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Jesus is the Only Way to God – True or False? Matthew 26:36-46

Author and speaker Jill Briscoe recalls:
In Croatia I was asked to speak to a church gathering for about 200 newly arrived refugees. Refugees from this area of the world are mostly women because the men are either dead or in camp or fighting. This group of Muslims, Croats, and a few Serbs had fled to a seminary on the border of a battered Croatian town. The town was still in danger of sniper fire and bombing, but the church had escaped because there were apartment buildings between it and the guns. Attackers had tried to fire shells over the apartment buildings to the seminary, but they hadn't managed to do it, so it became the refugee receiving and feeding place.

We worked all day visiting with the refugees. At night a service was held in this huge, old church, and I had to speak. I didn't know what to say. Everything I had prepared seemed totally inadequate, so I put my notes away and prayed, "God, give me creative ideas they can identify with."

I told them about Jesus, who as a baby became a refugee. He was hunted by soldiers, and his parents had to flee to Egypt at night, leaving everything behind. I could tell the people began to click with what I was saying. I kept praying like crazy.

I continued telling them about Jesus' life, and when I got to the cross, I said, "He hung there naked, not like pictures tell you." They knew what that meant. Some of them had been stripped naked and tortured.

At the end of the message, I said, "All these things have happened to you. You are homeless. You have had to flee. You have suffered unjustly. But you didn't have a choice. He had a choice. He knew all this would happen to him, but he still came." And then I told them why.

Many of them just knelt down, put their hands up, and wept. I said, "He's the only one who really understands. How can I possibly understand, but he can. This is what people did to him. He's the suffering God. You can give your pain to him." Citation: Jill Briscoe, "Keeping the Adventure in Ministry," Leadership Journal (Summer 1996)

Mel Gibson’s movie – The Passion of the Christ – has stirred up a lot of controversy.Months before it was even released an Anti-Defamation League representative, RabbiEugene Korn, the head of the group's office on interfaith affairs, said “this film may undermine Christian-Jewish dialogue and could turn back the clock on decades of positive progress in interfaith relations.”

Others who have seen the film have praised its beauty and accuracy. Rick Warren, the author of Purpose Driven Life said it was “Brilliant, biblical – a masterpiece.”

Jesus has always caused controversy and required people to take sides. Last week we looked at Jesus’ claim that He was God. Of the world’s major religions, Jesus is the only leader who claimed to be God in the flesh.

Moses didn’t.
Mohammed didn’t.
Buddha didn’t.

But Jesus made another claim many people find even more controversial. We are going to look at this claim today: Jesus claimed that He was the only way to God.

In John 14:6 Jesus told his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Of course there are people who think that Jesus is wrong, that he’s not the only way to God. What is true and what is false? Let’s begin by looking at a couple of common false beliefs.

1. To Claim Just One Way to God is Intolerant – True or False?

One of the most common beliefs today is that to claim just one way to God is intolerant.The claim is that if you say someone is wrong in his or her beliefs, then you are intolerant and bigoted. Of course the people who say this are guilty of being intolerant too.

The word intolerance has become a buzzword in the last few years. We are not supposed to be intolerant of anything or anyone else which means there is no absolute truth. This presents a problem for authentic followers of Jesus Christ. We believe the Word of God to be true and therefore we believe that Jesus is the only way to God.

When you make a statement like that you are accused of being intolerant and those who start judging you for being intolerant will become very intolerant of you.

Intolerance is a vicious cycle that never ends in truth. When you can’t believe anything to be absolute truth than you are in trouble as a society.

This is a hot topic. Last year Franklin Graham (the son of Billy Graham) got into some hot water with the media because he declared that Islam was not the way to God, but thatJesus was the only way. In an interview with National Public Radio he said: “This whole notion of tolerance. They say, "Well, you Christians are narrow-minded. You say Jesus is the only way. You're not tolerant of other religions." Well, if other religions are not tolerant of us, I'm not putting down their faith system; it's just not what I believe.And I don't accept their way as truth. They don't accept my way. That's fine. But don't askme to believe that their way to God is a valid way. I don't believe that.” (RELIGION ÐICS NEWSWEEKLY Transcript: Show #549 August 9, 2002).

So is it intolerant and arrogant to believe Jesus is the only way to God? It’s only intolerant if Jesus is wrong. If Jesus is right, then it’s not intolerant, its truth.

