Devotional
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 (ESV)
In the movie A Few Good Men, truth becomes the central issue in the courtroom scene.Lieutenant Kaffee is questioning Colonel Jessup about the murder of one of hismarines. Kaffee asks passionately, “Colonel Jessup, did you order the codered?” Jessup asks Kaffee if he wants answers. Kaffee shouts more passionately,“I want the truth!” Jessup screams, “You can't handle the truth!”
Jesus proclaims he himself is the truth.
Jesus revealed truth in his own courtroom appearance with Pilate. “Then Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, '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.’”(John 18:37) In the next verse Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Jesus proclaims he himself is the truth.
His words, life, death, resurrection, and ascension are the clearest and most powerful manifestation of the truth.
He is the embodiment of God's nature and will. His words, life, death, resurrection, and ascension are the clearest and most powerful manifestation of the truth. Pilate and the Sanhedrin couldn't handle the truth. Rather than accepting him, they killed him.
How do we handle the truth?
If we think in terms of “my truth” or “your truth”, we must reevaluate and understand truth by the standard of “the truth.” Jesus is the final and absolute truth transcending all human understanding and opinion. You can try to deny the truth by avoiding it or working your way around it. But as judgment gets closer, Jesus, the Rock of truth, looms larger and larger. There are no other paths. You must go through the Rock of truth. Our response to the truth must be faith and obedience. But obedience isn't limited to following rules. Biblical obedience is about a relationship of trust and devotion to Jesus, whom we love. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
We can obey Christ the truth with all of our hearts when we trust that his commands are given for our good. Sanctification means spending our lives aligning our orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy with the truth. His crucifixion, seen as the ultimate act of obedience, serves as the model for Christians to follow in their own lives. Since he is the truth, we can't go wrong.
Our lives are transformed by trusting Jesus as the revelation of God's truth. He has risen! He has risen indeed! And someday so will we, because transformation leads to resurrection.
Liturgy
Father God,
We often hear we are broken people
just trying our best to manage our
hard circumstances.
If we could just imagine a world
where there’s no hurt, and no hate,
couldn’t we all just live in peace?
What the world tries to sell is a lie,
desperately sought time and again.
But Father you have given more.
From the beginning you have been truth.
Your words reassure those who seek you,
knowing nothing could change your love.
We know we are unworthy and wayward.
Forgetting we are called to love one another,
we wander from you time and again.
Still, you never waiver nor forsake us
because we are sinful.
You extend your grace time and again.
Father, help us show the world who you are.
Let them see the reflection of your love
through all that we say and do.
In us, let them see truth, let them see you.
In your name we pray, Amen.