I AM THE WAY

Jesus made a statement in John 14:6 which has been repeated by Christians around the world, but without really understanding the TRUTH contained in those words. Here is what He said, "I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE and no man can come to the FATHER but by me." Jesus spoke these words in reply to Thomas who denied that the disciples knew WHERE He was going and therefore it was impossible for them to know the WAY. Even today, many Christians would agree with Thomas and ask the same question. Others assume they understand what Jesus said, and so do not pursue the matter any further

On a number of occasions Jesus spoke about leaving the disciples and going away which disturbed them greatly. His physical presence and teaching had brought a sense of security as they began a walk which separated them from the religious systems of their day. Jesus said, "It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the COMFORTER will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you." John 16:7. The departure of Jesus was the crucial point in their journey into God.

The disciples knew Jesus was born in Bethlehem as the son of Mary who was a virgin, espoused to Joseph the carpenter. There is no question that Jesus was a MAN with flesh and blood as is declared in Hebrews 2:14. "For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he likewise took part of the same, that THROUGH DEATH he might destroy him that has the power of death, that is the devil." This is the MAN the disciples knew as JESUS, but to them he was a MYSTERY.

Jesus declared he had come down from heaven, and in fact was still IN heaven. Jn 3:13. He also said before Abraham was I AM, suggesting he existed before Abraham. He repeatedly called God HIS FATHER which was considered blasphemy by the Jewish leaders. He boldly claimed that, "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE!" These and many other similar statements filled the minds of the disciples with questions for which they had no answers.

What did Jesus really mean when He said "I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE?" Let us consider the first part of this statement, "I am the WAY." Most preachers interpret these words as meaning that we must come to Jesus, the man who lived 2000 years ago, if we desire access to heaven, thus excluding people like Mohammed and Buddha from providing salvation and hope after death. However, there is much more involved in the words Jesus spoke, which we will discover as we proceed.

Jesus never wrote a book and nor did he start a new religious movement. The only commandment he gave to his followers was to "LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU." He never told anyone to "GO TO CHURCH" nor did he suggest how we should conduct meetings, or how to program the Church. There was nothing physical that he could point to and say, "This is the way." There was no organization or structure to which he could direct peoples attention, nor did he point to the scrolls of the Old Testament scriptures and say, "This is the WAY." The New Testament scriptures had not been written so he could not say that they were the WAY. We must therefore come to the conclusion that the key to understanding what Jesus meant was to be found IN HIM alone. Even at this point confusion reigns in the minds of men. Some see him as simply a prophet sent by God, while others see him as GOD THE SON according to the Nicene creed adopted by the traditional Church, while others conclude he is "half man and half God."

Nicodemus said that he knew Jesus had come from God because no MAN could do what he did. The woman at the well perceived that he was a prophet, because he told her all the things she had done. The people of his day thought he was John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet. So there was great confusion about the IDENTITY of Jesus which has continued even to this day. But we have not been left in any doubt because Peter responded to the question Jesus asked the disciples concerning HIS IDENTITY by saying, "THOU ART THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD." Jesus affirmed the truth of Peter’s answer by saying, "Flesh and blood did not reveal it unto you, BUT MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN."

Jesus made it very clear that his identity could never be determined by the mind of MAN (flesh and blood) but could only be imparted by REVELATION! Let us illustrate this from history. In 325 A.D. Constantine called for an empire-wide council of all Bishops to settle some matters of theological dispute, namely, "Was Jesus of the SAME essence as the FATHER or was he a SIMILAR essence? The debate was very bitter and continued with no possibility of resolution. Finally the emperor himself was asked to cast the deciding vote as both sides were adamant in their stand. He decided for the MINORITY view led by Athanasius who declared that Jesus was of the SAME essence as God, and this decision became the foundation of TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY. Thus the "JESUS IS GOD" theory was established by the ROMAN EMPEROR, and incorporated into the Nicene creed which is still accepted as Truth by most churches today. Constantine banished every Bishop who disagreed with his decision.

Before we continue this discussion let us review what we have discovered already. The people who walked and talked with Jesus did not really understand who he was as they were limited to what they could observe with their eyes. However his true identity lay concealed behind the "veil" of his physical body and could only be discerned by the SPIRIT. In spite of this his body was "flesh and blood" and he became tired hungry and thirsty even as we do.

In the Old Testament we have a similar situation where Israel saw the CLOUD which led them day by day, but not the one who inhabited the cloud. At night they saw the PILLAR of FIRE but not the one who inhabited it. They saw the bright CLOUD of glory over the tabernacle but never saw the one who caused the cloud. This was true in the case of Jesus of Nazareth, for there was something that made him different from every other man but the natural mind could not grasp its significance. Finally we come to the revelation given to Peter where God declares him to be CHRIST the SON of the living GOD. This is the TRUTH and should satisfy every heart that seeks to know Him, for after all his FATHER should know who he really is!

Let us look carefully at this statement concerning his identity. First of all he is called "CHRIST." This is not a sur-name but a comes from the Greek word CHRISTOS which means "anointed" It is the same word used in the Old Testament called MESSIAH. So the messiah of the Old Testament is also the CHRIST of the New Testament. Secondly, he is declared to be "Son of God." It is important to notice that he never once said he was GOD. In John 10:30 Jesus said, "I and my FATHER are ONE." The Jews interpreted those words as saying "I AM GOD," but if we follow the argument carefully we come to understand what he really was saying, and he restates his identity by saying, "Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I AM THE SON OF GOD." One of the purposes of His coming into the world was to declare the Name of God which had been hidden from the ages past, and that was FATHER. John 17:6. He was the first man who called GOD his Father, but in teaching his disciples to pray, he instructed them also to use the same term, "OUR FATHER which art in Heaven." Matt 6:9.

