I AM THE WAY

BY: DES WALTER

Jesus made a statement in John 14:6, which has been repeated by Christians around the world, but without really
understanding the truth contained in those words. Here is what He said, “I am the way the truth, and the life, and no
man can come to the Father but by me.” Jesus spoke these words in reply to Thomas who denied that the disciples
knew where He was going and therefore it was impossible for them to know the way. Even today, many Christians
would agree with Thomas and ask the same question. Others assume they understand what Jesus said, and so do
not pursue the matter any further

On a number of occasions Jesus spoke about leaving the disciples find going away, which disturbed them greatly. His
physical presence find teaching had brought a sense of security as they began a walk that separated them from the
religious systems of their day. Jesus said, "It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the comforter will
not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you, "John 16:7. The departure of Jesus was the crucial point in
their journey into God.

The disciples knew Jesus was born in Bethlehem as the son of Mary who was a virgin, espoused to Joseph the
carpenter. There is no question that Jesus was a man, with flesh and blood as is declared in Hebrews 2: 14. "For as
much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he likewise took part of the same, that through death he
night destroy him that has the power of death, that is the devil. " This is the man the disciples knew as Jesus, but to
them he was a mystery.

Jesus declared he had come down from heaven, and in fact was still in heaven, see John 3: 13. He also said, "Before
Abraham was I AM suggesting he existed before Abraham. He repeatedly called God his Father, which was
considered blasphemy by the Jewish leaders. He boldly claimed that, "I and my Father are one!" These and many
other similar statements filled the minds of the disciples with questions for which they had no answers.

What did Jesus really mean when He said "I am the way, the truth, and the life?” Let us consider the first part of this
statement, "I am the way. "

Most preachers interpret these words as meaning that we must come o Jesus, the man who lived 2000 years ago if
we desire access to leaven. However, there is much more involved in the words Jesus spoke, which we will discover
as we proceed.

Jesus never wrote a book and neither did he start a new religious movement. The only commandment he gave to his
followers was to "love one another as I have loved you. " He never told anyone to "go to church," nor did he suggest
how we should conduct meetings, or how to program the church. There was nothing physical that he could point to
and say, "this is the way." There was no organization or structure to which he could direct people's attention, nor did
he point to the scrolls of the Old Testament scriptures and say, "this is the way." The New Testament scriptures had
not been written so he could not say that they were the way. We must therefore come to the conclusion that the key to
understanding what Jesus meant was to be found in Him alone. Even at this point confusion reigns in the minds of
men. Some see him as simply a prophet sent by God, while others see him as God the Son according to the Nicene
creed adopted by the traditional church, while others conclude he is "half man and half God."

Nicodemus said that he knew Jesus had come from God because no man could do what he did. The woman at the
well perceived that he was a prophet, because he told her all the things she had done. The people of his day thought
he was John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah )r some other prophet. So there was great confusion about the identity of
Jesus, which has continued even to this day. But we have not been left in any doubt, because Peter responded to the
question Jesus asked the disciples concerning His identity by saying, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God. "
Jesus affirmed the truth of Peter's answer by saying, "Flesh and blood did not reveal it unto you, but my Father which
is in heaven, " Matt 16: 15-17.

Jesus made it very clear that his identity could never be determined by the mind of man (flesh and blood), but could
only be imparted by revelation! Let us illustrate this from history. In 325 AD Constantine called for an empire-wide
council of all bishops to settle some matters of theological dispute, namely, was Jesus of the same essence as the
Father or was he a similar essence? The debate was very bitter and continued with no possibility of resolution. Finally
the emperor himself was asked to cast the deciding vote, as both sides were adamant in their stand. He decided for
the minority view led by Athanasius who declared that Jesus was of the same essence as God, and this decision
became the foundation of trinitarian theology. Thus the "Jesus is God" theory was established by the Roman Emperor,
and incorporated into the Nicene Creed, which is still accepted as truth by most churches today. Constantine banished
every bishop who disagreed with his decision.

Before we continue this discussion let us review what we have discovered already. The people who walked and talked
with Jesus did not really understand who he was, as they were limited to what they could observe with their eyes.
However his true identity lay concealed behind the "veil" of his physical body and could only be discerned by the spirit.
In spite of this, his body was "flesh and blood" and he became tired hungry and thirsty even as we do.
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In the Old Testament we have a similar situation where Israel saw the cloud, which led them day-by-day in the
wilderness, but not the One who inhabited the cloud. At night they saw the pillar of fire, but not the One who inhabited
it. They saw the bright cloud of glory over the tabernacle, but never saw the One who caused the cloud. This was true
in the case of Jesus of Nazareth, for there was something that made him different from every other man, but the
natural mind could not grasp its significance. Finally we come to the revelation given to Peter where God declares him
to be Christ, the Son of the Living God. This is the truth and should satisfy every heart that seeks to know Him, for
after all his Father should know who he really is!