2. There are Many Ways to God – True or False?

The idea that there are many ways to God is another popular – but false – belief. It is often expressed in the way Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said it: "One can ascend to the top of a house by means of a ladder or a bamboo or a staircase or a rope; so too, diverse are the ways of approaching God and each religion in the world shows one of the ways.”

M. Cherif Bassiouni has been a law professor at DePaul University College of Law for over 30 years. He is one of the world’s leading authorities on international criminal law and human rights. In 1999, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in establishing the International Criminal Court. At a January 4, 2000 interfaith dialogue near Chicago, Bassiouni said this: “All religions lead to God using different paths… judgment is not by the choice we make, but by how we pursue the path of the choice we make. Different religions and cultures are equal in the eyes of God and should be seen as equal in the eyes of man.”

The most common way to be “spiritual” now is to take the parts of a religion you like and to leave the parts you don’t like. It’s like a faith buffet – you get to pick and choose.

It isn’t just Hindu gurus or Nobel Laureates who believe this. Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer said, “I consider myself a spiritual person. I believe in an idea of God, although it’s my own personal ideal. I find most religions interesting, and I’ve been to every kind of denomination: Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist. I’ve taken bits from everything and customized it.” (Scotland’s Daily Record).

You might be asking, don’t all the major religions basically say the same thing? The truth is they do ask similar questions: Who is God? Why is the world such a mess? How do we solve this problem? The fallacy is they come up with the same answers.

As religious scholar, Ravi Zacharias, has said, “Anyone who claims that all religions are the same betrays not only an ignorance of all religions but also a caricatured view of even the best-known ones. Every religion at its core is exclusive.” (Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message, p. 7)

Is it intolerant to claim Jesus is the only way to God? No, it’s truth. Are there many ways to God? No, each religion claims to be THE way to God, yet only one of those can be right. So, how does one come to God? What is true?

3. Jesus is the Only Way to God – True or False?

There is just one road to God. This is depicted in the opening scene of The Passion of TheChrist. The movie begins in the evening with Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Let’s read it in Matthew 26:36-46:

36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them,"Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." 40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup tobe taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?

Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

I’d like to point out one verse in particular here. Look again at chapter 26 verse 42: “MyFather, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42).

This verse is often pointed out to teach how Jesus submitted to God’s will in all things – even to the point of death. No doubt this is true. But another truth can’t be overlooked. Jesus is praying that God reveal another way for people to be reconciled to Him. God’s answer was there is no other way. Jesus must die to provide a way.

Islam won’t do it.
Hinduism won’t do it.
Judaism won’t do it.

Mixing and matching religions won’t do it
Being good won’t do it.

Our problem is our sin that separates us from God, and Jesus’ death is our only cure. In fact if there were another way to God, Jesus’ death is unnecessary.

For those of you who saw the movie you may have noticed that the movie includes something that isn’t in the scripture we read. In the movie Satan is in the garden whispering to Jesus that He can’t take on the sins of the world. A snake then comes fromSatan’s feet and crawls onto Jesus who is lying down in fervent prayer. Finally Jesus stands and then crushes the snake’s head with the heel of his foot. Though this scene is not recorded in the gospels, it is superb theology. You see, at the beginning of humanityGod gave a prophecy to Satan.

You can read it in Genesis 3:15. Satan has deceived and tempted Adam and Eve to sin against God. Then God confronts Satan and says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This was the first prophecy of the coming Messiah, and as the movie excellently depicts, Jesus fulfilled it.

Look again at the opening words of Matthew 26:36 “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane.” Maybe you have never heard of a place called Gethsemane. Maybe you have, but do you know what Gethsemane means?

Gethsemane means, “Oil press.” It was a place where olives were crushed for their oil. It became the place where Jesus was also crushed. In the beginning of the movie one verse flashes on the screen – Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” And as we saw in the movie and in Genesis 3 it was the place that Jesus crushed Satan’s head. Although Jesus still had to face the cross, it is here that He made His decision to follow God no matter the cost. There is no other way to God. Jesus is the only way.

If God created the world and everything in it and we believe the Bible to really be the Word of God, than we must accept the plan that God instituted. The plan of sacrifices in the Old Testament and the sacrifice of His only Son in the New Testament. It is a beautiful thing to see the plan of God come together in the form of Jesus Christ.

