Connect John 5:40 with John 14:6 on Jesus being the way to life. Connecting John 5:40 and John 14:6: Jesus, the Way to Life Setting the Scene: Two Conversations with One Message • John 5 takes place in Jerusalem after Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath; religious leaders challenge His authority. • John 14 occurs in the Upper Room the night before the cross; Jesus comforts His disciples. • Both moments spotlight the same truth: eternal life is found only in Christ. John 5:40—An Invitation Declined “Yet you are unwilling to come to Me to have life.” (John 5:40) • The religious leaders diligently studied Scripture yet missed the One Scripture revealed. • Their refusal was not due to lack of evidence but a hardened will. • Life (Greek zōē) here means spiritual, everlasting life—something no religious system can manufacture. John 14:6—An Invitation Clarified “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6) • “I am” echoes God’s covenant name (Exodus 3:14), underscoring deity. • “The way” addresses the path human beings must take. • “The truth” reveals perfect revelation. • “The life” fulfills the very thing refused in John 5:40. • Exclusivity is explicit: “No one comes … except through Me.” Tracing the Thread: Jesus as Life in John’s Gospel • 1:4 — “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” • 3:36 — “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” • 10:10 — “I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance.” • 11:25–26 — “I am the resurrection and the life … whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” • 17:3 — “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” Key Observations: What Links These Verses Together • Both passages revolve around the necessity of “coming to” Jesus personally. • Refusal (John 5) and acceptance (implied in John 14) form a stark contrast. • Scripture points to Christ; Christ points to Himself as its fulfillment. • Eternal life is not merely a future promise but a present possession for those who believe (John 6:47). Supporting Passages: The Exclusive Way Affirmed • Acts 4:12 — “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” • 1 Timothy 2:5 — “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” • 1 John 5:11–12 — “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life.” Practical Takeaways for Today • Scripture study finds its goal in meeting Jesus, not merely acquiring information. • Genuine life is received, not achieved; it flows from relationship, not religion. • Faith that rests in Christ’s exclusive claims enjoys assurance now and forever. |
    |