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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Jesus Lover of Truth (1/5)
To say that Jesus loved truth demands a quick follow-on. It is like saying Jesus was a man! He was a man, but that is not all He was. Jesus loved truth, but that is not all of that story. We will examine Jesus and His relationship to truth in this miniseries.
Regarding Jesus and truth, John wrote, "And the Word became 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). This statement by John says something about the purpose of his gospel account as compared to the other three evangelists. From the outset of the book, John affirms who Jesus was and is. None of the other gospel records contain any statements by an inspired person regarding Jesus and truth. In fact, none of the other three writers record Jesus' use of the word "truth." John had a case to make concerning Jesus and truth – and he made it.
The Word – the Word that was in the beginning, the Word that was with God, and the Word that was God – became flesh. This Word became flesh and in that form, i.e. in the form of a man, He was "full of grace and truth." Jesus did not merely love truth, He was filled with truth! He was filled with truth because He was God! Truth is an eternal attribute of God; He can no more divest Himself of truth than the sun can divest itself of light. Jesus was full of truth; it was as much a part of Him as was goodness and mercy.
Jesus knew that the truth could do in the lives of others what nothing else in the entire universe could do. Hence, He affirmed, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8.32). The freedom spoken of here is freedom from sin and its negative effects upon the human soul. His mission upon the earth was to free mankind from the shackles of sin. The discerning reader will notice that truth, that with which Jesus was filled, was the means to human freedom. One should not be surprised to learn that our Lord's adversary had "no truth in him" (John 8.44) while Jesus was filled with truth. Two more opposite things cannot be imagined - Jesus, a being filled with truth and the devil, a being in whom there was no truth! It is no wonder that Jesus said that the devil does not "stand in the truth." (John 8.44). It should come as no surprise to discover that Jesus loved truth because of the effects it could bring about upon humanity.
However, the most telling verse of its sorts is located at John 14.6. It reads, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus said of Himself, "I am the truth!" Note carefully that He did not just affirm a close relationship between Himself and truth; He claimed that He and truth were identical! This claim is so bold to make it absolutely unthinkable that a mere human would make such a statement. If He was not God, such a claim would be laughable! However, Jesus was God. He was the Word made flesh; He was full of grace and truth!
Never could man know truth like Jesus did. Never could man love truth like Jesus did. The good news of the Bible is that we have standing in truth when we have standing in Jesus. In Him we have hope because in Him is truth and grace; apart from Him, we have no hope!
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