Many ways to God?

A friend who grew up in the Christian church has latterly become uncomfortable with foundational Christian teaching. Such teaching, he fears, appears to see God as dividing men and women into two groups – those who trust Jesus as the only way into God’s heavenly dwelling and those who do not believe and so are denied entry. His problem is that it looks to him like relatively few people will be, as it is called, ‘saved’.

What my friend is experiencing is nothing new. When Jesus was ministering on earth, someone seeing the miracles of Jesus and hearing his wise words also started to wonder, ’Lord, are only a few going to be saved?’ Jesus didn’t answer directly but re-focused the question and directed it back to those around.

‘He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to”.’ On a different occasion Jesus said, ‘enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction…’

What is that narrow door or gateway to which Jesus directs us? It’s nothing less than entering through Jesus as though he were a gate. This is how to enter into life with God both now and for always. It’s not so much that the way is narrow to keep people out but to illustrate that the way to God isn’t like a mountain with more than one path leading to the summit; there’s just one path says Jesus.

So, what are we to make of my friend’s view about how many people will make it to ‘Heaven’? I can’t answer that in terms of numbers or percentages but the same Bible where we read about Jesus, also tells us that in God’s heavenly kingdom there will be a ‘great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language…’ This quote is from the last book in the Bible.

Jesus as pioneer

Just over 60 years ago my dad purchased his first car. It was a second-hand Ford V8 Pilot. If you haven’t heard of it, that’s hardly surprising, Ford’s Dagenham plant only produced them between 1947 and 1951. This Pilot was to be our family car from when I was 10 years of age until I was 14. I really liked it having, as it did, a number of special features, one of which was the radio set. I readily associate the car with holidays and the Merseybeat records playing on the radio’s Light Program.

Why was the name Pilot chosen by Ford? I’ve no idea! The word ‘Pilot’ has about a dozen shades of meaning but essentially describes one that steers, guides or paves the way for that which is following – a pioneer if you will.

Many years later, I got a Ford Pilot of my own. The acquisition of that Pilot was exciting. However, when I was 27 years old, I did receive an infinitely more valuable type of ‘Pilot’. This was when I became a Christian – meaning one who trusts in Jesus. He is a unique pilot; a pioneer, as he has gone ahead of us, through death and has risen again to life.

If you believe there is a God, have you ever wondered what he is like? Well, after becoming a Christian, I soon came to understand that he is just like Jesus in character and purpose; in fact Jesus is the human face of God.

Today he is inviting all sorts of people - the well-off and down at heel; those of all shades of colour; the lawbreakers and upright; the religious and non-religious to surrender the steering of their own lives and allow him to be their personal Pilot.

A relatively small number of Ford Pilots do survive but, just like our own physical bodies, they’re going to fail. Jesus is the way ahead for his followers and has promised them that, just as death wasn’t the end of it for him, nor will it be for those who trust in him.

The crux of the message

It is now a month since the coronation of King Charles III but before we file the event in our memory banks marked ‘special occasions 2023’, I’d like to flag one repeated theme in the coronation service. I have in mind the laudable notion of the one in high office serving others rather than being served by them. Jesus was referred to as ‘the one who came, not to be served, but to serve…’

King Charles promised, with God’s help, to rule in a similar fashion. Who can doubt that this is a good and noble thing, something which would benefit us all if politicians and, indeed, all who hold authority aspired to do the same.

When Jesus spoke words about himself not coming to be served but to serve, that was in fact only the beginning of the phrase he used. This is what he actually said, ‘even the Son of Man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

If, as in the coronation service, we simply dwell on the first part of the sentence, then Jesus is just giving us an example of how to live our lives. If we only see Jesus as an ethical teacher who was prepared to live out what he taught, then we will miss the ‘good news (or gospel)’, which he came to bring about. The second half of the sentence says, ‘and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ Jesus primarily served by giving his life over to a violent death through crucifixion.

The idea of Jesus himself being a ransom price, giving his own life in order that God’s righteous judgement might be diverted from me to him, is not a popular notion these days. Nonetheless, this is the crux of the good news Jesus brought to us.

Perhaps you grew up knowing this but modern sensitivities have muddied the waters for you. The popular hymn, ‘How great thou art’ is a good reminder of the Christian message:

‘And when I think that God His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die—I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin’.

That’s how King Jesus served…