John 16:4-15
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sent the Comforter.
Jesus, the Truth, sent the Spirit of truth.
But first He had to leave. Then He could return by the Spirit to live His life from within His disciples. As long as He stayed here in the flesh, He couldn’t do that. Thus it was expedient for Him to go away.
Now that He indwells His people, He empowers them to be comfort givers and truth tellers.
Did you know that truth involves more than merely being factual and knowing the facts? Absolutely! In fact, I suggest to you that you can be far from truth even though you know the facts.
Truth…
- loves God first and supremely.
- seeks first God’s kingdom and righteousness.
- embraces those values which exalt Jesus, for He is truth.
- refuses association with that which is ungodly.
And that’s all the farther I got in developing this line of thought. May the Spirit of truth guide you into all truth. Oh, and I’m very interested in your observations about this passage, so please add them below.
“What is truth?” asked Pilate. I suspect it was more a cynical question than a searching one. No doubt he had seen plenty of assaults on the truth in the name of politics, religion, or personal convenience. And he knew this whole affair with Jesus was one more travesty of truth and justice, this time brought on by leaders of this Jewish religion that professed a unique connection to truth and godliness. Yes, I’m quite certain Pilate felt very cynical about the matter.
What is truth, anyway? We could say truth is the absence of deceit, guile, and deception. We could also say truth manifests itself in honesty, sincerity, and genuineness. But what did Jesus have to say about truth?
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus established Himself as the ultimate definition of truth. Any definition and understanding of truth that disregards Jesus will fall short of…truth! That is one reason why a Christian would no more turn his back on the truth than he would turn away from Jesus.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Ultimately, God is the sole source of truth. He owns truth because He is truth. Thus everything He says is truth. Not only is God’s spoken and written Word truth, His Living Word is also truth. And Who is that Living Truth? Jesus. So now we have made our way back to John 14:6 — “I am…the truth”!
Read the rest: Can You Answer Pilate’s Question?
Additional reading
I really enjoy your lesson materials as always. Greatly appreciated. Keep em coming.
Thank you for your encouraging support! I’m grateful you enjoy and appreciate the material.