First Mennonite Church
February 2, 2025
Text: John 14:1-7
Challenges and Opportunities in Sharing the Gospel
Today, we will consider another challenge there is when it comes to sharing the gospel message: the reigning ideology of religious pluralism. This is the idea that all religions are equally true and good and lead to God. The words of Mahatma Gandhi that “religions are different mountain paths converging to the same point at the peak” are sometimes readily embraced even by Westerners. Or as someone said, “All religions believe in love and goodness; they only differ on matters of God, creation, sin, salvation, morality, revelation, law, holiness, spirituality, heaven and hell.” Still yet, someone has suggested that “if followers of all religions just become better followers of their own faith” the world would be a better place to live.
In light of this widespread belief that all religions lead to God, to speak of Jesus as the way, truth, and life might seem like a foolish and an intrepid enterprise. To claim Jesus as the absolute way, truth, and life and that no one goes to God except through him is like walking against a wall, in our times. Religious pluralism can be intimidating and certainly poses a challenge when it comes to sharing the gospel message that Jesus is the way to God and salvation.
But do all religions really lead to God? Are all religions, if practiced better by their followers, good advice?
James Krabill,[1] who served as a church history teacher and executive leader of Mennonite Missions Network, tells the story of a visit he made to the Ivory Coast. There he met a tribal leader who one hot and humid afternoon gave him a ride in his canoe down a river. As they were approaching a certain spot along the bank, “It is here. This is the spot,” said the elderly chief. “Of what,” asked Krabill. The chief began by telling of the long history of clan wars between his ancestors and those of the nearby village. They had fought over everything: fishing rights, hunting domains, and women. But then the clan leaders came together and decided the fight and killing between their clans must stop. And to seal the pact, they decided to have a sacrifice, but not animal sacrifice as they were used to in their ritual. It had to be human. The day of the sacrifice a young virgin girl was strung up and cut in half. Each tribe took half of the body to bury and committed never to wage war against their neighbors. “It is here where that happened, said the tribal leader to Krabill.
Four years later Krabill was in another boat on another river, but this time in England. There he stroke a conversation with one of the boat riders who asked about his work. He told her what he does and she in turn said right away, “I want you to know that I am an atheist, but that does not keep from studying African religion and beliefs.” “And how do you do that?” Asked Krabill. She said, “I am a researcher. It is not my job to judge a person’s belief, but to describe it. Who am I to tell someone that what he believes is right or wrong?” So Krabill remembered what he was told by chief and ventured, “What would you have done, had you been there when a young girl is being cut in half in the name of religious peace-making? Would you simply have pulled out your notebook and described what was happening or taken your camera to record the historic moment for the sake of posterity?” The woman immediately responded, “Oh no! That is awful. That is terribly wrong!”
Obviously, that is not the only example where certain religious beliefs can be wrong even if their adherents become better followers of their faith. Remember those who flew commercial jets into buildings in the name of their religion. Remember Jim Jones who led his followers to commit suicide. Or even more recently a certain group holding posters claiming that “women are property.” Also, not all religions lead to God because some simply do not believe in the existence of one or that God could be found by humans. While Buddhists claim there is no god, they worship Buddha as if he were a god. Some Easter religions believe god is everywhere and in everything—the ancient trees, the rocks, rivers, and mountains. Still yet, there are other contemporary spirit-religions that talk about the god in you. Therefore, it is hard to believe that all mountain paths lead to god.
In the case of Christians, we speak of God as the One who was, who is, and who is to come. God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
So let us consider what and why Jesus made the audacious claim to his disciples.
John 14:1-7
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Most people around us believe in God, and while this is important and necessary, Jesus asks those who believe in God to also believe in him. Jesus said these words at a time when he was about to be crucified. He was about to be taken away from his disciples but he wanted to reassure them that he was coming back to take them to be with him also. After speaking countless times about his Father, Jesus assumed his disciples knew where he was headed to. But Thomas speaking on behalf of the group made clear they did not know where Jesus was going; thus, how would they know the way?
Thomas’ protest about not knowing the way led Jesus to make this bold statement about himself. On what basis could he have made this claim? Clearly, he did not say he is one of the ways, nor that he is a truth among other truths, nor that he came to enjoy life.
All three aspects of Jesus’ audacious claims are interrelated. That is because the three: truth, way, and life are the essence of his being, his actions, and his promise.
Jesus as the way means that his teaching should be taken as the lifestyle by those who desire God and those who follow him. It is to live life, not as I see fit or according to human wisdom, but according to Jesus’ words and example. To follow Jesus or to walk on the way means to abide faithfully on the narrow path that leads to life. His word is the roadmap that leads to the kingdom of God.
This He commanded his disciples:
“Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you.”
“Love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you.”
“Give to the poor.”
Forget yourselves and pick up your cross and follow me.”
He who loses his life for me will find it.
Jesus as the truth means accepting him as the one God sent into the world, as the God made flesh. Jesus said that he speaks only what he heard from the Father. He said that whoever has seen him has also seen the Father. Therefore anyone who desires to have a relationship with God, anyone who desires to come to God, must do so by receiving Jesus as the one God sent into the world.
Jesus’s claim of being the life is exactly what he told Mary about himself when he was by Lazarus’ tomb. There he said to Mary, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (11:25, 26a). Jesus is God’s life-giving agent sent into the world. In him was life at the beginning, and that life was the light of all human life (John 1:4).
We live in an era of religious pluralism. This is evidence that humanity as such acknowledges there is more to life than what we know. The vast number of religions speak to the great spiritual hunger we humans have. But Jesus’ claim of being the way, the truth, and the life, might seem beyond audacious in our times. To a world that claims that all religions are good and lead to God, Jesus’ claim might be considered ridiculous or that he was either a liar or a lunatic. That would be true if Jesus had only said these words and disappeared. But he did not. He taught with words and deeds. He loved, served, and finally gave his life for the sake of truth and the goodness he said God is all about.
Religious pluralism is also evidence that humans bear the image and likeness of God. God created us in such a way that our hearts and souls yearn for something beyond ourselves. We came from God and our spirit yearns for God. For those upon whom the light of God’s Spirit has come and who have found or have been found by the Good Shepherd know what it is to know and walk on the way. They know what it is to have a life with meaning and purpose. They have the unbreakable hope of eternal life. They also know who the Truth is and who knows them truly. They know who they are because the Truth reveals what is in their heart. Thus, they walk humbly before the Truth.
I am speaking about ourselves. It is, therefore, incumbent for us to walk faithfully and humbly on the Way, to love and follow the Truth, and to live for the one who is Life and life-giving. All of this happens when we receive, obey, and share the words and example of Jesus, who is the way, truth, and life. By doing so, we become living examples of what Jesus meant through those claims. And our testimony to others will become not only in words but also a way of life. Amen!
Pastor Romero
[1] James R. Krabill Is It Insensitive to Share Your Faith? Good Books (Intercourse, PA 2005)