Truth

Truth

John 18:28-38

How many of you like to be told the truth?

We may like to be told the truth when it favors us, but what about when it does not?

How many of you ladies have said, “Do I look fat in this?” What do you want to hear?

When we hear the truth from God, it is not always what we would like to hear. When Jesus came to us, he came as the truth, but he came with grace and truth. When we look at this word truth in John we discover that he uses this word more than any other gospel. Over 90 times this word occurs in John.

John 1:14 The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of GRACE AND TRUTH.

John 1.17 The law came through Moses, GRACE AND TRUTH came through Jesus Christ.

John 3:21 He who practices the TRUTH comes into the light that what he has done may be clearly seen that they have been done through God.

Those who live by truth come to Jesus, but those who wish to live by their own desires do not want to come to Jesus Christ. They prefer illusions to the truth.

John 4:23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and TRUTH, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in TRUTH."

John 5:33 You have sent to John and he has testified to the TRUTH.

What was John’s testimony? It was that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the Son of God who was anointed by the Holy Spirit.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will make you free."

Truth has a freeing quality to it, and the only way to know the truth is to know Jesus Christ and follow in his teachings.

John 8:44-45 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no TRUTH in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the TRUTH, you do not believe Me.

Why is it so easy to listen to and believe lies? Why is the truth of God so difficult for so many to accept and embrace? Jesus goes on…

John 8:46-47 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak TRUTH, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God."

Jesus asks his audience to reveal any sin in his life… any sin! But they can not. Then he reveals a terrible TRUTH. When people reject the word of God it is because they are not of God. Those who are not of God live in the comfort of their own illusions and lies and resist the words of TRUTH.

Why do people not believe in Jesus today? Is it because Jesus is a liar? Is he a lunatic? Is he simply a legend? No, Jesus IS the TRUTH. To reject Jesus is to reject reality. The TRUTH became flesh and dwelt among us! Grace and TRUTH personified. The TRUTH was born in Bethlehem. The TRUTH grew up and spoke every word of God to us. Jesus said, “I have kept them in thy word… Thy word is TRUTH.” He came here and lived here and said to us, “I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life! No one comes to the Father except by me.

What proof could be given that Jesus is indeed the TRUTH of God? How about if he was crucified and resurrected from the dead? Would that suffice? Only to those who believe the witnesses that saw him. One day, every eye will see him, even those that pierced his side. One day every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The TRUTH will eventually become universally confessed… but for those who resist it until it is forced upon them, there will be no reward, only a fearful judgment of fire.

Jesus’ disciples who saw him and listened to him understood who he was and is and they began to follow him. Did they understand him fully? No. Did they enjoy everything he said to them? No. But did they commit their lives to him? Yes! When you commit your life to Jesus you are committing your life to love and truth and reality! Truth, faithfulness and love all go together in scripture.