John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Is Jesus using a metaphor here or is he being literal?

Hodos is a Greek word meaning way, path, road, or journey.  Coupled with the latter half of the verse, he is a roadway to the Father himself, a path upon which we can walk.  Traditionally people interpret this as "If we behave in the way Jesus did, we will come to the father".  Hodos can indeed mean a manner of thought or behavior when used metaphorically, but is this a metaphor?  Is it the traveler or the path that determines where the traveler ends up?

Lethe is a Greek word for "forgetfulness" or "Concealment" or "Oblivion".  It's counterpart is Aletheia (a-lethe-ia) literally meaning "un-forgetfulness" or "Un-concealment", just something that is not hidden or is evident.  It is the Greek word for "Truth".  Jesus is the invisible God made flesh, self-evident and fully disclosed.  He is the revelation of God himself.  When coupled with Jesus's statement of "I AM" at the beginning of this sentence, he is making a bold claim.  Or is he simply saying that he is the only thing that is true?

Zoe, which means life, is a bit tricky.  If literal, he is saying that He is the exact thing which animates all living things and the source of all life.  If it's a metaphor, he is that which brings true and everlasting life and is the sustainer of all life.

So which is it?  Metaphor or literal?  I think so.