Second Candle of Advent: The Way

The first candle is the candle of hope which we talked about last Monday. This past Sunday many churches lit this candle to reflection on the Way.   When I hear "the way' the words that springs to mind are those of Christ
“I am the way, the truth, and the Life, if anyone comes unto the Father, he must come through me” Jn 14:6

Without question, this is the most polarizing claim in the world. Many would want to deny Christ ever made this statement. It is a most inconvenient truth. For us, as followers of Christ, the wonder of Christmas does not make sense without the truth and reality of Easter. I thought we’d reflect a few moments on this claim of Christ.

The Way:

Jesus says HE is THE WAY – a way is a road – hence ‘roadway’. He could equally have said I am the only path, or I am the one way street. It’s a claim that no other route can, or will ever, exists.

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”.

While many would fight and hate these words, what is truly remarkable, is that ‘any’ way has been provided by or to God. There is A WAY, we can know Him, we can find Him, in fact, He himself searches for us when we have lost THE WAY (the 99 and 1).

The Christmas Season is our worship and praise to God for that the gift. Christ opens the way to God, free, grace filled and accessible to all. In Christ is the greatest of inclusion strategies.

The Truth:

Jesus is not saying “I’m telling you a truth”, or even pointing to the Truth – He is declaring of Himself that He Himself is THE TRUTH. Join this with the prologue of the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God”. John goes on to say “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that was made”.

Truth exists and can be known, because He exists and is knowable. Reality itself has no substance, no ability to remain in existence apart from the very TRUTH of Christ. X-files claimed – the truth is out there – with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the truth is not ‘out there’, it’s within us! God with us – Immanuel.

The Life:

Jesus says He is Zoe – It’s more than Jesus offering a life – He is offering the source of all life. It is greater than earthly temporal life, it is an eternal – never beginning, never ending in the presence of God life. In Christ is all Being. Christ is not all beings, but all beings owe their existence to Him. One of the greatest miracles and great gifts of God, that is not often considered, is the gift of self-determination, of choice, of being able to exist in oneself. But this does not mean that I exist ‘by’ my self. I did not choice to exist. I can choice to reject God and still temporally exist. I have life, which I did not will into existence, but through Christ I know have Zoe life.

It’s one of the things that I wonder if changed when Adam and Eve was removed from the Garden. Adam and Eve were not created to die – that comes later. When we receive Christ’s Being into our being, although our body self dies, our spiritual self continues. However, in the culmination of time God rejoins our spirit and body self. When we receive the life of Christ, the Holy Spirit brings Zoe life back into our bodies that where born into trespasses and sin. It why Paul can say

“Oh death where is they sting, Oh hell where is thy victory, the sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is law, but thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ "  1 Cor 15:55-57

If anyone comes to the Father

Whosoever will may come unto the Father. However to come to the Father means we give up the possibility that in ourselves is a way, a truth, or a life. It means we reject that these things can be found anywhere or in anyone else.  You are not required to come to the Father – but He calls, He pleads, He dies in order to woo you and I. Scripture tells us in numerous places that God considers us his bride, his lover, his children – it is His desire that all would be saved, and that none would perish.   However, for now the door is open, the way has been made clear, the invitations have been sent. It is up to each to receive and answer, each according to their own will.

Must come through me

This is where the WAY becomes very narrow. These words are either the most delightful or the most terrible. They are met with wonder and praise, or hatred and fear. Upon these words hinge every being, every life, from the greatest and most powerful, to the weakest and most vulnerable. These words make this candle we light a blazing sword that pierces the darkness – or an invader that threatens and must be attacked and if possible destroyed.  1 John tells us, greater is He that is in us, than is in the world – His Light will overcome all.

As we reflect on this Candle, let us recite the Lord’s Prayer together.

Anyway, I was just thinking…

Neil