Let us look carefully at this statement concerning his identity. First of all he is called “Christ.” This is not a surname
but comes from the Greek word Christos, which means anointed. It is the same word used in the Old Testament for
Messiah. So the Messiah of the Old Testament is also the Christ of the New Testament. Secondly, he is declared to
be “Son of God.” It is important to notice that he never once said he was God. In John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and my
Father are one.”

The Jews interpreted those words as "I am God," but if we follow the argument carefully, we come to understand what
Jesus was really saying. For he restates his identity by saying, "Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and
sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God? " One of the purposes of His coming into
the world was to declare the name of God, which had been hidden from the ages past, and that was Father, see John
17:6. He was he first man who called God his Father, but in teaching his disciples to pray, he instructed them also to
use the same term, "Our Father, which art in Heaven, " Matt 6:9.

The basis of the controversy surrounding his identity lies in the fact that many Christians believe God to be a man with
a body like ours. But Jesus stated clearly to the woman at the well that "God is spirit, " John 4:24. If we were to say
what it was that made Jesus unique amongst men, I believe it would have to be his relationship with God as his
Father. If God was his Father, then of course he must be a son of God. However if his Father is spirit, then his son
must be spirit also! The physical body is simply a vehicle through which he accomplished the Father's will. This is
clear from the scripture in Hebrews 10:5. Now we are discovering a new dimension to the statement, "I am the way. "
Thayer points out that this word translated "way" is the Greek word hodos {hod-os} and is used of a journey, but also
of a course of conduct, or a way of thinking, feeling and deciding.

It is therefore evident that the “way” does not refer to a direction that could be interpreted in any physical sense and
neither can it lead us to a place anywhere in this physical world. To consider the way to be simply a road to
somewhere, like heaven, which many Christians consider to be a physical place, seems to lack integrity in view that it
has reference to a person. The way is an “I”. If we are to enter upon this way or journey, then it must of necessity
involve the same “I”, which was in Jesus Christ.

That "I" was not the "I" of a mortal man with all the limitations of humanity, nor was it based in a consciousness of
having been born of dust, that one day would die and return to the same. This "I" originated in God, and was revealed
as the "I AM" in Jehovah of the Old Testament. The I AM in Christ elevated Him above the level of earthly mortality,
into the higher realm of heaven, which is the very place in which God dwells. His body, although flesh and blood, in no
way inhibited what his consciousness declared to be truth, i.e. He came from heaven and was still in heaven, even
though his feet were on the earth (John 3: 13), and that "I and my Father are one. "

From what we have said so far, it is obvious that man has been walking on another “way” to that which was
represented in Christ. Natural man considers he is a “self” or an “I,” which is quite separate from God, and
this is the reason why Jesus seemed so different to other men. These two ways are as different as life and
death, and result in totally different attitudes, concepts, abilities and life-styles. Let us now consider the
origin of man in the beginning, in order to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the way.”

CREATION

Before we consider what the Bible has to say in Genesis regarding man's origin, we must lay a correct foundation on
which to build. This first book is the key to the whole Bible, as well as being the book of beginnings. Everything that is
a part of the realm of God is recorded here. Traditional theology treats the first three chapters as purely historical,
which suggests they do not contain any spiritual truth. The contents are therefore communicated to our children as
stories about Adam and Eve living in the Garden of Eden. The main issue is presented as the "fall of man," which
results in Adam being expelled from the garden under a curse that is transmitted to all men.

Theologians and Bible students spend countless hours debating the time it took God to create the heavens and the
earth. Was it six days, or was it six thousand years, or perhaps geological ages? Then when we feel we have solved
that problem we debate the method God used in creation. Was it a direct act of creation, or did God use "evolution," or
some combination of both? All of this has captured the imagination of the natural mind, while the spiritual truth
recorded for us in Genesis has been hidden from our understanding. Let us now consider what the Spirit is saying to
us in the first three chapters of the book of beginnings.

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The first thing we need to know is that chapter one is essentially an account of the creation of man under the term,
"the heavens and the earth." Every facet of creation is an analogy of some aspect of man. The focal point of all
creation is not the material universe, but man in the "image and likeness of God. " Then we must also be aware of the
fact that God is Spirit, therefore it is logical that in the first instance all creation must have been spiritual. The material
form or manifestation of all that God created including man, with which we have become so familiar, followed later.

Here is Genesis 2: 1-6 in Young's Literal Translation, "And the heavens and the earth are completed; and all their
host,' and God {Elohim) completeth by the seventh day His work which He hath made, and ceaseth by the seventh
day from all His work which He hath made, And God blesseth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it, for in it He hath
ceased from all His work which God had prepared for making, These {are} births of the heavens and of the earth in
their being prepared; in the day of Jehovah God s {Yahweh) making earth and heavens,' and no shrub of the field is
yet in the earth, and no herb of the field yet sprouteth, for Jehovah God hath not rained upon the earth, and a man
there is not to serve the ground; and a mist goeth up from the earth, and hath watered the whole face of the ground, "

I have used the Young's translation as he makes the point clear that Elohim was the Creator. Everything originated in
Him, much like some great building project where the architect or engineer produces the concept, then the plans
containing all the details are for the builder to produce or bring into manifestation. This equates with Elohim producing
the "spiritual" creation, while leaving Jehovah {Yahweh) to bring everything into manifestation. Thus in six "days"
Elohim creates the spiritual universe, including spiritual man, and then He rests on the seventh day. In chapter two we
find Jehovah, which is written in Hebrew as Yahweh, known as "I Am" forming, or bringing into manifestation that
same spiritual universe, which Elohim has created in chapter one.