Is it intolerant to claim Jesus is the only way to God? No, it’s truth. Are there many ways to God? No, each religion claims to be THE way to God, yet only one of those can be right. And what is the right way? It is Jesus. If Jesus was not our only hope, our only way to God, then he would have walked away from that Garden. He would have wiped the sweat and blood from his brow and said, “I don’t have to do this—I don’t have to die.”

The mother of a nine-year-old boy named Mark received a phone call in the middle of the afternoon. It was the teacher from her son's school.

"Mrs. Smith, something unusual happened today in your son's third-grade class. Your son did something that surprised me so much that I thought you should know about it immediately." The mother began to grow worried.

The teacher continued, "Nothing like this has happened in all my years of teaching. This morning I was teaching a lesson on creative writing. And as I always do, I tell the story of the ant and the grasshopper:

"The ant works hard all summer and stores up plenty of food. But the grasshopper plays all summer and does no work. Then winter comes. The grasshopper begins to starve because he has no food. So he begs, 'Please Mr. Ant, you have much food. Please let me eat, too.' " Then I said, "Boys and girls, your job is to write the ending to the story."

"Your son, Mark, raised his hand. 'Teacher, may I draw a picture?'

" 'Well, yes, Mark, if you like, you may draw a picture. But first you must write the ending to the story.'

"As in all the years past, most of the students said the ant shared his food through the winter, and both the ant and the grasshopper lived. A few children wrote, 'No, Mr. Grasshopper. You should have worked in the summer. Now I have just enough food for myself.' So the ant lived and the grasshopper died.

"But your son ended the story in a way different from any other child, ever. He wrote, 'So the ant gave all of his food to the grasshopper; the grasshopper lived through the winter. But the ant died.'

"And the picture? At the bottom of the page, Mark had drawn three crosses."

Citation: Brad Walden, senior minister at Tates Creek Christian Church; Lexington, Kentucky; true story told by Mark's grandfather at Westwood Cheviot Church of Christ; Cincinnati, Ohio

What do I do now?

Because Jesus is the Only Way to God, you need to walk the path that He laid out. Jesus was crushed for your iniquities or sins.

How to:

Jesus began by asking God a question – “Is there another way?” He heard from God that there was no other way. You need to answer that same question. Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God?Jesus then submitted to God’s will. Even if you believe that Jesus is the only way, it is not enough. You must submit to God’s will in following Jesus. Can you say to God, “not my will but yours be done”?

Lastly join Jesus in crushing Satan and his evil work. Listen to these words from Romans16:19—20 – “19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you;but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20The Godof peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be withyou.”

Let me close with these inspirational words:“Jesus. It’s a little name. A small word.
Say this little name in public, however, in a way other than an obscenity, and stand back and watch the fireworks.

This little name is like a tiny detonator that triggers a nuclear warhead.
You can say "God," and you won’t get a squeak.
You can say "Our Father/Mother in Heaven," and few will flinch.
You can say "Great Spirit," and people will nod in approval.
You can say "Allah" and you will be deemed tolerant.
But say "Jesus" and just wait for the sonic boom.
Articles will appear in the paper. Reprimands will be posted from the home office.
Suits will be threatened by the civil liberties block.
So don’t say Jesus.
Jesus is divisive, and now is a time for unity.
Jesus is an extremist, and that must mean right wing.
Jesus is exclusive, so His name amounts to hate speech.
Keep His name to yourself. Cloister it in your church. Lock it in your prayer closet. Closeit between the covers of your Bible. But for God’s sake, don’t voice it in the public square!It’s immodest. It’s immoral. It’s unloving.

We have a problem.

Jesus is God.
Only one problem.
Jesus alone brings salvation.
Only one problem.
All other gods are nothing.
So speak His name aloud.
Shout it from the mountain.
Whisper it in the dark.
Write it in the sky.
That’s not hate, it’s hope.”

Someone once noted that other religious leaders say,
“Follow me and I’ll show you how to find truth,”
but Jesus says, “I am the truth.”
Other religious leaders say, “Follow me and I’ll show you the way to salvation,”
but Jesus says, “I am the way to eternal life.”
Other religious leaders say, “Follow me and I’ll show you how to become enlightened,” but Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.”
Other religious leaders say, “Follow me and I’ll show you many doors that lead to God,”

but Jesus says, “I am the door.”
Then, Jesus says, “So follow Me.”

2004/03/28