Unlocking the Door

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Raise your hand if you have ever lost or found a key while running. I have done both. When you realize you have lost your key, panic or dread usually follows. You can be standing at the door of your car or house but without that key you simply cannot get in. Your friend might be with you holding his key – it looks so similar – but it is not the same. No matter how close it looks, it is useless. There is only one key that opens your lock.

Losing a key while running can be a traumatic experience, but eventually you solve your problem and gain entrance. Maybe you call a locksmith or call a family member who has a spare key. But there is a different kind of lock in our lives for which we need a key that is far more critical. It is the lock on Heaven itself – a lock that separates us from God because of sin.

But God loves us and created us out of love for a relationship with Him. He does not want to be apart from us; He does not want us to be locked out. And so He gives us the key: Jesus. And just as only one key is perfectly designed to unlock your house or car, so is Jesus the only key that allows us to enter the presence of God. He is the only way to the Father.

Over the centuries, people have proclaimed that many roads lead to Heaven. They have tried to substitute Christ and His sacrifice with man-made solutions to the lock on Heaven. But Jesus tells us in words that are perfectly clear: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” He alone is the key to God, to Heaven, to the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus’ death on the cross is a gift and His gift is for all who believe. Nonbelievers will look critically at Jesus’ words and say they are exclusive. Well, they are exclusive! Jesus is proclaiming that He is not just “a” way to the Father, He is THE way to the Father. The only way!

And the key that opens Heaven’s doors to us is not just something we will receive after we die. It is something we need now, and something we can behold on this side of Heaven. Jesus is our access to the God of all creation. We can receive His gifts of love, mercy, and forgiveness now. What a bold promise He makes when He says “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Think of how much we need those things right now in the midst of an uncertain and dangerous world.

Let’s not stand on the outside, peering into a locked car or home that we desperately want to climb inside of. Let’s go to Him to unlock the door.

Lord Jesus, we are so thankful that You are the way to our every need and that we do not have to do anything to deserve or earn Your love or the gifts You have for us. Guide us in the way we should go and bless us with your truth and life. In Your strong name we pray, AMEN.