In the Gospels, as Jesus was being questioned by Pilate, Pilate asks a question in response to something Jesus said. Pilate’s question was, what is truth? I think that is something that our society today is struggling with as well. There are those who want to claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Rather, they argue that the truth is different for each person. If I may be so bold, what a miserable way to live. How could you possibly know if your “truth” was the right truth? Why is it that we will accept other absolute truths such as 1+1=2, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or that George Washington was the first President of the United States; yet, when it comes to accepting religious truth, suddenly everyone gets to choose their own truth? Jesus makes it clear that “truth” isn’t just an absolute set of facts, it is also a person. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth.”
John 17 is what we should truly refer to as the “Lord’s Prayer”, instead of what we read in Matthew 6, “Our Father who art in heaven….” In Matthew 6, Jesus is teaching the disciples to pray, whereas, here in John 17 this is Jesus actually praying. Jesus here is praying in the Garden. It is shortly before He is going to be betrayed by Judas, setting the events in motion that will lead to His crucifixion. John 17 can be broken down into three sections: Jesus prays for Himself (vv. 1-5), Jesus prays for His Disciples (vv. 6-19), and Jesus prays for His future disciples (those who are saved) (vv. 20-26). To “sanctify” means to set apart. What would set the disciples of Jesus apart from the world? According to the verse, it would be their acceptance God’s Word as truth. Evidence that they accepted it as truth would be seen in their obedience to it. We can certainly see this in our society right now. Sadly, the percentage of people who believe the Bible is going down. In fact, I read an article in Newsweek last night that shows that 52% of people don’t believe Jesus is God. They instead have relegated Him to a “good moral teacher.” The article went on to talk about other truths that are outlined and taught in the Bible that people don’t believe. Since the Bible is where Jesus is revealed to us in who He is, and what He has done; if we don’t believe what the Bible says, then we are rejecting the truths of Jesus. As C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “If Jesus isn’t who He says He is, and said the things He said, He would not be a good moral Teacher.” One such example is that Jesus said He was God and was from God many times in the Gospels. If that was a lie, how can you say He was a good moral teacher? The point is, it’s not a lie. I will admit that wrapping my mind around Jesus possessing two natures, one divine and one human, is hard to fully comprehend. Yet, the point becomes, do I believe the Bible? If I do, then I must accept everything it teaches from Genesis to Revelation.
A question I have heard some pastors ask before is, what do you believe is the truth? I believe they had good intentions in asking the question. However, God has not left the answer of, what is truth, up to us. He has told us what the truth is. His Word is truth. Because it is truth, it points us to how to have eternal life. Therefore, with the debate of, what is truth, settled; all that is left is for me to submit myself to it, and rely on God’s strength to live it out in my every day life. That is what will set Christians apart from the world.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin