Jesus – the Truth
I’ll be honest (and they do say honesty is the best policy), for a couple of weeks now I have been trying to avoid telling the truth. I suffer with vertigo and so I’m not presently driving. My work involves a lot of travelling around so I have been relying on my husband or good friends giving me lifts. Finally, I have decided if people know the truth, I will not have to make excuses and they will understand when I offer apologies and can’t attend meetings or do everything I would like to do!
Someone said, honesty is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship whether that is between a husband and wife, or other family relationship, a business partnership, colleagues, or friends. If we say one thing and do another, then the trust has gone. If we tell a lie, however little it is, we can never trust or rely on that person again without wondering if they are telling the truth.
The story is told that when President Carter was a candidate for the Presidency, a female reporter was desperate to find some dirt to throw up about him. She pestered Jimmy’s mother Lilian for weeks. Eventually Lilian agreed to an interview at her home. Lilian met the reporter at the door and invited her in. After a few minutes the reporter asked, ‘Has your son ever told a lie?’ Lilian said, ‘Never’. ‘Never??’ questioned the reporter. ‘No never!’ Lilian insisted. The reporter was not letting it go, and said again, ‘Are you sure he’s never told a lie?’. Lilian paused and then said, ‘Well maybe a little white lie’. At last, the reporter thought, and eagerly sat forward in her chair. ‘Now tell me, what is a little white lie?’
Lilian leaned forward, ‘Well, remember when you came to the door this morning and I invited you in, and I said how nice it was to see you’…
So what is Truth?
Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Last week we thought about Jesus being the Way to God. We now think of Jesus as being the Truth.
So many people are searching for answers today, What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of life? Why am I here? And so on.
I believe Jesus is the answer to these questions. Jesus is the answer to life.
A friend of mine, many years ago was searching for answers. He was in the Merchant Navy and would spend several weeks at sea. Before he joined one ship, up in Newcastle, he bought a number of books to read whilst away, determined to discover what the mystery of life was all about. Whenever he returned home to his parents, he would tell them all about what he had been reading and that he had found the answer to life. Once he said, ‘It’s in the stars, it’s astrology!’. His mother would often have her palm read, so she readily agreed to this theory. However, as the weeks passed and my friend went back to sea, the emptiness in his life returned, so he continued to search. After having more time away, he went back home to his parents and said, ‘The answer to life is in yoga and meditation’. Again, his parents encouraged him. Conversations took place about the deeper meaning of life, and they were pleased he was finding answers.
Once again though, after a few weeks, the longing for answers came back, the emptiness and void in his life remained. He was still searching for the Truth. He was still troubled, and his questions had not gone away. Nothing was bringing that inner peace he so desired.
In his pursuit for the Truth, he then read a book by Hal Lindsey called, “Satan is alive and well on planet Earth”. My friend believed in ‘good’ and ‘evil’ and decided he wanted to know more about the devil, so that he could avoid getting involved with things that were not good. It was this book that changed his life. He describes it as a turning point and a shock. Having gone to Sunday School, he thought being a Christian was just a moral thing. After reading the book, my friend gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. He couldn’t wait then, to get home to share this truth with his parents, especially his mum. Only in his early 20’s he was so enthused and full of the initial joy of ‘finding Jesus and finding peace’ he (perhaps naively) thought everyone would want the joy he had found.
Imagine then, how he felt when his mother didn’t want anything to do with it. He was bewildered at how negative she was to this life changing truth. After the initial shock and sadness at her reaction, and indeed because of how she was, my friend realised he had at last found the Truth, that is Jesus. He has never had to search again.
No one can argue about who Jesus is or what He means to them. It is only by experiencing Jesus, that the Truth becomes a reality in one’s life.
Jesus Christ is the Truth, because He rose from the dead and his Resurrection authenticated everything he said and everything he did.
He is the Truth for me, and he can be for you.
God bless you as you pursue knowing Jesus.