The basis of the controversy surrounding his identity lies in the fact that many Christians believe God to be A MAN with a body like ours. But Jesus stated clearly to the woman at the well that "GOD IS SPIRIT." If we were to say what it was that made Jesus so unique amongst men, I believe it would have to be his RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS HIS FATHER. If God was his FATHER then of course he MUST be a SON OF GOD. However if his FATHER is SPIRIT, then HIS SON MUST BE SPIRIT ALSO! The physical BODY is simply a vehicle through which he accomplished the FATHER’S WILL. This is clear from the scripture in Hebrews 10:5. Now we are discovering a new dimension to the statement, "I AM THE WAY." Thayer points out that this word translated "Way" is the Greek word hodos {hod-os'} and is used of a JOURNEY, but also of a course of conduct, or a way of thinking, feeling and deciding.

It is therefore evident that the "Way" does not refer to a direction that could be interpreted in any physical sense and neither can it lead us to a place anywhere in this physical world. To consider the Way to be simply a road to SOMEWHERE, like heaven, which many Christians consider to be a physical place, seems to lack integrity in view that it has reference to a PERSON. The Way is an "I". If we are to enter upon this Way or journey, then it must of necessity involve the same "I" which was in Jesus Christ.

That "I" was not the "I" of a mortal man with all the limitations of humanity, nor was it based in a consciousness of having been born of dust, and one day would die and return to the same. This "I" originated in GOD and was revealed as the "I AM" in Jehovah of the Old Testament. The I AM in Christ elevated Him above the level of earthly mortality into the higher realm of heaven, which is the very place in which GOD dwells. His body although flesh and blood in no way inhibited what his consciousness declared to be TRUTH, i.e. He came from Heaven and was still IN heaven even though his feet were on the earth (John 3:13), and that "I and my Father are ONE.

From what we have said so far, it is obvious that man has been walking on another "Way" to that which was represented in Christ. Natural man considers he is a "SELF" or an "I" which is quite separate from God, and this is the reason why Jesus seemed so different to other men. These TWO WAYS are as different as LIFE and DEATH, and resulted in totally different attitudes, concepts, abilities and life-styles. Let us now consider the origin of MAN in the beginning, in order to understand what Jesus meant when he said, "I AM THE WAY."

CREATION

Before we consider what the Bible has to say in Genesis regarding man’s origin we must lay a correct foundation on which to build. This first book is the KEY to the whole Bible as well as being the book of beginnings. Everything that is a part of the REALM of GOD is recorded here. Traditional theology treats the first three chapters as purely historical, which suggests they do not contain any spiritual Truth. The contents are therefore communicated to our children as STORIES about Adam and Eve living in the Garden of Eden. The main issue is presented as the "Fall of man" which results in Adam being expelled from the Garden under a curse, which is transmitted to all men.

Theologians and Bible students spend countless hours debating the TIME it took God to create the heavens and the earth. Was it SIX DAYS or was it six thousand years or perhaps geological ages? Then when we feel we have solved that problem we debate the METHOD God used in creation. Was it a direct act of creation or did God use "evolution" or some combination of both? All of this has captured the imagination of the natural mind, while the Spiritual TRUTH recorded for us in Genesis has been hidden from our understanding. Let us now consider what the Spirit is saying to us in the first three chapters of the book of beginnings.

The first thing we need to know is that chapter one is essentially an account of the creation of MAN under the term, "The HEAVENS and the EARTH." Every facet of creation is an analogy of some aspect of MAN. The focal point of all creation is not the material universe, but MAN in the image and likeness of God. Then we must also be aware of the fact that GOD IS SPIRIT, therefore it is logical that in the first instance all creation must have been spiritual. The material form or manifestation of all that God created including MAN, with which we have become so familiar, followed later. Here is Genesis 2:1-6 in Young’s literal translation.

"And the heavens and the earth are completed, and all their host; and God (ELOHIM) completeth by the seventh day His work which He hath made, and ceaseth by the seventh day from all His work which He hath made. And God blesseth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it, for in it He hath ceased from all His work which God had prepared for making. These {are} births of the heavens and of the earth in their being prepared, in the day of Jehovah God's (YAHWEH) making earth and heavens; and no shrub of the field is yet in the earth, and no herb of the field yet sprouteth, for Jehovah God hath not rained upon the earth, and a man there is not to serve the ground, and a mist goeth up from the earth, and hath watered the whole face of the ground."

I have used the Young’s translation as he makes the point clear that ELOHIM was the CREATOR, in that everything originated in HIM, much like some great building project where the designer or engineer produces the CONCEPT then the PLANS containing all the details for the workman to produce or bring into manifestation. This equates with Elohim producing the "SPIRITUAL" creation, while leaving Jehovah (YAHWEH) to bring everything into manifestation. Thus in six "days" Elohim creates the SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE including SPIRITUAL MAN, and then he rests on the seventh day. In chapter two we find Jehovah which is written in Hebrew as YAHWEH, known as "I AM," FORMING, or bringing into manifestation that same SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE which ELOHIM has created in chapter one.

