As theologically different the Pharisees were from the Sadducees, the Pharisees were politically different from the Herodians. Basically speaking the Pharisees were highly nationalistic, longing to return to a religion-based, theocratic government under the Messiah – but just not THIS Messiah. Their slogan might have been “Judea for the Jews.” They were highly antagonistic toward the Romans, and toward the house of Herod, the puppets of Rome. The Herodians, on the other hand, also longed to kick out the Romans, but in order to restore the kingdom to the House of Herod the Great. They were entirely secular while the Pharisees were thoroughly religious. They were more Greek in nature than Roman. The Herodians were as involved in this question about Roman tax money as the Pharisees, but with a different motivation. “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?”
This coalition was hypocritical in several ways – their pretended friendship being just one of them. The other primary hypocrisy was in their words, “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth….” In John 8, these same Pharisees will deny that Jesus is true – “The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.” “You testify of yourself, but your testimony is a lie” – “you are guilty of perjury.” When these Herodians and Pharisees come to Christ in Matthew 22 they are full of deception – they are unequivocal hypocrites.
This morning, I’d like us to consider two words which the Pharisees use here – “true” and “truth.” What do they mean and how do they apply to Christ? What did they mean to the Jews and how should they apply to us?
Let’s start with “alethes” (al-ay-thace’) – the word “true.”
Have you ever said about someone, “that person is true”? I don’t mean, “that person’s statement is true.” This is more along the line of his nature – “that person is true.” Do you know if anyone has ever said it of you? If you stop to consider it, what those Pharisees said is unusual, at least it is in our society today. “Master, we know that thou art true.” Those hypocrites may not have meant what they were saying, but the words were absolutely true. And I deliberately repeat that word – “true.”
Twenty-five times the Greek “alethes” (al-ay-thace’) is translated “true,” “truth” or “truly.” This is the first time that the word is used in the Bible and the second time is in Mark’s account of the same conversation. The word means “unconcealed” or “manifest” – in other words “open.” So we can add – “actual,” “true to fact,” “conforming to reality.” Obviously, one of our synonyms would be something like “honest” or “honesty.” “Master, we know that thou art epitomized by honesty and truth.” But of course they didn’t believe a syllable of what they were saying, they were liars, actors, hypocrites.
I will come back to Christ Jesus, but let’s move on for a moment. “Alethes” (al-ay-thace’) is true of God, but it is not true of you and me. Trueness is one of the attributes of Jehovah. But in man’s fallen, sinful, depraved state it is not a part of our nature. That isn’t to say that we can’t learn to be honest – it isn’t to say that we shouldn’t learn to be honest and true. But it is not a part of innermost being. How many times during your life have you been caught with crumbs on your face, but when you were confronted about eating the cookies, your first inclination was to deny the fact. “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” David, speaking off the top of his head declared, “I said in my haste, all men are liars.” And that assessment is true – we are hypocrites, actors, by nature While good men might speak the truth and say true words, never does the Bible say that any mere man is “alethes” (al-ay-thace’).
But God, however is precisely that – the complete opposite to us in nature. Paraphrasing Romans 3, Paul teaches us, “let it be understood that God is true, while all men are liars.” While the Bible never says that any ordinary human being is “alethes” (al-ay-thace’) – true – it often declares that Jehovah is. That is what John the Baptist declared in John 3 – that is what the Lord Jesus said in John 5. In I Peter 5:12 the apostle declares that the grace of God is true. But never it is said that any sinner is “alethes” (al-ay-thace’) – true.
However, what the Pharisees hypocritically said of Christ, trying to entrap him, was absolutely accurate – true. John begins his gospel discussing the person and nature of Christ, the Son of God. In that first chapter John calls Christ “the Word,” but there is no confusion about His subject. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and TRUTH. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” I think it is interesting that in John 5, and then in John 7 and again in chapter 8, Jesus and the Pharisees quarreled about the subject of Jesus’ “trueness.” In John 8:12-18 the conversation went like this – “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is NOT TRUE. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record IS TRUE: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”
Without extending this any farther, there are two things which I think that we need to take out of all this. First, Christ Jesus was always truthful, and that it because He was true by nature. “He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” And then second, it appears to me that this word distinguishes Jesus from all the rest of us. “Alethes” (al-ay-thace’) is one of the attributes of God, and so in this we have more evidence of the divinity of Christ Jesus.
