"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me," John 14:6.
We have to see that sometimes our hearts are filled with sin, and we don't realize it. In Peter's zeal he did not realize how much sin was in his presumption of claiming to not forsake Jesus Christ and not allowing Christ to wash His feet. He did not understand the pride of his own heart. He was a humble man in his own thoughts. He was a man of faith in his own estimation, but he did not realize that it was not faith, it was presumption. He did not realize how proud he was, that he was too proud to have the Lord Jesus wash his feet. Then he overreacted asking that Jesus wash his hands and head too.
The Lord Jesus points out that we have to have our eyes fixed on Him as the one and only way of salvation. Are we not often concerned that we have sinned against Him in thought, in word and in deed, and have forfeited His least favor? If these are our concerns, or are fears, then Jesus says to you, "I am the way."
Peter had overreacted. Peter had denied Him. Peter had cursed and swore that he never knew Him. Look how foolish Peter had to have felt when the Lord Jesus turned and looked upon him with that look of love. Peter went out and wept bitterly, then he could see that Jesus was hung on the cross. During this time he was brought to the point that in himself he saw nothing. This is where the Lord will bring you and me. He will bring us to where He empties us so completely of ourselves.
We must come to the Father, in the name of Jesus, and we must confess our sins. When we learn to see how foolish we are, and we learn to see our own sins, we have to come back asking for a pardon through the blood of Christ, that God's wrath against our sins might be appeased. It needs to be a personal thing.
Notice Romans 7:15: "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." We see that we fall so far short. We see that in ourselves we have no ability to do what is pleasing to the Lord.
We read in Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
We learn to see that the Lord's ways are so much higher than our ways. We learn to see how that outside of that blessed Redeemer, our iniquities separate us from our God. Now, how shall we come to the Father? That is what Thomas was asking, and that is what the Lord Jesus answered him when He said, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This is because we have sinned, and it is only in that appeasing of the wrath of God upon our sins that we have a way open back to the Father. If this is your experience, then Jesus says to you, "I am the way: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Sometimes our hearts become so overcharged, and hearts come almost to the point of despair, and we say like Thomas: Lord, how shall we go? How shall we know the way? Then the Lord Jesus says, I am the way. Our eyes must be fixed back on the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must come back to the cross as the way of salvation.
In 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, we read: "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
God reconciles Himself to the world through the blood and imputed righteousness of Christ. It was through that precious, finished work of Christ, through Him being made sin for us that we might be able to stand righteous before God. Amen.
"Come unto me, ye weary, and I will give you rest."
O blessed voice of Jesus which comes to hearts oppressed!
It tells of benediction, of pardon, grace and peace.
Of joy that hath no ending, of love which cannot cease.
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