I Am the Way

Series: The Gospel of John Year-Long Series

The Works of Christ

I Am the Way

36 min

Series: The Gospel of John Year-Long Series

The Works of Christ

I Am the Way

36 min

Many people today seem to think that Jesus was a groovy teacher whose ultimate mission was to teach the Golden Rule. Others say he came to show us the way to the good life—how we can all achieve our best life now. But what are we to do with Jesus’ words when he says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”? On this program the hosts will discuss the Old Testament background to these words and will discuss the profound theological significance of this claim as well as other statements that we find in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel.


SHOW QUOTE

“… If you think about conquest, Jesus is the new Joshua. What’s the first thing Joshua does when he comes into the land? They surround this place called Jericho, and the walls come crumbling down. What does Jesus say in the Olivet Discourse? He says not one stone shall be left upon another. In other words, the old system has got to fall apart. It’s going to be done away with because he is the new temple. He is the new lamb. He is the manna. He’s the water.”

Shane Rosenthal

TERM TO LEARN

“Theophany”

A theological term used to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation of God. Visible manifestations include an angel appearing in human form (Judg. 13); a flame in the burning bush (Exod. 3:2–6); and fire, smoke, and thunder on Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:18–20). Auditory manifestations include the voice of God in the garden (Gen. 3:8), the still small voice to Elijah (1 Kings 19:12–18), and the voice from heaven at the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:17).
God takes the initiative in theophany, never revealing himself completely, and usually only in a temporary rather than permanent way. A permanent manifestation like the incarnation of Christ made theophanies less necessary and accounts for their diminished importance in the NT.

(Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, s.v. “Theophany.”)

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Adriel Sanchez is the pastor of North Park Presbyterian Church (PCA) in San Diego, CA. He received his theological training from Westminster Seminary California and serves as host of Core Christianity. Adriel is the author of Praying with Jesus and, most recently, Why We Worship: Experiencing Heaven on Earth at Church. He and his wife, Ysabel, have six children.

Bob Hiller is the Senior Pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido/San Marcos, California. He is the author of Finding Christ in the Straw and the content editor for The Craft of Preaching (1517).

Shane Rosenthal is executive producer of The White Horse Inn national radio broadcast which can be heard online at whitehorseinn.org.

Series • 52 Episodes

The Gospel of John Year-Long Series

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White Horse Inn

A Sneak Peek at our New Series on the Gospel of John

On this program, Michael Horton talks with producer Shane Rosenthal about the plans they have in store for the coming year. In particular, they’ll introduce the new year-long series that they are planning for 2019 on The Gospel of John. This new series will focus on reading this gospel in its original first century Jewish […]

White Horse Inn

Eyewitness Testimony in the Gospel of John

If you pay close attention to the details of the fourth Gospel, you’ll notice that words such as testimony, witness, judgment, and truth appear quite frequently throughout this text. And this has led various scholars to conclude that the basic underlying structure of this Gospel is actually that of trial narrative. Though Jesus was rejected […]

White Horse Inn

Richard Bauckham on the Reliability of John

Scholars frequently claim that John is the latest and most idealized of all the Gospels. Its picture of Jesus, they say, represents the beliefs of late first century Christians, rather than actual historical events. But is this view consistent with the evidence? What if it could be demonstrated that the author of this text was […]

White Horse Inn

In the Beginning Was the Word

Why does the Gospel of John begin with this strange concept of the Word of God who was “with God” and yet somehow also “was God”? Some have tried to argue that the author of this text attempted to borrow concepts from Greek philosophy in order to appeal to his largely Gentile readers. Others push […]

White Horse Inn

The Jewishness of John’s Gospel

There was a time in which Judaism & Christianity had many more beliefs in common. As it turns out, many ancient Jews before the time of Christ actually expected the coming of a divine messiah who would appear in bodily form in order to atone for sin and accomplish redemption. In fact, some Jews even […]

White Horse Inn

The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

On this edition of the program we’re continuing our discussion of John’s opening prologue and will unpack the significance of verse 14, as the Word becomes flesh and “pitches his tent” among us. Just as God’s glory resided in Israel’s ancient tabernacle, so too John witnesses the glory of the incarnate Word who dwells in […]

White Horse Inn

The Lamb of God

If the Gospel of John is seen as a kind of “trial narrative,” then John the Baptist is the first witness who is called to testify on Christ’s behalf. And John’s declaration is perhaps a little different from what many today might expect. For example, he doesn’t point to Jesus saying, “Behold your best friend […]

White Horse Inn

Climbing Jacob’s Ladder?

If you ask people today what they think the Bible is about, you’ll probably be told that it’s a collection of morality tales that encourages people to behave. Even many of those raised in Christian homes tend to think of Scripture primarily as a helpful guide that tries to steer us in the right direction. […]

White Horse Inn

Water into Wine

On this episode in our series on the Gospel of John, we find ourselves at the wedding of Cana as Jesus turns water into wine. Though some have attempted to argue that Jesus actually turned water into grape juice, the implications of this passage are unmistakably clear. So what is the point being made here […]

White Horse Inn

An Interview with D.A. Carson

Was the Fourth Gospel written by John the Apostle, or a mysterious figure known as John the Elder? And was this text penned before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., or some time later? Is there a conservative trend in the world of New Testament scholarship? On this edition of the program, Shane Rosenthal […]

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