2. The Way to the Father – Part 1
A Special Two-Part Series
John 14:6; 6:35-59
© October 23, 2016
Pastor Paul K. Kim 2

3. JESUS AS THE WAY: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON JOHN 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus declares himself not as one who knows the way but as the WAY to the Father [Jesus is the way].
Jesus declares himself not as a way to the Father [GOD] but as THE way to the Father [Jesus is the only way].
Jesus declares that no one COMES (not goes) to the Father except through him [Jesus came from God].
Jesus declares that he is the way to the Father because he is the life and the truth [Jesus is the life & truth that leads us to the Father].

4. HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER
HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER? [JOHN 6]
1) Jesus is THE BREAD OF LIFE–whoever comes to Jesus shall not hunger nor thirst [spiritual life].
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.  36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that  the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

5. HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER
HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER? [JOHN 6]
1) Jesus is THE BREAD OF LIFE–whoever comes to Jesus shall not hunger nor thirst [spiritual life].
 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:35-40
Jesus likens eating the bread of life [himself] to believing in the Son [himself] sent by the Father.
Whoever eats the bread of life will be spiritually satisfied daily.
Why? Whoever believes in Jesus shall have true eternal life and will be raised up by Jesus on the final judgment day.

6. 1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,  come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk  without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,  and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,  and delight yourselves in rich food. Isaiah 55:1-2
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  26 and everyone who lives and believes in me  shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

7. HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER
HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER? [JOHN 6]
2) ETERNAL LIFE is in Jesus—to all those who believe in him as the living bread that came down from heaven [the Father].
 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said,  “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said,  “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother  we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”  43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

8. HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER
HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER? [JOHN 6]
2) ETERNAL LIFE is in Jesus—to all those who believe in him as the living bread that came down from heaven [the Father].
  47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:41-51
Unlike the Israelites who ate the manna in the wilderness and eventually died, those who eat the living bread will live forever.
Why? It’s because Jesus came from the Father who is the Source of life.
No one comes to Jesus [the life] unless the Father draws him by the sovereign grace of God.

9. 3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 [NIV]
 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12

10. HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER
HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER? [JOHN 6]
3) Jesus connects us to THE LIVING FATHER— if we receive Jesus’ flesh and blood [his atoning death for our sins] by faith as ours.
  52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 

11. HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER
HOW IS JESUS THE LIFE, WHICH LEADS US TO THE WAY TO THE FATHER? [JOHN 6]
3) Jesus connects us to THE LIVING FATHER— if we receive Jesus’ flesh and blood [his atoning death for our sins] by faith as ours.
57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus  said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. John 6:52-59
God is the living Father who sent Jesus as the life to the dying world.
Jesus gave his flesh and blood on the cross to connect all those who believe to the living Father through his death and resurrection.
Therefore, the eternal life in Jesus is not a package that one receives but a connection to Jesus the life who is connected to the living Father.

12.  26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. John 5:26
  19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Luke 22:19-20

13. HOW CAN APPLY THE TRUTH THAT JESUS IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER AS THE LIFE?
1) We are to focus on GOING TO THE FATHER as the true meaning of our salvation in Christ.
Change the way you think about salvation—from going to a place to a person.
Salvation is the restoration of life and relationship with our heavenly Father.
2) We are to receive and live eternal life in Jesus by faith not as a package but as AN ONGOING CONNECTION TO THE LIVING FATHER.
Change the way you think about your Christian life—to abiding in LIFE.
Live each day staying connected to Jesus the life through faith and obedience.
3) We are to SAVOR JESUS ABOVE ALL ELSE daily for true satisfaction in life.
Change the way you think about satisfaction—Jesus as the most treasured joy.
Fight the fight of joy in Jesus, the bread of life.

14. The Way to the Father: To Savor Jesus the Life above All Things
This is what we were made for. All other treasures, all other pleasures point to this. Jesus is the all-satisfying end of every longing. And the other thing this verse has shown me is the nature of saving faith. Notice the parallel between coming to Jesus to be satisfied and believing on Jesus. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” That’s the first statement. We come to Jesus to have our hunger stilled. Now parallel to that, and repeating the meaning, is the next statement: “And whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Coming to Jesus to be satisfied in him and believing on him so as not to thirst are the same. So I define saving faith as being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus. This is a huge discovery when you make it. You never read your Bible the same again. You never think about the obedience that flows from faith the same again. You never fight for purity and holiness the same again. When you see that saving faith is being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus, the “good fight of faith” (as Paul calls is in 1 Timothy 6:12) becomes a fight for joy. And from then on, everything is different. The fight of faith is the fight for joy. And the fight for joy is doing whatever you must to see Jesus for who he is, and savor Jesus above all things.
— John Piper

15. THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
What one insight hit home for you from today’s sermon on The Way to the Father [Part 1]?
What would it mean for you to live your Christian life as the ongoing connection to the living Father through Jesus the life?
What is your first step toward savoring Jesus the bread of life above all else for your true satisfaction in life?