John 8:32 says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”
What exactly is truth though?… The English definition of truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality. But when we look at the Hebrew definition of the word, we see a fascinating dimension to the meaning of “truth”.
The Hebrew word for “truth” is “emet”. Emet is made up of three Hebrew letters – Tav, Mem and Aleph – א מ ת. As the Hebrew people read from right to left, the first letter of the word is Aleph.
Aleph means ox, and symbolises strength or leadership. It also holds the numeric value of one as it is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Now here’s where it gets interesting… Think about the number “one” in relation to the concept of first… Now think Revelation 22:13 that says, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last”. Who said this?… Jesus. Or think Colossians 1:15 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Considering the two scriptures mentioned, I believe that Aleph points to Jesus as our strength and leader.
The second letter of “emet” is Mem (מ) which means water or blood and is symbolic of life, divine wisdom and spiritual cleansing. In John 4:14, Jesus says to a Samaritan woman, “But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give will become in that person a flowing fountain that gives eternal life” (CEV).
1 Corinthians 1:24 refers to Jesus as “the wisdom of God”. And 1 John 1:7 says, “… and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Considering the scriptures mentioned, I believe that Mem points to Jesus as our source of living waters or life. Mem also points to Him as our source of wisdom and righteousness (as we are cleansed by His blood).
The last letter of “emet” is Tav (ת) which means mark, sign or seal. In ancient times Tav was written as a cross (+). I believe it was already alluding to the Messiah and His crucifixion back then. For believers in Christ the cross is symbolic of Jesus.
But let’s go a little deeper and look at the symbolisms of Tav… Tav is symbolic of completion. Think John 19:30 – When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. The redemptive work of the cross was finished (completed). Tav is symbolic of covenant. Think Hebrews 9:15 – Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance…. Lastly, Tav means mark or seal. Ephesians 1:13 – And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit… (NIV). We received the “mark” or seal of the Holy Spirit when we received Christ.
Based on all that’s been said, let’s look at the word “truth” or “emet (א מ ת)” in this way:
- Aleph – Christ our strength and leader
- Mem – Christ our source of living waters (or life), wisdom and righteousness
- Tav – Christ, the finished work of the cross and the new covenant
Now, when we look at John 8:32 again, this is what we see: “And you shall know the truth (Christ our strength and leader, our source of life, wisdom, and righteousness; the finished work of the cross and the new covenant) and the truth (Christ our strength and leader, our source of life, wisdom, and righteousness; the finished work of the cross and the new covenant) shall make you free”.
Our property of being in accord with fact or reality (as per the English definition of truth) can sometimes be warped by our experiences, the influences of those around us, social media, the news, etc… But if our truth is Christ our strength and leader, our source of life, wisdom, and righteousness, the finished work of the cross and the new covenant, then we will not be as likely to become confused, anxious, fearful or overwhelmed in life.