Who is this JEHOVAH or YAHWEH revealed in scripture as the "I AM?" This is the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD the CHRIST who is the WORD or LOGOS. He is in the likeness and image of God and the total expression of what GOD IS. John in his gospel correctly states,

"In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. The same was in the beginning with God. ALL THINGS WERE MADE ( i.e. brought into manifestation) BY HIM, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men." John 1:1-4. John continues to identify him by saying, "And the WORD was MADE FLESH and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 When Moses asked the name of the one who commissioned him to go and release Israel from Egypt, he was told to tell them "I AM THAT I AM."

In the name Yahweh we have "Yah" which is MALE and "Weh" which is FEMALE. So when Yahweh breathes the breath of life into Adam formed out of the dust of the earth, he becomes CO-CREATOR with Elohim in bringing forth HIS OWN PERFECTION. This PERFECTION is MAN IN GOD’S OWN IMAGE AND LIKENESS. This MAN is given power and dominion to bring forth the perfection of his FATHER. Jesus said this to the people of his day in the sermon on the mount, "Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Young’s lit. Trans.)

After the six days of creation Elohim RESTED on the SEVENTH DAY from all his "work". This is called the SABBATH REST, which remains for us today according to Hebrews 4. This Sabbath REST has been interpreted from a physical point of view, by the setting apart of one day in seven in which we do no physical work, or sport, keeping it solely for religious activity. But Christians argue as to which day that should be. Some say the Sabbath is Saturday, the seventh day, which is the only day mentioned in the Bible, and remains so even to this day. But a great many Christians prefer to use the day the emperor of Rome designated as the "Christian Sabbath" which is SUNDAY. From the "Sunday Sabbath" which is not taught in the Bible, comes the non Biblical term, "The first day of the week," which does not appear at all in the original text of Scripture. In order to validate the "Sunday" Sabbath, the Catholic Church declared that Jesus DIED on "good" Friday, and rose again from the dead on SUNDAY. However I have yet to hear anyone explain how Jesus could be "Three days and three nights in the heart of the earth," from Friday through to Sunday morning. (Matt 12:40.) In all of this the SPIRITUAL IMPORT of God’s REST is completely obscured. The REST OF GOD spoken of in Genesis 2 has nothing to do with abstaining from sport or not being able to "work."

The creation in the first instance did not involve WORK of any kind, because as we have stated it was SPIRITUAL! Therefore it could not involve PHYSICAL EFFORT, so to abstain from physical labor in order to enter into God’s REST is simply the product of the carnal mind. What is the TRUTH concerning the REST of God?

After six days God had created out of his infinite mind all that he purposed, so that everything now existed in the spiritual realm but as yet nothing had been manifested. The Spiritual law of God requires a state of REST before manifestation can take place. Remember it is the "Likeness and Image Man", the I AM, who brings the Spiritual realities of God into manifestation. This does not involve a further "creation" but a state of REST in which the SPIRITUAL MIND enters into the realization that everything already contains the IMAGE that God has purposed, and that it simply awaits manifestation to be brought forth in expression.

So the Psalmist said, "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." Ps 46:10. In Hebrews 4 we read that Israel failed because of UNBELIEF in that they judged everything by its appearance and refused to believe the power of the WORD of God.

It is evident that many Christians today still live in unbelief as did Israel, judging everything on the basis of Good and Evil. The proof of this is found in the multitude of ideas put forth by Christians as to the WAY that leads to LIFE and perfection. This is in spite of the Scripture that says, "He that is entered into HIS (God’s) REST, has also ceased FROM HIS OWN WORKS, as God did from his." Heb 4:10. Yahweh, the I AM simply brought forth out of his spiritual consciousness, that which already existed, "The likeness and image of God," called MAN. Gen. 2:7. Thus I AM breathes the breath of LIFE into Adam and in doing so brings forth a manifestation of his own perfection. However we must remember, "That was not FIRST which is Spiritual, but that which is NATURAL and afterwards that which is Spiritual." 1 Cor 15:46.

From God’s point of view, man is Jehovah co-operating with Elohim the Creator God in developing and bringing into manifestation the "Christ Man" which is the likeness and image of God. In the midst of the garden of Eden, representing the heart within every man, dwells the I AM as the TREE OF LIFE. Therefore the likeness and image of God must be present within every man, even though in our natural consciousness we can not SEE or BELIEVE IT. The TREE of the Knowledge of Good and EVIL represents that PSEUDO "I" or SELF which is a separate entity from God. Our consciousness based upon that FALSE SELF, tells us we are sinners and have been cast out of the garden. It therefore becomes apparent that the key to man’s dilemma is to have our MINDS renewed by the Holy Ghost until it harmonizes with the I AM WITHIN. Our difficulty in bringing this to pass is our consciousness of GOOD and EVIL.

Here is an illustration of the power of the concept of Good and Evil. Peter was in prayer before the Lord when he saw a vision. He saw heaven opened, which indicated this was a divine communication. A great sheet knit at the four corners was let down to the earth, and in it were all manner of domestic and wild animals, creeping things and fowls of the air. Being hungry a voice said "Rise Peter kill and eat." But Peter filled with religious zeal based upon Good and EVIL, refuses to obey the voice. Here is a striking illustration of obstinacy on the part of a person who acknowledges the voice of God to him, when the command of the Lord crosses one's preferences and prejudices. There are abundant examples today of precisely this thing. In a real sense Peter was declaring UNCLEAN what God said was CLEAN.