Who is this Jehovah or Yahweh revealed in scripture as the "I Am?" This is the only Begotten Son of God, the Christ,
who is the Word.

Logos. He is in the likeness and image of God, and the total expression of what God is. John in his gospel correctly
states, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the
beginning with God. All things were made (i.e. brought into manifestation) by Him, and without him was not anything
made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men, " John I: 1-4. John continues to identify him by
saying, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father; full of grace and truth, " John 1: 14. When Moses asked the name of the one who commissioned him to
go and release Israel from Egypt, he was told to tell them "I Am that I Am. "

In the name Yahweh we have "Yah" which is male and "Weh," which is female. So when Yahweh breathes the breath
of life into Adam, formed out of the dust of the earth, he becomes co-creator with Elohim in bringing forth his own
perfection. This perfection is man in God's own image and likeness. This man is given power and dominion to bring
forth the perfection of his Father. Jesus said this to the people of his day in the sermon on the mount, "Ye therefore
shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. " (Young's Lit. Trans.)

After the six days of creation Elohim rested on the seventh day from all his "work." This is called the Sabbath rest,
which remains for us today according to Hebrews 4. This Sabbath rest has been interpreted from a physical point of
view, by the setting apart of one day in seven in which we do no physical work, or sport, keeping it solely for religious
activity. But Christians argue as to which day that should be. Some say the Sabbath is Saturday, the seventh day,
which is the only day mentioned in the Bible, and remains so even to this day. But a great many Christians prefer to
use the day the Emperor of Rome designated as the "Christian Sabbath," which is Sunday. From the "Sunday
Sabbath," which is not taught in the Bible, comes the non-Biblical term, "the first day of the week," which does not
appear at all in the original text of scripture. In order to validate the "Sunday" Sabbath, the Catholic Church declared
that Jesus died on "Good" Friday, and rose again from the dead on Sunday. However I have yet to hear anyone
explain how Jesus could be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,” from Friday through to Sunday
morning, (Matt. 12:40.) In all of this, the spiritual import of God’s rest is completely obscured.

The rest of God spoken of in Genesis 2, has nothing to do with abstaining from sport or not being able to "work. " The
creation in the first instance did not involve work of any kind, because as we have stated it was spiritual! Therefore it
could not involve physical effort, so to abstain from physical labor in order to enter into God's rest, is simply the
product of the carnal mind. What is the truth concerning the rest of God?

After six days God had created out of his infinite mind all that He purposed, so that everything now existed in the
spiritual realm, but as yet nothing had been manifested. The spiritual law of God requires a state of rest before
manifestation can take place. Remember it is the "likeness and image Man," the I AM, who brings the spiritual realities
of God into manifestation. This does not involve a further "creation," but a state of rest in which the spiritual mind
enters into the realization that everything already contains the image that God has purposed, and that it simply awaits
manifestation to be brought forth in expression.

So the Psalmist said, "Be still and know that I am God, " Ps 46: 10. In Hebrews 4 we read that Israel failed because of
unbelief, in that they judged everything by its appearance and refused to believe the power of the Word of God.
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It is evident that many Christian, today still live in unbelief, as did Israel, judging everything on the basis of good and
evil The proof of this is found in the multitude of ideas put forth by Christians as to the way that leads to life and
perfection This is in spite of the scripture that says, "He that ;s entered into His (God's) rest, has also ceased from his
own works as God did from his, " Heb 4:10 Yahweh, the I AM, simply brought forth out of his spiritual consciousness,
that which already existed, "The likeness and image of God, " called man, Gen 27 Thus I AM breathes the breath of
life into Adam, and in doing so brings forth a manifestation of his own perfection However we must remember, "that
was not first, which is spiritual, but that which is
natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual, " Cor 15:46

From God's point of view, man is Jehovah co-operating with Elohim, the Creator God in developing and bringing into
manifestation the "Christ Man," which is the likeness and image of God. In the midst of the Garden of Eden,
representing the heart within every man, dwells the I AM as the tree of life. Therefore the likeness and image of God
must be present within every man, even though in our natural consciousness we cannot see or believe it. The tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, represents that pseudo "I" or self, which is a separate entity from God. Our
consciousness based upon that false self tells us we are sinners and have been cast out of the garden. It therefore
becomes apparent that the key to man's dilemma is to have our minds renewed by the Holy Ghost, until it harmonizes
with the I AM within. Our difficulty in bringing this to pass is our consciousness of good and evil.

