What is the truth? What an interesting question. We know some things that are true, for example, 2+2=4. That’s true. I live in Michigan. That’s true. And yet I wouldn’t call any of those things the Truth. Now to make sure I don’t lose your attention with thoughts like that let me begin with scripture:
The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
2 John 1-3 LSB
What started this thought process for me was the above verses. I found a similar patter in 3 John:
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than [a]this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1-4
As you can see this “Truth” is quite an important subject. This led me down a series of questions and thoughts that eventually led to the following statement which I now find absolutely shocking:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”
-Jesus
The biggest question pressing on my heart then was: “What does it mean for man to stand up in front of a crowd of people and declare: ‘I AM THE TRUTH’?”
The Truth
The Greek word used for “truth” here is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to mean: faithful, truthful, trustworthy, true, etc. It was usually used in reference to God’s character (Ex 34:6). The Jews understood that God was their “rock” and their only means of stability in life. Yet through their lack of faith they, many times, lost trust in the Faithful One and rather leaned and trusted on anything else but Him.
God then promised to establish a new covenant through a seed from the lineage of David that will create a new people who will perfectly love and trust their God and be His children.
The Truth in Person
Fast forward to Jesus’s ministry and the above statement He makes: “I am the truth”. As He says this He reveals who He really is: The Faithful One, or, God Himself in human form. Or as Paul would have it: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” Col 2:9. He is the “beginning, the firstborn from the dead”. That is, the establishment of the new covenant is made true in Jesus Christ.
Then it dawned on me that this is such a fundamental understanding of the person of Jesus and I feel like it has never hit me as hard as it did today. We live in a culture where everyone has their own truth. There are so many foundations being built that sooner or later we will see crumble. I like to say that if Jesus said: “I am the Truth” then we can reasonably say: “Everything outside of Jesus is a lie”.
The Truth in our Lives
Truth is reality. When you lie you are trying to bend and twist a reality that will sooner or later snap back on you and hurt you in the process. Yet this post is not an exhortation just to tell the truth (though you should) but rather I want you to pause and really think about this statement from Jesus. He is declaring that He is reality itself. Outside of Him there is no reality. All things flow from Him, exist in Him, and flow back to Him. He is truth itself.
Therefore we have no stability in our lives unless we find ourselves in Him. Because being in Him is equivalent to being in Truth. And you have to be a fool if you’d rather live in lies because that life is nothing but misery, wickedness, and death. So then check yourself. Are you living in such a way that Jesus Christ is your only reality? Repeat that question: “Are you living in such a way that Jesus Christ is your only reality?” Or do you still think there can be other truths outside of Him? God forbid. If He is truth itself then you know you can bank your life on Him. Do you have cares? Worries? Frustrations? Maybe it’s because you are looking at life through your own truth (which would be a lie). How about looking at your life through the reality of Jesus. The reality that He came, died, and rose again as a propitiation for our sins. The reality that now, yes RIGHT NOW, He sits at the right hand of the Father making all His enemies His footstool. Victor over death itself. Crusher of Satan’s head. That’s reality. Truth. Now go live in light of it!
Action
- Praise God for Jesus Christ and that all reality is in Him
- Confess to God all the ways that you have lived through a false reality
- Ask God to help you see life in and through Jesus Christ
- Listen to this post’s song: Be Thou My Vision