John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me. Christ is the Truth, because He came to — I. REVEAL TRUTH, and, but for Christ's revelation of it, we should be utterly ignorant of it. He is Himself the substance of all revealed truth. 1. Christ came to teach us about God. And how? "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." What could we have known of God, of His mercy, His faithfulness, His truth, His justice, but for the revelation of them that is made in Christ? 2. Christ is Truth substantially in relation to the types and shadows of the Old Testament. These all pointed to Him. Under the New Testament we are referred for all truth to Jesus Christ, let who will be the teacher. "Every man that hath learned of the Father cometh unto Me." The office of the Holy Spirit is to take of the things of Christ, and show them unto us. And why is this? Because "it hath pleased the Father that in Him should be hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." II. CONFIRM THE TRUTH. Christ came — 1. "To confirm the promises made unto the fathers, that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercies." God graciously sustained the faith of the Old Testament saints by a succession of prophecies, and the truth of them was confirmed by the life, and death, and resurrection of Christ. 2. To confirm the threatenings. He had said in Eden that He would punish the breach of His law, at the same time that He promised to spare the offender. Christ confirmed this truth, for in Him we see how the threatenings of the law and the promises of the gospel harmonize. 3. In confirming the Word of God, Christ shows how impossible it is for God to lie. However great the difficulty may be in fulfilling a promise in our estimation, it is impossible for God to lie; and while the infallibility of God's promises should afford strong consolation to all that trust them, it should be a terror to them that will not obey; for the threatenings will as infallibly he fulfilled as the promises. III. ESTABLISH THE TRUTH, and to set up a kingdom in which truth reigns, and the subjects of which have truth in their inward parts. Now, in establishing truth in a man's heart, Christ not only sets up the principle of obedience to the Word of God, but He establishes that principle by the power of His own life. It is not so much that they live, as Christ that liveth in them. Whatever knowledge men may have of the truth, if it do not lead to the establishing of Christ's kingdom in their hearts, it is lifeless, unprofitable, condemning knowledge. IV. USE THE TRUTH? 1. He converts men by the convincing evidence of truth. Christ does not deal with us as machines, but as reasonable beings. He brings truth to bear on our understanding, reason, and judgment; and He makes men exercise them upon the truth. Thus the full responsibility of man is maintained, while the power of God comes in all its sovereign force upon their hearts and consciences. For this purpose He sends forth the Spirit; who makes men feel that they are sinners, and then He leads them to desire the salvation of Him who is the Truth. And the same Holy Spirit who reproves of sin also goes on to display the perfect righteous. ness of Christ, in which the sinner is accepted. 2. He rules in a converted heart by the commanding power of the truth. This power extends to all parts of God's holy Word. His right to command is as extensive in one thing as another; His least command is as important as His greatest. (J. W. Reeve, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. |
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