Spring is my favorite time of the year!

It is awesome to see the daffodils opening and trees budding. As new life emerges it is refreshing, inspiring and renewing. It also reminds me of the new life that God offers us.

As we approach Good Friday and Easter, we must examine an audacious claim Jesus made to His disciples before He fulfilled God’s plan to die on the cross for the sins of humanity.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). There are many people who are confused about the way to God and Heaven. Jesus makes it plain and simple. As God, He provides the only way. There are no exceptions. There are not many ways to God, only one — believing in Him as the Son of God and Savior of the world. If there were other ways to God and Heaven, then His death on the cross was not necessary. It would have been a terrible waste! Jesus doesn’t even allow for any other ways, because this is God’s divine plan.

Jesus had to die to pay the sacrifice for our sin so that all who believe in Him would be forgiven and enter into a relationship with God. The way to Heaven is not about the good deeds people do, but about having faith in a good God and His divine deed of dying for our sins so we can be forgiven.

This is refreshing, inspiring and renewing! We can have a new spiritual life now and for eternity because of what Jesus accomplished. He loves each person and calls us to follow Him by faith. Jesus alone secures our eternal Home in Heaven!

Dr. Pete Battjes is the lead pastor at Lighthouse Christian Church in Warrenton.