John 14:6 Has Nothing to do With Salvation? (A Response to Brandan Robertson)
“So, you do realize that John 14:6 has nothing to do with Hell, right? Look at John 14 – read
the passage in its context. Hell’s not mentioned once. Jesus is simply telling
His disciples that He’s about to go be with the Father, and He promises that if they follow Him,
they can come be with the Father too. And they say, 'How do we get to the Father?’ And He says,
‘I am the way to the Father. I am the truth to the Father. I am the life that leads you to the
Father. No man comes to the Father except through My way, My truth and My life.’ John 14:6 is an
invitation for us to know God by following the way of Jesus – by loving our neighbor; by loving God;
by seeking to live out the commands of Jesus in the world. That’s how we know God. That’s
how we come to the Father. But that’s not about Heaven or Hell; they’re not even mentioned once
in John 14. Also…notice how Jesus doesn’t say you have to believe anything to get to the Father.”
The context of John 14 flows from that of the preceding chapter – John 13. In John 13,
Jesus sits down for the last supper with His disciples. This is the setting where
Jesus disrobes and washes the disciples’ feet before predicting His betrayal in verse 21.
At this point, the disciples are unaware of Judas’ intentions to betray Jesus, so in astonishment,
they begin to question who might be the one to do this. After Judas is dismissed from the meal,
Jesus recognizes the grief & anxiety the disciples have over the thought of Jesus no longer being
with them. As a result, He seeks to comfort them with the knowledge of how God will be glorified
in His coming sacrifice – and how God will reciprocate that glory back to Christ. He finishes
by saying that, “Where I am going, you cannot come,” in verse 33, before giving the commandment
to love each other as He has loved them, so that others would know that they are His disciples.
Peter responds to Jesus by asking where He is going. Jesus says again that Peter can’t follow
Him now, but he can later – an allusion to Peter laying down his life as a witness of Christ. This
would occur later in Peter’s life when he would be crucified upside down under emperor Nero.
This is important for understanding the context of John 14 – the setting of where Jesus is going
and where Peter, as well as the rest of Jesus’ followers will go, is after death.
At this point though, Jesus tells Peter that he is not ready to die just yet.
Peter would be one of great evangelists of the Jewish people (Galatians 2:7-8) as
well as one of the authors of what would become the New Testament.
God’s purpose for Peter’s life was not yet fulfilled, so it was not for him to die at
the same time as Jesus. Jesus demonstrates this to Peter by giving the prophecy of how he will
deny Him three times that night (which would be fulfilled in chapter 18, verses 25-27).
This exchange leads in to John 14. The first verse is Jesus comforting Peter – “do not let your heart
be troubled…” The substance that Jesus offers as to why Peter shouldn’t be worried is because, in
His coming sacrifice, Jesus is preparing a place for him in the Father’s house. This is a parallel
to what the author of Hebrews would write in chapter 9 – that Christ has entered into Heaven to
appear in the presence of God for those who follow Him (v. 11-12; 24-25). Here is the second point to
emphasize – in this setting (after death) is the Father’s house; the place where Jesus is going
and the place where His followers will be received as well upon their deaths.
Thomas then asks Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” It
is to this question that Jesus famously responds, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me,” in verse 6. In other words, Jesus is saying that
He is the only way to be received into the Father’s dwelling place after one’s death.
Returning to Reverend Robertson’s position, he is correct in saying that Heaven or Hell are
not overtly stated in this portion of scripture. However, the implied setting of where the Father
is, where Jesus is going and where His followers will also go is after death. So, what does the
Bible say about what happens to people after death? Hebrews 9:27 tells us that, “it is destined
for men to die once, then comes judgment…” Thus, anything to do in the context of after death
is implicit to an individual’s residence in either Heaven (with the Father) or in Hell
(apart from the Father). To follow Christ assures one of their eternal residence with the Father.
To reject Christ assures one of their eternal judgment apart from the Father.
It is worth remembering that Jesus has already made mention of this
in the preceding chapters of John’s gospel. In chapter 6 (a portion of
scripture with a heavy emphasis on how people are saved), Jesus says in verse 51:
“I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live
forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (John 6:51)
In John 10:9, Jesus says:
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me,
he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)
In John 11:25-26, Jesus says to Martha regarding the death of Lazarus:
“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)
John 14:6 is another statement from Christ in these affirmations about the way of salvation
being found in Him. He adds in this verse, though, a point of exclusivity – “no one comes
to the Father but through Me.” This would be the understanding echoed in the early Church – “…there
is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by
which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Buddha does not lead to the Father. Krishna does not lead to
the Father. Muhammad does not lead to the Father. Joseph Smith does not lead to the Father. The
Watchtower does not lead to the Father. The Papacy does not lead to the Father. Paganism does not
lead to the Father. New Age does not lead to the Father. Philosophy does not lead to the Father.
Only Jesus leads to the Father. Only by following Jesus can an individual be saved.
Reverend Robertson, as I have said before, if you are sincerely mistaken or confused
about what the Bible teaches, there are plenty of good people & resources that can help you. But,
if you are deliberately twisting the teachings of God’s word, you are putting the salvation of
yourself and those under your influence at risk. Please, repent for these errors of teaching.