Is Jesus the only way?

(Thoughts concerning the book by Katherine McGlaughlin, Confronting Christianity.)

A common indictment of Christianity is that it is intolerant because it claims that Jesus is the only way to God and heaven. But in reality, such a claim, if true, is both comforting and freeing. It is totally inclusive, with the only thing that is not included is doubt and uncertainty.

When I was an adolescent I began to think about all of the different denominations and even other religions. “How do I know which one is right?” was my first thought. “And since I am in a Christian environment, is it the right one? What if we, our family, chose the wrong one, only because of where we live?” 

I knew almost instinctively that they could not all be “right.” Even a 9 to 10 year-old could figure that out. Many of them contradicted each other with divergent and conflicting claims. Since they could not all be right, how could anyone know, short of dying, which one was the One that God intended for us to follow?

And, you know, there was an answer. It was almost intuitive. Did God tell us what was right? Then it only made sense that if there were any way to God, He would have told someone. And how would we know that it was Him?

And, again, the answer was there, and revealed. There is only one book that claims to come from God. There are some counterfeits, but it it pretty elementary to discern the frauds. One of the first things that occurred to me was that the Book would have to be without error. Second, it would have to have some way of verifying its claims. I did not have the internet to help answer that, but, in a way, that was a blessing. There are a lot of bogus claims on the internet. As Abraham Lincoln said, “You can’t trust everything you read on the internet.”

I was able to narrow my search field by default. I had the Bible, which claims to be God’s Word, so I began with that. If I discovered that it met the criteria of being without error and verifiable, I did not need to go further than comparing the truth claims of each alternative with it.

First, the Bible claims to be without error. This has been verified by archeology in matching literal maps with the descriptions in the Bible. Few other claimants even offer geographical reference points. Another point of verification is the identification of actual people and things that they did. History books, like geography texts, contain this information, so cross-referencing them with the Bible will lead us to the conclusion that the Bible is accurate.

The internal consistency of the Bible is a powerful and compelling argument for both of our criteria. There are no errors or contradictions, and it is verifiable from outside sources. Later, I discovered some study by other experts that buttressed my own study. I like this summation.

Using the acronym, RAMP, we find definitive proof of the reliability of the Scripture. (Another name for the Bible, as is Word of God.) R stands for resurrection. The key event in the Bible and indeed, all of history, is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible unequivocally declares that Jesus was crucified, was buried, and rose again on the third day. There are extra biblical sources that also confirm this. In addition, the changed characters of the witnesses to this remarkable event attest that something real happened. And it was supernatural. More on that as we progress.

A is for archeology. I noted earlier that the Bible details places and events in the past. Archeology, beginning in the mid to late 19th century and continuing until the present, has confirmed accounts and locations from the Bible. In nearly 150 years of excavation and research, nothing listed in the Bible has been falsified.

M stands for miracles. Again, the Bible relates numerous miracles. And they are supernatural, not quirks of nature. They are sprinkled throughout the Old Testament and they explode in number in the first five books of the New Testament. None of these miracles have been denied by exterior evidence. Conversely, there are external accounts of miracles, as can be shown about the Resurrection. Miracles alone do not provide conclusive testimony to the veracity of the Bible, but coupled with the other three points, they complete a ramp that leads to heaven.

Finally, P stands for prophecy. Again we find specific prophecies about near future events that were verified. There were also longer term prophecies that were fulfilled hundreds and even thousands of years after the fact. And, as a cherry on top of a Steak N Shake treat, there are prophecies about the future that have not yet been fulfilled. But we can be sure that they will be. 

One very prominent prophecy is about Israel. God predicted, rather declared, that this nation would be settled in the land promised to Abraham, over four millennia ago. The nation would  be expelled from that land, returned home, then ejected again, followed by another repatriation. We witnessed the second “return” to the land in 1948 when the Nation of Israel was established for the third time. (Joshua led the first installation. The nation was captured and removed to captivity by the Babylonians. The second return occurred 70 years later, again prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah. Then the Romans banished most of them from the land in, and following, AD 70 when the City and Temple were destroyed. (Again, predicted and completed.)

The third return, in 1948, followed the Holocaust instigated by Adolph Shickelgruber, also known as Hitler. The nation was reinstated into the roll of nations even to the point of recapturing its historical capital, the City of Jerusalem.

RAMP provides irrefutable evidence of the Bible’s accuracy. (I didn’t say “indisputable” because someone will even dispute that the sun came up this morning. We cannot rule out totally imbecilic arguments, but neither do we need to expend intellectual energy contesting them.) Did I say that only an imbecile would dispute the veracity of the Bible? No, the argument speaks for and defines itself.

Back to our point. Is Jesus the only way, and is that exclusionary? He claimed to be the only way. (“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6) And we can rely on that since He was the only leader ever to die and come back to life.  But is it exclusionary, not inclusive? 

If you want a map that shows every highway in the country, that is one approach to navigation, but if you want to get to a certain destination, you need a specific route map. “But, aren’t there a lot of ways, however circuitous, to go from point A to B?” But if the process of following the “alternative routes” leads to an absolute stop for some reason, then the number of options is reduced. In the case at hand, the “other routes” all, yes, all, have an absolute stop somewhere.

Remember the contradictions between beliefs we discussed earlier? Somewhere along the “wrong road,” a road block or dead end arises, and the destination is unreachable. The consequences are eternal damnation, and separation from the Father. This is just what Jesus declared. He not only knew the way, He was the Way.

“How exclusive. How restrictive and imprisoning.” Haven’t you heard the accusation? As to exclusive, the question is “Where do you want to go?” Just try dialing a phone number and only being one digit off. That should be close enough for the super smart phone company to determine who you want to call and complete the connection. Just try it.

“But that’s different!” Right, Missing a calling connection is not nearly as significant as missing out on heaven for all of eternity. Get it right.

How about restrictive and imprisoning? If you know the way to go to your destination do you feel restricted as you motor down the interstate? Rather, the feeling is like the one I experienced all those years ago when I was convinced that the Bible was, and still is, true, This is the Way. I was exhilarated, joyful, and relaxed. I was free! I knew, without a doubt that I was on the right way.

How about exclusive? To make it simple, listen to Jesus. “Whosoever will, may come.” How many are included in “whosoever?” Everybody. No one is excluded.

The fact that there is only one way is invigorating and totally inclusive. Why not believe?