Here is an illustration of the power of the concept of good and evil. Peter was in prayer before the Lord when he saw a
vision. He saw heaven opened, which indicated this was a divine communication. A great sheet knit at the four-
corners was let down to the earth and in it were all manner of domestic and wild animals, creeping things and fowls of
the air. Being hungry a voice said "Rise Peter kill and eat. " But Peter filled with religious zeal based upon good and
evil, refuses to obey the voice. Here is a striking illustration of obstinacy on the part of a person who acknowledges the
voice of God to him, when the command of the Lord crosses one's preferences and prejudices. There are abundant
examples today of precisely this thing. In a real sense Peter was declaring unclean what God said was clean.

The consciousness of our true identity based upon creation has been totally distorted by eating of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. After the six days of creation in which God brought forth everything he had purposed,
God pronounced it very good, Gen.1:31. Everything that God created in Genesis I was pronounced very good, and
there is no mention at all of evil in any shape or form. Once we judge according to good and evil we have departed
from spiritual consciousness.

All things were created by the Word of God, which is not the Bible, but the omnipresent Word dwelling within. This
Word of God is the creative force that is man's spiritual mind. As this "Word" becomes functional within us, entering
our consciousness, the "I" of self, which once considered myself to be, now becomes united with the I AM within, so
that it is no longer "I" (self) that liveth but Christ, the I AM, that liveth in me, see Gal. 2:20. Jesus Christ is the Word
demonstrated as perfect man, created in the likeness and image of God.

Having discussed the creation of man and the complex nature of man, we should now be able to better understand
the statement made by Jesus to his disciples, "I am the way. "

How did Jesus heal the sick or feed five thousand with five loaves and two small fish? How did he raise the dead, or
control the forces of nature? Did God give to him some special power to overcome all these things? No beloved, for
Jesus believed there is only one power in this universe, and that is God. If there is only one power, then whatever
power Jesus had was not needed to overcome anything. When Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth, " it should read all authority is given unto me.

Many Christians today are seeking for power. Power to heal, and power to cast out demons and power to raise the
dead. But God does not give us power in the raw sense, for it is not necessary. Nowhere are we shown examples of
Jesus using power in the New Testament. When he raised Lazareth from the dead all he did was say, " Lazareth
come forth. " To the young girl he said, "Arise. " To the lame man he simply said, 'lake up thy bed and walk. " In none
of these cases is their any indication of power, as we would understand it. Actually in many cases where the
translators used the word power, it should read authority, and there is a world of difference between these two words.

When a policeman stands in the middle of the road and puts up his hand to stop a twenty-ton truck, he does not use
power, for the odds would be very much against him. He stops that truck using his authority as a police officer, which
is invested in him by the government. Jesus was conscious of his identity as the I AM to whom was given dominion
over all things by God, Gen 1:26. Beloved if God gives you dominion over all the works of his hands you do not need
any power for the authority of heaven stands behind you. That is why Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you. "

When Jesus stood before the grave of Lazarus he did not need to fast for a week or pray all night in order to call him
forth, because for him death was not a reality. He proved that to be so by raising Lazarus from the dead. Death has
absolutely no power over spiritual life. If the life that is within you is the life of God, the I AM, then "your life is hid with
Christ in God, " and nothing can touch it, for that life is eternal.
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Paul says, "to be carnally minded is death, " Rom 8:6. So death is connected to the mind, which functions in harmony
with the pseudo "self," or "I," and the physical body of man. This is in contrast to the spiritual mind, which functions in
agreement with "I AM." The consciousness of the carnal mind asserts that we came from dust and we return to dust.
We were born and we are going to die. There is good and there is evil, and this "mind" simply brings it into
manifestation. However Jesus did not have a "carnal mind," but the mind of Christ, the I AM, whose consciousness
declares "Before Abraham was I AM " Also that he came from heaven and he was returning to heaven with- out any
mention of death, as we understand it. Notice also that he never referred to his birth in Bethlehem even though it was
a fact in history so important to Christians that they celebrate it every year. But the mind of Christ sees only those
issues, which are eternal and this is the spiritual mind.

Death is not eternal and neither is evil or darkness or sin, or anything else that you can see with your eyes. Paul says,
"For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen (that is spiri tual) are eternal. 11 So you
can see that in raising Lazareth from the dead Jesus simply brought into manifestation what his consciousness
declared to be truth. It was the same for the man with the withered arm. Jesus never said now I am going to heal your
arm! No, he simply said to the man, "Stretch forth your arm 11 and it was made whole. So Jesus did not really heal his
arm, the man healed his own arm by responding to the word of God, instead of responding to his carnal mind, which
said, "You cannot move your arm because it is paralyzed!" Such is the power of the mind.

In everything Jesus did and said he was revealing the truth, which often conflicted with what people believed seeing
that their mind was carnal. To the disciples Jesus said Lazareth sleepeth! But their carnal mind did not understand
what he was saying, so he had to speak to them in the terms their consciousness could grasp, and say that he was
dead, for this is how they interpreted the situation.

