Bible Studies for Life: October 15

Confident in the Face of Hard Questions: Does it Really Matter Which Truth I Believe? • John 3:19-21, 8:31-36

By Becky Brown

Our study through the Book of Daniel was a perfect segue into this unit of lessons. Daniel faithfully lived the truth of God every biblically recorded day of his life. His life answered several questions, leaving no doubt as to the answers.

Who are you going to serve? Who will be your wisdom? Who will you bow to? Who will be your king? Who will weigh you in the balance? Who will you pray to? 

Who will be your judge? Who guards your future? Who will answer and forgive? Who will fight for your victory? Who is Author of the Holy Covenant? Who will conquer death, rest a bit, and rise again?

In our generation, we are presented with hard questions as we stand for truth. In this new unit of lessons we will explore some of the most frequently asked questions. To be effective along our journey, we need to acquaint ourselves with the questions and equip ourselves to know the answers.

We must represent Christ well in deep relationships as well as casual conversations.

God is truth. Eve learned that in Eden. So did Adam. The first sin committed was not consuming the forbidden fruit. The first sin was to give in to the temptation to doubt the truth of God.

Lucifer knew that the truth of God would set people free. His open-faced attack on truth was the first shot over the bow in the war for the souls of men and women.

On the day of the crucifixion, Pilate stood with Jesus in the Praetorium in Jerusalem. It was Friday morning. Jesus had been up all night after His arrest in Gethsemane. The religious leaders nearby and the crowd outside were screaming and clamoring for His death on a cross.

In John 18:38, Pilate asks the question of the ages: What is truth? Pilate stands for everyone who has ever asked that question. He made the same mistake EVERYONE makes. Truth Himself was standing there with Pilate. Truth is NOT a what. Truth is a WHO. Truth is not just any ole WHO. Truth is JESUS!  

So, to answer the question for this week: YESSSSS! It truly does matter which truth we believe.  To equivocate about truth means to doubt God and His Son Jesus. Truth is absolute. Truth is unchangeable. Truth is non-negotiable. Truth stands.

The first person to hear John 3:16 was Nicodemus, the Pharisee. The words are recorded in red letters because Jesus said them! Nick came to figure out truth for himself. He came to the right place because he came to talk with the right Person.

Nick came because of the miraculous signs Jesus had performed among them. He realized that he was living in the darkness as Jesus described it. Later on in John’s Gospel record, we see Nick come to stand up for Jesus before the council of Pharisees and at His burial (John 7:49 and John 19:38-40).

Men and women hate truth and love darkness because their deeds are evil. They know they will be exposed as false when the Light shines into their lives. Always remember that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Judas left the Passover table in the Upper Room and it was… night. Jesus is the Light of the World. Light and Truth are equals.

In John chapter eight, Jesus had a “heart to head” talk with those Pharisees after all the rock throwers had slipped away into the crowd and the woman caught in adultery had walked  away un-stoned. He had been writing in the dirt with the very same finger that inscribed the Ten Commandments in stone.

After He finished with those Pharisees, I know they wished He had kept silently scribbling in the sand.

Those who abide in His Word prove to be His disciples. These are the ones who will know the Truth that sets men and women free.

The Pharisees had obtusely declared that they WERE free, definitely NOT slaves. Why, they had the Abraham family reunion card! They had “GOD’s Special People status,” or so they thought.

They forgot that John the Baptizer had already called them a brood of vipers and snakes for standing tall in their royal prayer robes (Luke 3:7). Jesus quoted Cousin John as well (Luke 23:33).

True freedom comes from relationship with the Author of Truth through His Son alone. The rulers of the day were slaves to their tradition and to denial of Jesus as Messiah. Jesus would say to them, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36 ESV).

Brown is minister of missions at First Church, Richland.