What does Jesus mean when He claims to be the Truth?

Chances are you and I will never meet a person who declares “I am the truth…”   But Jesus made that insanely radical statement, and what the heck does it mean?   Understanding Jesus as “Truth” is a massive concept to wrap our brains around, but it is definitely worth pursuing.  And the witness of several scriptures will set us on that path. 

In retelling the Creation story, the Gospel of John identifies not God the Father, but Jesus the Son as the one through whom all things were created.  John writes,“Through Him, (that is – Jesus), all things were made, and apart from Him nothing was made that has been made.”  (John 1:3)  It’s true that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always work together as one, (that is… there are no “solo acts” in the Trinity), but for many of us it might require a shift of thinking to consider Jesus, rather than His Father, as the one through whom all creation was spoken into existence.  

But Colossians 1:16 takes it a step further and explains that it is also Jesus who holds all things together“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible… and in Him all things hold together.  Many scientists would say that the “mortar” that holds all things together actually consists in four mysterious forces known as gravity, the electromagnetic force, the “strong force”, and the “weak force.”  The problem with that explanation is that these four forces have names, but they have no explanation because they exist only in theory.  You can neither see them, nor figure out how they work.   But since something must be holding everything together, science has posited these four elusive forces to get the job done.  

The Scriptures, however, cut to the chase and simply declare that it is Jesus who holds all creation together “by the power of his word.”   (Hebrews 1:3)  Now, let’s go back to Jesus being the truth:  Jesus is the One who created all things, and he is the One who holds all things together.  He made gravity, and he is holding gravity in place at this moment.  He created sound, the speed of sound, the frequencies of sound and the harmonies that result when frequencies are combined.  So when Jesus says, “I am the Truth” He means that he is the source and sustainer of everything in the universe.  If you were to take Him out of His creation, reality itself would disintegrate into non-existence. In this sense Jesus doesn’t need to “learn” anything about calculous, quantum physics or anything else because he created all these things.  He is, indeed, the Truth about everything.  

This is why pursuing Truth is vital.  When we pursue Truth we will ultimately discover Jesus, and when we pursue Jesus we will ultimately have the truth thrown in as well.  Leading the way and setting the example, Kingdom disciples ought to always encourage others to seek the Truth that leads to freedom, life, and ultimately the Creator Himself..   

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