What is Truth? (Part 4)

(Another from AUG07... see previous posts...)

I’ve been thinking how the truth affects different people. It’s just like a light shining into a dark place. People react to the truth in one of two ways. Some are drawn like moths, while others scatter like cockroaches.

And people are in the dark for one of two reasons… either ignorance or rebellion. Some don’t know because they haven’t heard. Others don’t know because they don’t WANT to hear.

And that is why Jesus came… to shine a light of hope and draw those who were LOST IN the dark, and to expose the wickedness of those who LOVED the dark. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Just like Isaiah, the prophet, had said about Jesus hundreds of years before:

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” (9:2, NLT)

Read what John says in the beginning of his Gospel:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
” The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
” The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

“God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (John 1:1-13, NLT)

Just as a light, Jesus shone into the hearts of people and saw what was there….

“Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like.” (John 2:23-25, NLT)

So what was God’s plan in sending Jesus?

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” (John 3:16-21, NLT)

And throughout the Gospel of John, we can see the effects of that Light. Some people were drawn to it and were changed, and others ran from it and scattered, and were condemned.

In chapter 8, Jesus actually calls Himself the Light:

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (v12, NLT)

This really upset the religious leaders. They got their shackles up and began arguing with Jesus. However, knowing their hearts, Jesus knew how to answer, and many who heard the debate believed in Him. So He then said to those who believed:

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (v31-32, ESV)

So, it all boils down to this. If we want to know the truth, believe in Jesus, listen to what He says and take it to heart. Then we will know God the Father, also, as Jesus said later:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him … Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (14:6-7, 9b, ESV)

And in His final hours, before He was taken away to be tried and crucified, He prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”

There is heaps more I could say, but it is all in John’s Gospel, which is why the book was written. And even John could have said a lot more, for he adds at the end of the gospel:

“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” (20:30-31, NLT)

So, if you want to know what truth is, I would suggest to start by reading John’s Gospel.

Take it to heart and you WILL know the truth, and that truth will set you free.

JESUS is the TRUTH!… ABSOLUTELY!!

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36, ESV)