by Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour…….
God bless you always.....
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