The consciousness of our true identity based upon creation has been totally distorted by eating of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. After the six days of creation in which God brought forth everything he had purposed, God pronounced it VERY GOOD. Gen 1:31. Everything that God created in Genesis 1 was pronounced very Good, and there is no mention at all of EVIL in any shape or form. Once we judge according to good and evil we have departed from spiritual consciousness.

All things were created by the WORD of God, which is not the Bible, but the Omnipresent Word dwelling within. This Word of God is the creative force that is man’s spiritual mind. As this "Word" becomes functional within us, entering our consciousness, the I of self which I once considered myself to be now becomes united with the I AM within, so that it is no longer I (self) that liveth but CHRIST, the I AM, that liveth in me. Jesus Christ is the WORD demonstrated as perfect MAN created in the likeness and image of God.

Having discussed the creation of man and the complex nature of man, we should now be able to better understand the statement made by Jesus to his disciples.

I AM THE WAY

How did Jesus heal the sick, or feed five thousand with five loaves and two small fish? How did he raise the dead, or control the forces of nature? Did God give to him some special POWER to overcome all these things? No beloved, for Jesus believed there is only one power in this universe and that is GOD, and if there is only one power, then whatever POWER Jesus had was not needed to overcome anything. When Jesus said ALL POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth, it should read ALL AUTHORITY is given unto me.. Many Christians today are seeking for POWER. Power to heal, and power to cast out demons and power to raise the dead, but God does not give us POWER in the raw sense, for it is not necessary.

Nowhere are we shown examples of Jesus using POWER in the New Testament. When he raised Lazareth from the dead all he did was SAY, "Lazareth come forth." To the young girl he SAID, "Arise." To the lame man he simply said, "Take up thy bed and walk." In none of these cases is their any indication of POWER as we would understand it. Actually in many cases where the translators used the word POWER it should read AUTHORITY, and there is a world of difference between these two words.

When a policeman stands in the middle of the road and puts up his hand to stop a twenty ton truck, he does not use power for the odds would be very much against him. He stops that truck using his AUTHORITY as a police officer, which is invested in him by the Government. Jesus was conscious of his identity as the I AM to whom was given DOMINION over all things by God. Gen 1:26. Beloved if GOD gives you dominion over all the works of his hands you DO NOT NEED ANY POWER for the AUTHORITY of HEAVEN stands behind you. That is why Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you."

When Jesus stood before the grave of Lazareth he did not need to fast for a week or pray all night in order to call him forth because for him death was not a reality. He proved that to be so by raising him from the dead. Death has absolutely no power over Spiritual Life. If the life that is within you is the LIFE OF GOD the I AM then your LIFE is hid with CHRIST IN GOD, and nothing can touch it for that life is ETERNAL.

Paul says, "To be CARNALLY MINDED is DEATH." Rom 8:6. So DEATH is connected to the MIND which functions in harmony with the PSEUDO SELF or "I" and the physical body of man. This is in contrast to the SPIRITUAL MIND which functions in agreement with "I AM." The consciousness of the carnal mind asserts that we came from dust and we return to dust, we were born and we are going to die, there is Good and there is Evil, and this "mind" simply brings it into manifestation. However Jesus did not have a "Carnal Mind" but the MIND OF CHRIST the I AM, whose consciousness declares "Before Abraham was I AM." Also that he came from heaven and he was returning to heaven without any mention of DEATH as we understand it. Notice also that he never referred to his BIRTH in Bethlehem even though it was a fact in history so important to Christians that they celebrate it every year. But the Mind of Christ sees only those issues which are ETERNAL and this is the SPIRITUAL MIND.

DEATH is not eternal and neither is evil or darkness or sin nor anything else that you can SEE WITH YOUR EYES. Paul says, "For the things which are seen are TEMPORAL, but the things which are NOT SEEN (that is SPIRITUAL ) ARE ETERNAL. So you can see that in raising Lazareth from the dead Jesus simply brought into manifestation what his consciousness declared to be TRUTH. It was the same for the man with the withered arm. Jesus never said now I am going to heal your arm! No he simply said to the man, "Stretch forth your arm" and it was made whole. So Jesus did not really heal his arm, THE MAN HEALED HIS OWN ARM by responding to the WORD OF GOD, instead of responding to his carnal mind which said, "You cannot move your arm because it is paralyzed!" Such is the power of the mind.

In everything Jesus did and said he was revealing the TRUTH which often conflicted with what people believed, seeing that their mind was CARNAL. To the disciples Jesus said Lazareth SLEEPETH! But their carnal mind did not understand what he was saying, so he had to speak to them in the terms their consciousness could grasp, and say that he was DEAD, for this is how they interpreted the situation.

So we begin to understand what Jesus meant when he said, I AM THE WAY! It is a new WAY OF LIVING a new CONSCIOUSNESS based upon a new identity. Instead of seeing Adam as our source and origin we discover CHRIST the I AM as the very center of our being and the one out of whom we live. Our perception of reality now changes from the realm of appearance all of which is temporary, to that which is Spiritual and ETERNAL.

Revelations of the WAY

The prophet Jeremiah said, "O Lord I know that the WAY OF MAN is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jer 10 :23. I am sure that we would never choose the adversities or difficult times that we encounter in our lives, but they are there nevertheless. The problem is that we do not view our lives correctly as to its purpose and goals. For most of us life is almost like a game of cards in which some are dealt a good hand and the rest do not have a chance. Christians generally, consider God controls every detail of our lives on the basis of Good and Evil. If we do good then he blesses us and if we do evil then he punishes us. Thus we believe God functions according to the tree of the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL, which he warned Adam not to touch lest he die!!

