John 14 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence
At the beginning of this chapter the disciples are troubled by what Jesus has been telling them. He informs them that he will be leaving them soon and that he will send them a helper who will guide them in his absence. Now keep in mind that these disciples had given up everything in order to follow Jesus and now he is withdrawing from them for reasons that they do not understand. Intending to comfort them, he tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house that they might dwell with him there. But the disciples are worried because they don’t know where this is and they don’t know how to get there; they don’t know the way. That is when Jesus tells them, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
It really is amazing how relational Christianity is. Heaven is not just a place, but is a place in the Father’s house. It is not like going on vacation but more like going home to be with your family. But the focal point of heaven is not dwelling with your wife or husband, your mother or father, but with your heavenly Father. Heaven is a place where one can fully enjoy a relationship with God. And in order to get to this place, one has to be in a relationship with the Son. In Buddhism, the way to Nirvana is through good moral conduct, mindfulness and meditation. In Christianity, the way to heaven is through a relationship with Christ. There is no set of propositions to follow in order to obtain salvation, there is only the person of Jesus. He is the way to the Father. All the truth you need to know in order to be saved is found in Him. And the life here on earth that is required to gain the favor of God is the life of Christ, not your own. What is needed is faith in the life of Christ, trust in Christ’s Words, and a love for Christ that is seen through our obedience to His commands. In Christianity, we don’t seek to obey in order to find salvation; we keep God’s commands because we love our Savior. It really is all about a relationship with Jesus.