The Way and Yehoshua in Scripture

Yehoshua Hamashiach said,

“I am The Way, and The Truth, and The Life.”

This grand statement comes as a result of his students requesting of him to, “Show us The Way.” Yehoshua’s claim directly equates him with the things that Scripture attributes to The Way. As we learn what Scripture says about either, we can apply these things to both. In this article, we will examine various elements of The Way and see how they correspond to Yehoshua Hamashiach, in order to better understand him and to know what our Father in heaven expects us to resemble if we truly choose to walk as he walked.

Truth

“Teach me Your Way, O YHWH; Let me walk in Your Truth.”

Truth stands on its own merit and contains no falsehood. No honest analysis can disprove it. Yehoshua tells Pilate,

“Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice.”

This shows that YHWH provided a person in whom He could manifest The Way of Truth.

Life

“The gate is narrow and The Way is hard-pressed which leads to Life.”

True Life has within itself all the abundance of pleasant things and relationships with others in The Way. As The Way leads to Life, so does Yehoshua himself, as he says,

“I have come that they might possess Life, and that they might possess it beyond measure.”

We can see that both lead to Life.

Set-Apartness

“And there shall be a highway and a Way, and it shall be called ‘The Set-apart Way.’ The unclean does not pass over it, but it is for those who walk in The Way, and no fools wander on it.”

The Way exists distinctly and separate from every other way, and those who walk in it strive to hold themselves pure from everything which defiles. Yehoshua enjoys the distinction of existing as the only begotten of the Father. As such, nothing in him can be common, as he claims,

“Set them apart by your Truth.” Thus, if we walk in The Way, we are set-apart for His purposes.

Perfection

“The El – His Way is perfect; The Word of YHWH is proven.”

Perfection, in Hebrew, tamim, means some person or thing has everything required to fulfill its function. It contains no blemishes or any malformation that would disqualify it from its purpose. Yehoshua prays,

“I have esteemed You on earth, having accomplished the work You have given me that I should do.”

Had he lacked any quality or authority, he would have failed in The Way. He instructs us too that we should be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, thus laying upon us the duty to learn of him and to walk in The Way, even as he walked.

Righteousness

“Great and marvelous are Your works, YHWH El Shaddai! Righteous and true are Your Ways, O King of the set-apart ones.”

Righteousness always guards the commandments, statutes, and judgments of YHWH. Walking in The Way requires nothing less. Yehoshua proved his righteousness in that he was tempted in all things as we are; yet he did not sin. Scripture tells us that he learned obedience through the things that he suffered. This also applies to us. To learn obedience in The Way, we must do what YHWH commands; walking in righteousness without regard to the hardships this causes us.

Peace

“And you, child,”

Zecharyah says of his son, Yochanan,

“shall be called prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the face of YHWH to prepare His Ways,…to guide our feet in The Way of Peace.”

Peace provides a soundness of mind and body, and lacks any strife internally or externally. Yehoshua says,

“Peace I leave with you – my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

We can find The Way of Peace in Sha’ul’s words,

“Do not worry at all, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohym. And the Peace of Elohym, which surpasses all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds through Hamashiach Yehoshua.”

Knowledge

“And now, please if I have found favor in your eyes, please show me Your Way, and let me know You.”

Knowledge of YHWH implies such a deep and complete intimacy with the Creator that any tiny bit of separation from Him would seem like a great gulf. Even as The Way reveals the Father, so does Yehoshua, as he says,

“If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”

He also prays,

“O righteous Father, indeed the world did not know You, but I know You, and these knew that You sent me. And I have made Your Name known to them and shall make it known, so that the love with which you loved me might be in them and I in them.”

We can imagine no deeper knowledge of YHWH than through The Way, which Yehoshua proclaims in this passage.

Understanding

“Leave the simple ones and live, and walk in The Way of Understanding.”

Understanding hears and comprehends the revelations and instructions of YHWH. It is written that those who stray from The Way of Understanding rest in the assembly of the dead, but Yehoshua will provide life and understanding to those who will accept it and follow after him. He says to his talmidym,

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the reign of Elohym, but to the rest in parables, because, ‘Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand.’”

This prophecy of Yeshayahu means that while YHWH desires to give understanding to all, some still refuse The Way which has been made manifest in Yehoshua. However, those who follow The Way can expect revelation of understanding from Him that leads them further along that path which YHWH has given for His people to walk in.

Wisdom

“YHWH possessed me, the beginning of His Way, as the first of His works of old.”

Wisdom is a synthesis of great knowledge and understanding. It discerns unspoken details and empowers one to make decisions which bring about the most effective outcome. YHWH says,

“I have taught you in The Way of Wisdom, I have led you in straight paths.”

Yehoshua knows and understands the thoughts of men and so instructs his students to

“be wise as serpents and harmless as doves,”

because he sends us out as sheep among wolves. Following Wisdom gives us discernment to see deeply and to recognize more than what appears on the surface of things, so that we are able to walk straightly in The Way without turning to the right or the left.

Oneness

“And I shall give them one heart and one Way, to fear Me all their days for the well-being of them and their children after them.”

One is unique, having no other beside it or like it. Yehoshua recites the greatest commandment when he says,

“Hear, O Yisrael, YHWH is our Elohym, YHWH is One.”

This confirms the singularity of the Creator. Yehoshua also claims,

“No one comes to the Father except through me,”

showing that he is The Way – the one and only Way.

We have looked at The Way of Truth, Life, Set-Apartness, Perfection, Righteousness, Peace, Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom, and Oneness, and have seen comparisons of them with Yehoshua Hamashiach. We can conclude from this comparison that the two have the same attributes and are equal – they are one and the same. Seeing one, we see the other. So then, let us take his yoke upon us and learn from him, for he is meek and lowly of heart, and he will give us rest for our souls – as we walk together in The Way.