So we begin to understand what Jesus meant when he said, "I am the way! " It is a new way of living, a new
consciousness, based upon a new identity. Instead of seeing Adam as our source and origin we discover Christ, the I
AM as the very center of our being and the one out of whom we live. Our perception of reality now changes from the
realm of appearance, all of which is temporary, to that which is spiritual and eternal.
Revelations of the Way

The prophet Jeremiah said, "0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct
his steps. " Jer 10:23. I am sure that we would never choose the adversities or difficult times that we encounter in our
lives, but they are there nevertheless. The problem is that we do not view our lives correctly as to its purpose and
goals. For most of us life is almost like a game of cards in which some are dealt a good hand and the Test do not have
a chance. Christians generally consider," God controls every detail of our lives on the basis of good and evil. If we do
good then He blesses us, and if we do evil then He punishes us. Thus we believe God functions according to the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, which he warned Adam not to touch lest he die!

There are a great many Christians who believe God uses adversity such as sickness and tragedy to make us strong
and to help bring us to perfection. But such thinking is far from the truth. All these ideas influence our life day by day
without us realizing it. Having touched on the negative aspects of "man's way," let us now turn our thoughts to the
"way" of righteousness.

When Jesus said, "I am the way, " he was speaking about a way of life or living, which finally results in immortality,
where death has no more power, and where God is all and in all. There is a parallel between the progress of the High
Priest from the outer court through the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place where God dwells, and this way, is what
Jesus spoke about. This is how the apostle spoke of the way - -"Having therefore brethren liberty to enter into the
holiest (place) by the blood of Jesus, " Hebrews 10:19. Now let us consider what the Spirit is saying to us here
concerning the way, before we continue with this scripture. First of all it is essential for us to be liberated before we
can walk this way, which leads to life. If we are in bondage of any kind it will be impossible for us to enter into the
holiest.

What is it that can keep us out of the presence of God? The answer is the consciousness of sin. What is it that most
preachers preach over and over again? The answer is, "That we are all sinners in the sight of God and will remain so
throughout this life and the best we can hope for is to have our sins forgiven." So like Adam in the garden we head for
the trees to hide from God, because we feel naked. Can we ever come into God's presence with a sin conscience?
The answer is no, never. Then what is the liberty that the apostle speaks of here?

This is the answer, "this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their hearts and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more, " Heb. 8: 10-
12. The Iamb slain from the foundation of the world is taking away the sins of the world. The cross saw the last
"Adam" die, bringing to an end the line which has infected mankind with sin and death, stripping Adam of his power
over us. As a result of this, we are not like Israel who could never enter the Most Holy Place, except for the High Priest
and then only once a year. We can now enter boldly through the veil into the very presence of God, because our
identity as sons of God, instead of sons of Adam, has been established, and this removes the consciousness of sin.
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We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, for by one offering he has perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Beloved this is the reality which gives us boldness to enter into the Holiest of
all.

Now let us proceed with our text outlining the way Jesus spoke about "Having therefore brethren boldness or liberty to
enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh, "Heb 10:19- 20. The way spoken of here is called "new and living." What exactly does the
word "new" mean, in relation to the way? It is new, because all through the times of the Old Testament there was no
actual manifestation of man, living and expressing his true identity. Even men such as Moses or Abraham, who spoke
face to face with God, could not live as a divine expression of man created by God. But in the full- ness of time God
sent forth His Beloved Son, born of a virgin, as a new and living expression of the created reality of man.

What he expressed as man could not be communicated through a book or doctrine, it had to be lived out in flesh and
blood before it could have any effect upon mankind. Therefore it is called a new and living way. This is the divine
sequence according to Paul, that the first is natural and then that which is spiritual. We need to understand also that
Adam was a figure of Him who was to come, see Rom 5: 14. As a figure, Adam denied his identity, position and
responsibility as a true son of God, establishing his own identity, based on a knowledge system known as good and
evil. From that moment all of humanity has embraced the same identity, resulting in a bondage to sin and death.
Adam was a figure representing Christ, because both functioned out of a divine headship, affecting all those who
through obedience establish their allegiance to either one. Thus it is that "in Adam all die, but in Christ shall all be
made alive. "

So this way is new, having never been demonstrated in flesh and blood before Christ came. It is living, because it is
not simply a theory that can be studied, but as John declared, “The Word (Logos) became flesh and tabernacled
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father; full of grace and truth, " John I: 14.

The scriptures declare that he consecrated this way for us through the veil, meaning through his flesh. Now it is most
important that we understand exactly what this scripture is saying to us today, for here is a vital clue concerning the
way about which Jesus spoke. First of all let us look briefly at the Tabernacle to see the pattern. In the Tabernacle
proper, there were two sections, one is called the holy place and the other, which is separated from it by a heavy veil,
is called the most holy place. Both these areas were restricted, in the sense that the ordinary people could not go into
either place. However the priesthood was allowed to function in the Holy Place, but they had to be anointed before
they could enter. The Most Holy Place was further restricted, and only the high priest could enter in, and then only
once a year, and not without blood, see Lev. 16:2. But this was only a material building that is referred to here, which
eventually gave way to

the temple built by Solomon. Finally in AD 70 the armies of Titus destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem stealing all the
gold and other valuable items.

