Golden Ticket to Heaven

Text for this Sunday's sermon/discussion at The River:  

John 14:1-7 (NLT)

So... we're allegedly working our way through the New Testament one book per week at a time... but I just can't get past the Gospel of John, my all-time favorite book! That's okay... I got permission from my congregation to wander down spiritual rabbit-trails as the Spirit leads.  :-)

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Question: What does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me"?

I mean, really. Let's think about that.

Does Jesus mean that everyone who utters his name and accepts him as Lord and Savior is heaven bound... no matter what? Is it our golden ticket?

What if that person quickly falls away from his or her faith? What if they never meant it in the first place? What if challenges rob them of their trust in God... or temptations distract them from desire for God? What if they make an emotional decision to follow Jesus (on the way to the Father), but later they change their mind about this whole "religion" thing? What if they proclaim Jesus as Lord, and systematically go to church, and pray, and give... but have no love for people? What if they can't forgive someone who's wounded them deeply? What if a person gets caught up in a system of rules and regulations and loses authentic faith in the midst of legalism? What if they physically show up to church and go through endless amounts of dead liturgy... but the dots from their head to their heart never truly get connected in a meaningful way? What if they love God and serve Him faithfully for many years, but watch their life fall apart piece by piece... and eventually just give up hope?

I ask again, what does Jesus mean by "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me"?

Is Jesus talking about heaven here? Is he talking about the afterlife? Is he informing Church-goers about the price of admission into the secret tent?

Is Jesus giving us a formula for entrance into the Pearly Gates? A magic phrase that gets us "in" while so many others in the world are left "out"? Let me ask it another way: Are we citizens of the Western (a.k.a, "Christian" world) just more blessed than those unfortunate to be born in India, or Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, or any other non-Christian nation? What about those people born into godless homes... whose only understanding of God and Jesus comes from televangelists, or Hollywood movies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby?

"Dear tiny Jesus, with your golden, fleece diapers, 

with your tiny little fat balled up fist ... "

Anyway... Are all those Jesus-ignorant people going to hell? Even Gandhi? Even Bill Gates? Heck, even Will Ferrell? Not professed Christians (that I know of)... but evil? Worthy of eternal punishment? 

By the way, what does hell really look like? 

Hmmmm... now THAT is a good topic for another day!

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy both reportedly found Christ while serving time in prison.  They both committed atrocities against helpless victims, and they both died while behind bars. So, assuming they prayed the sinner's prayer... assuming they saw Jesus as the way and the truth and the life... are they in heaven? Does that seem fair? How in the world is St. Peter going to sort it all out when we're standing there to see if we "get in"?

So... is it what we say that gets us in? Or is it what we do? Or is it what we believe? Or is it where we were born? Or is it how much we give up? Or is it how much we love others? Or... are we all just subject to God's whims and predetermined plans? Are we merely cosmic playthings to a bored and/or callous and ultimately uncaring creator? Are we pawns in a otherworldly chess match? Does it even matter what we say or do or believe or choose or trust?

Is it even wise or reverent to ask these kinds of questions? Will he get mad?

What the heck are we supposed to do in response to Jesus' words?

What does he want from us anyway?

Believe it or not... I do have an opinion on the subject. An informed one? Yes. A thoughtful one? I believe so. But a safe one? Uh... no, not on your life. I'm not here to provide easy, pithy answers. I'm here to stimulate deeper thought and discussion about the profound love of God through Jesus Christ... as beautifully yet mysteriously revealed in the Word.

Let's discuss it on Sunday morning together, okay? Read John 13-16 to get some good context. And meanwhile, feel free to post your comments online regarding the Golden Ticket issue. I love a good debate.  :-)