Jesus is the Truth and He Sets Us Free
When Jesus stands before Pilate, they have a verbal exchange. Jesus begins talking about truth. “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Pilate responds by asking, “What is truth?” (John 18:33-38).
It could be that Pilate asks an honest question, but more likely he’s uncomfortable and wants to deflect. By claiming to not know what truth is, he could diminish his unease over what Jesus was saying.
The truth made him uneasy, so he chose to deny that it existed.
This same thing happens today. When people claim that truth isn’t absolute and everyone can decide for themselves what truth is, they’re actually revealing their embarrassment.
They don’t want to deal with what is true. Instead they deflect their unease by denying that truth exists.
But pretending that truth doesn’t exist doesn’t remove it from their lives. Let’s explore what the Bible says about truth.
The Gospel of John Overflows with Truth
The book of John talks about truth far more than any other book in the Bible. (His letter of 1 John comes in second.) With a poetic flair, the apostle John opens by saying Jesus is full of truth (John 1:14 and John 3:21).
Jesus later expands on John’s assertion. He says he is truth (John 14:6). He’s not merely full of truth, he is truth.
To those who believe in Jesus, he says that if they hold to his teaching, they are truly his disciples. Then they’ll know the truth, and the truth will set them free (John 8:31-32).
On the surface, this means that they’ll find freedom in the truth Jesus proclaims. Yet a deeper understanding is that Jesus himself—as truth—will make them free.
To the Samaritan woman who Jesus meets at the well, he says, “True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24).
Yet since Jesus is truth, we can consider that he means we will worship Father God through the Holy Spirit and through Jesus. That’s certainly something to contemplate.
And, as already covered, we have Pilate asking, “What is truth?” It’s a reminder that people who view the truth—and Jesus—as disturbing often try to redirect their unease by sidestepping the issue. In fact, they don’t want to know the truth—or Jesus.
As John wraps up his biography of Jesus, he says he’s an eyewitness and has given a true testimony about Jesus. John tells us the truth about Jesus so that all may believe (John 19:35).
The Armor of God
In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul urges them to put on the full armor of God so that they can stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:10-17).
He reminds them that their real struggle is not physical but spiritual. Wearing godly armor will help them stand their ground when they’re attacked.
This armor includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
Notice that the first—and perhaps most important—element of our attire is the belt of truth. Without God’s truth—without Jesus—we don’t stand a chance.
Other Verses about Truth
Contemplate what else the Bible has to say about truth. As you do, consider truth as being a metaphor for Jesus. That way, after you read these verses and their explanations, re-read them, inserting Jesus for truth. Let’s begin:
People perish because they refuse to love truth and be saved through it (2 Thessalonians 2:10). And disaster awaits those who exchange God’s truth for a lie (Romans 1:25).
We are chosen, saved, and become firstfruits through the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work in us and through our belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
Father God wants all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
James says that we are given birth through the word of truth (James 1:18). But if we abound in envy and selfishness, we shouldn’t boast about it or deny the truth (James 3:14). He also implicitly commends those who bring a person back to the truth (James 5:19-20).
Peter tells us that we’re purified by obeying the truth (1 Peter 1:22). He later warns that many people’s bad conduct brings truth into disrepute (2 Peter 2:2).
If we claim to have no sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. The truth isn’t in us (1 John 1:8). Furthermore, anyone who claims to know Jesus but doesn’t obey him is a liar. The truth is not in him (1 John 2:4).
John also writes that he has no greater joy than to know that we’re walking in truth (2 John 1:4 and 3 John 1:4). This truth lives in us forever (2 John 1:2).
What Is Truth?
The purpose of the Bible is to point us to Jesus. The Old Testament foreshadows him, and the New Testament reveals him and the actions of his followers.
Since Jesus is full of truth and is truth, then the Bible that points to him is also about truth.
If we want to discover what truth is—the real truth and not the world’s distorted view of it—we need to start with the Bible.
God’s Word will reveal truth to us. All we need to do is read it.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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