So to what is scripture referring to when it speaks of the way being through the veil, which is His flesh? Here is where
we must remove our shoes for we are walking on holy ground, as the Spirit leads us step by step into the holiest of all.
When Jesus said, "I am the way, " he was referring to the ability to access the very presence of God, which he
provided and consecrated or established. But this has no reference to any material tabernacle or temple any more, for
the analogy now has application to our own flesh and blood being.

Paul says, " What, know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of
God and ye are not your own. " In this scripture Paul locates God for us, because the way Jesus speaks about is
designed to lead us to Him. Remember, Jesus spoke of my Father's house, to which he was going in order that he
might prepare in that same house, a place for the disciples. He then added that he would return and welcome them
into the place He had prepared, which is Father's house. Jesus uses the words, "I will receive you unto myself that
where I am there you may be also. " Finally Jesus added that they knew where he was going and they also knew the
way! (John 14: 1- 7.)

It is obvious that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying, so Thomas spoke up and said, "Lord we do
not know where you are going, and so we cannot know the way. " Here is a similar situation to the conversation Jesus
has with Nicodemus in John 3, about being born again. Thomas was thinking of Jesus going to some physical place
where he could follow providing he knew where it was. But Jesus was going back to the Father, who is Spirit, and
therefore lives in the realm of spirit, which we call heaven. Heaven is not a geographical location and has no physical
dimension. It is a higher realm of living above the physical dimension.

Jesus replied that if the disciples had really known him, then they should have known the Father also, because, he
said, " If you have seen me you have seen my Father also. " He then went on to explain some- thing of the mystery of
God manifest in the flesh. He said, "Believe me that I am in the Father; and the Father in me, and dwelling in me He is
both speaking His words and doing His works, " John 14: 10-11.

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When Jesus spoke about being the way, the truth and the life, he added that, "no man comes to the Father but by me.
" The truth of this is established by the fact that he was the first man to discover God's dwelling place and also His
own personal identity, which he expressed by calling God His Father. These two issues constituted the "new way,"
which had been hidden from the ages past, but now revealed in Jesus Christ.

Israel believed God dwelt in the cloud and in the pillar of fire, which guided them from Egypt to Canaan, and also in
the tabernacle and the temple, but they never saw Him. Thus God was always external to them. The development of
the church system, which for the Gentiles replaced the synagogue, soon established the sense of God being present
in those buildings even to this very day. Christians speak of going to (the ) church to worship God. The notice board
says, "divine worship conducted here at 11a.m." In speaking to the woman of Samaria Jesus corrected her concept of
where God dwelt by saying, "Neither in this Mount (Gerisim) nor in Jerusalem (in the Temple) shall you worship the
Father; but from now on the true worshippers shall worship the Father in (their) spirit and in truth, " John 4:21-23.

Paul reinforced this truth in speaking to the people on Mar's Hill when he said they were too religious bordering on
superstitious, because they had "idols" everywhere. He went on to declare that "God does not dwell in temples or
buildings made with hands, " Acts. 17:22-30. Anyone therefore, who goes to some building expecting to meet God is
ignorant of the truth. Paul says that God is the source of life and breath to every- one, and further establishing His
relationship with man with the statement, “for in Him we live and move and have our very being, as certain of your
own poets have said, for we are also His offspring. "

These truths agree with what Jesus declared concerning his own identity and consciousness, which constitute "the
way" by which we come to the Father. Jesus refuted the idea of God being external to himself having declared that he
was in the Father, and the Father was in Him.

In the pursuit of truth we have established that the way Jesus spoke of essentially involves two things, both of which
find their expression within himself. These are his true identity as revealed by the Father to Peter in Matt. 16 : 16-17,
and God's dwelling place within man, constituting his body as God's temple.

I am conscious that words are totally inadequate to accurately ex- press these truths, and that apart from the ministry
of the Holy Spirit, whose task it is to take the things of Christ and reveal them to us, we will never understand nor
touch the reality of God. The natural mind of man cannot grasp the things that are of God, and neither can he know
them, for they are spiritually discerned. For this reason we desperately need our mind to be renewed in the Holy
Ghost.

I Must Go Away

"Now I go my way to Him that sent me,. and none of you ask me where I am going? But because I have said these
things to you sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you it is expedient for you that I go away, because if I do
not go away the Comforter will not come unto you,. but if I depart I will send him unto you. " John 16 :5- 7.

Why was it so essential for Jesus to go away and leave the disciples?

This is a most important question for us today, just as it was for the disciples at that time. When Jesus came into the
world born of a woman, people saw him just as another man, which outwardly he was. Even the disciples did not
really recognize his true identity, which was not apparent to natural sight. Peter speaking under inspiration from God
declared him to be Christ the Son of the Living God. The word Christ is the Greek word Christos, which means
anointing, and is the same word translated Messiah in the Old Testament. This is "Yahweh" the I AM, who delivered
Israel from bondage in Egypt.

