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The age-old question of “Is Jesus is the only way” is as hot of a topic 2000 years ago as it is today. It sparks introspection and debate among believers and skeptics alike. This has always been a difficult question for me to answer. But let’s explore this and hopefully come to a resolution.
Unpacking the Question
At the heart of our exploration lies the fundamental query: “Is Jesus the Only Way?” Is he the only way to salvation? Western society once told us that all world views are equally valid. Because faith is not a science, we can not prove one view to be more true than another truth. Take for example the analogy of the blind men and the elephant.
Blind Men and the Elephant
In this metaphor a group of blind men encounter an elephant for the first time. Each touch a part of the massive creature-one feels the trunk, another the tail, and yet the other a leg and so on. Each description of the elephant varies greatly, each limited by their individual perception. As in worldviews, we all have a view of what is the true god. No one is quite wrong nor right. We all have a part of what the truth is. So now in this postmodern context we can cohesively cohabitat the world. None of use have a monopoly on truth.
In addition, because faith and religion is not a science it is relegated into an opinion rather than fact. Belief in Jesus then is a preference like parmesan is a preference. It is a matter of personal taste. Christians are just rooting for their team in the sport of truth according to western thought. Thus one religion is not inherently more true than another religion.
Only True God=Intolerance
Unfortunately in our modern culture to say that Jesus is the one and only way to heaven would be considered beyond narrow minded, but intolerant. This transition arguably occurred after the terroist attacks of 9/11. Extreme views by religious fundamentalists instigated atrocities were felt around the world. A by product of these acts were a strong stance against not just extreme views but any view that is not based a secular framework. Religion itself became the culprit. A belief in a God in a narrow way became thought of as the roots of extremism. The idea of a one and only true god became synonymous with intolerance.
It didn’t help that Christians did not embrace a loving posture towards a changing world. Instead Christians doubled down on their cultural identity and fought back with a cry of victimization. With thins like a war against the term, “Merry Christmas. We started to align ourselves not with a Christ centric identity but a political, obstinate group refusing to lay down our rights for the changing times.
Not that that all of these arguments are without merit but Christians became less and less seen as loving and accepting and that did not help the atheist narrative that religion is bad for society.
How to understand the question ,”Is Jesus the only way?” in today’s context.
At the moment we live in a world that is post Christian, as some would argue. Its opponents would say it has not kept up with the times, science is able to answer many of the mysteries that plagued human beings and as alluded to before it only causes strife within a society when religion is taken to the public sphere. Either one should forgo religion or at least make it a private practice. And that the only way to live peacefully in the world is to embrace the diversity of worldviews, as long as the worldview stays within your own mind. No more public prayers, reference of God in the government sector, or work place etc. That would be a big no no. To claim as Jesus claimed, that He is the only way would be modern day blasphemy.
Yet this is what Jesus taught. That if we have faith in Jesus Christ, if we accepts his sacrificial death and resurrection, this new covenant between us and God will bring enteral life. To which the atheist would say is narrow.
Blind Men and the Elephant-The Misconception
As referenced earlier, the blind men and the elephant only works if we are all blind. The Hindu says God is like this, the Muslim says this and Christian says this and so on. However where does the secular individual stand in this analogy? The modern secularilist takes the position of the only seeing individual. How can one say that that the elephant is an elephant without seeing the entire elephant? All religions are blind to the reality of things, expect for the modern man who sees things as they really are.
But the modern man is in fact equally blind but assumes he is not. And this is the exact position that all religious people have. All religious people believe that we have the truth, or at least the most accurate representation of reality. It is the modern man that refuses to see that in himself.
Jesus is the only way- way to where?
This could be truth, to eternal life or simply the only way to live life. The short answer to this question is, yes.
Jesus is the only way to Truth
As Jesus asked, “what is truth.” We are to ask what parameters do we use to define truth? Of course the Bible tells us what truth is, but to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior as the living God at face value does not cut it for the modern man.
However God is a God of reason. He for all created our universe to be rich in mathematical consistency. So with reason we can deduce the existence of God, the evidence of Jesus death and resurrection. I won’t go into these arguments in this article, but many have come to believe not because of a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ himself but just by using logic. It is arguably a more coherent understanding of the world than to reject the existence of a God.
Jesus is the only way to Eternal Life
All world views have a version of the path to eternal life. There is reincarnation, becoming one with the universe, or through scientific advancements in longevity or even the hopes for interstellar travel. All worldviews have a faith or a hope for life everlasting. Is Christ Jesus the only way in our modern context to eternal life? The Bible tells us that ” I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:3.” Jesus answered this question emphatically. And this makes sense when you understand the Christian framework of eternal life.
According to the Bible, we all fall short of righteousness. And since God is a God of Justice all sin must be addressed. And the wages of sin is death. This is the sentence we all bear. Yet Jesus died for our sake. In doing so he became our substitution for death. Whoever believes in this free gift will have eternal life.
That in a nutshell in the Christian doctrine of salvation. There’s not a lot of wiggle room to an alternative to Jesus being the only way.
Jesus is the only way to Live Life
Jesus Christ being the one and only way heaven is admittedly narrow, however to claim that Jesus is the only way to live life takes narrowness to new heights. But hear me out. As mentioned earlier Christianity places a high value on justice. All sins must be addressed. No matter how minor the sin, the outcome is death. If we accept that all sin is worthy of condemnation, that means all of humanity including me and you are on the same to hell. There is no looking down on anyone, there is no superiority towards another human being.
However Christianity is also all in on mercy. It’s this beautiful juxtaposition that harmoniously intertwines two extremes into a sensible way of living. One hundred percent justice yet one hundred percent merciful. Imagine if every human takes justice seriously but also mercy seriously. If everyone accepts that there is no one that is better or worse than you and that your worth is not based on your abilities or your goodness but only on the goodness of God, this would be conceivably be a harmonious society.
When I say Jesus is the only way to live life don’t assume that somehow we should be intolerant to other ways to live life. Remember because there is this high view of justice, Christians are no better than anyone else. And because of our high view of mercy our love for others is also not dependent on the goodness or badness of a person. There is no such things as personal holiness apart from Jesus. Thus technically speaking, Christians should be the most tolerant of all worldviews.
Conclusions
In our personal journey of faith, we may come to a crossroad. Is Jesus is the only way? Although we may reject this, I hope that we don’t reject him ignorantly. And although we all may be blind, so to speak, unable to see the complete reality of our existence I hope that in our blindness we seek truth with sincerity. This is all we can hope for.
