14:5 Thomas voiced the disciples' continuing confusion about Jesus' destination. Apparently the "Father's house"did not clearly identify heaven to them. Without a clear understanding of the final destination they could not be sure of the route there. Thomas' question was a request for an unambiguous explanation of Jesus' and their destination and how He and they would get there.
14:6 Jesus again gave an enigmatic answer. He had already said plainly that He would die and rise again at least three times (cf. Mark 8:31-32; 9:30-32; 10:32-34). Nevertheless the disciples' preconceptions of Messiah's ministry did not allow them to interpret His words literally.
The words "way,""truth,"and "life"are all coordinate in Jesus' answer; Jesus described Himself as the way, the truth, and the life. The "way"is slightly more dominant in view of Thomas' question and its position in relation to the "truth"and the "life."Jesus is the way to God because He is the truth from God and the life from God. He is the truth because He embodies God's supreme revelation (1:18; 5:19; 8:29). He is the life because He contains and imparts divine life (1:4; 5:26; 11:25; cf. 1 John 5:20). Jesus was summarizing and connecting many of the revelations about Himself that He had previously given the Eleven.
"He not only shows people the way (i.e., by revealing it), but he isthe way (i.e., he redeems us). In this connection the truth' . . . will have saving significance. It will point to Jesus' utter dependability, but also to the saving truth of the gospel. The life' (see on 1:4) will likewise take its content from the gospel. Jesus is both life and the source of life to believers."459
Jesus was not saying that He was one way to God among many. He was not saying that He pointed the way to God either. He said that no one comes to God the Father but through faith in Himself. This means that religions that assign Jesus a role that is different from the one that the Bible gives Him do not bring people to God or eternal life. This was an exclusive claim to being the only way to heaven (cf. 10:9; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). It is only because of Jesus Christ's work on the cross that anyone can enter heaven. Since He has come it is only through faith in the promise of God that His cross work satisfied the Father that anyone experiences regeneration (1:12; 3:16; 1 John 2:2; et al.). Since He has come, rejection of God's revelation through Him results in eternal damnation (3:36).
This is the sixth of Jesus "I am"claims (cf. 6:48; 8:12; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 15:1).
"We should not overlook the faith involved both in the utterance and in the acceptance of those words, spoken as they were on the eve of the crucifixion. I am the Way,' said one who would shortly hang impotent on a cross. I am the Truth,' when the lies of evil people were about to enjoy a spectacular triumph. I am the Life,' when within a matter of hours his corpse would be placed in a tomb."460
14:7 The construction of the first clause in the Greek text suggests that the condition was true for the sake of the argument. We could translate this "first class condition"as "Since . . ."The Eleven had come to know by experience (Gr. ginosko) who Jesus really was. This knowledge was the key to their coming to know God the Father as well.
Since they had come to know who Jesus really was, they had come to know God. Their knowledge of God virtually amounted to seeing God.461"From now on"(Gr. ap arti) also means "assuredly."Since the Eleven had come to know who Jesus really was, they had assuredly come to know the Father as well. Jesus was probably assuring the Eleven with this sentence rather than rebuking them, as some translations suggest.
