by David Deason
The angry mob came into the garden and led the King of kings away. They delivered Him over to Pilate citing their reason to be that they were not permitted to put a man to death. Pilate then continued to question the Lord and quickly found Him to be innocent. At this scene the Bible records Pilate asking a thought provoking question which everyone today who would follow our Lord must ask, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
When John opens his gospel record, he introduces Jesus by saying, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and TRUTH” (John 1:14). He went on to say, “For the law was given through Moses, grace and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). God sent His Son for the purpose of revealing to all the truth found throughout His Word.
Through all of the events that God allowed, He had one desire: to reconcile His creation with Him. In order to accomplish this, His creation needed to learn a lot about who their Creator was and the love that He had for mankind. Jesus’ coming and offering Himself at Calvary made all of this possible. He taught, “I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Jesus desired that all of His disciples would be set apart as beacons of light in a dark world. He prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in TRUTH, Your Word is TRUTH. As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in TRUTH. I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:17-21).
How do people come to know this truth today? How do people gain freedom from the shackles of sin? They must read and study the Word. Jesus spoke to a group of His disciples and said, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the TRUTH and the TRUTH will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Paul reminded a young Timothy that God has given us everything we need in order to come to know the TRUTH. He said, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
In order to be the people of God, you must listen to the Word of God! Jesus spoke to Pilate and said, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the TRUTH. Everyone who is of the TRUTH listens to My voice” (John 18:37). The Word of the Lord teaches all men everywhere to listen to the TRUTH found in the Word of God. In this men can have the confidence which will lead to reconciliation with the Father and eternity in Heaven.
~via “The Jackson Drive Reporter”; Athens, AL; Nov. 19, 2006