Hank Smith: 00:04 Hello my friends. Welcome to another followHIM Favorites. My name is Hank Smith. I’m here with the incredible John Bytheway. Welcome, John.

John Bytheway: 00:10 Thank you, Hank.

Hank Smith: 00:12 John, you know the drill. For each week, we just look at a single question for followHIM Favorites. For Come Follow Me this week, we’re in John chapter 14, 15, 16, and 17, and our question comes right from the beginning of that, John 14, Jesus says, “I am the way.” What did he mean by that? How can someone be the way?

John Bytheway: 00:33 It’s a good question, and I love… The verses that come before it kind of give us this context because Jesus keeps telling them, “I’m going to leave. I’m going to prepare a place for you.” Right? “I’m leaving and whether I go…” Let’s see, Thomas says, “We know not where you’re going. How can we know the way?” And that’s where this comes from. “I got to go, I’m leaving, and prepare a place for you.” He’s been their leader all this time. And Thomas says, “How can we know the way?” And Jesus gives this amazing answer. “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” And so I think, oh, so it’s like maybe that’s a do what you’ve seen me do, type of an answer. Rely on me, have faith in me, rely on everything I’ve taught you and use that as your model for how to know the way for life. He’s not going to be physically present with them. What do you think when you see that, Hank?

Hank Smith: 01:24 When he says, I am the way, it’s not a direction. I wonder if Thomas is like, “Give me directions.”

John Bytheway: 01:30 It’s a manner of living.

Hank Smith: 01:32 “When do I turn right? When do I turn left? How do I get to where you are?” And Jesus has said, “No, it’s not about a GPS, it’s about just doing what you’ve seen me do. Believing in me. Believing in everything that I’ve told you. I am the way, the truth, and the life.” So he expands on what Thomas asks, right? Because Thomas just asks, “How do I know the way? How do we know the way?” And Jesus says, “Not only am I the way, I am the truth, I am your life. This is how you’re going to make it. Focus on me.”

John Bytheway: 02:03 It reminds me of the Doctrine and Covenants verse, “Look unto me in every thought. Doubt not, fear not.” That’s what you’re going to do, Thomas. It doesn’t say, oh, find your own way or find your own truth, or something like that. He said, “No, I’m the truth and I’m the way. So keep your eyes right here.” I think it’s a bigger answer maybe than he expected. “How do we know the way?” “I am the way.” It’s like, whoa. I’m the way, the truth and the light.

Hank Smith: 02:28 I like what you said there. Can you imagine Jesus saying find your own truth?

John Bytheway: 02:33 Yeah. It just what? I think Thomas would still be shaking his head, that’s not very helpful.

Hank Smith: 02:40 Yeah. We can all vote on it. How about that? We’ll all vote on the way.

John Bytheway: 02:45 Whoever has the most money decides what the way is or whoever’s the strongest. Nope. I’m the way.

Hank Smith: 02:51 Yeah, absolutely. We hope you’ll join us on our full podcast. It’s called followHIM. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We’re with Dr. Rob Eaton this week. You’re going to love what he has to say on these chapters. And then join us here again for another followHIM Favorites.