Then there are a great many Christians who believe God uses adversity such as sickness and tragedy to make us strong and to help bring us to perfection. But such thinking is far from the truth. All these ideas influence our life day by day without us realizing it. Having touched on the negative aspects of "Man’s Way", let us now turn our thoughts to the "Way" of righteousness.

When Jesus said, "I am the WAY," he was speaking about a way of LIFE or LIVING which finally results in immortality, where death has no more power and where God is ALL and in ALL. There is a parallel between the progress of the High Priest from the outer court through the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place where God dwells, and this WAY, is what Jesus spoke about. This is how the Apostle spoke of THE WAY…..

"Having therefore brethren LIBERTY to enter into the HOLIEST (place) by the blood of Jesus." Hebrews 10:19. Now let us consider what the Spirit is saying to us here concerning THE WAY, before we continue with this scripture. First of all it is essential for us to be LIBERATED before we can walk this WAY which leads to LIFE. If we are in BONDAGE of any kind it will be impossible for us to enter into the HOLIEST.

What is it that can keep us out of the PRESENCE of God? The answer is the consciousness of S-I-N. What is it that most preachers preach over and over again? The answer is, "That we are all sinners in the sight of God and will remain so through out this life and the best we can hope for is to have our sins forgiven. So like Adam in the Garden we head for the TREES to hide from God because we feel NAKED. Can we ever come into God’s presence with a sin conscience? The answer is NO, NEVER. Then what is the LIBERTY that the Apostle speaks of here? This is the answer……

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them, AND THEIR SINS AND INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE." The LAMB slain from the foundation of the world is taking away the sins of the world. The CROSS saw the LAST "ADAM" die, bringing to an end the line which has infected mankind with SIN and DEATH, stripping ADAM of his power over us. As a result of this, we are not like Israel who could never enter the MOST HOLY PLACE, except for the High Priest and then only once a year.

WE can now enter BOLDLY through the veil into the very presence of God because our IDENTITY as SONS OF GOD instead of SONS OF ADAM, has been established, which removes the consciousness of SIN. For we are sanctified through the offering of the BODY OF JESUS CHRIST once for all. For by ONE OFFERING he has PERFECTED FOREVER them that are sanctified. Beloved this is the reality that give us BOLDNESS to enter into the Holiest of all.

Now let us proceed with our text outlining the WAY Jesus spoke about.

"Having therefore brethren boldness or liberty to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a NEW AND LIVING WAY, which he hath consecrated for us THROUGH THE VEIL, that is to say, HIS FLESH." Heb 10:19-20.

The WAY spoken of here is called "New and Living." What exactly does the word "new" mean, in relation to the Way? It is NEW, because all through the times of the Old Testament there was no actual manifestation of MAN, LIVING and expressing his true IDENTITY. Even men such as Moses or Abraham, who spoke face to face with God could not live as a divine expression of Man created by God. But in the fullness of time God sent forth HIS BELOVED SON born of a virgin as a NEW AND LIVING expression of the CREATED REALITY of MAN.

What he expressed as MAN, could not be communicated through a book or doctrine, it had to be LIVED out in flesh and blood before it could have any effect upon mankind. Therefore it is called a NEW and LIVING WAY. This is the divine sequence according to Paul, that the FIRST is NATURAL and then that which is SPIRITUAL. We need to understand also that ADAM was a FIGURE OF HIM WHO WAS TO COME. Rom 5:14.

As a FIGURE, Adam denied His IDENTITY, POSITION and responsibility as a true SON of GOD, establishing his OWN IDENTITY based on a KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM known as GOOD and EVIL. From that moment ALL OF HUMANITY has embraced the SAME IDENTITY, resulting in a bondage to SIN and DEATH. Adam was a FIGURE representing CHRIST, because both functioned out of a DIVINE HEADSHIP affecting ALL those who through obedience establish their allegiance to either one. Thus it is that in ADAM ALL DIE, but IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE.

So this WAY is NEW having never been demonstrated in flesh and blood before Christ came. It is LIVING because it is not simply a theory that can be studied but as John declared, "THE WORD (Logos) became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." John 1:14.

The scriptures declare that he CONSECRATED this WAY for us THROUGH THE VEIL, meaning THROUGH HIS FLESH. Now it is most important that we understand exactly what this scripture is saying to us today, for here is a vital clue concerning THE WAY about which Jesus spoke. First of all let us look briefly at the Tabernacle to see the pattern. In the Tabernacle proper there were two sections, one is called the HOLY PLACE and the other which is separated from it by a heavy VEIL is called the MOST HOLY PLACE.

Both these areas were RESTRICTED in the sense that the ordinary people could not come into either place. However the PRIESTHOOD was allowed to function in the Holy Place, but they HAD TO BE ANOINTED before they could enter. The Most Holy Place was further restricted as to access in that only the HIGH PRIEST could enter in, and then only once a year and not without BLOOD. (Lev. 16:2.) But this was only a material building that is being referred to here, which eventually gave way to the TEMPLE built by Solomon. Finally in A.D. 70 the armies of Titus destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem stealing all the gold and other valuable items.

So to what is Scripture referring, when it speaks of the WAY being THROUGH THE VEIL which is HIS FLESH. Here is where we must remove our shoes for we are walking on HOLY GROUND, as the Spirit leads us step by step into the HOLIEST OF ALL. When Jesus said, "I AM THE WAY," he was referring to the ability to access the very presence of God which he provided and consecrated or established. But this has no reference to any material Tabernacle or Temple any more, for the analogy now has application to our own FLESH AND BLOOD BEING.

