John 14:6-7
Jesus is Truth, the Way, and the Life
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
John 8:31-47
Hold To Jesus' Teachings and You Will Know the Truth
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.41 You are doing the works of your own father.”
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
John 18:19-24
Jesus is Struck for Telling the Truth
19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
John 18:36-39
What is Truth
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
In the old Hebrew language of the Bible, emet meant truth...Emet (truth) was a word very much related to God...God is the center of emet (truth)...Emet (truth) is found in God...Emet (truth) is said to be God's plan for reality that follows His will...God alone represents what emet (truth) is...Emet is God's Truth...
Jesus knew the Bible and the old Hebrew language...So when Jesus stood up two thousand years ago and said He is Truth, it takes on a special meaning...And He furthers His statement by saying that He is not only the Truth, but He is also the Way and the Life...Then He continues this statement about Himself by saying He is the only Way to God...This is a statement about Truth, and quite a statement to include about Truth and Yourself (that not only you are a Way to God, but the Only Way to Him)...What an unusual thing to say, yet it makes sense if we believe He is very much related to God...He is the Son of God...God represents what Truth is and Jesus is Truth and was sent by God...Jesus represents who God is...
Jesus also said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples...Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”...So, if we follow His teachings and hold to them, then we would know what the Truth is...His teachings are the Truth for us...
When Jesus replies, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin...Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed...I know that you are Abraham’s descendants...Yet you are looking for a way to kill Me, because you have no room for My word...I AM telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”...Jesus knew that He is the One who could truly follow the Law of Moses and would not sin...Only God is good and God does not sin...Jesus is telling us that He do does not sin, and is revealing His True Identity to everyone...Knowing God is True Freedom, and Jesus truly knows, and represents God...He is Truly Free...
When Jesus was being questioned by the High Priest, He was slapped in the face for telling the Truth... Jesus did His teachings openly and to many people...He wanted to spread His Word and teachings to everyone...The Truth is for everyone...And He told this to the High Priest and was struck for telling the Truth...Jesus' Truth was real...His teachings are not lies, of any sort...Truth can be persecuted, and is often persecuted...Truth is often not believed...Telling the Truth, in His case, got Him in trouble...And that is what He did throughout His ministry -He told the Truth...He died for teaching the Truth...
The basic question of "What is Truth?" is much about our reality...What is real to us...Pilate was asking the One Person who knew what Truth is...Pilate had a chance to get to the Truth and find out more about Truth...
Truth is unchanging...Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow...Jesus is unchanging...Truth is this Way...Truth is the same yesterday, today, and will be the same tomorrow...
Pilate's question should have been worded differently...Pilate's question should have been "Who is Truth?"...Truth is a Person...Truth is Jesus...He is the Absolute Truth...Truth is reality and what we believe as reality, and One who can see this reality clearly, each and every day, and as unchanging and the same is Jesus...Our perception of reality can change, therefore our truths can change...As we are younger and then get older, or if we just change our minds or our views -our reality can change...But Jesus is not like this...He remains the same...Jesus does not distort reality...He sees things exactly as they are...What is Truth?...Truth is a Person...So if when we are thinking or are ask "What is Truth?", maybe we should change that thought in our thinking to "Who is Truth?"...It then takes on a different dimension, much like emet...We better see Truth as completely robust, dynamic, and the most complex Individual we have ever heard or read about...