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Chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of St. John are identified as the Farwell Address of Jesus, so called because of its character where the speaker is about to depart or to die. These words of exhortation to his successors and followers, to be passed on to others, contain prophecies, words of caution about the future, God’s plan, and guides on how to attain or accomplish it. For example, the bible has the following: Jacob in Gen 49, Moses in Dt 31-33, Paul in Acts 20 and Jesus in Lk 22, and here in John. A closer reading of these chapters reveals that this is his creative presentation of the teachings of Jesus strung together; (note the end of Ch 14 and the beginning of Ch 15, betraying probably different occasions).
In today’s gospel (John 14:1-12), what could be considered the final advice of Jesus is in v6: “ I am the way, the truth, and the life”. Jesus speaks of leave-taking in death-resurrection, and of his eventual return to take his disciples to a permanent fellowship with God, a reminder about the future, the where, and the how. He is the “way”. The word “ hodos “ ( ὁδὸς ) is commonly understood to mean the “way, road, path or route”. In reference to Jesus’ claim the word takes the figurative sense affirming that the road to eternal life lies exclusively with Him, (cf Acts 9:2, 18:25 where the followers of Jesus were first called followers of the “way”). Thus, both Thomas (v5) and Philip (v8) misconstrued him, remaining on the natural or “flesh” level of understanding. As is common in the fourth gospel, such misconception leads to Jesus’ faith-level response.
The “way” is not simply a spiritual road map or book of instructions. It is Jesus himself as God’s revelation. To know Jesus is to know God (v9), the goal of human existence. Jesus verbalizes in his person the mind of God. The “truth” and the “life” explain further the meaning of the “way”. God is truth itself and Jesus alone captures that truth and is the only one to have revealed it (1:17f; 18:37). And being the “way” Jesus is also the Spirit-life of God, the Spirit that makes the acceptance of Jesus possible, and is the wellspring of eternal life (5:26; 11:25f). Jesus, therefore, is the exclusive “way” to God, as well as the source of “grace and truth” (1:17). Furthermore it could refer also to the way Jesus has taken in order for us to have that life, his passion, death, and resurrection.
Jesus, being one with the Father, reveals the truth about the plan of God for us- to share in his very life. There is no way to share it but to follow the “way” himself. Are we ready to follow his way, the suffering, death, and resurrection, so that we may have life eternal? With Peter, we profess our faith in him: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, (6:68). Amen.
