Responses to Akbarally Meherally's site

Jesus was "Way" not "Destination"

Mr. Meherally begins:

"JOHN 14:6" A POPULAR BUMPER STICKER...

One of the significantly popular text from the New Testament, with the evangelical missionaries, is verse 14:6 from John's Gospel. I have many a times noticed the selected portions from this verse on the bumper stickers of all kinds of vehicles in North America

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

Based upon the next that follows, one can say the end part of the above verse means; "No one comes to (know, recognize) the Father except through me."

No. The Greek term used by John in this verse is "erchomai" {pronounced er'-khom-ahee}, which means to come.

The Greek term that John used for "to know or recognize" is ginosko {pronounced ghin-oce'-ko}, and is used in the following verse:

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. (John 1:10)

However, we will continue the study of this verse as it is written in the Bible. Those who may be interested in knowing more the subject of John 14:9, which is also an equally significant text, please click HERE and read the Study Number Two.

Jesus said that He was THE WAY. He did not say that He was "a" way, "one" way, or "one of many" ways - He said that He was THE WAY. No Prophet of God ever said that he was THE WAY to God. Jesus Christ is "THE WAY" to the Father--"no man cometh unto the Father but by Me"; He is "THE TRUTH" of all we find in the Father we find in Him, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Col 2:9); and, He is "THE LIFE" that will flow to us and bless us from the God who is approached and thus manifested in Him "this is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). The main message of this passage is that the Son is the ordained and is the perfect manifestation of God the Father.

Jesus also claimed to be the Truth. Does Mr. Meherally consider this to be a serious statement? After all, one of the early Sufis, Al-Hallaj (858-922 A.D.), once said "I am the Truth" and he was crucified as a heretic by orthodox Muslims in 922 A.D.. In this passage, Jesus is, once again, claiming to be divine. When Jesus says "I am the life," He is actually claiming to be God. Life is one of the prerogatives of God and God alone. In fact, one of Allah's 99 names is Al-Hayy: The Living. Also Al-Haqq: The Truth is another attribute of God and God alone.

Before Jesus spoke these words, he said (four verses earlier);

"In my Father's house are many mansions (dwelling places); if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a mansion (a dwelling place) for you." John 14:2

The above statement demonstrates that there are "many mansions" in the kingdom of heaven. And, Jesus was going to prepare "a mansion" for his followers. To argue or presume that the Almighty God had built "many" mansions but only "one" was to be occupied by the followers of Jesus and the rest of the "many mansions" were to be left vacant or unoccupied sounds too far fetched a notion.

When Jesus told His disciples that "In my Father's house are many mansions", He was assuring them that there was room for all who believe, and a place for each who follow Him. Incidentally, how did Jesus know that there were many mansions in His Father's house? He knew because He had been there - Jesus and the Father were One and always existed, and will always exist, throughout eternity.

What did Jesus mean when He said that "I go to prepare a place for you". Was Jesus going to this mansion to fluff the pillows? NO, He went to the Father, through His death and resurrection, in order to obtain the right for His followers, both then and now, to be in heaven. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross gives us sinners the ability, through God's grace alone and not of our own words or deeds, to possess our "place" in the Father's mansion if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and follow Him.

The Bible clearly says that He is the only way, NO ONE comes to the Father (God) EXCEPT through His Son Jesus Christ. Neither Jesus, nor any of God's Prophets, ever said that there were other messengers sent to other nations.

Imagine visiting a town with "many" buildings and only "one" was occupied and the rest had signs "not to be occupied". Would not the people living in that "one" building feel they were living in a "Ghost Town"? On the other hand, would it not be perfectly logical thing to understand that the prophets that came before and after Jesus would have also prepared mansions from the remaining mansions, for their respective followers to occupy? Is it not an appealing thought that the prophet that came after Jesus could have possibly lead his followers through the "current way"?

This is not a very good analogy and, whether or not it is an appealing thought to believe in a "Prophet" after Jesus, we must look at the truth. No Prophet ever made such a statement before Jesus. None! Also, assuming that Muhammad is a "Prophet" (which I neither assume nor believe), the Qur'an tells us that Muhammad is the main witness and the Qur'an is the standard by which all will be judged at the final judgment (Sura 16:89). Therefore, Muhammad and the Qur'an are of infinitely greater importance than the "Imams", "prophets", or "books" of the other tribes and nations (mentioned in Sura 35:24 and Sura 17:71) since only "those who became Muslims" will obtain God's mercy. So much for Mr. Meherally's intellectual flirtation with Universalist philosophy!

Do not the readers of the "New Testament" along with the "Old Testament" think they have a better understanding of the God's MESSAGE than those who have not read the "New Testament?

Yes.

Why do the Muslims, who have read the Old and the New Testament say; the Qur'an is the "Final" Testament?

I honestly do not know. When we read the Old and New Testaments, we clearly see God's plan for mankind unfold throughout history. We see God's Prophets who bring signs such as miracles and the gift of prophecy which is used to predict the events which would eventually bring about the redemption of mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Then we have Muhammad who walks out of a cave and tells us that he has the "truth" which often contradicts thousands of years of revelation and prophecy, as well as history and reason. Muhammad gives us no miracles and no prophecies (at least none that came true). As a Christian who has studied the Bible as well as the Qur'an, I place my hope in Jesus Christ and the Prophets of God who predicted his coming, not in a man who claimed to receive "revelations" from God, which often came just in time to solve his problems with women, money (Sura 58:12), and power (Sura 5:33).

John 14:6 clearly states; Jesus was the "WAY". It is a folly to believe that Jesus (or any prophet) was the "DESTINATION":

Who said that Jesus was the "Destination"? This is a "straw man" argument.

Jesus said; "I am the door" to find the pasture. (Jn. 10:9). A sheep that walks through the "door" will find the pasture. A sheep that keep circling around the "door" will never find the pasture. One who uses the "Way" (Path) shown by Jesus will reach the Mansion prepared by him. Anyone that stops on the "Way" believing the "Path" to be the end of his/her journey will be out in the open without any shelter.

I am glad that you gave us this passage, we need to take a closer look at it.

John 10:6-9 and 15-18

6
Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
8
All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

The "Path"? That sounds somewhat "Zen". Please read this passage carefully and notice that Jesus, similar to the previous passage, said "I am THE gate". He did not say that He was "a" gate or "one of many" gates, or even a path! Only Jesus can save people from their sins, we all must go through Him to be saved.

The chapter continues:

15
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
17
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.
18
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

Please notice that Jesus did not talk about different flocks and different shepherds, He said that there will be ONE flock and ONE shepherd - and Jesus is the ONE shepherd. Also notice that the ONE flock will include sheep that are from other pens - which is a reference to the many nations of the Gentiles (non Jews). However, in spite of the fact that they come from different "pens", they become members of the ONE flock when they believe in the ONE shepherd, Jesus. Also notice that Jesus says that He will lay down His life (die) and take it up again (come back to life).

Finally, here is the WAY shown by Jesus, who spoke the TRUTH and declared how to have an eternal LIFE;

"Not every one that says to me; 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21

"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal LIFE..." John 5:24

Amen! Mr. Meherally, I pray that you will see the "Truth" and find the "Way", through Jesus Christ, to eternal life.

Andrew Vargo

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