Thoughts on "A reading of John 14:6 - Brian McLaren"

Here is an interesting article by Brian McLaren called "A reading of John 14:6".

http://www.brianmclaren.net/emc/archives/McLaren%20-%20John%2014.6.pdf

Brian McLaren's take on John 14:6 generally sits well with me. If only more people in the Christian circles take the time to examine that verse in the whole literary and social context like he did, then they will understand better what Jesus could have meant by those words "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".

I like how McLaren explored the chapter just before John 14 that put in place the context of Jesus' conversation with his disciples about his imminent suffering and death, that led to his statement in John 14:6. I agree Jesus was referring to his destination in terms of suffering and death in the immediate future which he must bear alone, and the disciples could not follow, until some time in future when they would follow his footsteps (willingly).

My take on the "Father's house" is similar to McLaren's in the sense it may refer to a physical manifestation of the kingdom of God on earth. This is revealed by Jesus' words later in the chapter when he said:

"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
(John 14:20)

I believe that is when they received the revelation via the Holy Spirit that they are one with Jesus/God in consciousness and God is in them and with them. They will realise that they are sitting with Christ in the heavenly places (that is, in higher consciousness).

I think McLaren has asked an important question on "Jesus is the way to what?" because different people will answer differently, depending on what they are looking for in life. For example, if people are looking for the four noble truths, then Jesus is not the way but Buddha. In the case of the disciples, they are looking for the way to the Father whom Jesus often spoke about. In his reply, I could almost sense a bit of exasperation when Jesus told Philip that he would have known by then that the Father was in him, and by seeing him, they would have already seen the father. After all, in John 10, Jesus also said he and the father are one.

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."
(John 14:9-10)

So, the Father is not someone up there in the sky who can only be seen somewhere in future but is already present in the here and now, in the person of Jesus standing right before them. The disciples had thought the Father was separate from Jesus, but Jesus made it clear that he and the Father are one. In fact, they had already seen the Father without realising it; Jesus had to confirm it by telling them that they knew and had seen the Father because they knew and had seen him.

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."
(John 14:7)

Later in his conversation with his disciples, Jesus went one step further and told them not only he and the Father are not separate from each other, the disciples are also not separate from him or the Father, because they are all one. The Holy Spirit would open the eyes of their heart to see their oneness in their consciousness.

"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
(John 14:20)

In retrospect, I am glad Jesus' disciples were not afraid to ask questions; even though they might look silly to many of today's readers of the bible, their bold and honest questions to Jesus actually gave him the opportunity to clarify many things about himself, about the Father, about them, and so on. In a way, their questions and Jesus' answers serve as an essential FAQ that readers would appreciate. In a sense, the disciples might represent us who would also have thought of similar questions to ask Jesus. Yet in another sense, Jesus might represent us answering our own questions because Christ the living wisdom is living in us and as us, and having the mind of Christ, we too can find the answers we seek within ourselves through silent contemplation, listening to the still, small voice of Love. And when we read or listen and learn from others, we can go by what resonates with us that we have already intuitively known in our heart to be true for us.

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John 14 What did Jesus mean when He said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life?

What did Jesus mean when He said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him? (John 14:6) For too long, the evangelical church has been using the verse to say that Jesus is the only way to go to heaven. It is about time we question this interpretation. I believe everyone will be with God after they die because our spirit will return to Him who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) The good news is actually about knowing that God is our loving Father.

I remember Peter Youngren taught that “Jesus is God, and comes from God, to show us what God is like.” I tend to agree with that, but at the same time, I also recognise that every society and culture at different eras of history may have their own understanding of God/gods, and I do think these beliefs have their place too.

Someone wrote: “I believe that there is one God, and He and His messages are just interpreted in different ways.”

So, my take on this subject is that when Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, He was speaking to His disciples – the Jews back then had a different idea of what God is like because they only saw a glimpse of His true nature in the old testament/Jewish scriptures. So Jesus told them He is the revelation of God as the Father who loves them. (Not just Elohim/Creator or Yahweh/Covenant-keeping Lord or El Shaddai/All-Providing One) Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father”, and He affirmed to His disciples that they had indeed seen the Father because they had seen Him.

Jesus said to His disciples, “From now on, you know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7). Amazing – the disciples were still alive when they saw the Father (through seeing Jesus). They had not died yet. So definitely John 14 isn’t talking about Jesus is the only way to go to heaven after people die, unlike what most evangelical preachers would have us believe.

To me, Father (or Abba) is the intimate expression of family love that is also self-sacrificial, unconditional and universal.

When Jesus told His disciples to go into the world to preach the gospel, I believe the great commission was already accomplished. According to some preterist views, all things have been fulfilled by AD70. The apostle Paul wrote “my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… has been made known to all nations”, which took place before AD70. Since AD70, I believe Christ is in everyone, for the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all flesh in the last days (of the old covenant age). Maybe the good news to share with people today is simply about the mystery that has been made known to the Gentiles: Christ in you, the hope of glory. Yes, the good news is not about going to heaven or being saved from a place called hell.

As for gospel campaigns, I would say maybe it is not really wise or advisable to go to another country where christianity is opposed (and risk offending the people and risk being harmed by the extremists). It is ok if people in a region are open to the gospel, otherwise I think it is best to leave them alone and continue in their own belief system, and go elsewhere to preach. Sometimes, people fare better in terms of living in peace and harmony when they are comfortable with their native religions (whether native american spirituality or buddhism or new age or hinduism).

To me, any belief that promotes peace, love, compassion, harmony and freedom, and doesn’t create any sense of fear, guilt and condemnation, or a sense of separation from God or from one another, is one that is in line with God’s nature and desire for all humankind. Perhaps God himself is so diverse that He cannot be contained in any one religion or belief system, and it is up to each individual to choose which is best for them or most comfortable for them. “All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial” is probably a good guiding principle for me when comes to choosing a particular belief system – I would say that love and freedom (with responsibility) would serve as a good foundation for my choice of an ideal belief system (which happens to align with the teachings of Jesus or the gospel, but I’m open to learning from other religions too). After all, the whole law is summed up in this: “Love your neighbour as yourself”, for love does no harm to a neighbour. Others may have their own reasons for choosing a particular faith, or not to subscribe to any at all, but remain open-minded to people’s belief systems or philosophies, and that is fine with me (and I believe with God too).

(Adapted from Yahoo Answers)

P.S. A friend of mine, Leigh, recently shared with me that he was feeling kind of silly that he used to think he was bought by the church, rather than realising that Jesus had already bought him and ALL the people of the world. I can relate to that because we were all blinded in the past. Thank Abba for opening our eyes to see that Jesus is the Saviour of the world – indeed, He is the Saviour of ALL men. (1 Timothy 4:10)

Related links:
Christians and others, What is your opinion about cultural relativism and Jesus being one among other Gods? (Yahoo Answers)
“Are We Really Hiding Behind Our Religions?” By E. Raymond Rock