I Am The Truth
Michael E. Phillips
John 14:6 reveals that “Jesus saith unto [Thomas], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Since Jesus is the personified Word in perfection, all-sufficiency, and inerrancy, He also exhibits the characteristic of being the truth. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus and truth cannot be separated. John 1:17 states, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The information that Jesus revealed to mankind, whether through His own teaching or through His inspired Will in the form of the New Testament, is found to be the truth, through and through.
As John the baptizer made ready for the coming Savior, Jesus later described the interest of the Jewish people in the words, “Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth” (John 5:33). John had not even seen the Messiah; yet, as a messenger from God, he declared unwaveringly that the Messiah was to be the source of the truth. When John saw Jesus, he proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me” (John 1:29-30). Matthew Henry commented, “Now John was confessedly such a holy, good man, so mortified to the world, and so conversant with divine things, that it could not be imagined he should be guilty of such a forgery and imposture as to say what he did concerning Christ if it had not been so, and if he had not been sure of it.”
Jesus claimed to be the deliverer of the truth which would save mankind, as the Record states in John 8:31-32, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which 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.” Jesus promised to continue the revelation of the truth, through the coming Holy Spirit. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me … Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 15:26; 16:13).
During the trial of Jesus, the governor questioned His position in the world, where “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and 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. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?” (John 18:37-38a). Questioning or even rejecting the truth does not remove its power over mankind!
The apostle Paul commended the faithful Ephesians, “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20-21). As Christians have repented of sin and seek to follow Jesus, they are following the truth!
It is not supposed that there is a better passage of Scripture with which to close this study than the questions of Jesus in John 8:46, “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” Since Jesus is “the truth,” there is no reason not to believe Him! -PO Box 176, Belington, WV 26250.