Paul says, "What, know you not that your BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YOU HAVE OF GOD AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN."

In this scripture Paul locates GOD for us, because the WAY Jesus speaks about is designed to lead us to HIM. Remember, Jesus spoke of MY FATHER’S HOUSE, to which he was going in order that he might prepare IN THAT SAME HOUSE, A PLACE FOR THE DISCIPLES. He then added that he would return and welcome them into the PLACE HE HAD PREPARED, which is FATHER’S HOUSE. Jesus uses the words, "I will receive you unto MYSELF, that where I AM there you may be also." Finally Jesus added the they knew where he was going and they also knew the WAY! John 14 : 1-7.

It is obvious that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying, so Thomas spoke up and said, "Lord we do not know WHERE you are going and so we cannot know the WAY." Here is a similar situation to the conversation Jesus has with Nicodemus in John 3, about being BORN AGAIN. Thomas was thinking of Jesus going to some physical place where he could follow providing he knew where it was. But Jesus was going back to the FATHER who is SPIRIT and therefore lives in the realm of SPIRIT, which we call heaven. Heaven is not a geographical location and has no physical dimension. It is a HIGHER REALM OF LIVING above the physical dimension.

Jesus replied that if the disciples had really known him then they should have known the FATHER also, because, he said, "If you have seen ME you have seen my Father also." He then went on to explain something of the mystery of GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH. He said, "Believe that I am IN THE FATHER and the FATHER IN ME, and He is both speaking HIS WORDS and DOING HIS WORK."

When Jesus spoke about being THE WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, he added that NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME. The TRUTH of this is established by the fact that he was the first MAN to discover God’s dwelling place and also HIS OWN PERSONAL IDENTITY, which he expressed by calling GOD HIS FATHER. These two issues constituted the "NEW WAY" which had been hidden from the ages past, but now revealed in Jesus Christ.

Israel believed God dwelt in the CLOUD and in the PILLAR OF FIRE which guided them from Egypt to Caanan, and also in the TABERNACLE and the TEMPLE, but they never saw Him. Thus GOD was always EXTERNAL to them. The development of the CHURCH SYSTEM which for the Gentiles replaced the SYNAGOGUE, soon established the sense of GOD being present in those buildings even to this very day. Christians speak of GOING TO (THE) CHURCH TO WORSHIP GOD. The notice board says, "DIVINE WORSHIP conducted here at 11am." In speaking to the woman of Samaria he corrected her concept of where GOD dwelt by saying, "Neither in this Mount Gerisim nor in Jerusalem (in the Temple) shall you WORSHIP THE FATHER, but from now on the TRUE WORSHIPPERS shall worship the FATHER IN (THEIR) SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH."

Paul reinforced this truth when speaking to the people on Mar’s Hill when he said they were too religious bordering on superstitious, because they had "IDOLS" everywhere. He went on to declare that GOD does not dwell in temples or buildings MADE WITH HANDS. Acts. 17 : 22-30. Anyone therefore, who goes to some building expecting to meet GOD is ignorant of the Truth. Paul says that GOD is the source of LIFE and BREATH to EVERYONE, and further establishing His relationship with man with the statement :-

"FOR IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR VERY BEING, AS CERTAIN OF YOUR OWN POETS HAVE SAID, FOR WE ARE ALSO HIS OFFSPRING."

These Truths agree with what Jesus declared concerning his own IDENTITY and CONSCIOUSNESS, which constitute "THE WAY" by which we come to the FATHER. Jesus refuted the idea of GOD being external to HIMSELF having declared that he was IN THE FATHER and the FATHER WAS IN HIM.

In the pursuit of Truth we have established that THE WAY Jesus spoke of essentially involves two things, both of which find their expression within HIMSELF. These are, HIS TRUE IDENTITY as revealed by the Father to Peter in Matt. 16 : 16-17, and God’s dwelling place WITHIN MAN constituting his body as God’s TEMPLE.

I am conscious that words are totally inadequate to accurately express these truths and that apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit whose task it is to take the things of Christ and reveal them to us, we will never understand nor touch the reality of God. The natural mind of man cannot grasp the things that be of God, and neither can he know them, for they are SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED. For this reason we desperately need our mind to be renewed in the Holy Ghost.

I MUST GO AWAY

"Now I go my way to HIM THAT SENT ME, and none of you ask me where I am going, but because I have said these things to you sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you IT IS EXPEDIENT FOR YOU THAT I GO AWAY, because if I do not go away the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you." John 16 :5-7.

Why was it so essential for Jesus to go away and leave the disciples? This is a most important question for us today, just as it was for the disciples at that time. When Jesus came into the world born of a woman people saw him just as another man, which outwardly he was. Even the disciples did not really recognize his true identity, which was not apparent to natural sight. Peter speaking under inspiration from God declared him to be CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. The word CHRIST is the Greek word CHRISTOS which means ANOINTING and is the same word translated MESSIAH in the Old Testament. This is "YAHWEH" the I AM who delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt.

