- Lesson 1 in the Connect360 unit “Sacred Life: God’s Plan for Us” focuses on John 14:6.
God loves life. It is a simple but profound foundation of the Christian faith. Where other religions may prioritize different aspects of religious living, Christianity uniquely has a singular lens through which all other aspects of our faith manifest—life!
At the beginning of Genesis 1, God starts everything with life. He gives the first woman the name Eve because she is the mother of the living. He grows a nation to call his own by giving life to an elderly couple. We are offered eternal life with God through Jesus Christ’s life and resurrection. From the beginning of the human story to our eternal destiny, God has made us to be people of life.
Genesis 1:27 tells us that everyone is created in God’s image. That means every single human life has intrinsic value and worth. Because of this intrinsic value and worth, Christians historically have been champions for causes that support a culture of life. Historically, hospitals and orphanages follow wherever the gospel spreads because they are institutions marked by a commitment to the value and dignity of life.
Ultimately, we are given life through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Honoring and valuing life reflects Christ’s own character and work. Focusing on Jesus’s life and ministry reminds us Christianity is founded on celebrating and affirming life. Any study on the sanctity or value of life begins and ends with Christ because only through Him can we begin to understand what it means to celebrate and affirm life.
In John 14:6 Jesus tells his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In the broader context of John 14, we see Jesus talking with his disciples about heaven and their eternal destiny with him. The disciple Thomas asked Jesus for more details. He wanted to ensure he knew how to get there. Jesus’ response gives us a unique glimpse into the heart and character of God.
Jesus is telling us that he is the only path to life. There is no alternative route or religion that leads to eternal life. The only way to life must go through Christ. Any route that does not include Jesus Christ leads to death.
To trust in Christ as the way also includes trusting him for the path. He is both the destination and map we follow to learn about the true life that God has in store for all of us. God did not establish the opportunity of eternal life with him and let that way remain a mystery. That would be cruel and against his very nature. Instead, through Christ, he is simultaneously creating the opportunity to have life with him and providing us the way to life with him.
By Katie Frugé, director for the Center for Cultural Engagement and the Christian Life Commission of Texas Baptists.
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