TRUTH: what the world needs - Week 5 (Monday Morning Devotions)
As we welcome in a new year, let us focus on God’s Word and HIS TRUTH, dedicating this year to the Lord.
What the world needs now - is not love, in my humble opinion, but Truth. Truth with a capital 'T'. Yes, what the world needs now is Truth.
Need to start at week 1? Find it here.
In our world, many would say truth is relative. In other words, what is true for you may not be true for me. I would counter that when truth is said to be relative by an individual, that individual would not know Truth if it were standing right in front of him.
Let me give you an example of someone who struggled with the question, "What is truth?" We turn once again to the Gospel of John, the eighteenth chapter. Jesus has been handed over to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to be questioned by him. John records:
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 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. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. [John 18:33–38 (ESV)]
The truth was standing right in front of Pontius Pilate, but he could not see Jesus as the Truth! Did you catch what Jesus revealed was the purpose that he was born, the purpose for his coming into the world? Jesus said that this purpose was —to bear witness to the truth. and then He went on to say:
“Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Jesus prayed for us - his followers - with these words to His heavenly Father:
"I am coming to you now . . . I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.