🤷🏻‍♀️ Verily, Verily… What is Truth?

For assuredly, I say to you (NKJV)… For verily I say unto you (ASV, KJV, AKJV)… I assure you and most solemnly say to you (AMP)… I say to you very seriously (CEB)… Yes indeed! (CJB)… I tell you the truth (EXB, NET, NCV, NLT)… Amen, I say unto you (NAB)… For truly I tell you (NIV, AMPC, CSB,)… the translations may differ in how they translate these verses, but they each have the consistency to emphasize the words that Jesus emphasized.  And these words of His are truth. If we want to be prepared to fight off our enemy with the truth, we study His Words.

Jesus knew His disciples would face the adversary, the devil.  They needed to know the truth to fight the lies of Satan.  We, too, stand firm in our faith with the belt of truth secured about our waist.

We’ve already looked at Jesus’ statements of truth in John’s Gospel. Today we look at the 32 incidences found in Matthew’s Gospel – the majority of these are spoken directly to His disciples to strengthen their faith to carry on the work they were called to do as apostles – preach the Gospel and build the church. I am thankful for the strengthening of their faith!

Verse	NIV	Audience	Notes
Matthew 5:18	For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.	Crowds	Jesus confirms the requirements of Old Testament Law during His Sermon on the Mount. (Reading the whole bible is necessary to understand how to live, in Christ, to accept this truth.)
Matthew 5:26	Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.	Crowds	Settle matters with your adversary prior to appearing before a judge. (🤔 I’m still pondering this.)
Matthew 6:2	Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.	Crowds	1 of 3 religious pretentions: GIVING for the sake of public approval only receives public approval, no reward from the Father.
Matthew 6:5	Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.	Crowds	2 of 3 religious pretentions: making an appearance of PRAYING for public approval is not rewarded by the Father.
Matthew 6:16	Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.	Crowds	3 of 3 religious pretentions: FASTING, to impress others, does not impress the Father.
Matthew 8:10	Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.	Disciples	Jesus acknowledges the great faith of the outsider – a Roman centurion who shows no doubt that Jesus has the authority He claims to have.
Matthew 10:15	Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.	Disciples	Jesus pronounces judgment on the towns that reject His disciples. (🤔Remarkably, there is no record that any of the towns they go to on that first trip reject them. Only Luke 22:35)
Matthew 10:23	Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.	Disciples	Prophecy regarding the never ending evangelistic efforts needed to reach the ends of the earth. 🤔
Matthew 10:42	truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.	Disciples	Even small acts of kindness to those He sends with the Gospel message are rewarded.
Matthew 11:11	Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.	Crowd	The paradox of being born-again!  Jesus praises John the Baptist for being the greatest among the naturally born… but being born-again, by the Spirit, makes us Kingdom citizens, something even greater. (A WILD part of our new identity!)
Matthew 13:17	For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.	Disciples	While speaking in parables to the public, Jesus spoke clearly to His disciples. (MT 13:11) Even the prophets of old did not always get to understand how their prophecies would play out.
Matthew 14:33	Truly you are the Son of God.	Jesus	After the disciples see Jesus walking on the water and enabling Peter to do the same, they appear to understand who He is.
Matthew 16:28	Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom	Disciples	After Jesus predicts His death, but just before Peter, James, and John are to witness His transfiguration.
Matthew 17:20	Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.	Disciples	After being unable to drive out a demon, Jesus tells them what small faith can accomplish. * See ending note on degrees of faith 🤔
Matthew 18:3	Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.	Disciples	Another confirmation about needing to be born again. THIS!  I take great comfort in knowing that my Father expected me to approach as a child.
Matthew 18:13	truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.	Disciples	Jesus did not come to save the righteous, but sinners. It is not too small a thing to save one at a time. 💖
Matthew 18:18	Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.	Disciples	The authority of these apostles is prophesied here to endure through the Age of the Church. (When Peter’s vision of clean and unclean animals in Acts 10 became the permitting of eating all foods and the Gospel invitation extended to all people groups… He ‘loosed’ previous restrictions and God ‘loosed’ that in Heaven, as evidenced by the inclusion in Scripture.) Binding – prohibiting certain actions.
Matthew 18:19	Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.	Disciples	🤔 The power implied by this statement confounds me.  Fleshly me wants to surround myself with like-minded individuals.  Spiritual me wants to stay connected with other Christians in prayer. Meditating me thinks this is specific to these apostles and I need to reread Acts and the Epistles as this statement defines this Age of the Church.
Matthew 19:23	Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.	Disciples	Hard, not impossible. A Christian is never spiritually comfortable in this world.  Greater finances may mask our spiritual discomfort and cause us to neglect our need for God.
Matthew 19:28	Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.	Disciples	Clearly, this section applies to His disciples. Those of us that have benefited from their Kingdom work can take comfort from the next verse Matt 19:29
Matthew 21:21	Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.	Disciples	Jesus is in His final leg of His journey to the cross and is using His time to train His disciples in adding to their faith.
Matthew 21:31	Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.	Pharisees	While focusing on maturing His disciples, the Jewish leaders continue to question His authority.  This statement is blunt and not at all confusing.
Matthew 23:36	Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.	Teachers of law and Pharisees	Jesus condemns the religious hypocrisy of the Jewish leadership and pronounces many woes on them for rejecting Him.
Matthew 24:2	Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.	Disciples	Jesus’ prophetic announcement of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. (It was destroyed – 70 AD)
Matthew 24:34	Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.	Disciples	Prophecies regarding end time events – the time between Jesus’ resurrection and His return. (i.e Age of the Church)
Matthew 24:47	Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.	Disciples	Rewards for the faithful servant who stays awake and alert, awaiting the Master’s return.
Matthew 25:12	Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.	Disciples	In the parable of the ten virgins: The unprepared were left out of the wedding banquet… failing to do what you know you are to do, is sin.
Matthew 25:40	Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.	Disciples	In the parable of the sheep and the goats, extending kindness to other Christians is an act of service to our King.
Matthew 25:45	Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.	Disciples	Same parable… failing to do what you know you are to do, is sin.
Matthew 26:13	Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her	Disciples	We remember the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume.
Matthew 26:21	Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.	Disciples	Jesus knows that Judas will betray Him.
Matthew 26:34	Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.	Disciples	Jesus knows that Peter will deny any knowledge of Him.

