The Source of Truth

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 8:31-47

 

John 14:6

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

(NKJV)

 

Truth in a fallen world ruled by Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44), is a rare commodity. When Pilate asked Jesus. Jesus not only claimed to be the truth (John 14:6), He told Pilate He came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). Pilate’s response to Jesus was asking what is truth but immediately went out to the Jews instead of waiting to hear the answer from the one claiming to be the truth. This is like many in the world who reject the source of truth, Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus is speaking to a group of Jews who believe in Him, instructing them to be disciples by abiding in His word, the source of truth that will set them free (John 8:31-32). However, instead of accepting this truth, they are hung up on being children of Abraham who are not in bondage to anyone and as such do not understand the need to be made free (John 8:33). Jesus reminds them that anyone who has sinned is a slave to sin (John 8:34). A slave cannot live in the house of the master forever, only a son or daughter who is in the family (John 8:35). When one accepts Jesus the Son of God as savior they are accepted into the family of God and set free (John 8:36; 1 John 3:1).

 

Jesus then acknowledges knowing they are Abraham’s descendants but since they seek to kill Him, His word has no place in them (John 8:37). Jesus then tells them He speaks what He has seen with His Father with them doing what they have seen with their father (John 8:38). They once again claim to be children of Abraham to which Jesus asks why they do not do the works of Abraham (John 8:39). Jesus reminds them that seeking to kill Him is not something Abraham would do (John 8:40). Jesus tells them they do the deeds of their father to which they claim they have one Father, God (John 8:41), not understanding they are saying this to the Son of God.

 

Jesus once again reminds them of the truth that He came from and was sent by God and does not speak His own words (John 8:42). They do not understand what Jesus says because they are not able to listen to His word (John 8:43). Jesus tells them their father is the devil, a murderer and liar which is why they are unable to believe Him (John 8:44-45). Jesus then asks which of them convicts Him of sin and why they do not believe Him if he tells the truth (John 8:46). Those who are of God hear God’s words, but since these Jews are not of God but the Devil, they cannot hear (John 8:47).  

 

A group of Jews claiming to believe in Jesus are challenged by Jesus, saying the truth shall set them free. They believe they are the children of Abraham who have never been in bondage to anyone, but Jesus is not talking about slavery to an individual, but freedom from sin. Their entertaining the thoughts of killing Jesus is the sin of murder according to the words of Jesus (Matthew 5:21-22). Therefore, even though the Jews claiming to believe in Jesus are children of Abraham, they are enslaved by sin and need the truth, Jesus, to set them free (John 14:6). The desire to kill Jesus does not originate from the Jews being children of Abraham but from their father the Devil who is a liar and murderer (John 8:44,10:10). The truth is these religious leaders are not of God because they do not heed the words of God.

 

I live in the United States where it is illegal for someone to own another person as his or her slave, but everyone born in the United States is a slave to sin (Romans 3:23). Freedom from slavery to sin I not granted by any law or government but comes by one professing a genuine belief from their heart in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). When Jesus said He was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), he was not saying He was a way but the way. When Peter told the rulers and elders of Israel that salvation was only in the name of Jesus, he was declaring this truth (Acts 4:8-12). This is the truth that sets us free from slavery to sin.

 

If you believe in your heart that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the grave but have not made a public confession of this belief, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I invite you to let someone know of your decision or to comment on this post about your decision. I also encourage you to become involved in a Church that teaches the Bible and following through with baptism. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.