"I Am the Way"

There was a time when a person going on a trip wouldn't think of beginning their journey without a road map. (Hold up the map for the children to see.) The map was very helpful to the traveler in finding the way to where they were going. Today we seldom ever use a road map. Do you know why? Most of us who own a car also have a GPS in our car. (Hold up the GPS.) How does the GPS work? When you are ready to go somewhere, you type in the address where you want to go and the GPS connects to a satellite up above the earth and computes the path to your destination. As soon as you start driving, a map appears on the screen and a voice from the GPS gives you turn by turn directions. "Turn right on Main Street in one mile, turn right in one half mile, turn right in 150 feet, turn right." What happens if you miss your turn? The GPS says, "Recalculating" and immediately computes a new route to get you back on the right path to your destination.

When we are trying to follow Jesus in our daily life, it would be nice to have a GPS to lead us in the right direction, wouldn't it? It would be nice to have something to keep us on the right path and keep us from getting lost...something that would help us get back on the right track when we made a wrong decision.

That is the way Jesus' disciples must have felt when Jesus told them that he was going to leave them. Jesus said to them, "I am going to prepare a place for you and when everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me. You know the way to where I am going."

One of the disciples whose name was Thomas answered Jesus, "No, we don't, Lord. We don't even know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

Another disciple named Philip joined in, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied."

"Philip," Jesus answered, "Have you been with me all this time and you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show you the Father? Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Anyone who believes in me will do the same things I have done."

That was all the disciples needed to know to get them on the right path to the Father.

So, how do you and I find our way to the place where Jesus has gone to be with the Father? We have not seen Jesus as Thomas and Philip had, but we can follow the teachings that he has given to us in the Bible -- God's Holy Word. That is our GPS and it will keep us on the right path!

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son to provide the way to eternal life. Thank you for your Holy Word which will keep us on the right path in our journey through life. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.