Church of the Nazarene

In verse 6 of today’s passage, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  What a powerful and awe-inspiring statement!

When Jesus calls Himself “the way,” it’s likely that many people imagine a one-way street. They take it to mean there are lots of roads, but He is the only one that leads to the Father.  This is true, but another image better captures the truth of our situation.

Think of Jesus not as a road but as a bridge.  The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Between us and God lies a great chasm we cannot cross on our own.  No matter how hard we try in our own strength, we can’t close the distance.

There’s only one way to cross this wide chasm: a bridge.  That’s what Jesus is for us.  He stands in the gap, providing safe passage across the void and into the arms of our heavenly Father.

Spend some time today meditating on this image.  Without God’s help, we are powerless to bridge the gap ourselves.  Heaven would forever remain out of reach, beyond a great divide.  When we understand this truth, we begin to appreciate the true power of the cross.

Jesus is the bridge spanning a chasm between us and God that we could never cross on our own.