The Truth About Jesus

 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6.

If you asked 100 people to imagine how they view God, what would their answers be? A few may imagine a lion. If so they must have watched the Narnia movies. Maybe a few would say, Morgan Freeman. If so, they watched Bruce Almighty or Evan Almighty. Some picture God as a baptist, or catholic or presbyterian, or methodist. And some would say they saw Jesus. For some people, Jesus is a figure from the past—someone to be admired as a great teacher, even a prophet. For others, He is someone to call upon in a time of crisis who will wipe our tears away.

What adjective would you use to describe Jesus? Holy, perhaps; powerful, definitely; world-changing, that cannot be denied. People grow up thinking of Jesus as meek and mild, the guy who was born at Christmas and died at Easter. But if we look at the Gospels, however, a totally different picture emerges. Here is no “gentle Jesus meek and mild,” but a person so dynamic and so inspiring that hardened fishermen, tough tax collectors, Roman soldiers, and a man who started as an enemy—the apostle Paul—were all prepared to put their reputations and their lives on the line in order to follow Him.

They did this because they concluded as Peter memorably did, that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16). The disciples who worked with Him for three years would have seen and heard the extraordinary claims He made for Himself. They would have heard His teaching, so authoritative that even the Jewish temple guards had to say, “We have never heard anyone speak like this!…” (John 7:46).

And all the miracles demonstrated His power: healing people.  He could calm a storm or change water into wine; over evil spirits; and finally, over death itself.  The evidence is overwhelming. Only God could do all this.

Setting our minds free requires us to be a sponge for the truth. A life that honors God with daily living requires a knowledge of God’s truth. A spiritually healthy soul that overflows with love, joy, and peace requires truth as well.

The ultimate truth is found in a person, Jesus Christ. This truth is revealed in the Bible. It takes faith to believe, but in a world where the truth is increasingly blurred, I urge you to begin with Jesus and His Word, and you will always know the truth.

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you wrestled with questions about the truth in your own life? Has your knowledge of Jesus resolved those questions? How?
2. Many times Christians are criticized for being arrogant in their claims to truth or in the way they talk about the truth. Do you think these criticisms are valid? Why or why not? What do you think it looks like to be full of grace and truth?
3. If your goal is to free your mind by focusing on God’s truth, where do you start?