Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life—Now and Forever

by Dave Miller

In John 14:6, Jesus makes one of the most profound claims in all of Scripture: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

From my conservative evangelical background, this verse has often been read in light of eternity: Jesus is the way to heaven, the truth to believe for heaven, and the eternal life to come through him. That perspective is gloriously true. But if we stop there, we miss the richness of what Jesus is declaring. His words are not only about the “already” reality of salvation secured through his resurrection—they also speak to the “not yet” reality of living new creation life in the midst of an old creation world.

The Way: Walking the Narrow Path Now

Jesus as “the way” is not only the pathway to our future home with the Father. He is the narrow road that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). Following him means not only eternal security but also a present reality: life abundant in him (John 10:10). The inaugurated kingdom—the reign of God breaking into this age—gives us a foretaste of the restored reality yet to come. In other words, the way is not simply a ticket for the future; it is the daily journey of discipleship, the lived pattern of life shaped by Christ himself.

The Truth: Reality Revealed in Christ

Jesus also says he is “the truth.” In a world of deception, half-truths, and shifting morality, Christ is the correct interpretation of reality itself. He is objective morality embodied, the living Word who reveals the Father (John 1:14, 18). By becoming flesh, Jesus shows us not just what the truth is but who the truth is. He lived it, taught it, and exposed the lies of the world by being the light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5). To follow Jesus is to see the world rightly, to be reoriented toward what is real, good, and holy.

The Life: Experiencing Abundance in Christ

Finally, Jesus declares himself “the life.” Eternal life is not simply a future promise; it is a present experience of knowing Jesus Christ (John 17:3). To walk in his way and embrace his truth is to enter into his life—a life of joy, peace, and communion with God even now, though not yet in full measure. Romans 6 reminds us that being united with Christ means walking in “newness of life.” This new life grows progressively through sanctification, shaping us to become more like him until the day when restoration is complete.

To postpone experiencing life in Christ until heaven would make little sense. If eternal life is knowing him, then we are meant to taste that reality now, even while waiting for the fullness to come.

The “Already and Not Yet” Reality

When Jesus calls himself the way, the truth, and the life, he is not only pointing to the restoration of all things but also inviting us into the ever-growing experience of transformation today. His words anchor us in both eschatological hope and present discipleship.

• The way is our daily path of obedience and surrender.

  
  

• The truth is our reorientation to reality in Christ.

  
  

• The life is our participation in the abundant, Spirit-filled existence of God’s kingdom breaking into the here and now.

As believers, we live in the tension of the “already and not yet.” Christ has already won victory through the resurrection, yet we await the fullness of restoration. But in that tension, his words remind us that we don’t wait passively—we walk the way, we live in the truth, and we taste the life of Jesus even now.