The Truth – Convergence of Jewish and Christian Faiths

Remember, this is a journey, enjoy it, don’t think about the destination, just enjoy where we are at, in this moment. Ask Yah/God to speak to you, then clear your mind of all preconceived understandings and lean on His, not yours.

Let’s do a quick recap, The Way, was the entrance to the outer courts of the Tabernacle where people brought sacrifices to atone for their transgressions per the marriage covenant at Mt. Sinai. Then Jesus came as The Way, renewing that covenant by replacing the animal sacrifices with his own, one final sacrifice. Making the Outer Court available for all.

The Life, was the entrance to the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, where God dwelled among the people, and according to the marriage covenant, only the High Priest could access once a year, bringing an atonement sacrifice for all the people’s transgressions committed in ignorance. Then Jesus came as The Life, renewing the covenant and taking on the role as High Priest and offering an atonement sacrifice forever. Making the Holy of Holies available for all.

In Jewish Rabbinical tradition, The Truth refers to the entrance to the Holy Place. In the Holy Place we find the Table of Presence or Showbread, The Seven-Branched Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense. On the Table of Presence you would find 12 loaves of bread and a drink offering of wine, replaced weekly. The Lampstand was the only source of light and was kept burning continuously. The Altar of Incense was also kept burning continuously and represented the prayers of the people. According to the original marriage covenant, only a Priest could enter this area, which they did daily to tend to the bread, wine, light, and incense daily.

In Christian tradition, The Truth refers to Jesus being the incarnate Word of God, He is all truth. Anything he taught or said is the final word. His word and wisdoms are the cornerstone and foundation of the Christian faith.

So far, Jesus has replaced the animal sacrifices (The Way) and the High Priest (The Life). Did he replace The Truth?

When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” the average Jew listening to him wouldn’t have thought about the words or wisdoms of Jesus in relation to hearing “The Truth”. They would have thought about the Holy Place in the Tabernacle/Temple. They may have thought about Psalm 119 and phrases like, “And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgements.” Or “Your justice is righteousness forever, and Your Torah (law) is truth.” Or maybe “Yet you are near, Lord, and all your commands are true.” Or “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgements have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame.”

Most Christian faiths would not “hope in judgement,” nor say the Torah (law, Old Testament, first five books) are The Truth. And most reading this in the KJV would say – what are testimonies? Did God stand up and testify about how he worked in someone’s life? I don’t think so, do you?

What are these “testimonies?” The first couple lines of Psalm 119: “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart.” This word is eda and in the KJV it is translated as testimonies or witness. In Deuteronomy 4: “These are the testimonies and the statues, and the judgements …” Deuteronomy 6, “Ye shall diligently keep the commands of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statues, which he hath commanded thee.” Take a look at all the places this is used, you’ll get the idea soon enough.

In the Old Testament, and many Christians would say the Old Covenant, The Truth was Yah/God’s laws and commandments. But that isn’t how it is now because of Jesus, Jesus has provided a better Truth – right?

In John 14, Jesus said, the Father would send another advocate to help us and be with us forever, “The Spirit of Truth.” But wait, what does it really say? “If you love me, keep my commands AND I will …” Interestingly enough, if you look it up – you won’t find that AND. What does it read without the and? “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, …”

But we know this means the commands of Jesus, not necessarily those in the Old Testament/Old Covenant right? Have you ever wondered, how did people remember all Jesus’s commands since they didn’t have the New Testament writings? They studied the Old Testament. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts …” Acts 2

Check this one out … “Now Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples, went to the kohen gadol. He requested letters of introduction from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. Acts 9

“they entered as usual into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large number of Jewish and Greek people believed.” Acts 14

In Titus 1, we see Paul saying, “For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so they might be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Judaic myths and commands of men who turn away from truth.” From this we see Paul sees commands of men to be turning away from truth.

John tell us in 1 John, “Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this …”

John 16, “I [Jesus] still have much more to tell you, but you cannot handle it just now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; but whatever He hears, He will tell you. And He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.”

Jesus didn’t do away with the Torah (Law) and the Prophets, He fulfilled them. Matthew 5. He renewed them back to their original glory – as a blessing to the children of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He came to tear down those written by man, which were keeping people in bondage.

On Shavuot/Pentecost, both in the Old and the New Testaments, or Covenants if you want, The Truth was given to all. The Truth is Yah’s testimonies, it’s walking in HIS Way and HIS Life. The giving of the Holy Spirit opens The Truth and provided a way into the Holy Place. Look at what was in there, you should see Jesus in the elements: The Bread of Presence, The Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense which represents prayers.

In 1 John 5, John tells us, “Messiah Yeshua is the One who came by water and blood—not by water only, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are one.If we accept men’s testimony, God’s testimony is greater—for this it is the testimony that God has given about His Son. The one who trusts in Ben-Elohim has the testimony in himself; the one who does not trust in God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son. And the testimony is this—that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have Ben-Elohim does not have life.”

In 1 Peter 1, Peter tells us, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house—a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua.”

Are you walking in The Truth – God’s commands? Do you love Jesus and keep his commands which came from the Father? Are you operating as a holy priesthood?

Ponder on this one. Do you as a Christian, daily leave the outer courts? The outer courts are where we are “saved” by the flesh and blood of Christ. Technically, you do not have to go any further than that. You can live in the outer courts – that is were most of the community lived – they weren’t even allowed beyond it. How often do you attend to the things in the Holy Place?

Each week, on the Sabbath, do you attend to the Table of the Bread of Presence? Do you remove the old bread and bring in fresh? Do you get rid of the things you are trying to control and give them to Jesus, allowing him to sustain you as you walk in his presence. The True communion – his flesh (bread) and blood (wine) are always available to you through the Spirit of Truth.

Daily do you tend to the Lampstand, keeping the oil filled? Walking as the Light of the World, shining brightly Jesus, the true light that gives light to everyone? Matthew 5 and 1 John 1

Daily do you tend to the Altar of Incense which represents the prayers of the people? This sat directly in front of the Ark of the Testimony, better known as the Ark of the Covenant where Yah dwelled. Now He dwells within us. “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” Acts 10

When you look at each of these and understand what the Holy Spirit opened up to us, this verse hits just a bit differently as we remember Shavuot/Pentecost, “All these with one mind were continuing together in prayer.” “They were devoting themselves to the teaching of the emissaries and to fellowship, to breaking bread and to prayers.” Acts 1 & 2

Shavuot/Pentecost is the bridge feast, connection:

Jesus said, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.” “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16

Bible versions used: TLV, OJB, NIV, KJV

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