Thus the mystery of Emmanuel (Isa 7: 14) is revealed in Jesus Christ as God manifest in the flesh. This is the one
who was spoken into existence in the beginning as the prefect image and likeness of God. After 6000 years of human
history we have come to believe only that which is visible to the natural eye. Therefore our identity is determined by
what our eyes see. That which we desire to see but cannot, because of our human limitations, we define by using our
imagination. Thus children imagine a Santa who rides the sky on a sleigh pulled by reindeers, delivering toys to all the
children of the world on Christmas night. To them, Santa is very real.

Because God is Spirit, and therefore invisible, many define him by using their imagination, "seeing" Him as a man
sitting up in the sky in a beautiful place called heaven blessing us every time we are good, and punishing us when we
do wrong. He is seated upon a beautiful throne covered with gold, and thousands of angels dressed in pure white with
great wings attend to his every need. To those who believe these things, this "God" is real, and on Sunday morning he
is the one they worship, not knowing he is but the figment of their imagination!

Now, Jesus comes along doing all kinds of miracles, like healing the sick and raising the dead, and telling the people
things no one has ever told them before, and they cling to him. They cry, "Don't go away Master, we need you,
because there is no one else." God was now associated with Jesus of Nazareth, so that even today Christians still
worship Jesus, instead of the Father! Using their imagination they hang on to Jesus the man, who now also dwells
with God the Father in this lovely place up in the sky called heaven. Their carnal mind declaring that salvation
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depends upon this same Jesus. The man, who with a flesh and blood body, will come back out of the sky, through the
clouds, to empty the graves and catch away the saved, who spend eternity with him in this beautiful place in the sky
called heaven.

Why did Jesus say, "it is expedient for you that I go away? " The simple answer beloved is, so that we might see
beyond the veil, which is His flesh, into the truth of His real identity, which is in the Father, who is spirit. He promised
the disciples he would return, which he did on the Day of Pentecost. However, not as a man of flesh and blood born of
a woman, but as the Holy Spirit of God, dwelling within as the I AM, who is the likeness and image of God. Thus the
type of the Feast of Pentecost of the Old Testament was fulfilled in reality as the one hundred twenty were filled with
the Spirit of God. As a result the disciples found that what Jesus did when he was with them, they could do because
he was now in them. To reinforce this point Paul says quite clearly, " Henceforth know we no man after the.flesh. Yes,
even though we have known Christ after the.flesh (as a man), yet now from this time forward know we Him thus no
more, " 2 Cor. 5: 16

The cry of my heart to God's people today is, let Jesus the man go, and embrace the indwelling Christ, the I AM as
your true identity, for it is Christ in you that is the hope of His glory. Don't worship Jesus the man, but worship the
Father. Do not waste time waiting for a man to come from the sky, for Christ has already come, dwelling within, and
bringing to us the new creation, which is the righteousness of God, in His likeness and image.
The Summary

We set out to discover in this study what Jesus meant when he said, "I am the way. " It has not been easy to put into
words the truth that lies behind this incredible statement, and even now I have a feeling of having just scratched the
surface. But I would like to bring together the salient points so that we may grasp something that will help to carry us
along that way.

It is obvious that the way is not a doctrine or a set of rules or even a book, for Jesus made it clear that the way was an
"I." In the case of Jesus that "I" was the "I AM" and therefore must challenge every other "I" in the universe, until all of
humanity find fulfillment in Him. In looking carefully at the true identity of Jesus, we discovered that the body of flesh
and blood, which is the only part of us that is visible, carries little clue

as to our real identity. Yet for mortal man this is our identity, by a photograph we recognize one another, and by finger-
prints and now DNA, all of which provide us with absolute recognition and identity in the earthly realm.

However this sense of earthly identity breaks down when we come to Jesus. He claimed that God was his Father, and
hardly made any reference to his mother at all. He said that he existed before Abraham, and that he had come from
heaven. I am sure the Registrar of Births would have had a problem filling out his birth certificate! The interesting thing
is that to the natural eye he looked just like everyone else. His body was flesh and blood, with the same responses to
hunger and thirst, etc. But he was able to know and do things, which seemed impossible to every- one else, making
him an enigma

Generally people considered him to be one of the prophets, but when he asked the disciples who they thought him to
be, Peter replied under divine inspiration, "thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God. " This was indeed a
revelation, for his true identity seemed to bear no relation to his physical body. We must ask the question as to how he
discovered his heavenly identity? All we are told is that he was born of a virgin who had never been impregnated by
man, but who conceived by the Holy Ghost, bringing forth a child who would be great and would be called the Son of
the Most High God. Simeon blessed him in the temple in Jerusalem saying that he would be "Set for the rise and fall
of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be spoken against. "

