But Through Me

John 14:6 - Jesus said to them, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

I'm stuck! Not really. I was thinking about something in the above scripture. I had to go back to it which was part of a blog a couple posts ago. While that blog was about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life, I really needed to add to this. Good thing it came later. It would have been too much!

I had an impulse to look up the words comes and through. We can believe, as I say often, that we know Jesus. But there is a difference between knowing who He is and knowing Him. Those who understand this...well, they understand it!

Jesus says He is the way, truth and life. Okay. Got it. But He goes on to say, "NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me." I know I've emphasized this before too.

I looked up in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible the meaning of these two words. We understand what these words mean in our everyday life. But if we dig deeper we can see some amazing things for this section of scripture. Maybe this seems dry, but it can also totally open up the meaning.

Come(s): to come from one place to another, used both of persons arriving and of those returning;
to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find;
be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto;
to go, to follow one.
To come into being, arise, come forth, find. All words denoting an action. We are told to seek God. That means an action like arising and coming forth. Take the first step, come forth from where we are to know God. When we do we become established in Him and become known as His children. We follow Him.

I dug deeper into root words for come. More definitions:
denotes motion or progress;
hence to "come" and arrive at, as well as "to go."
It also primarily signifies "to walk", "take steps."
But here's the one that said it all: always emphasizes the idea of separation, change of place and does not note the external and perceptible motion. Emphasizes separation. We are called out of the world to follow Jesus. I read does not note the external and perceptible motion, as in walking and taking steps, but rather like something that takes place in one's heart.

Further digging:
to leave space (which may be filled or occupied by another),
to make room, give place, yield.
We are to replace the things of this world with the things of God. Become yielded to Him. If Jesus fills our hearts not much else matters. This is what He wants. Devotion to Him...for our well being.

Even more:
to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one's journey; to depart from life;
to follow one, become his adherent.
We pursue Christ and remain on this journey of life with Him. We depart from our old selves, our old lives and follow Him...become, as another definition stated, someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another. The more I dug the better it got! How these words used in this scripture in the original Hebrew open up the meaning. Amazing. Maybe it's just me!?

Knowing Jesus is an internal coming to Him. A heart thing, a change of heart, believing heart, knowing heart. God has done a marvelous job of clarifying His own words! He has given wisdom and understanding to His Son to recite these very words...because Jesus and the Father are one.

So on to the word by. Stand by! Picture these words in your mind. Definitions: through, in, by the means of, by reason or account of, for this reason, just to name a few. There is no other way but by Jesus. He said so Himself. We must be in Christ. That means we must what it says above first...come...seek Him, depart from our old ways, follow Him, pursue the journey with Him as we spread His doctrine, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to heaven. We cannot work our way. It's not about a religion or a denomination. We go to the Father through Jesus Christ alone. He did all the work when He died on the cross. We do it by faith. He is the ONLY Mediator between ourselves and God. Not one other person can do it. It's not about angels or saints or pastors or priests or rabbis. It's about Jesus Christ only.

Anyone, anything else is idolatry...meaning, from Strong's Concordance: image or likeness; whatever represents the form of an object, either real or imaginary; used of the shades of the departed, apparitions, spectres, phantoms of the mind, etc.; image of a heathen god; a false god...external or outward appearance, form, figure, shape. God told us never to worship an idol...or any other man. We are to bow to Him alone...and since He is invisible, to be worshiped in spirit...and in truth.

A lot to take in. We are, simply, to go to the Father through Jesus Christ. No one or anything else. No one gets to the Father any other way but by THE Way, truth and life. We come to Christ in faith, not being able to see Him but knowing Him in our hearts and spirits. We follow Him.

For through Him [Jesus] we both [Jews and Gentiles...meaning all people] have access by one Spirit to the Father. ...in whom we have boldness and access [to the Father] with confidence through faith in Him [Jesus]. (Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 3:12)