Passage: Exodus 23:1-3; Matthew 14:22-33

The Big Idea

Exodus 23 begins with commands about truth in the courtroom: no false reports, no siding with the wicked, no following the crowd, no bending justice. Jesus is the Truth, and He perfectly lived these laws, even though He was gossiped about, lied about and condemned by a crowd. If He always tells the truth, why do we doubt Him? Like Peter on the water, we take our eyes off His word and listen to the wind. But even when we sink, His hand is there.

Is Anyone Telling the Truth?

Legal experts have noted that in some countries, defendants aren’t even put under oath, on the assumption they’ll lie. In the United States, perjury is a crime, but it’s hard to prove and rarely prosecuted. One law professor observed that lying under oath seems commonplace, and wondered whether that’s partly because fewer people now believe God punishes it.

“Everyone does it. No one cares. It was just a white lie. That’s just how I see it.”

But Jesus is the Truth.

And we’re called to be witnesses to the truth: to tell everyone the truth of the gospel and testify to what we know. Like it or not, your life is lived on a witness stand. The world is watching to decide what it thinks is true.

Do we tell people about Jesus? Are we true witnesses, or false ones?

Latimer! Latimer!

In the 1500s, Hugh Latimer was one of England’s great Reformation preachers. Once he was called to preach before King Henry VIII, and he knew the message God had laid on his heart was not one the king would want to hear.

The story goes that he began his sermon by talking to himself: “Latimer! Latimer! Remember you’re speaking before the high and mighty King Henry VIII, who can send you to prison or have your head cut off if he pleases. Be careful not to offend the king!”

Then he paused and continued: “Latimer! Latimer! Remember you’re speaking before the King of kings and Lord of lords, before whose throne Henry VIII will stand, and to whom you yourself will give account. Latimer! Be faithful to your Master, and declare all of God’s Word.”

Latimer chose to preach what Christ wanted rather than what man wanted. He was eventually burned at the stake under Henry’s daughter, Queen Mary.

Jesus is the Truth. “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He never lies. He never slants the truth. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Let’s see Him in these laws.

Four Laws of Truth (Exodus 23:1-3)

“Don’t spread a false report. Don’t join hands with the wicked to be a malicious witness. Don’t follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you testify in a lawsuit, don’t pervert justice by siding with the majority. And don’t show favoritism to a poor person in his lawsuit.”

1. Don’t spread false reports

Jesus never gave false information. Every word He spoke was true. He spoke love and forgiveness to all who needed it, and He warned everyone truthfully.

“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
Hmm. How righteous do I have to be? Why didn’t He just tell me to try my best?
Because that would have been false. (The righteousness we need is His own, given by faith, Philippians 3:9.)
“Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
Why didn’t He say I can learn or grow my way into God’s presence, just mature a little, be more, do more?
Because that would have been false. He doesn’t do that.
Jesus is the best at telling us the truth, because He is the truth.
Yet Jesus Himself was the target of gossip and false reports.

2. Don’t join the wicked as a false witness

People often lie because they want to be liked or to stay on the “right” side.

Jesus didn’t need to be liked. He knew His Father loved Him, and that was enough. Is it enough for you?
“The Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me; I lay it down on My own.” Many then said, “He has a demon and is out of His mind. Why listen to Him?” (John 10:17-20).
Knowing the Father’s love gave Jesus the confidence to speak the truth, and some hated Him for it.
And false witnesses lied about Him at His trial (Matthew 26:59-61).

3. Don’t follow the crowd

Don’t lie or bend justice because of peer pressure.

Remember the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11). The religious leaders brought her before Jesus, quoting Moses, wanting her stoned. A crowd was gathered, stones in hand. Jesus stooped and wrote on the ground, then said, “Let the one among you without sin throw the first stone.” One by one they left, until only Jesus and the woman remained. “Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord.” “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

Jesus stood alone for truth. But He also stood alone for grace. No one else wanted her to receive grace; they only wanted justice.
Jesus never followed the crowd. Yet He became the victim of a crowd shouting, “Crucify Him!”