He caused a stir among the Jewish leaders of his day by saying, "I and my Father are one. " His disciples could not
understand why he kept saying that he had to be crucified and would rise again on the third day. But three of the
disciples were granted a revelation of his identity on a high mountain, for as they watched he was transfigured before
them. His face did shine as the sun and he was covered with light, when a voice spoke saying, "this is my beloved son
in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. " In this manifestation, the glory that was concealed within became apparent
for the disciples to see and witness. Peter speaking of this experience later in his epistle, explained it was this very
revelation that caused him to be able to declare the majesty of Christ in his coming (parousia meaning his presence ),
2 Pet 1: 16. Two others appeared with him, who were no longer a part of this earthly life, indicating that they were
witnessing life in yet another, greater dimension, whose origin and existence was not dependent upon this earth.
Jesus developed a consciousness, which was so contrary to that of mortal man, who normally speaks of his birth and
the fact that our life ends in death. Jesus said he came from the Father and was returning to the Father. He had no
problem calling himself a Son of God, often referring to God as His Father. He claimed his words and deeds were not
his, but belonged to His Father. He told the disciples that the day would come when they also would know that, " I am
in the Father and you are in me. and I in you, " John 14:20.

In all of this the disciples were being drawn into the same life and consciousness that was in Christ. John later
declared that they had "seen and handled the Word of Life, even that eternal life, which was with the Father and now
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had been made known to them. " Note he did not say they had seen and handled Jesus, but what he was in his
intrinsic being. That life did not find its origin in a body of dust, but in the Father, and was demonstrated in Jesus
Christ. Thus the way to the Father was coming into focus through Christ Jesus the Lord.

The true revelation of Christ became evident when Jesus was crucified, for on the third day he rose from the dead,
and appeared to many. Subtle changes in his appearance made it impossible for even Mary to recognize him until he
revealed himself by calling her name. Two men on the way to Emmaus did not recognize him either, but later his
identity was revealed to them, although not based upon his physical appearance. Their sadness indicated at that time
that they did not understand his true identity, but still considered him in human terms.

Jesus Christ brought with him a revelation, not in words, as did the prophets of old, but in a demonstration of man as
he came from the Creator's hand. He is the prototype of man "in the image and likeness of God, " declaring in Himself
man's origin and being. Paul declares that, "We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, " and also,
"If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. " Therefore this revelation of man was not limited to himself, but applied
to all men who are in Christ. "For those whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, " Romans 8:29.

Israel went to the temple to find God, and Christians go to church to find God, but Jesus Christ declared God to be His
Father and discovered Him dwelling within His holy temple, in the heart, or Most Holy Place in man. Most people do
not want to look within because of the darkness that they see there. Most believe they are sinners, and as a result
they have been cast out of God's garden, and that God is angry with them. Their Christian life consists of trying by
every means to appease God so he will bless and take them to heaven when they die.

But now let me tell you the truth about yourself and your true identity. This is what Paul says, "But God who
commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, (as in the beginning) is He who has shined in our hearts, giving the
light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ, " 2 Cor 4:6.

Where are we to receive this revelation of the knowledge of God? The answer is, in the face of Jesus Christ, not in
some ethereal heaven, but illuminated in our most holy place, which is within us. When Jesus said, "I am the way, " he
was saying you must discover me, and come to me, to have life. Well, if we are to come to Him, where can we find
Christ, the Son of the Living God? The answer is within you, and nowhere else! You will not find Christ in a church, or
in a temple made with hands, you will only find Him within His holy temple, which you are. Once you find him there
you realize he is your identity and he is your life, and though the outer man perish, the inner man, which is Christ, is
being renewed day by day.

Paul speaking to the saints says, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom
the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (note there is only one family) that he would grant you according to
the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith, " Eph. 3: 14-17.

In all that we have shared together, beloved, you can understand that words cannot really express the wonders of His
grace. However Christ came to bring a revelation of God who is Spirit, and therefore invisible and that manifestation
was revealed in man "made in the likeness and image of God. " Jesus said, " If you have seen me you have seen my
Father: " Now, as we discover the same image and likeness within our hearts, we become part of the same
manifestation of God ---"Christ in us the hope of glory. "

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us, " 2 Cor 4:7.
The truth is that Jesus said, " I am the way the truth and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father; but by me. "
Therefore we must come to him, and not to verses in the Bible, or to some preacher, but to Him. The only place
where he can be found is in his holy temple, which you are. This is Father's house, where even the servants lack
nothing. As in the beginning, Father is today commanding "the light to shine out of the darkness, " which has plunged
us into the abyss of ignorance, hiding from us our true identity and revealing Himself in the face of Jesus Christ. Only
then, for us, does He become the way.

For those whose hearts are exercised by the Spirit of God, this revelation will continue to expand until we know as we
are known of the Father.

"Having therefore brethren, boldness (or liberty) to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living
way which He has consecrated for us through the veil that is to say, His flesh. "

May the Lord give you understanding. Amen

A GIFT FROM: LIGHTHOUSE LIBRARY; P. O. BOX 571225, DALLAS, TX 75357-1225;