Points to Ponder:  Rethinking FAITH – Every once in a while, especially in Matthew, a verse refers to ‘little’ faith… (See Matt 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8)  A great concept I read recently, on page 8, refers to Leon Morris’ comments, “Wherever this term occurs in the New Testament, it is always applied to the disciples. More might have been expected of them.”  The author goes on to add… “I believe Morris has the right idea. In each of the five occurrences of this Greek word, the issue is not a need for greater faith in some single proposition the apostles already believed, but the need for the apostles to believe things which they have not yet come to believe.”

I like this… it add clarity to that response… ‘Lord, I do believe, help me with my unbelief.’ There is growth in my faith.  When I believed that Christ died for me, that was a single proposition I could hold onto and tuck into my belt.  I don’t need to strengthen my faith or belief in that statement… but adding other scriptural truths have strengthened me and allowed me to grow in Christian character.  🤔 If He told me  that I could move a mountain? I’m sure I’d respond with…  Lord, help me with my unbelief!!!  I can believe many scriptural truths that build my shield of faith. Genesis 3:15, Psalm 118:6,7, Isaiah 55:8-9, 2 Chronicles 20:15, Zechariah 4:6, John 4:14, John 16:33, Acts 16:31, Romans 8:18, 23, Hebrews 8:1, 9:15, James 1:4, 1 John 1:9, Revelation 21:4