Earlier, I asked that we read Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are “alethes” (al-ay-thace’) – true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” There are slight variations in meaning behind the Greek words translated “true,” “honest,” “just,” and “pure.” “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE, whatsoever things are HONEST, AUGUST, and VENERABLE, whatsoever things are RIGHTEOUS and JUST, whatsoever things are PURE and CHASTE, … think on these things.” Ultimately, Paul’s exhortation is to put the Lord in the center of our meditations. Jehovah is the only source of trueness, righteousness and purity. Only Jehovah is holy, and thus, sinless. Think on these things; meditate on their source and application to us – the Lord Jesus Christ.
What other things did these Jewish hypocrites say to the Lord, trying to get Him to lower His guard?
“Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.” Again they were accurate when they said Jesus didn’t concern himself with the power and position of men. It didn’t matter if it was the High Priests, or Pilate or even Caesar himself, Christ was going to tell the truth. He cared nothing about what those powerful people might do to him. His exhortation to us, flowed out of His own heart – “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
As my second point this morning, let’s consider the fourth thing that the wicked coalition came to Jesus saying – “Master, we know that thou are true; and teachest the way of God in TRUTH.” The word “true” is “alethes” (al-ay-thace’). The related word “truth” is “aletheia” (al-ay’-thi-a). This is another Greek word which would make a wonderful name for a little girl – Alaythia – truth. This word is four times more common in the Bible than “alethes” (al-ay-thace’). And how should we apply this word to ourselves and this world?
Let’s begin with what Christ said in John 8 – a chapter to which I have already referred. John 8:38 – “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your Father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the TRUTH, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the TRUTH, because there is no TRUTH in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the TRUTH, ye believe me not.” The Pharisees came to Christ hypocritically, but factually saying, “YOU always tell the truth.” Later Jesus will say, “you cannot tell the truth, because you are of your Father the Devil, and he chose not to abide in the truth.” This statement is true of all of us – this the condition of humanity – we are not true and holy people, living in denial of the truth – even this truth. We need a Saviour – a Deliverer from this deadly condition.
Paul’s greatest book on the subject of salvation is his Epistle to the Romans. And from the outset of the book, he picks up on this theme of truth and man’s lack thereof. Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
There is a sense in which this business of truth is at the crux of man’s problem with God, and it is also the solution to our problem. When one of the disciples came to Jesus exposing some of the man’s doubts, the Lord replied with one of His more memorable and important of statements. John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Christ makes three important statements about Himself. Reiterating what we read earlier from John 1 – Christ is life. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Second, there is only one way to God and that is through Christ Jesus. As sinners we need a Saviour – as aliens from the Lord we need a Mediator. Christ is the door to the sheepfold. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” And the third point is that Christ IS the Truth – and it is through the truth that sinners come unto God. Going back to John 8 for a third time – this time in verse 31 – “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When the Jews foolishly said that as children of Abraham they had always been free. To that Christ replied, Isn’t that funny, “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.”
Now, let’s see if I can tie all of this up for us. The leadership of the Jews came to Jesus with flattering words, in an attempt to hide their hatred and their attack. But what they said was correct – “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth.” This trueness and truth is unique to Christ, and absolutely lacking in our natures because of sin. But we need this truth and trueness in order to fellowship with the holy God. Therefore we need Christ Jesus; we need the Saviour; YOU need Christ. We can’t approach the Lord in our sins and our pride; we are not worthy; we have no merit or righteousness. Therefore our only approach is with humility, repentance and a trust that Christ will make a way for us unto Jehovah God. Repentance before God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, is our only hope spiritually. Are you a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus?