Clarke Dixon returns with part four of our midweek series in John 14 (and its relationship to Revelation.)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NRSV
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NRSV
Why is Jesus the only way? Jesus himself taught this, as did the first Christians. To believe otherwise is to depart from a Biblical Christianity. But why did it have to be this way? Why can’t God just make it such that all sincere believers of anything, or something, or nothing in the case of a sincerely good atheist, are all on a path to God?
Revelation chapters six and seven are helpful in understanding this. In Revelation chapter six we have a vision of the opening of six seals. With the opening of each of these seals terrible things take place. This is symbolic of the judgement of God against sin, and let’s just say that it does not go well for the sinner. It culminates in a desire to escape the judgement of God:
15 Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:15-17 NRSV emphasis mine
We should take a moment here to recognize that many people, Christians included, do not like to hear about the “wrath” of God. It makes God sound like he is terribly, well . . . judgmental. But let us consider that the wrath of God is the expression of the justice of God. While we don’t like hearing about wrath we recognize that justice is good. When justice is missing in the world, we long for it, we work for it, we pray for it. If justice were missing in God, we very soon find ourselves longing for it. The wrath of God, the expression of God’s justice is part of the glory of God. To ask God to express no wrath would be to ask God to have less glory. Wrath is part of the goodness of God. God is perfectly just. God cannot be perfectly just and turn a blind eye to sin no more than a judge can be perfectly just and pay no attention to the evidence just because he or she happens to like the defendant.
Revelation six therefore speaks to us about the justice of God, that yes, sin carries consequence. The chapter finishes with a question: when God’s justice is expressed, “who is able to stand?”
Now let’s move to chapter seven where we find there is a
great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12 NRSV
This sounds more positive! And did you notice something about these people? They are “standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” They are standing! On the day of God’s wrath, on the day God’s justice is expressed, who is able to stand before the throne? These people are. Who are these people? Good question, in fact it is asked:
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” Revelation 7:13 NRSV
If we were John how might we have answered that question? Many might say things like “these are good people, nice people who are good to others, they are able to stand on the day of justice,” or “these are people who were sincere in their religion, no matter what religion it was.” John, however, does not attempt an answer, he asks the one who knows the answer:
14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 NRSV
Here we have the reason that Jesus is the only way. In Jesus the perfect justice of God meets the perfect love of God. No one comes to God the Father except through God the Son, because He is the only One through Whom the perfect justice of God could be expressed in a way that saves sinful people. This justice and love comes together at the cross. No one else could pay the penalty of sin for us, because everyone else has their own sin on their heads. Except Jesus, He is the only One who could stand in our place while the perfect justice of God is expressed. And He is the only One to ever have claimed to do such.
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NRSV
Because of Jesus, people are able to stand on the day of God’s wrath, the day His perfect justice is expressed.
But this still sounds very exclusive to some people. However, notice how wonderfully inclusive this vision is. It is a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” No one is excluded on the basis of race, gender, status, or nationality. God’s love knows no boundaries. You can be included in that multitude through repentance and trust. But perhaps it is your love that has boundaries? Perhaps it is not God’s love for you that is in question, but your love for God? If this is the case, I hope you will dig deep and consider your response to God’s offer of salvation through Jesus. I hope you will be found standing.
Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:14-17 NRSV
Today’s graphic is obviously a book cover, but now I can’t track down the source.
Christianity 201 