4. Don’t show partiality, even to the poor

Don’t go easy on someone just because of their hard situation. Don’t give them false comfort.

“Everyone goes to heaven, especially nice people or people who’ve had a tough life.” That’s not what Jesus said.
“No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Real compassion tells the truth, and then offers the grace of Jesus.

“Why Do You Not Believe Me?” (John 8:45-46)

Jesus is the heart behind these laws, and truth mattered enormously to Him.

He told His opponents, “Because I tell the truth, you don’t believe Me. Which of you can convict Me of sin? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me?”

Why don’t we believe Him? Why are we so full of doubt?

All of us doubt Jesus at times. That’s not even a question. Let’s see how He helped His friend Peter, and maybe we can trust Him to help us too. We’re His friends as well.

Walking on the Water (Matthew 14:25-33)

In the middle of the night, Jesus came to the disciples walking on the sea. They were terrified: “It’s a ghost!” Immediately Jesus said, “Take heart! It’s Me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter answered, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they climbed into the boat, the wind stopped, and those in the boat worshiped Him: “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Jesus asks us the same question: Why did you doubt?

Peter didn’t fully trust Jesus yet.
If God declares in Exodus 23 that bearing false witness is wrong, then Jesus, who is God, will never mislead anyone. He always tells the truth.
So when Jesus said “Come,” that was the word of God. It couldn’t be false.

Peter walked on water. Then he doubted. And if we look closely, we see why Peter doubted, and why we do.

He was looking at Jesus and walking on the water. Then he got distracted.
His eyes were pulled away from Jesus. To what? The wind. Not even the waves, lightning or thunder. Just wind.
He heard and felt the wind, and it made him doubt the word he’d just heard.
He chose to believe what the wind told him over what Jesus told him.
The wind made him afraid. Jesus’ word had given him courage and supernatural ability.
The wind made him sink. Believing Jesus’ word had drawn him toward God.
Jesus reached down and saved Peter the moment he cried out, because He’s always compassionate, and He always saves those who call on Him.

And Peter learned a huge lesson: You must listen to what I say more than to what you feel or think is true.

The “wind” can be many things: circumstances, the enemy shouting, practical-sounding wisdom. It’s all just wind, blowing in every direction, never predictable.
The word of Jesus never changes. The Old and New Testaments speak the same message; each confirms the other.
His very name is the Word of God. The Word became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14).
So His words and promises are all we need.

Abide in His Words

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

Many of us doubt because we don’t listen to His word. We spend almost no time in the Scriptures. Then when a storm or wind hits, our first move is to figure it out ourselves, because we have no idea what God has said.

So many diseases of the heart, fear, doubt, despair, bitterness, anger, bow before the power and authority of the Son of God. And what He calls us to is to hear His words, believe them and keep them.

And what happens when we begin to sink? Our fear, doubt and self-sufficiency are exposed as a sham. All we have left is Jesus, His pierced hand in ours.

In our worst moments of doubt and failure, when we’re sinking, Jesus is still faithful. He never turns away from us. He saves. He rescues. He loves all who call on Him.

So in the end, our sins are washed away, and we have hearts that are learning to believe every word Jesus says.

What an amazing work Jesus does for us. He always tells us the truth. Then He gives us the grace to believe it, and the ability to carry His truth to the world.

“You Are My Witnesses” (Isaiah 43:9-10)

God summons all the nations to court: Let them bring their witnesses to prove they’re right, or let them hear and say, “It’s true.” Then He says, “You are My witnesses, and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, and there will be none after Me.”

This is about Him, not us.
He longs for the world to know Him in truth, and He’s chosen us to be His witnesses.

Grace Takeaway

Jesus always tells the truth. He never spread a false report, never joined the wicked, never followed the crowd and never gave anyone false comfort. When we doubt Him, it’s because we’re listening to the wind. Fix your eyes back on Him, fill your heart with His words, and when you start to sink, cry out. His hand is already reaching for you. Then go be His true witness.

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You Can’t Handle the Truth: Why We Doubt What Jesus Says