The Truth

Today's healthy tip:

Genetic Testing: Take Your Health to the Next Level

Listen to this message:

I recently found myself in an interchange where, after discussing something controversial, I felt the need to say something like the following: “The truth is ugly, often uncomfortable and usually despised by the world.” The topic that I was discussing with this person doesn’t really matter, what matters for today is that as soon as I wrote those words — a picture of Christ wearing His crown of thorns came into my mind and something new and powerful clicked in my understanding of who Jesus is.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

The context of this famous verse is that Jesus is talking to the apostles, specifically Thomas, who was (surprise surprise) doubting how they would deal with themselves once Jesus would leave. Jesus reassures them in this intimate exchange that He is the way, and that by being with Him and seeing Him they have seen and been with the Father.

Yet Jesus also says something very profound, that He is “the truth” — and to be quite honest it never fully hit me like it did when I wrote the words I quoted to you earlier.

For most professing Christians, including myself up until my realization, this rather abstract statement seems like it relates to Jesus’ honesty, authenticity or perhaps the truthfulness of the gospel. For anyone who has endeavored to understand the gospel and its claims compared to other religions and faiths — it is very clear that the gospel is “the truth.” There is no way to reconcile your past crimes with a perfect and holy God who is the Judge of the Earth (Genesis 18:25). For God to remain just He must punish sin, and the penalty for sin according to God is death (Romans 6:23).