⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny, funny riddle…”—so goes a catchy country song. Apart from Christ, our human existence can be confusing, frustrating, making no sense. Popular philosophers have asked, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” or “What’s the point? You live, you die, the world goes on without you.” Things can be going well, but then an arbitrary event happens that changes everything, inexplicably. People are searching for purpose and significance, to give some sensible framework for understanding what life is all about. The result is many religions, philosophies, worldviews and self-help books – all claiming but not delivering the answer to the riddle of life.

In the cacophony of life noises, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ ring out, “I am the Life.” Not, “I am a way of life” or “a pointer to life.” These things are true, but they don’t do justice to His words. He said, “I am the life.” We cannot let the simple wording lull us to simplistic thoughts.

Again, Jesus is not teaching anything new here, but brings together in summary form what He has been getting at all along. Even John, the writer of this gospel account, assesses Jesus’ life this way: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:4). He is the essence of life, the very core of life. He gives life meaning, because He is “the Life.” “…in Him all things consist.” (Col 1:17 NKJV).

He restores and raises to resurrected life, because He is “the Life.” Jesus said to Martha at the time of Lazarus’ death, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die….” (John 11:25–26). To believe in Christ is to have life all through time and space, because He is the central core of existence. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life…” (John 3:36).

When we make Him the central focus of our life, the target of our pursuit for meaning and significance, then we have discovered that life is no longer a riddle, but a wonderful, fulfilling way to order our lives. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). To live with any other focus is to live a failed life. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” (John 12:25). That’s because Jesus is “the Life,” nothing else can substitute. Paul puts it this way: “For to me, to live is Christ …” (Phil 1:21).

Lord, for me to live is Christ, and to die is to be with Him in glory, thus gain!