“What is truth?” Pilate asked. It was one of the final questions of his brief interrogation of Jesus before he washed his hands and turned Him over to the will of the angry mob. You can almost hear the frustration in this surprisingly philosophical query. It was a cynical question of a weary ruler tasked with keeping some semblance of law and order in a small and far-flung province, literally crawling with a multitude of nations, tribes, and tongues. How dare this sweaty young man speak to him of truth in such singular terms, as though it were something everyone agreed upon! The pity is he didn’t wait for the answer, and couldn’t see that it stood before him. The answer to his question will be the subject of our meditation today.
The concept of truth is almost universally accepted. I say “almost” because there does exist that band of post-modern proselytizers intent on convincing us that there is no truth. The fact that we are expected to embrace this proposition of theirs as the truth is an irony that never seems to dawn upon them. But still, the inner compass of the masses points toward a firm conviction that there is indeed a thing called truth. For all the divergence of opinion, it is clear our world could not function without a basic surety that truth is true. Some other synonyms it goes by are “facts” and “reality.” In short, we all seem to understand that that which accords to how things really are is the simplest definition of what truth is. It is what is.
But do you recognize the similarity of that definition with the very first name God gave to Moses for Himself, “I AM WHO I AM”? (Ex. 3:14) Here we can see that when we speak of truth we are touching the eternal. Unlike other things so commonly known upon the earth, this one was not created. There has never been a time when truth did not exist. As I have mentioned before, all the things that can’t be seen are the truly everlasting ones, Love, Goodness, Truth, etc.. They are everywhere, like barely hidden Easter eggs pointing us to our Creator, and nothing in the evolutionary mindset can account for their existence. We may pretend that we don’t see them, but there has never been a time when they weren’t there, and truth is at the bottom of each one. For what is anything at all, if it isn’t true?
Truth is trinitarian. Every court on earth prefers objective truth, but have you ever wondered why? The very law of God itself would not accept the testimony of one without at least two or three corroborating witnesses. (Deut. 17:6) Even Jesus cited this requirement to validate His claim of being the Son of God. (John 8:17) His words, His work, and the testimony of John were all brought forth to certify His divine identity. For all eternity truth has had the threefold witness of the Father, Son, and Spirit, and this is why we know that truth on earth must have its witnesses as well.
But truth is also humble when it must stand alone. Even as truth must have its witnesses, we also know that its veracity is not increased by greater numbers. A lie is still a lie though all the world agrees that it is not. A million “experts” cannot change the facts. Here we see the quiet strength of truth. It never seeks to embellish or exaggerate its credentials. Humility is its very nature. If truth would move one iota away from what it actually is, to that degree it would cease to be the truth. “If I should say, “I do not know Him,” speaking of His Father, “I shall be a liar just like you,” Jesus said to those who doubted Who He was. (John 8:55) No matter how fantastical or plain, truth only purports to be just what it is.
Truth is illuminating. “The entrance of Your words gives light…” (Psa. 119:130) Have you ever noticed how one piece of accurate information is a doorway to understanding numerous other subjects? One shining bit of truth casts light upon the other things around it. Because all of reality is held together by the ever-present hand of our God, reality is both righteous and continually connected to all its other parts. The opposite is also true, one false or faulty piece of information can keep us in the dark. Think of how the detective’s sleuthing is stymied by the lying suspect’s story. Then notice how one tiny bit of evidence becomes a glowing torch, connecting all the sundry clues.
These and many other attributes of truth are meant to point us toward a Person. Who else is timeless and uncreated? Who else is humble and almighty? Who else creates and upholds the very fabric of all that is? Who else illuminates our darkened minds? “What is truth?” Pilate asked. “Who is truth?” should have been the question. The certain personality of truth is unmistakable. It isn’t first and foremost bits of information, but the One upholding all of them, and to know Him is everlasting life. (John 17:3)
Here’s a link to an excellent article from Pierce Taylor Hibbs that covers this topic from a slightly different perspective:
https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/truth-person.
