Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6 - ESV)

The most important doctrine any of us will ever hear this side of heaven is that Jesus Christ is THE way to God. He declared these words as absolute truth, meaning that He is the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, the ONLY life and that no person can reach or hope to have any relationship with God unless he/she ONLY does so through Jesus.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16 - KJV)

Jesus is the “Son” spoken of in this verse. If we do not believe in Him, we will perish. The word “perish” in John 3:16 isn’t eluding to the physical death that human beings suffer. To perish in the context of John 3:16 means to suffer a second death after we die. When we physically die, we appear before the Lord for judgment. We will either we welcomed into eternity with God or sent to everlasting torment separated from Him. The gospel of Matthew shows us a very important truth of why Jesus came into the world.

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
(Matthew 1:21 - ESV)

The human race needs Jesus because we need to be saved from our sins. Sin is defined in the Bible as anything we do that is in disobedience to God’s commands.  A sin can be anything from murder, witchcraft, lying and stealing to sex outside of marriage (fornication, adultery), homosexuality, foul language/derogatory remarks toward others and pride. Simple unbelief in God is also counted as sin.

Now here’s a question: Have you ever sinned? If so, even just once, then you need a savior, even if your sins were committed a long time ago. This Savior is Jesus Christ and He can rescue us from both the consequences of our sins and the power of sin. But let’s focus on the consequences for this particular article. What are the consequences? What does it mean to perish? Let's expand on what this second death really is.

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
(Revelation 21:8 - ESV)

This horrible fate of spending an eternity fully separated from God in the agony and torment of a lake of fire is what Jesus Christ actually is saving us from. When a person’s sins have not been forgiven by God, this is that person’s fate. But Jesus did something that provided a way out. And what He did provides the only means by which we can have our sins forgiven. He died on a cross, becoming the sacrifice necessary in order to provide the required payment for our sins. His payment was accepted because unlike us, He never sinned—not even once. He obeyed God’s commandments flawlessly. Three days after His crucifixion, He rose from the grave, signifying that He had power over death and foreshadowing that those who believe in Him will one day defeat death as well.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
(Acts 20:28 -ESV)

Not only is understanding what Jesus did important but also who He is. The reason why it is vital to understand that Jesus is the only way to God is because in actuality Jesus is God.  While there has been continued theological debate about this fact, the Bible settles it clearly when Paul points out in 1 Timothy 3:

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
(1 Timothy 3:16 - KJV)

Jesus is “God” manifested in the flesh. Another way of putting this is that Jesus is God expressed in human form. He is what we would call the God-man. He is fully God and fully man. So how we treat Jesus is how we are in actuality treating God, not because Jesus Christ is just a representative of God but because He is God.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
(John 14:7-9 - ESV)

Philip came to know that to know Jesus was to know God.  It would be perfectly accurate to interchange “God” for “Father” and “Jesus” for “me” in this passage. This is why Thomas was accurate in John 20:28 when he referred to Jesus Christ as “my Lord and my God.” Another truth from a portion of scripture in 1 John is also illuminated with this understanding.

No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
(1 John 2:23-24 - ESV)

The Bible lets us know that if we have the Son (Jesus), then we will have the Father (God). Without Jesus, you don't have God. And you can't have God without Jesus.  God, as Jesus (meaning God/Yahweh is Salvation) Christ (Messiah) provided the way to salvation for all of mankind. This invitation is open to each of us to either repent and believe in Jesus and what He has done or to reject the truth. The former leads to a relationship with God, the ability to overcome sin and eternal life. The latter will separate you from God, make you a slave to sin and the devil, and ultimately lead to your eternal damnation. Will you choose Jesus?

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12 - ESV)

The name is Jesus.