DrIBEX Ideas

John 1:14 says that the Word was “full of grace and truth.” This statement is probably a deliberate echo of the great self-revelation of Yahweh in Ex. 34:6: “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Hebrew: hesed and emet). Jesus, therefore, is the embodiment of Yahweh! Later Pilate asked Jesus: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Jesus had already answered that question in this Gospel.

1. Jesus is the embodiment of the truth. He said: ‘I am the truth’ (John14:6). To see truth, we must look at Jesus.

2. Jesus is the communicator of the truth. He told his disciples that if they continued with him they would know the truth (John 8:31). He told Pilate that his object in coming into this world was to witness to the truth (John 18:37).

3. Even when Jesus left this earth in the body, he left us his Spirit to guide us into the truth. His Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

4. The truth is what makes us free (John 8:32). There is always a certain liberating quality in the truth. The truth which Jesus brings liberates us from estrangement from God; it liberates us from frustration; it liberates us from our fears and weaknesses and defeats. Jesus Christ is the greatest liberator on earth.

5. The truth can be resented. Jewish leaders sought to kill Jesus because he told them the truth (John 8:40). The truth may well condemn people; it may well show them how far wrong they were.

6. The truth can be disbelieved (John 8:45). There are two main reasons why people disbelieve the truth. They may disbelieve it because it seems too good to be true; or they may disbelieve it because they are so fastened to their half-truths that they will not let them go. In many instances, a half-truth is the worst enemy of the whole truth.

7. The truth is not something abstract. It is something which must be done (John 3:21). It is something which must be known with the mind, accepted with the heart but also acted out in the life.

This is the message of Christmas that goes beyond the manger!