Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
When Jesus told his followers no one comes to the Father except through me, he wasn’t being exclusive, but inclusive. At the time when Jesus spoke these words the religious systems were very exclusive. Within the Jewish faith you had to be Jewish, circumcised, adhere to the laws of Moses, and make the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and participate in the Passover Feast to be relational with God. And then, the religious leaders had over 600 laws the people were to keep, which were impossible for them to do. In Luke 11:46 Jesus said, "You experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
Needless to say, most people in the first century had given up hope to have a relationship with God. The rules and rituals of the religious leaders were impossible to keep.
Even today, religious systems are exclusive stating you have to keep their creeds, follow their beliefs, and conform to their standards. In the midst of all these rules and rituals, creeds and beliefs it is refreshing to hear Jesus say, you don’t need to worry about all that religious stuff. For I have torn down all the religious biases and man made rules. I have done the work so no one would be excluded. I have done the work so no man can tell you you’re not good enough. I have done the work so no matter who you are, where you are, or what you have done, you are included. I AM THE WAY. I HAVE MADE FOR YOU A WAY!
While hanging on the cross just before Jesus breathed his last breathe he said, “It is finished”. What was finished? The man-made rules and rituals religious organizations claim are necessary to be relational with God. Jesus makes this truth very clear, the way to God has been paved. It is done! We all have access to God the Father.
Thank you Jesus that we don’t have to keep a bunch of rules, observe man’s traditions to have intimacy with God the Father. Each of us have an open line to our creator. It is through that open line made possible by Jesus that our hearts are changed and we seek live lives pleasing to God.
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