Truth is something we all seek. Humans want to know what is right. But as Pontius Pilate famously quipped, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) Who is our source of truth? As a Catholic, the answer to that question is easy: our source of truth is truth itself, Jesus Christ. He is, “The way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Yet so much of the world rejects Jesus, rejects the truth. In a world that desperately needs truth, as we draw ever closer to the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, of truth, let us pray for the grace to allow the truth we possess to radiate into the darkness of the world.
Witnesses to Jesus
You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. John 5 : 33-36
Scriptural Analysis
At the start of chapter five of John’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man, paralyzed for 38 years, at Beth-zatha in Jerusalem. The healing took place on the Sabbath. The religious authorities have been accusing Jesus of violating the Sabbath as well as blasphemy based upon what he has said and done. Jesus’s primary argument against their charges is that he is the obedient son who does only what the Father has commanded. In other words, his identity as the Son of God is critical in his refutation of these charges.
Jewish legal principles dictate that self-testimony in a legal proceeding is forbidden. The Jewish Mishna says, “A man is not worthy of belief when he is speaking about himself.” Therefore, Jesus calls “witnesses” on his behalf. The first such witness is John the Baptist. The authorities who are now accusing Jesus had sent people to check out John before. Jesus argues that John testified to the truth:
Jesus is the Lamb of God, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (1:29)
Jesus is the Son of God, “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (1:34)
John testifies that Jesus is the light of the world, “He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.” (1:8)
He calls John a burning and shining lamp. Jesus does not need the testimony of man to be legitimate but he cites John’s testimony for their sake. During John’s entire existence they sought him out yet they did not accept his testimony about Jesus. Their treatment of John the Baptist was foretold of by the prophets, “And lo, you are to them like one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.” (Ezekiel 33:32) The authorities would not accept his testimony.
The second witness presented by Jesus is the works that the Father has given him. This testimony is greater than John’s. The works bear witness that the Father has sent him. The healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath reveals that Jesus possesses divine power.
Daily Application
The American judicial system is based on testimony. One person testifies that an event happened a certain way. Another individual testifies that the same event happened in a different way. At some point, a judge or jury has to decide whose testimony is accurate. They are charged with determining the truth.
Even outside of a judicial proceeding, much of life is spent deciding what is the truth and responding to it. Thus, wow we decide what is true is critically important for us. Some of the truths we need to decide, such as which weather forecast is accurate, have only a little significance to them. However, other truths, am I really in love with the person I am about to marry, for example, are of far greater significance. Of course, there is no more important truth for us to wrestle with than the identity of Jesus Christ. If he truly existed and the claims he made about himself are true, then our entire life should fundamentally change as we eagerly follow him.
The question then for us to answer, to wrestle with, is do we believe Jesus really existed and he is who he says he is? There is a famous book, The Case For Christ, in which lawyer and journalist Lee Strobel takes the reader through the evidence for the existence and accuracy of Christ’s claim. What is particularly compelling in Mr. Strobel’s story is that his goal in doing the investigation was to prove to his wife that Christianity was false. In the end, he ended up convincing himself of its accuracy, and truthfulness and converting to Christianity.
Stories like this can be helpful as they provide a lot of factual analysis. However, at the end of the day, one has to make a decision. They have to weigh all of the evidence presented and decide if they believe it is true. Despite what one may try to convince themselves, ignoring the topic is a decision. That person has decided, even subconsciously, that they don’t believe the evidence. Likewise, a lukewarm Catholic has made a decision. They think there is some merit to the evidence: at least enough to “hedge their bet” just in case this is all true. While being lukewarm is better than nothing, this is not what Jesus demanded of us.
He said that he is, “The way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus did not say he is a way. He did not say he was one way of many. Jesus made it perfectly clear who he is. If we accept that as truth then our lives should be different. The world should be able to look at us and know, know that we are a disciple of Christ without any doubt, or uncertainty.
As we near the end of this third week of Advent and draw ever closer to Christmas take a moment and ask yourself if you truly believe. Do you believe that Jesus is the truth? If you are uncertain, pray for the grace needed to be clear in your discernment. If you answered a resounding yes to that question, then pray for the grace to recognize those areas of your life that don’t yet conform to the truth that is Jesus Christ.
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