Is Jesus Our Truth?

 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life…” John 14:6.

 

What does it mean when Jesus says, “I am…the truth”?

 

As I pondered this question I was drawn to the following portion of the Nicene Creed:

 

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

 

I love the following, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.

 

I often think of this passage in the Creed (consider John 1:1 – 14 and Colossians 1:13 – 20), both in my own meditations and when I encounter professing Christians who don’t seem to know Jesus, who seem to consider Jesus as being far away from them and more of a figurehead than a Living Person radiating the glory of God…who don’t appear to be worshipping Jesus. (Now if you think this too harsh, then explain to me why we don’t speak of Jesus when we are with one another.)

 

It occurred to me this morning that the Creed is like wedding vows, and that when we recite the Creed that we renew our vows to the Trinity and to one another in the Trinity.

 

Do we know Jesus as the Creed portrays Him? Certainly the Creed is faithful to the Scriptures and portrays Jesus as the Bible reveals Him, if we will have eyes to see Him. Do we know Him as the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father? Is Jesus the truth of our life?

 

This goes far beyond believing in, or affirming, a set of statements or propositions about Jesus Christ; this has to do with the Person of Jesus Christ being our truth – realizing that He is the Truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth because Jesus Christ is God, and to live in Jesus Christ is to live in the Truth, it is to live in God – it is to live in the Throne Room of Revelation chapters 4 and 5, and in the City of Revelation chapters 21 and 22.

 

To know Jesus Christ is to know the unfolding reality of John 14:23: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

 

Consider that the primary image of God’s relationship with His People is marriage – we see this throughout the Bible, and we see its consummation in the Bride of Revelation chapters 21 – 22. Paul writes that we are to have one husband, Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 11:1 – 3). Our Husband, Jesus, is to be the Truth of our lives, as His Bride we are to exhibit a “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” This simplicity and purity and devotion means that anything that impinges on our intimacy with Jesus Christ is to be immediately rejected – this becomes the truth of our relationship with Him; He is our Truth – and this Truth, because it is Him – His very Person – surpasses statements about Him, doctrines about Him – as true as those statements and doctrines may be. This does not mean that doctrines and true statements are not vital, but it does mean that doctrines and true statements do not equate with an intimate relationship of the Bride with the Bridegroom.

 

In the world of mankind, historically a wedding ceremony does not make a marriage, nor does a marriage certificate. Historically there must be a wedding ceremony with vows, a certificate attesting to the marriage, and then the marriage must be consummated. A ceremony and a certificate without a consummation is not – historically speaking – a marriage. Is it possible that many professing Christians have yet to actually enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it possible that He has yet to become their Way, Truth, and Life?

 

How many of us who are married hide the fact that we are married? Do we take our wedding rings off when leaving our homes? Do we leave them in the car before going into our places of work? What would our spouses say to such behavior?

 

Well then, how many professing Christians fail to speak of Jesus during the course of their days and weeks? How many professing Christians hide their relationship with Jesus at work? In civic life? In their social lives? In their neighborhoods?

 

O dear friends, can we not see that something is deeply amiss when so few professing Christians share Jesus Christ with others? When so few professing Christians do not even speak of Him when they are among themselves?

 

Is Jesus truly the Truth of our lives?

 

Are we wedded to Him?

 

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.