One question that some people struggle with is: “Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?” Both the answer and its proof are of eternal consequence.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Often, the reason people ask about Jesus being the only way to Heaven is they are hoping that He isn’t. If there are options, there is no need to think about the implications of Jesus being the only way.
What people are most likely hoping to find out is that they’re ok, they are going to Heaven, that there is nothing to worry about.
They either trust that God’s love overrides His justice (where in fact it validates His justice), or sometimes they claim some vague arrangement with the “man upstairs”. Or they just cross their fingers and hope for the best because they see how evil the world can be and think they’re pretty good.
Implicit in asking whether or not Jesus is the only way to Heaven is the idea that there must be something unique about Jesus Christ in the first place. So if Jesus had something to say on the subject, we should be interested.
What Did Jesus Say About Going to Heaven?
Jesus clearly made the claim that He is the only way to heaven.
There is no ambiguity in today’s passage. It can be hard for believers to comprehend how offensive this is to a person who doesn’t believe this (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
Jesus said He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. Jesus does not claim to be a way to Heaven; He says He is the only way.
If you are someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, this is unlikely to be news to you. Or is it?
Barna research conducted a poll in 2015 that showed among self-identifying Christians, roughly 2/3rds stated they were going to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and accepted Christ as savior.
The Barna poll identified 5 other answers given among the roughly 1/3rd of remaining respondents. These answers ranged from doing good things, to God allowing all into Heaven, to a few admitting they didn’t know the answer at all.
And let’s be careful not to judge by saying “well, those people aren’t really Christians.” If that’s the case, why do they see themselves as Christians? Is it their fault the Church is failing to properly teach its own people?
It is the Body of Christ’s responsibility to instruct each other “with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16).
The further implication is, if today’s Church doesn’t have the answer to this question understood, is it any wonder the broader culture feels comfortable ignoring it?
When we look to the Bible we see Jesus claimed to be the only way to Heaven. But why is it important to take His claims seriously? After all, anyone can make a statement.
How Did Jesus Support His Claims?
We see clearly in the Gospel record that Jesus Christ claimed to be more than a human being. He claimed to be God (John 10:30-33).
Jesus, the Son of God was sent from God the Father with a purpose; to invite us to accept the good news that eternal life is available to those who trust Him (John 17:1-4).
Jesus proved He was who He said he was by His resurrection (Romans 1:2-4). It is for this reason that many have tried to discredit the historicity of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is central to Jesus’ claims of being God and central to His being the only way to Heaven.
Since Jesus made all these claims and proved His authority to back them up, what we do with that knowledge impacts whether or not we are going to Heaven.
Are You Going to Heaven?
If you found this article because you are asking this question for yourself, please understand what we are saying.
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross provided the means through which we can receive forgiveness for our sins – by repenting and believing in Him (Romans 3:23-26). This is how you can really know you will spend eternal life in Heaven with Jesus Christ.
You can learn more about accepting Christ and following him by reading through our Foundations series. These 5 articles will introduce you more to Jesus Christ, salvation, and following Him. It works best if you read them in order.
Or, you may be reading this as someone who has been following Christ and are surprised by Jesus being the only way to Heaven.
If so, please diligently seek out a trusted spiritual advisor who can help you explore this even further. This is an important topic for you to understand correctly. Then you too can become confident in the true hope of His salvation (Ephesians 1:18).
More Bible verses about going to Heaven:
John 3:36; John 5:24; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 10:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 5:7-9; 1 John 5:20
