Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

Becki and I just returned from our walk/jog up Short Fellows Road. We only met one vehicle on that road. It was the first time in months that Dandy was able to do a dunk in his favorite cool-off pool at the bottom of the hill. The rains have been heavy enough to reactivate the stream. It’s raining pretty serious right now.

IAfter reporting some of my heart rates and rhythms to my naturopathic doctor as I did last night, he now responds with some serious condemnation of my cardiologist who simply exclaimed at the end of my last visit, “Keep doing what you’re doing!” The naturopath says that with heart rates now in the 30s and 40s, that’s a stupid conclusion. I just paused to take my pulse sitting right here and monitored a very irregular 41. I guess the reality that drives these medical pros so loony is that I’m so irregular. Hmm—I suppose that could apply to about everything else I do—including the way I think. I made a comment like that to Becki. She said, “That’s very true.” Well, phooey—why stop now?! Question: What do you suppose is the standard for being REGULAR, NORMAL? Would that mean becoming just like you? Just asking.

Moving right along—let’s go to church!

Love, Dad/Ray.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I did a concordance check to find out the number of times that Jesus used these words, “I tell you the truth,” in the NIV translation of John. It turned up 25 times—3 in this chapter alone. Beyond that, I’ve taken time to study each word of that statement in the original language along with an English dictionary. After all that technical scrutiny, here is the best and most accurate rendering of what Jesus really means by that statement: I TELL YOU THE TRUTH. That’s it! All we need to do now is determine whether or not Jesus was telling the truth when He said, “I tell you the truth.” (Confession: I’m not really telling the truth when I said I did all that study and research. But it is true that I could if I really wanted.)

I’m going to proceed to do something non-typical. This will be longer than normal, but please bear with me. I’ve decided to list out those 25 verses below. If we truly believe that Jesus is TRUTH, I think it stands to reason that we could be benefitted and refreshed by considering those things that He particularly declares as TRUTH. I also think it would be a good exercise to go through the list and use your devotion notebook to write down the main idea of each entry as it applies to you personally.

• John 3:3. In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
• John 3:5. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
• John 3:11. “I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.”
• John 5:19. Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
• John 5:24. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
• John 5:25. “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
• John 6:26. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
• John 6:32. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.”
• John 6:47. “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”
• John 6:53. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
• John 8:51. “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
• John 8:58. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
• John 10:1. “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.”
• John 10:7. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.”
• John 12:24. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
• John 13:16. “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”
• John 13:20. “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
• John 13:21. After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”
• John 13:38. Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”
• John 14:12. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
• John 16:7. “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
• John 16:20. “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”
• John 16:23. “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
• John 21:18. “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”