Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Here our Lord teaches that He is not merely the way to our Father's home in heaven, but that there is no other way, and that any person must either go to heaven by His atonement or not go there at all. It is a clear distinct limitation of heaven to those who believe on Christ. None else will enter in there. Rejecting Christ they lose all.

We should mark carefully what an unanswerable argument this sentence supplies against the modern notion that it does not matter what a person believes,—that all religions will lead a person to heaven if they are sincere,—that creeds and doctrines are of no importance,—that heaven is a place for all people—whether atheist, spiritual, or Christian,—and that the Fatherhood of God is enough to save all at last, of all sects, kinds, and characters! Our Lord's words should never be forgotten. "There is no way to the Father but by Me." God is a Father to none but to those who believe in Christ. In short, there are not many ways to heaven. There is only one way.

"Coming to the Father," in this place, we must remark, includes not only coming to Him in glory at the last, but coming to Him in a friendly relation for peace and comfort now in this life. "By Me," is literally, "through" Me,—as a door a gate, a road, a path, an entrance. It is an expression which would be peculiarly expressive to the Jews, taught from childhood to draw near to God only through the priests.

J.C. Ryle