The Way, Not the Endpoint

Jesus never asked to be the destination of faith, but the way toward the Father, the family, and the coming Kingdom.

When Devotion Stops Too Soon

Within Christianity, few instincts feel more natural—or more faithful—than the desire to keep Christ at the center. Sermons emphasize Him. Songs celebrate Him. Beliefs and practices are often justified with a simple refrain: this focuses on Christ. For many believers, that instinct feels not only right, but necessary.

And yet, when we slow down and listen carefully to Jesus Himself, an uncomfortable question begins to surface:

What if Jesus never intended to be the destination—but the way forward?

This question is not meant to diminish Christ. It arises precisely because of how seriously His own words are taken. If devotion is sincere but direction is misunderstood, the result may not be rebellion—but incompletion.

Jesus’ Own Description of His Mission

One of the most striking features of Jesus’ ministry is how rarely He speaks about Himself apart from the Father. Over and over, His language is directional:

• He is sent by the Father.
• He speaks what the Father gives Him.
• He does the works the Father shows Him.

“The Son can do nothing of Himself,” Jesus says, “but what He sees the Father do” (John 5:19). Again, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (John 7:16). And again, “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30).

Rather than drawing attention to Himself, Jesus consistently redirects it. Even statements that sound Christ-centered at first glance—“I am the way, the truth, and the life”—are followed immediately by their purpose: “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Jesus does not present Himself as the terminus of faith, but as its passage.

This is perhaps stated most clearly in His prayer the night before His crucifixion: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is not framed as knowing Christ instead of the Father, but knowing the Father through the One He sent.

The Revealer, Not the Replacement

Much confusion arises from a failure to distinguish between representation and replacement.

When Jesus says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), He is not speaking of physical appearance or visual likeness. Jesus is instead describing a perfect alignment of life, will, character, and purpose.

To see Jesus is to see how the Father thinks, chooses, loves, judges, shows mercy, and exercises authority. His decisions, priorities, compassion, and obedience form a living revelation of the Father’s nature. As Jesus had already explained, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10).

John’s prologue reinforces this idea: “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son… has made Him known” (John 1:18). What is revealed is not God’s appearance, but His character and intent.

It is as though Jesus was anticipating the human tendency to focus on what can be seen and touched. Again and again, He redirects His followers to look deeper—to discern not merely what stands before them, but the will, character, and purpose being expressed through it.

Jesus does not obscure the Father—He unveils Him. To stop at Christ without arriving at the Father is not Christ‑exalting; it actually misrepresents the Gospel itself.

When “Everything Points to Christ” Becomes Too Narrow

It is true that much of Scripture points to Christ. The law, the prophets, and the promises converge in Him. But Scripture never says that everything exists only to point to Christ in isolation from the Father’s plan.

When “Christ-centered” becomes the sole test of meaning, something subtle happens. Larger biblical themes begin to shrink:

• The Kingdom becomes symbolic rather than future and real.
• Salvation becomes a moment rather than a process of restoration.
• Obedience becomes suspect, as though purpose itself competes with grace.
• Family language becomes metaphorical rather than foundational.

The result is not deeper Christology, but narrower theology.

Jesus did not come merely to be pointed at. He came announcing a Kingdom, revealing a Father, and calling people into a family. When Christ is isolated from that trajectory, He is reduced to a symbol rather than honored as a Son carrying out His Father’s will.

Prayer Reveals the Intended Order

Few practices expose our underlying theology more clearly than prayer.

Jesus did not teach His disciples to pray to Him. He taught them to pray, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9). Later, He clarified that requests would be made to the Father in His name: “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23).

Paul echoes this pattern: “Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).

This structure preserves everything Scripture insists upon:

• The Father remains the relational center.
• The Son remains the mediator.
• Access is restored, not redirected.

Prayer was never meant to stop at Christ. It was meant to pass through Him.

The Missing Horizon: The Kingdom of God

Jesus’ primary message during His earthly ministry was not about Himself, but about the Kingdom of God. This was and still is the Gospel message. He announced it, described it, compared it, and prepared people for it. After His resurrection, He continued speaking to His disciples “of things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

Christ’s role within that Kingdom is essential:

• He is its appointed King.
• He is the firstborn among many brothers.
• He qualifies heirs through reconciliation.

Yet even here, Scripture maintains direction. Paul writes that Christ will ultimately deliver the Kingdom to the Father, “that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:24–28).

The Kingdom does not end with Christ’s authority—it culminates in the Father’s dwelling with a restored family.

Following His Example: When Imitation Is Lost

Jesus did not merely call people to believe in Him; He called them to follow Him. His life was not presented as an object of admiration alone, but as a pattern to be learned and lived. Again and again, He spoke of doing the Father’s will—and then modeled what that obedience looked like in real time.

The call, then, is not simply to feel devotion toward Christ, but to do likewise: to learn how to live in alignment with the Father’s will, just as the Son did. When that emphasis fades, something subtle but significant is lost.

Over time, misdirected focus can reshape faith. Emotional attachment replaces obedience. Images replace instruction. Admiration replaces imitation. What began as sincere reverence slowly changes form, and the example Christ set is no longer followed as closely as it is celebrated.

Scripture warns not only against false gods, but against misplaced devotion—honoring what is good while neglecting what it was always meant to lead us toward. This is not a charge against loving Christ. It is a reminder to love Him as He Himself defined love: by keeping His commandments and walking as He walked.

Jesus never defended His own image. He defended the Father’s name.

Christ’s Present Glory and the Path Ahead

None of this diminishes Christ’s role—past, present, or future.

He is our mediator, our High Priest, the head of the body, and the coming King. He sits at the Father’s right hand now, intercedes on behalf of His people, and will rule openly in the age to come. Scripture gives Him honor, authority, and glory without hesitation.

But His glory is never detached from the Father’s purpose. It is found within it. Christ reigns not as an end in Himself, but as the faithful Son carrying the Father’s plan forward.

Order does not threaten Christ’s greatness; it reveals it.

Following Christ Where He Was Going

Jesus did not ask to be admired in isolation. He asked to be followed.

And where He walked is clear: toward the Father, into the family of God, and toward the coming Kingdom. To stop at Christ is not rejection—it is simply not the full journey.

To honor the Son rightly is to continue where He leads—to the Father He revealed, the will He obeyed, and the Kingdom He proclaimed.