The Truth

In our last study, we considered the first part of the sixth great ‘I am’ statement of the Lord in the book of John: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6). We have considered the Lord’s declaration that He is ‘the Way.’

We saw that what the Lord is saying is that He is the only way to the Father. He does not merely show us the way. He is the Way. It is through Him and by Him that we can have fellowship with God, our holy heavenly Father. It is through Him and by Him that we have access to heaven with all its everlasting joy and peace.

In this study, we want to consider the meaning and implications of our Lord’s self-designation as ‘the Truth.’ Christ is not only the Way, but the Truth and the Life. What does He mean by saying that He is the Truth?

1. What does the
Lord mean?

‘What is truth?’ This is the question that Pilate asked the Lord during His trial. The Lord had told him:

“For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (Jn 18:37).

Had Pilate listened carefully to what the Lord said, he would have found the answer to his question. But Pilate was not really listening. In fact, he did not even bother to wait for the Lord to explain further. He simply walked out to the Jews to declare that he found no fault with Him. He is entitled to His view, Pilate seemed to be saying.

The problem with Pilate is that he did not seem to appreciate the idea of absolute truth. This is what his question betrays. Pilate was thinking of truth in relative terms. Perhaps he thought there are many truths, so that what is true for someone may not be true for another. The Lord Jesus, in Pilate’s view, was entitled to hold to what He thought was true; the Jews were entitled to their truth and he was entitled to what he regarded as truth. It does not matter if they are in conflict since truth is only in the heart of the beholder. There is no absolute truth.

But the Lord knew better. The Apostle John begins the Gospel with the words:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1)

Christ is God. And if there is only one living and true God who created everything and sustains all life and existence, then there must be an absolute truth.

The truth must be what God declares to be true. Everything that cannot be logically derived from what God declares to be true must be false or mere subjective opinion.

Now, by saying, ‘I am the Truth’, the Lord Jesus is essentially saying what John 1:1 says. Christ is the personification of truth. He is the Word of God. Through Him we know the Truth.

No, no; it is not just that He is the spokesman for the Truth. He is the Truth. He is the very personification of Truth. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” says the Apostle Paul (Col 2:9).

So the Apostle John says:

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (1 Jn 5:20)

Those who know the Son, know God. Those who reject Him reject God and the truth. This is why our Lord told the disciples: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Those who know Him know the Father. Those who believe in Him, believe in the Father.

Christ is not just an indirect way to the Father. Through Him we come directly to the Father. In Him is all that the Father will have us know about Him. What the Father would not have us know, He does not reveal anywhere else.

This is the great difference between Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant, and Christ, the only Mediator between God and man. John says:

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17)

The Law is only one aspect of the revelation of God. The Law does not save. It condemns us. It teaches us how to live. It shuts us up to Christ. But by itself it does not save.

Christ saves. Christ is the ultimate Truth. He is the naked revelation of God. All the promises and shadows and types in the Old Testament pointed to Him (Rom 15:8; Col 2:17) and not directly to God because He is the Truth. We can only know God through Him. So the Apostle Paul says: “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God” ( 2 Cor 1:20).

2. How should we
Respond?

Firstly, if Christ is the Truth, then let us seek the Truth and walk in it. How to seek the Truth?

The Lord Himself said to the Jews who believed on Him:

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:31-32).

We must seek the truth by reading and hearing His Word, and following Him obediently. He said to Pilate: “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (Jn 18:37); and earlier He said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn 10:27).

If Christ is the Truth, let us, as His sheep and lambs, listen and follow Him. It is only in listening to Him and following Him that we can have true freedom, even freedom from the power of sin and freedom from guilt.

And moreover, it is in following Him in love and gratitude that we have the freedom of enjoying the love of God.

Let us therefore seek truth nowhere else but in Him who is the Truth.

Secondly, if Christ is the Truth, then let us bear witness to the Truth.

Christ our Lord came into the world to witness unto the truth, and He is the Truth. Shall we not join Him to witness unto the truth, or to bear witness for Him?

Shall we not speak the truth, especially the truth of the Gospel boldly and unashamedly?

The world and even the visible church is filled with Pilates when it comes to the truth. Relativism and subjectivism abound. “We must respect truth wherever truth is found. It is all a matter of interpretation. Your truth is OK for you, but you must never say that someone is in error,” so we are advised by those who are caught up with the spirit of the world.

The fact is, insofar as we bear witness to the truth, we will necessarily bear witness against falsehood. We may do it implicitly and indirectly, or we may do it more robustly and directly, but ultimately if Christ is the Truth, then true Christians cannot be afraid to insist on that there is only one truth. A true interpretation of the Word of Truth will bear forth the truth.

Beloved, if Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, then we must, as the adoptive sons and daughters of God, be like the moon, to reflect His brightness.

If Christ is the Truth, let us reflect the truth in words and conduct.

If we cannot speak a word of witness to the unconverted, shall we not invite him to hear the Gospel, or give him a tract? If we cannot explain our doctrines and practices to our colleague or classmate, shall we not invite him to talk to an elder or pastor? Shall we not also give him a copy of the Westminster Shorter Catechism or one of the available instructional tracts?

If all of us will drip a little truth, by and by we will have a torrent and Christ will be highly exalted.

Thirdly, if Christ is the Truth, then let us be truthful as we bear His name. I am referring not only to being truthful or honest in our speech towards one another.

That is important. As Christians, it is essential for us to speak the truth to one another. We must not be ambivalent or deceptive towards one another. We must not flatter one another. We must be candid with one another to speak the truth in charity one towards another.

But there is another aspect of truthfulness. I am referring to being true to ourselves and true to God.

The Apostle John says:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8)

If you are familiar with the writings of John you will know that when he says, ‘The truth is not in us’, he is not simply saying that we are deceiving ourselves. What John is saying is more profound than that. I think what He is saying is related to the words of Christ that He is the Truth.

What he is suggesting is that those in whom Christ dwell cannot fail to see their sin. Take note that he is not speaking about unbelievers. He is talking to believers.

All believers will know that they have sin. They know that it is because of their sin that Christ came. They know that they continue to fall short of the glory and truth of God. And they are humbly driven to Christ day by day both for cleansing and for strength to deal with sin.

In other words, if Christ is the Truth, then the true Christian cannot be proud. If Christ is not the Truth and there is no standard of truth and falsehood or right and wrong, then we may be proud, for we can insist that we are always right. I mean, if there is no absolute truth, then there is really no right or wrong.

But if Christ is the Truth and Christ dwells in me, then I can no longer insist that I am righteous when I sin. I must rather be ready to confess my sins both to the Lord and to anyone whom I have offended that I may know forgiveness through Christ. For, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9).

Conclusion

Christ is the Truth. Therefore let us seek the truth and walk in the truth. Let us bear witness of the truth. Let us seek to be truthful in regard to our failures toward Him and towards one another.

In this way, we shall be able to enjoy the life of fellowship with God that the Lord is talking about in our text. May the Lord help us to flee from the relativism, subjectivism and emotionalism of the age. Amen. ω