Jesus: The Only Way to God?

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me," Jesus said (John 14:6). Every Christian loves this scripture, many have it memorized. It seems obvious to Christians: Jesus died for our sins, therefore we must praise Him, accept His sacrifice into our own lives. When we devote our lives to Him, we are saved.

This is an important aspect in the Christian way of life. There is a lot of rejoicing when someone turns away from damaging sins, alcoholism, abuse, etc., and turns their life to Christ. They become "born again," a new person, a better person as they leave their old, mal-adjusted self dead and buried. They devote their life to the service of others, and (hopefully) make the world a better place.

But what about all those who devote their lives to the service of others, who love fully, who live what amounts to be a Christian life, without devoting their hearts to Jesus? Are they condemned to end up in Hell when this life is over?

I don't think so.

I think there is so much more going on.

Remember what Jesus said when the Roman (not Christian) soldiers nailed him to the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

He forgave these men who not only were causing him pain, but who had been making fun of him not long before. Did he forgive these men, only to condemn your Buddhist neighbor? He forgave the woman taken in adultery, does he condemn you? At what point did he say, "Worship me now or you will spend eternity in Hell"?

Now, that's not to say I thinks it's good to go around doing whatever you want and expect Jesus or anyone else to accept you; he doesn't save people in their sins, he saves them from their sins. It's never good to go around doing whatever hurtful thing you can get away with, no matter your religion or lack thereof. Negative behavior (sin) will bring negative outcomes, and those who willfully engage in negative behavior choose negative consequences for their lives and for the world.

But what does he mean, then, when he says he is the only way to God?

I think first we must establish what he actually did for us. He died for our sins. What does that even mean? Billions of people have died for others. Many thousands died on crosses. What made his situation different?

Isaiah, speaking Messianically, gives us a clue: (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes, we are healed.

Wait. It said Jesus "bore our griefs" and "carried our sorrows." That is much more than just suffering the punishment of our sins so we don't have to go to Hell.

Luke tells us how much he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane: (Luke 22:44)

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Alma the Younger goes into a little more detail in his preaching to the people of Zarahemla: (Alma 7:11-13)

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Notice, this is far more than just him suffering the pains of Hell for us because we make mistakes. It says, "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind."

So, let's say a person got beat up every day as a kid by a drunken father. Yes, he experienced that.

He also experienced the abuse the drunken father suffered as he grew up, so Jesus knows perfectly well the abuser's point of view. Maybe the abuser didn't know another way to deal with his anger. Maybe his own father taught him the language of anger and hate. Jesus knows how to help and heal the person according to their individual situation.

Jesus took upon himself all our infirmities that his bowels, the very core of his being, could be filled with mercy: Maybe that drunken father was himself a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome because his mother took to drinking to deal with her own demons. FAS tends to cause mental slowness and impulse control issues. Could this drunken father have made better decisions in his life, based on what he suffered growing up? Maybe... but unless we have experienced exactly what he did, we can't make that judgement.

Jesus can, because through his "at one ment," he made himself at one with every one of us.

"Now, the Spirit knoweth all things, nevertheless..." God, being omniscient, knows all things. But knowing all things is a bit different from experiencing all things.

Just imagine a person studies everything about the piano: all music theory, finger positions, information on the lives of the great composers. He has listened to every piece of piano music ever played.

Imagine that this piano lover has never touched a piano.

Could you say he truly understood the piano?

So, Jesus knew everything intellectually before he suffered for us. He created everything. But until he became clothed in a "tabernacle of flesh," in other words, until he got a body of his own and experienced everything through the atonement, he could not be a totally fair judge.

As King Benjamin says in his final speech about the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Lord: (Mosiah 3:10)

...and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.

Jesus is called the Great Mediator for a reason. Since he experienced all our individual stubbed toes and PTSDs, our abuse, our health problems, our emotional problems and individual anxieties, he can speak for us during the Final Judgement, the one that determines if we get to live with God the Father for the rest of Eternity.

When he says he's the only way to God, he means he's the only one who could fairly judge us, or give us the emotional healing required to make us whole and ready to enter the Father's presence.

His attitude has never been, "Love me or go to Hell."
It has always been, "Come unto me, you that labor or are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

He hung out with the downtrodden, those who were considered sinners, because those were the individuals he could heal. He wants us to be whole, happy, and loved. Some day "every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ," the Savior. But for each individual, it will be in their own time.

He becomes more like a dear friend who has helped you out of a horrible situation when you asked for it, than a stern boss who has the power to fire you on a whim because you pissed him off.

Christians have an obligation to let their neighbors be themselves. Without judgement. Without condemnation. Human beings have an obligation to love, never judge.

We are happier when we love, anyway, so why would we ever have an attitude of condemnation, which just makes us feel miserable?

Someday each individual will come to realize that, even when they didn't have the heart to believe in him, he suffered with them anyway, and is reaching his hand out to help when they are ready to receive it. And if they still don't feel a desire to serve Jesus? Then they will get as far in the Spirit World as their own gumption can get them.

So, this brings up a final question: What is Hell? Is it a place for God to toss all the worthless people who didn't bother to believe in Him? A lake of fire to send the wicked murderers and adulterers so they can be forgotten? A place for "righteous" people to be afraid of, and then feel superior toward those they consider to be sinners?

I do not believe that a loving, just God would want any of His children to suffer like this; however, a merciful God would not want anyone to continue on forever with their murderous, selfish attitudes, either.

I believe Hell is a place for individuals to view the consequences of their guilt. Murderers will view with clarity how taking a loved one caused a family to collapse. Selfish people will view a life of emptiness, and perhaps the life they could have had, if they'd been willing to share their hearts. You ruin a life with false accusations? You will feel acutely and see clearly the weeping hearts of children. Some abuse or loss can last for generations. This will all be clear to those who cause harm.

On the other hand, most people who do damaging things only do them because that's what they were taught to do. Even Hitler was abused by his drunken Jewish grandfather. Should people rot in Hell forever because they just don't get it, for whatever reason? Or can these mal-adjusted people be taught to love?

Death is not the end. There is a space between death and resurrection. We will still be ourselves, still able to learn and grow, only without the physical limitations our sick and dying bodies impose. A place for these mal-adjusted people to get the treatment they need, in a way they can understand it, when they are ready to receive it. Hell is not intended as a "forever" sort of place.

This is possible because Jesus took everything upon himself, and can mediate for each of us individually. When we get to heaven (and I do mean all of us) it will be because Jesus knows us so well and can help us get over whatever ails our souls.