09
What Is Truth?
Jon BurgessInside, the leading priests and the entire high council.were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. Matthew 26:59
74Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly. Matthew 26:74-75
Inside the temple and outside the temple people were lying about Jesus. Inside, people who didn't know Jesus lied as if they did. Outside, Peter, who did know Jesus, lied as if he didn't. Pilate would later ask Jesus, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). The answer to that question was standing right in front of him. Jesus had plainly told everyone that He was not simply preaching A truth He, in fact, was THE TRUTH (John 14:6). Whether it was the false witnesses or Peter, whenever we lie we are not just distancing ourselves from a perceived truth we are distancing ourselves personified truth.
Like the leading priests and high council, it's not hard to find someone to agree with our lie to make it sound and look like truth. As a culture, the moment we left the true standard of truth in Christ and in Scripture truth has been defined by popular vote or powerful emotion. To stand with The Truth is to stick out in the group. Like Peter, our desire to belong to the group will the belie our faith in our God. We can't do both. We can't fit in and stand out. We can't swim against the current and flow with it. We can't say I believe in Jesus and then lie when it is most convenient for our self-preservation or self-advancement. We loudly decry the fake news of the media and quietly deny the fake news from our mouths.
Postmodernism perpetuates the illusion that a person can have it both ways. They can say there is no standard of truth upon which morality is based when they want to act upon any base and destructive urge against another human. Yet, when a base anddestructiveurge is perpetrated upon them they will use the words “wrong” or “evil” belying the fact that there is indeed a standard of truth andmorality. I wonder how much more needs to happen before America wakes up and realizes that truth without an anchor in scripture is no truth at all. Morality without an eternal standard is as fluid as the urges that flow through our bodies. It’s an incoherent communication to say there is no standard of truth until we are negatively affected by someone's actions. All the words in all the movies and all the blogs and all the websites are shallow and hallow if they have nobase in the moral reality of Scripture. There’s only One who can claim to know the Truth and it is The Truth Himself, Jesus Christ. Those of us who know Him, know Truth and it’s our job to live it out and make the message as coherent as possible to those who are seeking. The only way to do this is to have no part in darkness, no share in deception, no place with lies. If the world has left the standard of truth the Christ follower will be the only example of it left to be seen.
Lord, these verses are really causing me to examine my heart. I have always seen myself as a person of integrity. The truth of my commitment to being true can only be seen when I'm under pressure. Let me not be like the guys inside the temple who lied to get in good with those in power in religious circles. Let me not be like Peter outside the temple who lied to get in good with those in the world. I will press into your truth when I'm being pressured by others or trying to impress those around me. What is truth? It's You Jesus. Your Word is truth to me this morning.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”Matthew 24:35