Thus the mystery of EMMANUEL (Isa 7:14) is revealed in Jesus Christ as GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH. This is the one who was spoken into existence in the beginning as the perfect Image and Likeness of God. After 6000 years of human history we have come to believe only that which is visible to the natural eye. Therefore our identity is determined by what our eyes see. That which we desire to see but cannot, because of our human limitations, we define by using our IMAGINATION. Thus children IMAGINE a Santa who rides that sky on a sleigh pulled by reindeers, delivering toys to all the children of the world on Christmas night. To them, Santa is very real.

Because GOD IS SPIRIT and therefore invisible, many define him by using their IMAGINATION, "seeing" Him as a MAN sitting up in the SKY in a beautiful place called heaven blessing us every time we are good, and punishing us when we do wrong. He is seated upon a beautiful throne covered with Gold and thousands of angels dressed in pure white with great wings attend to his every need. To those who believe these things , that "GOD" is real, and on Sunday morning He is the one they WORSHIP, not knowing he is but the figment of their imagination!

Now Jesus comes along doing all kinds of miracles, like healing the sick and raising the dead, and telling the people things no one has ever told them before, and they cling to HIM. They cry, "Don’t go away Master, WE NEED YOU, because there is no one else." God was now associated with Jesus of Nazareth, so that even TODAY ….CHRISTIANS STILL WORSHIP JESUS, instead of the FATHER !

Using their IMAGINATION they hang on to JESUS THE MAN who now also dwells with God the Father in this lovely place up in the sky called HEAVEN. Their carnal mind declaring that their salvation depends upon this same JESUS THE MAN, with a flesh and blood BODY, coming back OUT OF THE SKY, through the clouds, to empty the graves and catch away the saved who spend eternity with him in this beautiful place in the sky called heaven.

WHY did Jesus say, "IT IS EXPEDIENT FOR YOU THAT I GO AWAY?" The simple answer beloved is, so that we might SEE BEYOND The veil WHICH IS HIS FLESH, into the TRUTH OF HIS REAL IDENTITY WHICH IS IN THE FATHER WHO IS SPIRIT. He promised the disciples he would return, which he did on the Day of Pentecost. However, NOT AS A MAN of flesh and blood born of a woman, but as the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, dwelling within as the I AM who is the likeness and image of God. Thus the type of the feast of Pentecost of the Old Testament was fulfilled in reality as the 120 were FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

As a result the disciples found that what Jesus did when he was with them, they could do BECAUSE HE WAS NOW IN THEM. To reinforce this point Paul says quite clearly, " Henceforth know we NO MAN AFTER THE FLESH. YES, even though we have known CHRIST after the flesh, (as a MAN) yet now from this time forward……

KNOW WE HIM THUS NO MORE. 2 Cor. 5:16

The cry of my heart to God’s people today is, LET JESUS THE MAN GO, and embrace the INDWELLING CHRIST, THE I AM as your true identity, for it is CHRIST IN YOU that is the hope of HIS GLORY. Don’t worship Jesus the MAN, but

WORSHIP THE FATHER.

Do not waste time WAITING for a MAN to come from the sky, for CHRIST has already come dwelling within, bringing to us the NEW CREATION which is the righteousness of God, in His likeness and image.

THE SUMMARY

We set out to discover in this study what Jesus meant when he said, I AM THE WAY. It has not been easy to put into words the Truth that lies behind this incredible statement, and even now I have a feeling of having just scratched the surface. But I would like to bring together the salient points so that we may grasp something that will help to carry us along that WAY.

It is obvious that the WAY is not a doctrine or a set of rules or even a book, for JESUS made it clear that the WAY WAS AN "I". In the case of Jesus that "I" was the "I AM" and therefore must challenge every other "I" in the universe until all find fulfillment in all of humanity. In looking carefully at the true identity of Jesus, we discovered that the BODY of flesh and blood which is the only part of us that is visible, carries little clue as to our real IDENTITY. Yet for mortal man this IS our identity, by photograph we recognize one another, and by finger print and now D.N.A. all of which provide us with absolute recognition and IDENTITY in the earthly realm.

However, this sense of EARTHLY IDENTITY breaks down when we come to Jesus. He claimed that God was his Father, and hardly made any reference to his mother at all. He said that he existed before Abraham and that he had come from HEAVEN. I am sure the registrar of Births would have had a problem filling out his birth certificate. The interesting thing is that to the natural eye he looked just like every one else. His body was flesh and blood with the same responses to hunger and thirst etc. But he was able to know and do things which seemed impossible to everyone else, making him an enigma

Generally people considered him to be one of the prophets, but when he asked the disciples who they thought him to be, Peter replied under divine inspiration, "THOU ART THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD." This was indeed a revelation for his true identity seemed to bear no relation to his physical body. We must ask the question as to how he discovered his heavenly identity? All we are told is that he was born of a virgin, who had never been impregnated by man, but who conceived by the HOLY GHOST bringing forth a child who would be GREAT and would be called the SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. Simeon blessed him in the temple in Jerusalem saying that he would be "Set for the rise and fall of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be spoken against."

He caused a stir among the Jewish leaders of his day by saying, I and my Father are ONE. His disciples could not understand why he kept saying that he had to be crucified and would rise again on the third day. But three of the disciples were granted a revelation of his identity on a high mountain, for as they watched he was transfigured before them.

His face did shine as the sun and he was covered with LIGHT, when a voice spoke saying, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED, HEAR YE HIM. In this manifestation, the glory that was concealed within became apparent for the disciples to see and witness. Peter speaking of this experience later in his epistle, explained it was this very revelation that caused him to be able to declare the Majesty of Christ in his coming (parousia meaning his PRESENCE). 2 Pet 1:16.

