by Warren Baldwin

Most of us travel with a road atlas. It instills confidence in one's journey. Life as a journey requires a road map, too, and for many of us Jesus is our road map.

In John 14:6 Jesus makes a very bold statement about his role in our journey of life, especially in our journey to the Father. In response to one of his disciples asking where he was going Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." Jesus' statement actually comprises three statements about his nature or his role.

One, "I am the way." Jesus is claiming that of all of the approaches people use to get to God only one has any substance. Buddhism, Islam, modern-day Judaism, and various new age, postmodern-type approaches all fail to get us into a relationship with God. Only Jesus is capable of ushering us into the presence of the Father. That's bold.

Secondly, "I am the truth." I like this statement because it personalizes truth. We often think of truth as a proposition or as a concept, something that we can give mental assent to. But Jesus says truth is more than that. Truth is a person. Earlier in John Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free." We typically look for truth in statements or ideas. "Yes, that sounds true to me." And if it sounds true, we acknowledge it as truth.

But truth as a statement can be rather cold and sterile, don't you think? "Baseball is a sport played on a field." Well, that is a truthful statement, but it certainly doesn't capture the emotion of being in the stadium watching the Colorado Rockies whip up on the NY Mets, does it? "My wife is the person I married." Well, nobody would argue the truthfulness of that statement either, would they? But does that statement capture the emotion and love of twenty years of being married? Having kids, buying your first house, the love and comfort you share and receive from one another ... statements of truth can't capture all of that emotion or passion, can they?

And when Jesus says, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free," I don't believe he is saying to memorize a few facts, nod your head in agreement to a few truthful statements, and you'll be a free man ... free from sin, free from guilt, free from oppressive religious systems. No, what I think Jesus was saying is, "Enter into a relationship with me and I will set you free. And I can do that, because I am the truth send from God. I am his son. Know me, and let me know you. That will set you free."

Thirdly, Jesus says, "I am the life." Life here, and life after here. Abundant life here, forever life after here.

We live in an era today when people are searching. Searching for meaning, for relationships, for truth. And people are looking all over, at all different kinds of ideas, experiences and relationships. And they need to look no further than to Jesus and the life he offers.

We're getting a new columnist set up. This will be his area. Watch for him the 21st of June. Great things acoming.