Jesus saith unto him, I am the way
Our Lord takes the opportunity of this discourse about the place
he was going to, and the way unto it, more fully to instruct his
disciples concerning himself, saying, "I am the way"; Christ is
not merely the way, as he goes before his people as an example;
or merely as a prophet, pointing out unto them by his doctrine
the way of salvation; but he is the way of salvation itself by
his obedience and sacrifice; nor is there any other; he is the
way of his Father's appointing, and which is entirely agreeable
to the perfections of God, and suitable to the case and condition
of sinners; he is the way to all the blessings of the covenant of
grace; and he is the right way into a Gospel church state here;
no one comes rightly into a church of Christ but by faith in him;
and he is the way to heaven: he is entered into it himself by his
own blood, and has opened the way to it through himself for his
people: he adds,
the truth
he is not only true, but truth itself: this may regard his person
and character; he is the true God, and eternal life; truly and
really man; as a prophet he taught the way of God in truth; as a
priest, he is a faithful, as well as a merciful one, true and
faithful to him that appointed him; and as a King, just and true
are all his ways and administrations: he is the sum and substance
of all the truths of the Gospel; they are all full of him, and
centre in him; and he is the truth of all the types and shadows,
promises and prophecies of the Old Testament; they have all their
accomplishment in him; and he is the true way, in opposition to
all false ones of man's devising. And this phrase seems to be
opposed to a notion of the Jews, that the law was the true way of
life, and who confined truth to the law. They have a saying
F18, that (tma wtrwtw hvm) , "Moses and his law are the truth";
this they make Korah and his company say in hell. That the law of
Moses was truth, is certain; but it is too strong an expression
to say of Moses himself, that he was truth; but well agrees with
Christ, by whom grace and truth came in opposition to Moses, by
whom came the law: but when they say F19, (hrwt ala tma Nya) , "there is no
truth but the law", they do not speak truth. More truly do they
speak, when, in answer to that question, (tma hm) , "what is truth?" it is said, that he is
the living God, and King of the world F20,
characters that well agree with Christ.
And the life:
Christ is the author and giver of life, natural, spiritual, and
eternal; or he is the way of life, or "the living way"; in
opposition to the law, which was so far from being the way of
life, that it was the ministration of condemnation and death: he
always, and ever will be the way; all in this way live, none ever
die; and it is a way that leads to eternal life: and to conclude
all the epithets in one sentence, Christ is the true way to
eternal life It is added by way of explanation of him, as the
way,
no man cometh unto the Father but by me;
Christ is the only way of access unto the Father; there is no
coming to God as an absolute God, not upon the foot of the
covenant of works, nor without a Mediator; and the only Mediator
between God and man is Christ: he introduces and presents the
persons and services of his people to his Father, and gives them
acceptance with him.