Two others appeared with him who were no longer a part of this earthly life indicating that they were witnessing LIFE IN YET ANOTHER, GREATER DIMENSION, whose origin and existence was not dependent upon this earth.

Jesus developed a consciousness which was so contrary to that of mortal man, who normally speaks of his BIRTH and the fact that our life ends in death. Jesus said he came from the Father and was returning to the Father. He had no problem calling himself a SON OF GOD, often referring to God as HIS FATHER. He claimed his words and deeds were not HIS but belonged to HIS FATHER. He told the disciples that the day would come when they ALSO would know that, "I AM IN THE FATHER AND YOU ARE IN ME , AND I IN YOU." Jn 14:20.

In all of this the disciples were being drawn into the same LIFE and consciousness that was in Christ. John later declared that they had "SEEN and handled the WORD OF LIFE even that ETERNAL LIFE which was with the Father and now had been made known to them. Note he did not say they had seen and handled Jesus but what he was in his intrinsic being. That LIFE did not find its origin in a body of dust but in the FATHER, and was demonstrated in Jesus Christ. Thus THE WAY TO THE FATHER was coming into focus through Christ Jesus the Lord.

The true revelation of Christ became evident when Jesus was crucified for on the third day he rose from the dead, and appeared to many. Subtle changes in his appearance made it impossible for even Mary to recognize him, until he revealed himself by calling her name. Two men on the way to Emmaus did not recognize him either, but later his identity was revealed to them although not based upon his physical appearance. Their sadness indicated at that time, that they did not understand his true identity, but still considered him in human terms.

Jesus Christ brought with him a revelation, not in words as did the prophets of old, but in a demonstration of MAN as he came from the creator’s hand. He is the proto-type of MAN in the image and likeness of God, declaring IN HIMSELF man’s ORIGIN and BEING. Paul declares that, "We were chosen IN CHRIST before the foundation of the world, and also, If any man be IN CHRIST HE IS A NEW CREATION."

Therefore this revelation of MAN was not limited to HIMSELF but applied to ALL MEN WHO ARE IN CHRIST. "For THOSE WHOM HE DID FORE-KNOW HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE firstborn AMONG MANY BRETHREN." Romans 8:29.

Israel went to the TEMPLE to find God, and Christians go to CHURCH to find God, but Jesus Christ declared GOD TO BE HIS FATHER AND DISCOVERED HIM DWELLING WITHIN HIS HOLY TEMPLE, IN THE HEART OR MOST HOLY PLACE IN MAN. Most people do not want to look within because of the darkness that they see there. Most believe they are SINNERS and as a result they have been cast out of God’s garden and that God is angry with them. Their Christian life consists of trying by every means to appease God so he will bless and take us to heaven when we die.

But now let me tell you the TRUTH about yourself and your true IDENTITY. This is what Paul says………

"BUT GOD WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF THE DARKNESS, (AS IN THE BEGINNING) IS HE WHO HAS SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, GIVING THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST." 2 Cor 4 : 6.

Where are we to receive this revelation of the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD? The answer is, IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST, NOT IN SOME ETHEREAL HEAVEN BUT ILLUMINATED IN OUR MOST HOLY PLACE WHICH IS WITHIN US. When Jesus said, "I am the WAY," he was saying you must discover ME, and COME TO ME, TO HAVE LIFE. Well, if we are to come to HIM, WHERE CAN WE FIND CHRIST, the SON OF THE LIVING GOD? The answer is WITHIN YOU and no where else!!

You will not find Christ in a Church, or in a Temple made with hands, you will only find HIM within HIS HOLY TEMPLE WHICH YOU ARE. Once you find him there you realize HE IS YOUR IDENTITY and HE IS YOUR LIFE, and though the OUTER MAN perish, the INNER MAN WHICH IS CHRIST IS BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY.

Paul speaking to the saints says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the FATHER of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS NAMED, (note there is only ONE FAMILY) that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." Eph3:14-17.

In all that we have shared together, beloved, you can understand that WORDS cannot really express the wonders of His Grace. However Christ came to bring a revelation of God who is SPIRIT, and therefore invisible, and that manifestation was revealed IN MAN MADE IN THE LIKENESS AND IMAGE OF GOD. Jesus said, "If you have seen ME you have seen my FATHER." Now, as WE discover the same IMAGE and LIKENESS within our hearts we become part of the SAME manifestation of God……. Christ IN US the hope of GLORY.

WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS, THAT THE EXCELLENCY OF THE POWER MAY BE OF GOD AND NOT OF US. 2 Cor 4:7.

The TRUTH is that Jesus said, "I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME." Therefore WE MUST COME TO HIM and not to verses in the Bible, or to some preacher BUT TO HIM. The only place where he can be found is in his HOLY TEMPLE which you are. This is FATHER’S HOUSE where even the servants lack nothing. As in the beginning, Father is today commanding the light to shine out of the darkness which has plunged us into the abyss of ignorance, hiding from us our true identity , and revealing HIMSELF in the FACE OF JESUS CHRIST. Only then, FOR US, does he become THE WAY.

For those whose hearts are exercised by the Spirit of God, this revelation will continue to expand until we KNOW as we are KNOWN of the FATHER.

"Having therefore brethren, boldness to enter into THE HOLIEST by the blood of Jesus, by a NEW and LIVING WAY which he has consecrated for us THROUGH THE VEIL that is to say, HIS FLESH."

May the Lord give you understanding. Amen.

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