No other way

How many ways are there to heaven? Is it like the proverbial Rome to which every road leads? Is it that there are as many ways to heaven as there are people; each taking his or her own route but all getting there in the end?

Deep down in the heart of nearly every human is the desire for there to be ‘something more’ to life than this. It’s the desire that we might go to a better place when we die. Perhaps it’s a place where we get to meet our deceased relatives once again.

But everybody knows that people don’t just get to this place automatically. After all, Hitler and Pol Pot can’t be there can they? Most people believe that you have to be good in some way to get there. It’s a bit like the ruler of Heaven is like Santa with a ‘naughty’ and ‘nice’ list. You have to do good things to get onto the ‘nice’ list, so that you can get into heaven. The question is: what things do we have to do? Everybody has a different set of answers.

The situation was much the same 2000 years ago when Jesus of Nazareth walked on earth. The Romans had their gods and ways of getting to heaven, the Greeks had their gods and ways of getting to heaven, so did the Egyptians and every other people group. And that’s why Jesus Christ is so controversial. You see, he stood up and said this, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me.” (John 14:6).

Many religions and world-views would like to say that there are lots of ways to God. Many people would even like to say that all religions are the same. In contrast to this Jesus tells us that he is the only way to God.

That leaves us with only three options, when we look at Jesus, as to who he was. Either he was a liar or he was a lunatic or he was really right: the only way to God and heaven.

Who do you say he is?